Packing for success at the Cape Cod Canal.
Last month I stopped in at Red Top and had the opportunity to meet shop manager Connor Swartz, it was apparent right away that I was talking to someone who knew the local fisheries and I took the opportunity to get he and I together on camera to talk about our favorite spring lures for the Cape Cod Canal. When you watch the video, you’ll see that there were quite a few insights into rigging and tactics for using these lures that go well beyond just the simple suggestion that they will work in the Big Ditch.
Flag-rigged Super Strike
Switching out the stock hooks for a cut 3/0 VMC treble and a hackle or sparse bucktail flag will reduce the leverage a hooked fish can get on the plug and accentuate the Little Neck Popper’s natural swimming ability.
Magic Swimmer
Berkley is the new maker of the Magic Swimmer, but regardless of whether you fish the OG Sebile or the new one, your best bet is to remove the stock hooks and switch out the forward treble for a 5/0 VMC, the author adds a 1/8-ounce weight to the second hook hanger for balance.
Canal Rigging
Ingenious Canal rats have devised a method for reducing the strain on the hook hangers of many plastic plugs, like the Magic Swimmer, Stick Shadd and swimmers like the Hydro Minnow or the SP Minnow. Dubbed ‘Canal rigging’, this method utilizes a split ring and a barrel swivel between the plug and the treble to alleviate twisting and tweaking the hook hanger.
