Canal-Yesterday 6pm

[MarshCappa]

I took a co-worker who lives in Sandwich and never fished the canal before out for a quick hit. He's a bigtime fisherman and primarily goes by boat in the sound. His 3rd or 4th cast he lands a 28" keeper on top water plug with a light tackle rig! I only managed a dink. He was so stoked. We chatted with a few guys on the bike path and he was so surprised and impressed with the karma there. He told me he went there this morning before work and got skunked. Sorry guys, I've added to the population down there but at least he's a local. In the 30 or so minutes we were there we saw a guy on his bike with a keeper headed to the cooler and met up with a guy in a yellow rainsuit that showed us his very nice custom plugs and offered up some great conversation. I didn't want to leave but wifey and kids were calling. I'll be back..........

[Moses]

Nice! I was down there too last night (6-10pm) with a couple canal newbies. Of course, they caught the fish and not me.

Guy on left is 6'3" and makes that 40" fish look small.

[RIJIMMY]

I wish I could sell tickets down there, gonna be a mad house with all the press this week

[Sweetwater]

I know it pains many of us to see some of our favorite spots get crowded. But the more guys (and gals) that fish and love the sport is very good given all the political pressures from groups that would like to see so many areas closed or access curtailed be it canal, beaches, or threatened MPAs in bay and off the coast. We have to stick together on this.

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by Sweetwater

I know it pains many of us to see some of our favorite spots get crowded. But the more guys (and gals) that fish and love the sport is very good given all the political pressures from groups that would like to see so many areas closed or access curtailed be it canal, beaches, or threatened MPAs in bay and off the coast. We have to stick together on this.

How'd that work out on the Cape beaches?

[Rockport24]

Sounds like a great time Marsh!

I've never fished the canal mainly because you guys are always bitching about what a mad house it always is. Not worth the drive down to me when there are fish in my backyard, albeit, a lot smaller fish!

[BobT]

There are no fish in the Canal.

[JoeBass]

Sounds like a great time. That guy owes you a cold one. At least.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by Sweetwater

I know it pains many of us to see some of our favorite spots get crowded. But the more guys (and gals) that fish and love the sport is very good given all the political pressures from groups that would like to see so many areas closed or access curtailed be it canal, beaches, or threatened MPAs in bay and off the coast. We have to stick together on this.

Well, I can tell you how that works out in these parts--not the way you paint it.

What happens is that the people who live in Canalfront property in the Town of Bourne, and pay the kind of taxes associated with waterfront property, get a wee bit tired of having yahoos disturbing their sleep with banging car doors and loud conversations round about dawn--which happens at around 4:30 this time of the year. They also get tired of finding litter on their lawns, and their driveways obstructed, and having to crawl between cars parked along both sides of their narrow streets. So they call their Selectmen, who then call the Chief of Police, and a new collection of No Parking signs go up, and a blitz of parking tickets ensue. Signs marking rights of way get taken down, and the police start putting up boulders barricading access to turn-outs and areas that guys have used to access the Canal for many years. They also start lobbying the Corps of Engineers to close gates between 8 PM and 8 AM--and if you notice, most of the Corps lots have gates that can be closed. Then, the insane fishing dies out, and the guys from 5 states who have been coming to the Canal every day because their own local fishing has been spotty stop coming, and the guys who live locally now have to live with restricted access the rest of the season. You do the damage, and we have to live with the aftermath.

Thanks a whole %$%$%$%$ing lot.

[Mr. Sandman]

I fished the canal yesterday from 5-8pm...saw a ton of people fishing and nothing caught. Heard all kind of rumors. I happen to be in the 'hood on other business and tossed a rod in the car to kill a few hours. I had not fished it in something like 20 years. Lots of people swing by for 15 min and split. There is a lot of activity. I love seeing the guys on the bikes rigged out as buggies. Its like an entire sub-culture of specialized fishermen.
Moved to a couple of places. Heard there was a 57 weighed in recently and a couple other good fish. Saw plenty of herring spilling out into the canal. Met some friendly people and chatted it up with a bunch of regulars.

Pretty easy place to fish. I counted 60 or 70 guys at the run that I could see and everyone seem to have enough space. A non-english speaking googan did come next to me with what looked like a prepackaged scup rig, a one ounce bank sinker and some squid in a box...(I was casting a 4 oz bucktail) he cast that out about 40' and the screaming current moved in solidly in the riprap breaking it off. After 3X he left mumbling something and tossed the box of squid in the drink.

Oh...I wounder how much lead is at the bottom of the canal and if it would be profitable to mine it?

[Moses]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

I wish I could sell tickets down there, gonna be a mad house with all the press this week

Sure it gets crowded at "known" landmarks and easy access points. I wouldn't expect to park at the HR and see an empty lot, would you? I do alot of walking and will soon have my bike ready to go. I've fished plenty of areas this past week where it was just my friends and I.

