Cape Alive Today

[CanalGuy]

Productive this morning down the Canal

[Raider Ronnie]

Everyone run down to the canal asap !

[O.D. Mike]

Any starfish?

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by Raider Ronnie

Everyone run down to the canal asap !

Looks like it'll be a 7 mile long zoo a few weeks early this year.

[Swimmer]

I think we should send at least the 108 people who read this thread prior to me reading it to your pole.

You know if I thought this post would have started trouble I would have worded the post much differently. Silly people, silly critiques of other peoples post.

[GattaFish]

Originally Posted by CanalGuy

The a.m. high was very productive this morning down the old ditch. Quite a few 20's.

WHAT NOT TO DO...................

[FISHING_FOOL]

See you all there in the morning??

[Sea Flat]

Easy does it guys. The canal is a big place, plenty of room for everyone. A report of fish at the canal is not exactly surprising at this point is it? We have all heard the other reports that they were close. We knew it was coming a little early this year.

[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by Sea Flat

Easy does it guys. The canal is a big place, plenty of room for everyone. A report of fish at the canal is not exactly surprising at this point is it? We have all heard the other reports that they were close. We knew it was coming a little early this year.

I don't mind this being posted as long as it is in the San Fransisco Gazzette.

[EarnedStripes44]

Sounds like they will be in Hahbah in no time.

[Saltheart]

I think its ok to say the canal was good this morning , or the upper bay was good , etc. Its always tough where to draw the line as far as spot burning but I thing its natural to say you had a good day somewhere in general.

Everyone covets their spots. The question is , how big is your spot? Is it ok to say the fish are biting along the Atlantic coast? How about they are biting in MA or RI somewhere? North Shore? South County? Narragansett Bay? The Canal? At what specific level of info are you spot burning?

Its a tough question and it comes up several times each year. Soon , the harshest words here will be aimed at "spot burners". A ritual of each season.

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

Soon , the harshest words here will be aimed at "spot burners".

The sign of a 100% rank amteur is the guy who flames someone for posting a fishing report.

Anyone who thinks the word won't get out hasn't been at the game long enough to know better, internet or no internet.

The fish are here and have been for over a week, go get em guys.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

The fish are here and have been for over a week, go get em guys.

Even I heard...
you put a whooping on someone, huh?

[piemma]

I was there this morning. There was no one and I mean no one for a mile in either direction of where I was.

THERE ARE NO FISH AT THE CANAL. THESE ARE ALL INTERNET LIES.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR GAS!!! (wink, wink)

[eastendlu]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

The sign of a 100% rank amteur is the guy who flames someone for posting a fishing report.

Anyone who thinks the word won't get out hasn't been at the game long enough to know better, internet or no internet.

The fish are here and have been for over a week, go get em guys.

I heard it from a guy that knows a guy that knows a guy that has a friend that his sister dates that mentioned fish in the canal about a week ago and i live a ways from the canal.

[FishermanTim]

My neighbor's cousin's ex-milkman's great-grandma's sister's third cousin's (twice removed) paperboys' uncle mentioned a hot pole, but I think he was talking about "Centerfolds" and not a canal.

[bart]

Originally Posted by CanalGuy

The a.m. high was very productive this morning down the old ditch. Quite a few 20's.

could you please provide pole numbers and access points as well

[JohnR]

Back up from the ledge folks, please and lets not get specific or detailed. Fish in the Canal is sufficient

This happens every year

[Van]

Just like what happened on the NW corner !

[jettyjockey18]

Originally Posted by CanalGuy

The a.m. high was very productive this morning down the old ditch. Quite a few 20's.

great to hear, and thanks for the heads up...it seems canal fishing reports this time of year have a mandatory quota of 20 "can you provide pole numbers/its going to be a zoo/everyone run down there now" posts...

[kenyee]

yep..people were catching 50 lbers this morning...

[doc]

glad to hear a fishing report...if saying the canal is spot burning, then what doesnt qualify as spot burning...ridiculous...

[MarshCappa]

Originally Posted by doc

glad to hear a fishing report...if saying the canal is spot burning, then what doesnt qualify as spot burning...ridiculous...

Saying the canal is hot isn't spot burning. THis comes up every year. Wait till the photos come out of catches at the canal. That usually will flame up something too!

[Slingah]

holy breadcrumbs!...it's May and there are striped bass in New England!
if one was truly internet savy, he would know right where to look for a juicy report to chase.....messageboardspotburningflamewars are so 2004....

