2018 CAPE COD CANAL TOPWATER 

Steelheader Max well thank you for that Max. Comments like that keep me going my friend

Dan Berube thanks man! I’ve also been doing my best to keep the mouth breathing to a minimum haha

Gerry Shappell done. I’ll start a series

Westend Matrix yeah I mean that’s a good point....so maybe I’ll film and do exactly that...once the season is over and we’re all dying for anything resembling fishing content, I’ll release stuff over the winter to keep us remembering warmer, happier days? And in-season time, actually provide some insight and interact with you guys?

That’s awesome tight lines!

The Salty Fisherman thanks brother!

Haha I definitely feel you on that one. Nothing like some techno blasting in the background to completely remove you from the experience! This type of feedback has really hit me right in the feels, and I’d like to at least find some kind of balance between “hey look at me fish” ego stroking content, and something that you guys can walk away from and hopefully say “well shit, I’m taking that information to the bank”. Thank you for your input brother, it’s invaluable.

Madein'Merica I’ll agree with you there man. I know of groups that consist of HUNDREDS of people connected, and all it takes is one person to disclose where and when the bite is happening, and it spreads like wildfire. Nobody wants to put the work in anymore. They just want to show up and be put on fish. Half of the satisfaction for me has always been doing my best to rely on my own instinct to put fish on the rocks, and it’s really too bad that some people just don’t ever want to experience that type of hunter mentality.

MoneyRoth thank you man, it’s very much appreciated.

Michael Schraffa yeah I mean anyone that knows the area will know exactly where there is....that landmark stuff is for those who don’t 😊..

Elparquito thank you brother.

Sean Flynn Sean, so I’ve actually been in the process of developing, building and testing my own plug line for the last 9 months. I’ve got 4 canal vets testing about half a dozen plugs each constantly helping me refine and perfect them. They’re definitely catered to a specific crowd. Completely overbuilt, huge emphasis on components, terminal tackle, water sealing, durability etc. I’ve got quite a few different plugs, techniques, rigging choices, gear tips and tricks that I think could give people another “pitch to throw” so to speak at these fish rather than the same old stuff

Dan Evan let me know if you need another tester, I'll be living 5 mins from the canal July 7th through August 25

Dan, I will be tying up some feather dressed trebled in the near future, interested in any to try on your plugs ? I will be dressing 4/0 and trebles in white, ginger, black and badger. Let me know.

Sean Flynn tell me a little about the dressings? Feather only or bucktail and feather? I tend to not put feather or bucktail on my pencils but love them for Polaris poppers, stickbaits, Sebile MS and Stick Shadds, metal lips etc

Curtis Medina you got it Curtis. I’ll do just that. Thank you for the feedback and I’ll begin working on a series where I break down all aspects of my gear from head to toe.

Get ready for that gear video

Two Star Dog omg bro that reminds me of Coming to American when Eddie Murphy plays all the different characters including Randy Watson, lead singer of “Sexual Chocolate” 😂

Dave N I guess I don’t really understand the question here...how would this match up with what? What is the application?

vsonic86 yes I did

Fromkids2kids New 10’ rod capable of casting 2-6 oz, Daiwa BG 5000 reel, 300yds 40lb powerpro with the rest backing. Lures: pencil popper, magic swimmer, savage sand eel. Spots you’ll have to figure out buddy, part of the fun. Good luck

So reel speed to me is huge, especially for long casting, and jigging. Most pencils that are going to truly be “long cast” are going to require a ratio of lead tailweight to overall weight that’s simply going to overcome the buoyancy of the plug, causing it to sink. Now because they sink, this requires you to be able to plane them back to the surface. The further you send them out the more weight is going to be added to that equation due to the braid. I have a Shimano Aero Technium 10000 XSC, which is widely considered one of the best long cast reels due to the shallow arbor, very tall spool, and what Shimano refers to as their “Super Slow 10” oscillation system that essentially creates a line lay that just fans off the spool (therefore reducing the additional friction of the line hitting the lip of the spool during the cast). So while that sounds like the perfect match for a plugging rod, the gear ratio just isn’t up to the task of getting those true long distance plugs back to the surface and requires you to be johnny in the spot with the bail flip at the end of the cast, following by spastically cranking to get the lure up. I found in most cases, and especially with the heavier 4+ oz plugs I like to throw, that the extra distance was negligible when compared to something like the Stella 14k because that distance was mostly lost trying to get the plug up. The Stella on the other hand, and this could be said for anything down to a Daiwa BG, with its 53” per crank and 6.2:1 gear ratio, can have a 4 oz pencil on the surface in two quick cranks as you’ll see in some of my videos. So that is my preference and reasoning behind using that reel over certain long cast reels for plugging. Not only that, but the Aero Technium was originally designed to be a carp fishing reel. The handle is about as dinky as they come, and when it comes to fighting a fish, I feel much more confident with the Stella and it’s superior drag, power handle, and overall stout feel. If I was jigging for tuna or needed a reel that was a straight up winch with serious low range cranking power, then I’d opt for something with less gear ratio, but for the canal, 5.7:1 minimum is where I’d like to be.

