Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[Dunks N Dinks]

oh man...my bait-monkey is getting fired up, this could get dangerous. 

[DogBone_384]

6 hours ago, Dunks N Dinks said:

oh man...my bait-monkey is getting fired up

I had two custom Kistler's made up, one for me and one for the wife.  They showed up yesterday. 

 

Unfortunately I had a side job that went longer than planned and I didn't get out today to christen mine.  

 

Hopefully some of you got out today.  It was the best day of the year so far!

[Jigfishn10]

Speaking of Bait Monkey?...Can someone lend me  a few hundred til February...?...I'm just getting through the fever from him.

[DogBone_384]

I drove almost an hour to Cape Cod to find fishable open water.  I made my way through thin ice to the north side of Snake Pond, in Sandwich, in hopes of some winter SMB.  I tossed a Vision 110+1, Damiki blade bait, black hair jig, and chartreuse/green pumpkin Ned along the steepest drop offs and point I could access.

 

I couldn't find any bass, but a nice fat yellow perch bit the blade bait in roughly 10' of water.

 

Water temps were 39.x, it was overcast and almost calm.  Air pressure was 29.8.

 

January's checked off the list.  I might just take tomorrow off and try again, perhaps switching it up with a drop shot and my tried & true LV500.

[Mr. Aquarium]

1 hour ago, DogBone_384 said:

I had to drive almost an hour to Cape Cod to find fishable open water.  I made my way through thin ice to the north side of Snake Pond, in Sandwich, in hopes of some winter SMB.  I tossed a Vision 110+1, Damiki blade bait, black hair jig, and chartreuse/green pumpkin Ned along the steepest drop offs and point I could access.

 

I couldn't find any bass, but a nice fat yellow perch bit the blade bait in roughly 10' of water.

 

Water temps were 39.x, it was overcast and almost calm.  Air pressure was 29.8.

 

January's checked off the list.  I might just take tomorrow off and try again, perhaps switching it up with a drop shot and my tried & true LV500.

Try peters, probably get some trout  if no bass 

[DogBone_384]

The forecast was too nice to pass up so I drove to Cape Cod and launched first at Wequaquet and Santuit shortly after.   Winds at Wequaquet were brutal, even in the eastern coves, and my 45lb trolling motor doesn't cut it so I quit before I could get behind.  I marked fish suspended in 20+ feet and small fish 10+ in the coves.   

 

Santuit was better, weather wise.  I didn't mark much, nor could I find any structure other than downed trees along the shore.  I threw the kitchen sink for the 2+ hours I was there.

 

Water temps at Wequaquet were 42.x and 40.x at Santuit.

 

Today was a bust, fishing wise, but the weather was nice towards the end of the day.

[BigEyedF11sh]

Hey guys new to the forum but been lurking/back reading for a little while now; thanks for everyone's contributions to this thread as it's helped me scratch a little bit of the itch this winter.

 

Any sickos out catching fish on open water lately?  I purchased an Old Town Sportsman 106 PDL shortly after Christmas and have been getting out semi regularly until last week.  Managed to get into some monster pickerel over at Halfway Pond in Plymouth which has managed to stay open (the northern half at least) but other than that I've mainly been getting I disagree handed to me.

 

Couldnt justify packing up the kayak and driving the 45 minutes to Plymouth today so I headed 5 minutes down the street to Hobart pond in Whitman center.  It's a town park recreational kind of deal so it's heavily pressured and pretty uninteresting but makes for a good winter bank fishing spot to scratch the itch.  It's two small ponds with a walkway down the middle and minimal trees which makes for plenty of spots to cast from.

 

I told myself I'd commit to practicing my finesse game this winter but got so bored of freezing I disagree off with my drop shot rod in hand that I walked the bank and chunked a jerkbait around for a couple hours.  Mainly worked the small pond thinking I'll be able to cover a decent percentage of the water making it slightly easier to get lucky.  Working my way back to the car I stopped at a sort of choke point in the smaller of the two ponds, opposite a main point where the pond narrowed and fished the jerkbait slightly more thoroughly. It ended up paying off with a dink largemouth.