[BigFish]

Don't chase yesterdays.....find your own tomorrow!!

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by doc

glad to hear a fishing report...if saying the canal is spot burning, then what doesnt qualify as spot burning...ridiculous...

The problem really isn't the Canal--there's 15 miles of spots.

The problem is that there aren't 15 miles worth of places to park.

Some places are close to residential neighborhoods, and the residents who pay Canal-front taxes don't like being awakened by slamming car doors, and guys y#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g it up and carrying on at 4 AM. They complain to their selectman neighbor. The selectman starts calling the police chief, and he tells his boys to go out and ticket cars. Or, if they're parked on Corps of Engineers property, the chief calls Bill Norman, the engineer in charge, and they start locking gates at dusk and not opening them until about 8 AM. I have it on very good authority that, due to fed-up homeowners nearby, a very popular spot is going to be gated after dark very soon.

Right now you can't access the Canal at the RRB in Buzzards Bay--the lot is closed for construction and access to the Canal is totally fenced off--which means that people will park on nearby residential streets and maybe cut through private property.

None of the popular Capeside parking areas along Sandwich Road can hold more than 5-10 cars, and I will bet a good amount of money that this coming weekend, 50 or more cars will be parked by Halfway Gate. Sooner or later some poor fisherman is going to get clipped and killed by a car zooming by at 60 mph, and many of those roadside turn-outs will have No Parking signs posted afterwards.

So no, you can't burn 15 miles of shoreline, but you can sure as hell shut down access. Here's some of what we lost just recently.

Bourne Bridge Capeside, gated after dark. Cars park outside the gate. There's room for maybe 6 cars there at best--so late arrivals park alongside the road, and sometimes encroach on it, causing traffic to slow down.

Aptuxet now has a chain across the road. You have to park outside by the windmill and there's room for maybe 6 cars.

The Canal Crossings property in Buzzards Bay, behind the post office--what used to be called Playland. Boulders placed across the access road. Have to walk in now over soft sand.

Old Bridge Road, posted No Parking from 10 PM to 7 AM.

Same at Savery Avenue by the stone church. The No Parking signs now extend a hundred or so yards up Savery Ave.

Pole 230 on the Cape side. There used to be pull-in parking for 7-8 cars. But they placed a line of boulders there because of the stench of drained livewells. Now 3 cars at most can park alongside the boulders.

Mr. Gallo, who owns the construction company under the Sagamore Bridge has, in the past, threatened to close his gates and only allow selected and trusted fishermen keys to access his land there.

Just bear this in mind--the only Corps lot that doesn't have a gate is at the herring run--all of them can be closed after dark, and almost all of them have abutting homeowners.

If you park by the radar towers and look to the left, you'll see a gate across an overgrown paved road. That gate wasn't there 15-20 years ago--that whole area was called "The Jungle". Many vehicles could park in that area, down that road. In fact, when they started running the campers out of the regular lots at night, back in the late 60s, that's where they all went, the old timers in their converted bread trucks.

I've fished the Canal since the 1960s. I've seen what happens when fishermen get to be pains in the ass. They get run out of public property after dark. And they miss those early morning spring tides because those lots don't open until 8 or 9 in the morning.

Whether the internet, the cell phone trees, the papers, the tackle shops, whether any or all of them are to blame--you can burn the Canal. Take my word for it.

But hey--what do I care--I live within walking distance of it.

[kenyee]

Originally Posted by Mike P

But hey--what do I care--I live within walking distance of it.

Woohoo! Everyone can park on Mike's lawn!

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by kenyee

Woohoo! Everyone can park on Mike's lawn!

I don't have a lawn--if you can find space between the bushes and trees, you're welcome to park there--or in the lot at the development's ballfield 100 yards up my street.

Walking distance is relative, too. "Walking distance"--for me--in a case of sheer necessity. It's still a good mile and a half to the ditch.

[stripermaineiac]

Wow talk about possesive LOL. I only want to fish on one rock.
Access is an issue at times but it's more attitude than access. respect is bread by making someone feel welcome not puttin the porcupine quills out.
We went through this a few times up here. A few of us went to the home owners and abutters and worked it to get some eticuit signs put up. You know please respect the neighbore ,don't slam car doors,talk quietly,don't leave trash around,[especially fishing trash]and so on worked wonders for both groups.acess has improved and the places are cleaner. even the cops work with us to help set it up. Just an idea. Ron

[CanalGuy]

I just meant the fishing was good. GFY