wow thats a plethora of information. the science in it makes alot of sense though. I know each spot requires its own tactics, I have only now have become aware of the canal and its potential for larger than typical bass perhaps im a part of the problem in regards to the zoo that you mention in your video. though I try to remain respectful of locals when visiting. ive fished the ditch using penn 704z in the past and i have noticed the delay in keeping in contact with lure after my initial cast. all of my success if any has come from jigging where plugging has just ended in frustration as the majority of my retrieve is spent trying to catch up with the current. ive taken others advice and invested in a 8000 saragossa. everyone i spoke to touted it as the go to for fishing the canal due to its speed its gear ratio is 5.6:1 believe ( just a little shy of your preferences) . im curious to see how it handles plugs in the current. thanks for the info by the way

Bluefish (Taylor) would be the main bi-catch (if they show up don’t throw your nice lures or there’s a good chance they’ll be bitten off), hickory shadd show up around august, tautog around some of the rocky inlets (use green crabs for bait, tautog are great eating), but most of the fish you’ll catch off the beach, back bays, estuaries etc. are more than likely going to striped bass. On the south side of the Cape you can run into weakfish (usually they’re hugging the bottom in the current at the entrance of an estuary) and can be caught just slow rolling a soft plastic along the bottom or even on little lipped jerkbaits. If you come in the fall, one of the funnest fish to catch is the false albacore. But if you want to connect with big striped bass make your trip for mid-late June, or early July. Places like the cape cod canal, sandy neck beach, and the outer cape beaches from welfleet to Provincetown, or southcape beach stretches offer awesome surfcasting opportunities. Once you get into town talk with the local bait shops and check On the Water magazine (online) for details regarding the migration of bass coming up the coast. Depending on water temps the migration can slow down or speed up significantly. If you go to the canal just know that these fish with 4 knots of current behind them are a completely different animal and the gear required to throw the bigger, heavier lures, and to fight the fish will need to be scaled up. Thank you for the kind words Sir, and best of luck to and your boy if this madness ends and you get to make the trip! Regards Dan

@@DanEvan Thank you so much for the info Dan ...... I will print this off and put it in my file of what’s required 😉

@@barrydiaper4388 any time my friend.

Ivan Gomez thank you bro!

Jason Martin so that would really depend on certain variables. Plugging? Jigging? All around setup? Pure distance?

I got a 5000 diawa bg paired tsunami 1002XH i will be doing mostly plugging very little jigging, Gotta order string thought you might have some suggestions

Jason Martin I’d just go with original powerpro #40, 300 yds with backing to fill the rest

Vang Thao already working on exactly that. I’m going to make it broken down, and as detailed as I can throughout a series. Thank you for the feedback brother.

That video is coming my friend

BaasS I mean and beyond that, unless you get a remarkable catch, or something really extraordinary happens, it’s really just useless content. I’d much rather provide some kind of service bro. NOW, that being said, IF ANYONE wants to be truly awestruck and entertained, Go to this man’s channel ☝🏼(BaaaS) and watch the video of him fighting and landing a 46 pound, 50” MONSTER. Now that is a video worth watching.

dude I love these videos. it's what keeps me coming back to watch your channel. that being said, the canal may be crazy stacked with new people but it is what it is. I just love seeing videos of the fish and place I love to fish at.