[saltfly]

Mike P.-----Bingo!!!!!!!

[MarshCappa]

Originally Posted by JoeBass

Sounds like a great time. That guy owes you a cold one. At least.

Funny, I gave one to him! He helped me out big time at a job site so it was the least I could do.

[MarshCappa]

Originally Posted by Moses

Nice! I was down there too last night (6-10pm) with a couple canal newbies. Of course, they caught the fish and not me.

Guy on left is 6'3" and makes that 40" fish look small.

Nice!

[MarshCappa]

Originally Posted by Mike P

Well, I can tell you how that works out in these parts--not the way you paint it.

What happens is that the people who live in Canalfront property in the Town of Bourne, and pay the kind of taxes associated with waterfront property, get a wee bit tired of having yahoos disturbing their sleep with banging car doors and loud conversations round about dawn--which happens at around 4:30 this time of the year. They also get tired of finding litter on their lawns, and their driveways obstructed, and having to crawl between cars parked along both sides of their narrow streets. So they call their Selectmen, who then call the Chief of Police, and a new collection of No Parking signs go up, and a blitz of parking tickets ensue. Signs marking rights of way get taken down, and the police start putting up boulders barricading access to turn-outs and areas that guys have used to access the Canal for many years. They also start lobbying the Corps of Engineers to close gates between 8 PM and 8 AM--and if you notice, most of the Corps lots have gates that can be closed. Then, the insane fishing dies out, and the guys from 5 states who have been coming to the Canal every day because their own local fishing has been spotty stop coming, and the guys who live locally now have to live with restricted access the rest of the season. You do the damage, and we have to live with the aftermath.

Thanks a whole %$%$%$%$ing lot.

That sucks. If it helps I wasn't in your neighborhood.

[quick decision]

fish at night if you dont like people

[GonnaCatchABig1]

atleast you guys have enough room to accommodate more than 5 people in a 20 mile stretch. 20miles of rocks and no access to any of them! fun little fact though... thought i had found a nice little dead end access road.. nope. it was a private lane. buuuuuuuut that "private" lane according to a police blotter gets paved and fixed with the towns taxes...

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by MarshCappa

That sucks. If it helps I wasn't in your neighborhood.

Oh, I know you weren't--I'm not the kind of guy who can afford waterfront property

The problem is that a lot of the people seemed to chase yesterday's fish and crowded the residential areas outside of the bridges. It didn't help that many parked illegally and really obstructed traffic. People don't live right along the Canal, or next to a parking area, in the middle of the Ditch, and that area isn't as sensitive to residential complaints.

The other problem is that the turn-offs Capeside, along Sandwich Road, can overflow and cars park alongside a very busy major road, with a very narrow shoulder. The first time that someone gets clipped by a passing car who doesn't see him taking a rod off the roof in the half light of false dawn, that whole area will get posted No Parking.

People get carried away by news of big fish and stop giving a damn about other people.

Access to the Canal itself might be guaranteed, but parking access isn't. Two lots are gated now from 8 PM to 8 AM. I have a pretty good idea of which one will get shut down at night next, and it will make a lot of people very unhappy when it does---but slamming doors and rowdy guys waking up nearby residents at 4 AM, illegal parking outside of the lot, using neighboring businesses and apartments for fishing parking and other abuses will get 'er done.

I'm not addressing the guys from this site as I know most do care about access, but just venting and warning. I know the local mindset--like many other Cape towns, the people who pay the highest property taxes are the squeakiest wheels and they get the grease.

[JamesJet]

I am a fairly new fisherman at the canal and have only fished it for 3-4 years. Started off slow and have been on a +5 trips per year pace and am now around 25 a year. So I guess I am guilty of crowding the place in many people's minds since I am not local. I always am courteous and recognize what its like to share a fishery as I grew up on the Farmington river. A similar situation where people come from all over and there is easy access to many of the very good pools, in fact similar to the canal they have their own names and many stores stock the local "map."
I understand the mindset of locals that have a right to the fishery as I was once angered by waking up early heading to the river and finding 3 out of state cars parked in my favorite pull off - but its not going to change. The Canal is a great resource and a tremendous fishery, and with the seal population causing (insert whatever else you choose to blame) the drop off of beach fishing the outer cape, it is only going to get more crowded before it gets better. My suggestion is be happy about the dollars spent by traveling anglers, clearly post and raise the parking fines to ungodly amounts, and (although this may be ignorant not understanding politics or true geography of areas on and around the canal) have more pay to park areas similar to with large ($20?) fees charges and monitored 24/7 that locals can gain free access to via a beach sticker type situation. I would think the only land available for this would be cape side, but its just a wild thought. Nothing is free anymore and I would pay every time, hopefully in exchange for an enjoyable evening and that money being piled back into the resource.