Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[stasiofishing]

23 minutes ago, DogBone_384 said:

The parking/launch is off Randolph street right next to Temple David.  It’s a rough, dirt parking area you’d drive right by if you aren’t looking for it.

 

You’ll need a cart to get to the water.  There’s a fire gate at the end of the parking area.

 

You might find me there tomorrow. I haven’t decided if I’m hunting SMB or LMB.

 

I drive an orange Tundra with a BR sticker and paddle a blue camo Lure 11.5.

 

 

 

 

Found it on the map, thanks!  I'll probably check it out next week.  Do you ever fish the Canton Reservoir?  I've only lived in the area since last August so I'm still trying to figure out where the hot spots are.

[DogBone_384]

No. I’ve never fished the Canton Res.  I fish mostly Plymouth & Cape Cod waters.

[DogBone_384]

I had a few hours this afternoon so off to Ponkapog went I.  I had the place to myself less a pair of swans and one comerant.   Two decent pickerels and a 3-0 LMB on a Yozuri square bill and Vision 110 jerk bait came in the kayak.

 

Surface temps were 39.x - 40.x and an on/off breeze from the north kept me moving.

[Fishing Rhino]

Looks like you found your mojo.

[DogBone_384]

Thanks Tom.  Yeah, I’ve been on a pretty good roll this year.  I’ll chaulk it up to fishing with you and reading this forum.

 

There are still a couple waters in Plymouth that escape me, but it’ll come.  I’m not working tomorrow so I might just take my new Kistler spinning rod out to the big pond in Plymouth that I’m 0/3 so far this year.  Going to bring nothing more than blade baits, lipless, and a some DT-10 & 16’s.

 

Just a three weeks until Harwich too.  I’m really looking forward to three/four days of marathon fishing.

[Fishing Rhino]

Remember, your brain is a living computer.  It stores every bit of data and information that it receives.  

 

When a thought pops into your mind to try a different bait, or a particular bait, don't hesitate to listen to that seemingly random thought.  You are not consciously processing that data, but your brain is constantly surfing all that "random" data and coming up with results.

 

We may call it instinct, or mojo.  Don't automatically ignore those instincts or gut feelings.  Your brain may be trying to tell you something.

[kroberts9]

Hey guys, any good Smallie holes in Middlesex county. I want to knock some rust off before my tournament trail starts in late April. It is still pretty ice heavy for my jon boat in NH. Really looking for both deep and shallow lakes,ponds and res no rivers as my club doesn't fish them 

 

 

Thanks

Ken

[DogBone_384]

Didn’t drive to Plymouth but took a short trip back to Ponkapog.  Couldn’t get the bass to cooperate but a couple pickerel liked my bluegill flavored square bill.

 

Water temps were 42.x -43.x: still a little cold for LMB methinks.  Another couple weeks I bet things’ll be ramping up big-time.

 

I’m heading to Plymouth or Westport Thursday if I can’t snag an OT shift....  haven’t decided yet.

[LadiMopar]

Breaking out the yak this weekend for the first time this season.  Going to hit a local puddle that was good for early LMB, and will be an easy paddle. Bought a new reel and rod this month and am itching to try them out! 

Daiwa Tatula CT Type R XS (8-3) and a Daiwa Tatula Elite signature series cranking rod! Woohoo!!!!! 

[kroberts9]

1 hour ago, LadiMopar said:

Breaking out the yak this weekend for the first time this season.  Going to hit a local puddle that was good for early LMB, and will be an easy paddle. Bought a new reel and rod this month and am itching to try them out! 

Daiwa Tatula CT Type R XS (8-3) and a Daiwa Tatula Elite signature series cranking rod! Woohoo!!!!! 

Which stick did you pick? 