 

Definitely not a monster but it's been a tough winter and boy did it feel good to get bit by a bass for the first time in 2021.

[Don51]

Hey Big Eyed, I used to fish there all the time when I lived in Whitman. Even threw the yak in a few times. Biggest I ever caught there was around 5 lb and it came out of the small pond. The small pond is connected to the big pond by a culvert so you never know what will be there.  Small pond is a good ice fishing pond also. Some decent crappie in there! 

[BigEyedF11sh]

6 hours ago, Don51 said:

Hey Big Eyed, I used to fish there all the time when I lived in Whitman. Even threw the yak in a few times. Biggest I ever caught there was around 5 lb and it came out of the small pond. The small pond is connected to the big pond by a culvert so you never know what will be there.  Small pond is a good ice fishing pond also. Some decent crappie in there! 

That’s good to know! I was licking my chops at the thought of getting the yak in the big pond cause the access is so easy. 
 

Am I correct in assuming the forage base is probably mostly crappie, bluegill, and perch?

 

Will probably be my winter hideout until they start putting the feed bag on a little further south.

[Mr. Aquarium]

Got out after work on the kayak. Hit I pond I’ve done well in the winter. Fairly deep, clear water, green weeds.  Pond was 75% ice, but I still had to give it a shot.  Started off fish a blade and drop shot, got a pickerel on the silver buddy. Nothing on the drop shot. Tied on  a jig I tied, on lead free bass jigs freestyle ball head. Pickerel loved it. Few hits and 4 more fiesty fat healthy pickerel. I decided to look around for bass in a different area. Nothing. Cam back to the pickerel spot. Same jig. Started getting bass.  5 bass on my jigs.  2 different jigs. The freestyle ball head and the damiki head.   Casting out letting on bottom. Slow reel and twitch got them. 
 

total was 5 bass and 5 pickerel.

[DogBone_384]

I drove by Houghton’s and Ponkapog yesterday. Both were roughly 1/2 frozen. 

 

Houghton’s northern shore was still open.

[Mr. Aquarium]

Let’s here some crazy stories. Crazy way you caught fish. Crazy things you caught.  
 

i caught a pair of sunglasses.I  caught an umbrella. fishing rods with fish on them a few times. An ice trap with a fish on it, my own fault. 
 

some one explain how I caught these pickerel. 
That’s an 8 inch spook with a TA clip. The fish was caught on the TA 
RP with braid wrapped around the pickerels mouth.
Don’t understand how this happens 

[DogBone_384]

I caught two rods/reels: one at Ponkapog and the other at Stetson.  I lost a perch blade bait at Hedges and got it back the following winter.  Hedges also got me a sock and t-shirt.

 

Other than that, I've snagged/retrieved the odd lure or two.  Nothing that interesting.

 

Lastly, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning... ?

[BigEyedF11sh]

Figured this was a good place to ask as it’s a state of MA issue.

 

anyone have experience getting their canoe or kayak registered? Looking to purchase a trolling motor mount for the flush mount rod holders on my Old Town. More cost effective and much lighter than a torqeedo system or similar since I already have a trolling motor.

 

I only bought the kayak this December but I was a dummy and took the paper receipt which I have since lost. I know I need to contact the Department of Revenue and pay taxes on it but I’m not sure how to go about proof of purchase. Also I believe I’ll have to get my kayak inspected. 
 

any help appreciated!

[DogBone_384]

I had the afternoon off today so I tossed the waders, a couple baitcasters, some jerk baits, and blade baits in the car and headed south, in search of some open water.

 

Jacobs, Little Pond, Billington Sea, Lout, Little & Great South, Triangle, and Hedges were locked up.  Great Herring was 3/4 solid, and Long Pond (Plymouth) was open.  

 

I drove further South to Cape Cod.  Snake, Pimlico, Mash/Wake, and Lawrence ponds were also locked up.  I finally found open water at Bucks Pond, Brewster.

 

@Saltysmalljaws met me there and we fished the west shore for a couple hours.  Neither of us caught anything, but it was good to get out with another member for a bit.

 

If it's not too windy tomorrow, I'm tossing a kayak on the car and heading back to the Cape in search of my February catch.

