Hi, I was wondering if anyone would be so kind as to share tide advice for the canal. For 15 years Ive been going down for a weekend every fall and throwing jigs til my arms fall off. I originally got suggestions about where to start from this site. I dont want to steal anyones spots, I usually fish the same ones all the tourists do. RR bridge, trading post, bridges, jetti, etc. Ive got lucky a few times and either landed big fish, or alot of fish. I fished Maine and Plum Island for years, but the canal is my favorite. Up north I only worry about out going or incoming tide, but the Canal has east and west also and I have no idea how to read them. Are there any simple suggestions like "be on the east end on an east tide" or "always fish the top or bottom of a tide swing" or anything like that. I live two hours away and usually run up and down the ditch all nite until first light has passed, then sleep all day. Anything that would help me cut down the guess work of when to be out there is GREATLY appreciated. Ill be there from Sept 21-23. Id say Ill look forward to seeing you out there, but if youre a canal guy thats any good, youre even better at not letting rookies see you catch fish than you are at catching them. Like Ditch Ninjas. Tight lines.:)

Fish the changes in light and the changes in tide. Mid tide with jigs. Fish this time of the year are thinking of moving SW. Don't think too much about location have fun that's what it's all about
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Also think about how others around you are fishing and observe. A you don't want impede what they are doing if they arrived before you B they may know what is going on at that point
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Look in the how to's mike p did a great "canal for bigginers"
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Thanks guys really appreciate it. Im a huge believer of putting your time in, but I live out near Gardner MA now and its a haul. Also, I have two young kids so I havent been in two years. Anything that helps cut out guess work is huge. Theres nothing worse than finding out you were sleeping when you should have been fishing, or vice versa.

heres a few links

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripertalk/how-tos-f-q-s-tips-tricks/14919-canal-how.html

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripertalk/how-tos-f-q-s-tips-tricks/56003-fishing-current-jigs.html

for the canal, im personally not a fan of jigging all the time, ive done well there jigging but would rather throw plugs.

for spots, the fish are moving, its a giant conveyor belt, the fish are moving with the tide. go to a spot you feel comfortable with, something that has enough room to cast and a spot to land a fish.

yes there are spots that will produce on every tide if you know them.

be an observer, if you see 5 guys jigging a stretch theres a reason why, take notes.

some days ill go there and make mental notes of things i see, a mussel flat, a drop off point, a steep bank, etc.

ive caught fish on top when they werent breaking, so feel you need to see them crashing on top.

distance can be key, but most guys have pulled the biggest fish 20 yards from where there standing, myself included.

have fun and be safe

Thanks Chris, appreciate it. Any recommended plugs, or local guys who sell them youd like to see me give my money to?

Thanks Chris, appreciate it. Any recommended plugs, or local guys who sell them youd like to see me give my money to?

everything in mac pattern :grins:

daiwa sp minnow, change the hardware
lefthook pencils
CCT polaris or pencil
savage sand eels
tins, think peanut profile

ive been doing well with the new shimano orca plug and heavy needle fish, ss poppers loaded, redfins, shimano waxwing.

go see mike at cape cod tackle, great guy, builds a sweet plug, great selection and the best prices, and he supports this site

X2 and great screen name btw
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Thanks guys, Ill shop there when I go. One last question, how do I predict what time the slack tide is, aside from fishing until the water stops moving? Up North dead low, or high gives you a 20 min or so window before it swings the other way, but the east/west thing I dont get. Would it be the time it swings from east to west and vice versa, or do hi and low tide play a part?

sLACK IS WHEN THE CURRENT TURNS THE OTHER WAY oops caplock

use the canal tide chart to see what time the current turns.

the chart lists the times it changes at the railroad bridge but it's not far off when it changes direction for the east end either unless there is a strong wind with an unusual tide or something.

once the tide turns east, it keeps dropping down for 2 hours.

it's very complicated , as Buzzards bay has 4-5 ft tides that are high no where near the same time as 10 ft. tides from the other end in Cape Cod bay. I'm not sure of the time difference but it is significant.

http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/recreati/ccc/navigation/Tide%202012.pdf

there is the canal chart

...and sometimes in some places the top water is going West and the under current is humping East.

...and sometimes in some places the top water is going West and the under current is humping East.

Yup, I've had my lure go west with the current one cast and then go east on the next cast. It can get weird, especially with eels.

Check out the PDF file linked below. Pay attention to the "Turns East" and "Turns West" columns at the left. Slack will be the half hour or so before these times. Slack isn't full high or low, it's the time when the tide height in Cape Cod Bay and Buzzards Bay equals out. Basically it's just gravity working. When the water is higher in CC Bay than Buzzard's you get a west running current. And vice-versa for an east. The greater the tide height difference the stronger the current. Yeah a simplification, and wind also affects it some but you get the general idea.

Also pay attention to the adjustment for which part of the canal you're at.

52924

Yup, I've had my lure go west with the current one cast and then go east on the next cast. It can get weird, especially with eels.

That's when the east is overpowering the west right in front of you. It never really goes slack.

When it's really flat down there, you can see the wave roll up the canal created by one tide pushing back the other.

Good info here. Nice thread. I would like to add that I always catch more fish after a quick kneel and Hail Mary right before my first cast. I think one of the apostles, either Peter, Paul and Mary were fisherman,

capetides will give u 3-4 diff areas of the canal....always a helpful thing.

my thread