I have the 7'4 and people really complained about it being too tip heavy but I think a MH glass composite used for tip down techniques doesn't really matter. Either way I'm a daiwa man though and through, until my megabass rod shows up in a couple weeks and all bets are off 

[Mr. Aquarium]

went out yesterday after work for a quickie, had 2 rods and what ever lure they had on, a 6inch weedless slugo and a ms slammer. all my gear is packed for florida. fished super shallow pond.  walked the shore line along the bogs, missed a decent fish in the shallow canal. walking back to the car, they were stacked up in real shallow water, sun baked. lot of fish here. they were chewing the 6 inch slugo, i missed every single fish, the rod i was using was to light to get a good hook set. also had a fish hit my slammer up top. 

[DogBone_384]

Good to hear you getting out Mike.  If I don’t work OT tomorrow I’m hitting the big Plymouth pond.  I have a new 7’6” MH Veritas I want to throw some DT-16’s on....  

[LadiMopar]

21 hours ago, kroberts9 said:

Which stick did you pick? 

I have the 7'4 and people really complained about it being too tip heavy but I think a MH glass composite used for tip down techniques doesn't really matter. Either way I'm a daiwa man though and through, until my megabass rod shows up in a couple weeks and all bets are off 

 

These are hot off the press so to speak....here are the specs.

 

TAEL701MHRB-G	Takahiro Omori	CRANKIN'	MH	R	7'0"	1	10-20	1/2-2	Fuji®Alconite

 

Tatula Elite Rods are designed with SVF™ Nanoplus Super Volume Fiber blanks for increased sensitivity and less weight. Crankbait rods are designed with GLATECH™ fiberglass / graphite construction needed for a slower reacting blank. The slower reacting blank is needed for the proper action of the crankbaits and allows fish to inhale baits better and not tear hooks. This will result in improve hook ratio while allowing and you increased sensitivity due to the graphite wrapped blank construction. All blanks have Daiwa’s X45® BIAS graphite fiber construction which prevents twisting and ovalization of the blanks for increased casting accuracy and improved distance. Our Pros had the opportunity choose either Daiwa exclusive Air Guide System (AGS) for more sensitivity or Fuji® Alconite guides. The team could also choose our Daiwa custom reel seat or Fuji ® reels seat upon their preference and to round out the series are elevated looking grey EVA foam grips for greater comfort.

• Daiwa’s Exclusive Super Volume Fiber-Modulus” SVF™” Graphite blanks or GLATECH™ Fiberglass construction
• X45® Bias Graphite construction prevents twisting of blanks for casting accuracy
• Daiwa AGS guides or Fuji® Alconite ring guides
• Daiwa Exclusive custom designed reel seats or Fuji® reel seats
• Limited 5 Year Warranty

[kroberts9]

I was going to get the omori but I don't like full grip I'm a split grip guy through and through. The elite series tatula are all awesome if you want to really spoil yourself and break the bank try an AGS version. I have the 7'6 Seth Fieder neko rig rod and it is un godly amazing 

[LadiMopar]

2 hours ago, kroberts9 said:

I was going to get the omori but I don't like full grip I'm a split grip guy through and through. The elite series tatula are all awesome if you want to really spoil yourself and break the bank try an AGS version. I have the 7'6 Seth Fieder neko rig rod and it is un godly amazing 

 

Yup, know what you mean, not much on the full handle either but in spite of that I'm sure it will get used a ton this season. 

 

I do own one other full handle rod, which is essentially retired now. It's 35 years old, and custom built/wrapped 7.5 ft Lamiglas (MH w fast tip)  It's like swinging a freaking baseball bat now. And it's a spinning rod that usually sports a Daiwa BG13. Had it made for fishing Wachusett back in the day when I was hunting lake trout and landlocked salmon. A 1 oz egg sinker and a big ol pike (live shiner) and that thing would fly twice as far as everyone else!

 

No more of that for me, I am all about our magical green friends...give me bass or give me death is pretty much the motto for this gal.

 

As for the AGS, well it would be really awesome but figure that cash is better spent, at least this year, on a trailer for my yak. Then I can disappear at 0 dark-thirty and leave hubby at home with the feathered "child" (aka my African grey parrot) Free at last! Free at last! Woohoo!!!