I don’t think century makes a slingshot SS1321? Maybe 1327, or 1328? What’s the weight rating, cuz I’ve owned like 5 slingshots. And for the canal, yes I would highly recommmend the Stella 14000 for your rod. For the open surf and if it’s going to get dunked underwater a lot then no. But for the canal it’s (in my opinion) the best all around reel. Most people don’t know this but Shimano made the 14000 specifically for the canal. Its got the smoothest drag, 53” per crank, casts extremely well, and no it doesn’t require much maintenance. I fish mine extremely hard and service it once every 2 years and Shimano’s platinum customer service when you get a Stella is tip top. www.onthewater.com/shimanos-cape-cod-canal-jigging-special

@@DanEvan 1327 my bad was speed typing lol

@@DanEvan yea scooped it up from cms my gf got it for me as a bday gift love the thing but def wanted a different real aimed at handling the canal i have 2 vs250s but I need something a lil more quicker on the retrieve hopefully can find a stella for a good price. heard there's one w plastic inside and other w metals. you know which is which def don't want Plastic gears

@@ilovenythismuchilovenewyor5801 No Stella is going to come with plastic gears, regardless of the year it was made. You may be thinking of the twin power or something. If you have the loot a 2019 Stella 14000 is the way to go. If you don’t want to spend the loot; you can always go with the new 14000 Saragossa or the New Daiwa BG MQ

@@DanEvan thanks I seen guys up there w the taller spool do the Stella's have that taller spool or that's a different reel

Because in the canal I’m not submerging the reel, I’d prefer the faster gear ratio, smoother drag, and better casting distance the Stella provides. I’ve used Van Staals in the canal and they’re perfectly fine, and a great reel, I just prefer the Stella.

watchman316ly It’s tough to compare, as I’d say the 6500 Saltiga is more in line with the 18k Stella which is a noticeably bigger body....but if I had to compare, the drag on the Stella is perfect, smooth, and linear, while overall the Saltiga feels smoother while cranking and is an absolute tank. The 14k Stella certainly feels more balanced on the lighter, thin diameter, thick walled Jigster blank (I’d go so far as to say it might just be the perfect all around canal setup with a jack of all trades, master of none type of feel). I put a Shimano Yumeya power handle on the Stella and that completely changed the overall feel of the reel for me. I don’t know why after 8000 size they drop the awesome power knob for the rubber football.

Thank you for the comparison. That is great to know. These two reels are some of the best out there when it comes to salt water fishing and with certain types of fish. At the end- it all has to do with the application, rod & reel match up, and definitely personal preference!

Roy Barlow yeah I mean for the regulars at the canal you don’t need to be a genius to figure out where I was haha, but I figured I’d at least try to be as respectful as I could

End Less what type of setup are you using? What time were you going? What lures/bait were you throwing?

vsonic86 It’s a 14000 - the whole setup is listed in the description.

Maylyn Reynoso ODM Jigster built by CMS Tackle

never mind all i had to do was watch 10 more seconds

Justin Machado lol I always try to post the gear in the video. No worries mate

Maineduckhunter I’ve been very conflicted about making them brother. On the one hand I don’t assume that my channel is going to make or break the amount of disrespectful jackasses that seemed to have flocked to the canal as of late, but I’ve had quite a few comments from people who are upset with the content I’ve uploaded, and I guess I’m just trying to listen to those as well. I’d also prefer to show some of the little things that I perhaps do differently rather than “hey look at me catching fish”. It feels like an ego stroke more than something people could walk away from feeling like they got something out of it. Thank you, sincerely, for your support.

Rich Filakovsky I have a ton of unseen footage I’ve filmed from this season, including today. I’ll release it when the time is right my friend. Thanks for your support!

NFiltr8Red thanks man, much appreciated!

NFiltr8Red i don't know where you been fishing? LOL because this years Salmon fishing and bay area California halibut and striper fishing has been the best its been in over 15 years. We've had limits on our last 8 trips on salmon and halibut striper live bait trips up to 38lb for the butts striper to 22lbs and king Salmon to 28lbs its been RED HOT!!!!!! Oh and the ling cods and rockfish have been great.

svtkilr , Eureka Ca.......I don’t like going out on boats but I heard they be slaying them south of us. Anything near here is small schoolies only

Haha, i know a couple places like this, have to do a rotation.

Mountak

kenneth london well I appreciate you saying that Kenneth. Thank you for giving me some perspective on this.

Mike Whitaker I’m quite alright with that compromise....and until the day comes where I have a film crew there on the rocks with me, I apologize for my lousy skills