[BostonBassin]

Looking for shore fishing options within a 30ish minute ride of Boston that isn't the charles, jamaica pond or brookline res. Any Suggestions

[DogBone_384]

Welcome to the forum BostonBassin.  If you’ve got a kayak/canoe, Ponkapog pond off Randolph street in Canton would be one of the first places I’d send you.  Other places on the south shore are Whitman’s pond in Weymouth, Sunset Lake in Braintree, and Jacob’s Pond in Norwell.  There’s also Houghton’s pond that has trout, bass, and pickerel.  It’s shore fishing only and fairly pressured.  Whitman’s has a nice concrete ramp.  Jacobs’s has a gravel ramp but doesn’t allow any motors of any kind.  Sunset Lake abuts Braintree HS and has a sandy area you can launch a kayak or canoe.  Braintree killed off most of the weeds in 2017.  I haven’t fished Braintree since May 2017.

 

I fished Great South today, launching at 10:00.  Started at the NW shoreline and worked to the SE cove.  Water temps on the main pond were 41.x - 43.x and 50.x in the cove where I parked in 8’ of water along a bunch of visible brush piles.  I saw a couple of nice LMB.  

 

I finished up at 3:30 PM after moving back to the NE side along the island.  I started with a gold blade bait, square bill, jointed DT10 Rapala and changed to a black/blue Rage Tail Menace and similar Senko.  Nothing.

 

There was some topwater action along the NW flat when I got there and more south of the island around 2:30.  I threw a Zara Spook and Whopper Plopper but came up empty.

 

I also saw my first Osprey there today too, and a family of Loons (to my surprise). 

 

I’m 0/4 here so far this year .... just can’t figure the place out.  I’ve got Hedges pond figured out, but it’s 1/10 the size of Great South and has little structure.   

 

Just have to keep at it.

[Cyacnba]

2 hours ago, BostonBassin said:

Looking for shore fishing options within a 30ish minute ride of Boston that isn't the charles, jamaica pond or brookline res. Any Suggestions

Welcome! Out of curiosity, why not the Charles River or the two other ponds?

 

I fished at the Charles River in Boston today and caught 3 largemouth bass on a Vision 110. Two other fishermen caught striped bass as well.

[BostonBassin]

2 hours ago, Cyacnba said:

Welcome! Out of curiosity, why not the Charles River or the two other ponds?

 

I fished at the Charles River in Boston today and caught 3 largemouth bass on a Vision 110. Two other fishermen caught striped bass as well.

Thanks for the response, nothing wrong with those spots! Originally from the worcester area and have been in the city for a few years now for school. I have fished jamaica, brookline and the charles a good amount and wanted to try something new. And also to respond to DogBone, thank you for the response, I have actually fished Ponkapog a few times with my kayak and had great luck, don't have my kayak in the city yet and was looking for some new places to shore fish. Glad to have found this forum and look forward to keeping up to date! Tight Lines!

[DogBone_384]

‘Boss’ and daughter were busy today so my mission was simple: do the housework, toss kayak in truck and head out.  I dropped into Ponkapog around 11:30 and left around 4:00ish when the wind was just too much for a kayak.  Water temps were 47.x - 48.x.  I covered 75% of the place and came up with a 2-14 LMB on a Yozuri DB square bill.

 

After looking at a quick job I found myself near Sunset Lake so I launched there around 5:30.  It was nearly as windy there as Ponkie, but I made a couple of south - north passes, letting the current/wind take me.  I didn’t expect anything because Braintree treated the pond last year and killed the weeds.  From what I could see, Sunset’s bottom still looked like the moon - NADA - as far as weeds/structure.  My perch colored Yozuri jerkbait got me a dink LMB, so there’s at least ONE bass left.  Water temps were similar to Ponkie.

 

Add: I found this on MAFishfiner .... thanks to the posting member:

 

https://www.mass.gov/service-details/massachusetts-pond-maps-list-view

 

[NEBass123]

Anyone heading out tomorrow? Looks like the only 50+ degree day we got on the horizon. Can't wait for warmer weather!

[Quarry Man]

I will be up North from thursday to tuesday. How is everything looking? Anyone know the opening day of trout fishing?Also, does anyone want to fish?

[DogBone_384]

What's north?  I fish from Boston to Plymouth.  Everything's wide open, water temps are in the high 40's and the weather forecast is wet & windy.  

 

Sorry, I can't help with trout season.

[DogBone_384]

Got the housework done, and even though the forecast called for high wind and rain it was bright-overcast and calm at my house this morning.  I loaded up and headed to Hedges Pond in Plymouth to see what it looked like down there.

 

It was overcast and not too windy so I tied on a perch colored jerkbait and prism gold/black Yozuri square bill.  I caught one 1-12 SMB at my 'usual' spot then nothing.  I moved northeast for a while and still nothing.  The southeast corner garnered me another SMB just a shade under 2 pounds.  The wind picked up significantly so I drifted back to the beach and casted a prisim-parrot Yozuri toward the bank as I went. 

 

I hooked into one more that had a lot of fight in it, but it unshackled itself before I saw it.  The last fish of the day was a very dark SMB with a badly disfigured jaw.  It was so skinny I wanted to bring it to Micky-D's and get it a double quarter pounder or something.  It didn't look healthy at all, but it still hit my bait.  Hopefully it'll survive.

 

I threw a brown/yellow hair jig for a little bit, without success.  Hedges' bottom is mostly muck with some sand.  Probably not the right bait for this place.  So far this year blade baits and square bills are my most successful baits.

 

Water temps were 47.x - 48.x.  All fish were caught in 8' or less.  I can check April off my 'catch a fish in MA every month' list too.  A++

[Janderson45]

Heading out for my first Kayak trip of 2018 tomorrow.  Weather doesn't look great for this time of year but I've got to get out when I can these days.  I've fished a lot the past 3 weeks, just not in my kayak.  I was down in Southern Florida fishing the Everglades and then Okeechobee for a week... didn't get the giant bass I was after but still caught a ton of fish.. too many 4lber's to count with a handful of 5's mixed in as well.  One fish I caught on Okeechobee weighed in at 5.6lbs, but had the mouth/head of an 8lber.  Really long skinny and sick looking fish... could tell that she was old and near the end of her life.. wish I had caught it when it was an 8, but still cool to see a head that large on a bass.   Okeechobee fished pretty tough for us overall, we spent about 30 hours fishing the lake over 3 days, a brutal cold front had just hit Florida upon our arrival, morning air temps into the low 40's and high bluebird skies seemed to put the fish in a pretty serious funk.  Couldn't get any of the bass to eat or even respond to reaction baits, had to really force feed them with soft plastics accurately pitched up tight to cover.   Everglades were an entirely different story.. fish were stupid aggressive and the action was nonstop on reaction baits.  Caught about 150 bass between my father and I in one 10 hour day.  They were eating topwater, jerkbaits, squarebills, paddletail swimbaits, and worms.  Probably would have been eating anything else you wanted to throw as well... lots of fun in the Everglades.

 

 

 

Had my first local bass tournament last weekend at Long Pond in Harwich, MA.  Clear deep coldwater/smallmouth fishery.  Water temps were at 40 to start the day, 43 to end the day.  My partner and I struggled big time (as did much of the field) - we ended the day with 1 keeper smallmouth, 2.83lbs caught in about 15' of water on a blade bait.  There were only a handful of 5 fish limits weighed out of the 29 boats that competed.  Winner's bag was just over 15lbs, made up of 5 smallies.  The majority of fish were taken on blade baits (silver buddies, etc.) in water ranging from 8 to 20 feet.  A few were caught deeper, but seems that the majority of fish that were biting were up a bit shallower. 

 

Now I've got 3 weekends to myself to figure out what the local bass are doing and how to catch them.  Planning on a trip to either Whitehall or Webster tomorrow, followed by an abbreviated trip to Nippenicket on Sunday.  I'll report back on what I find and how I do.

 

Spring is finally here????