 

Lastly, a Bass Pro's 'master catalog' showed up in today's mail, good bathroom reading!

[DogBone_384]

6 hours ago, BigEyedF11sh said:

anyone have experience getting their canoe or kayak registered?

In 2014 I registered an Ascend 128T I had a trolling motor on.  I needed the sales receipt showing sales tax, a paper 'rub' of the serial number, the trolling motor make, model, and power.  I didn't have to have it inspected.

 

If you no longer have the sales receipt, try your credit card statement.  You might be OK if you show it was bought at a retail store.

 

Here's the state's website to get you started: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/first-time-boat-registration

 

Good luck and be patient.  It took me 6 weeks to register my boat last Summer.  I'd get on it now.

[Meowmicks]

3 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

I had the afternoon off today so I tossed the waders, a couple baitcasters, some jerk baits, and blade baits in the car and headed south, in search of some open water.

 

Jacobs, Little Pond, Billington Sea, Lout, Little & Great South, Triangle, and Hedges were locked up.  Great Herring was 3/4 solid, and Long Pond (Plymouth) was open.  

 

I drove further South to Cape Cod.  Snake, Pimlico, Mash/Wake, and Lawrence ponds were also locked up.  I finally found open water at Bucks Pond, Brewster.

 

@Saltysmalljaws met me there and we fished the west shore for a couple hours.  Neither of us caught anything, but it was good to get out with another member for a bit.

 

If it's not too windy tomorrow, I'm tossing a kayak on the car and heading back to the Cape in search of my February catch.

 

Lastly, a Bass Pro's 'master catalog' showed up in today's mail, good bathroom reading!

Sounds similar to my last trip out on the kayak, started in plymouth at Little Pond looking for open water then kept heading toward the cape. Ended up finding open water at Ashumet Pond but this was a couple weeks ago before the cold snap.

Been itching to get back out and find an open water bass this month.

[BigEyedF11sh]

3 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

In 2014 I registered an Ascend 128T I had a trolling motor on.  I needed the sales receipt showing sales tax, a paper 'rub' of the serial number, the trolling motor make, model, and power.  I didn't have to have it inspected.

 

If you no longer have the sales receipt, try your credit card statement.  You might be OK if you show it was bought at a retail store.

 

Here's the state's website to get you started: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/first-time-boat-registration

 

Good luck and be patient.  It took me 6 weeks to register my boat last Summer.  I'd get on it now.

Thanks DogBone, that’s a huge help. Never thought of the credit card statement.

5 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

Long Pond (Plymouth) was open.  

Getting desperate, might have to dust off the leadcore set-up and troll up some hold over trout. I’ve always had a rough go of it bass fishing there save for the odd largemouth in the back cove.

[DogBone_384]

I went back to Bucks Pond with my kayak today.  It was cold and overcast with a 5-10 mph wind from the west.  

 

Over the course of 4 hours I threw a Vision 100, X-80 trick darter, bubble gum and yoga pants Neds, 2.8" & 3.5"  Keitechs, 1/4 & 1/2 oz. Yozuri blades, and a flat side Yozuri crank in perch.  Over the course of 4 hours, I couldn't buy a strike, even though I marked fish.

 

The water temps were 35.x (the coldest I've ever fished) and the air pressure was 29.4. 

 

I'm still waiting for February's catch.  Unfortunately everything within an hour is still locked up.

[MassYak85]

I'm jealous of you guys living down near the Cape, I've got to deal with this hard frozen water. I like ice fishing but it's not the same. 

[Mr. Aquarium]

Tried trout for an hour after work at long pond. Open water. Saw a bait guy get a small rainbow. No other fish caught 

[DogBone_384]

46 minutes ago, MassYak85 said:

I'm jealous of you guys living down near the Cape

I live on a peninsula and see Boston's skyline when I drive into my city.  I drove almost an hour and a half to get to Bucks today. 

 

I suppose that's still a lot closer than Vermont.

 

If you can get the time off, look for a cheap motel the third week in March.  I'll be there the whole week with my kayak & Ranger.  @Saltysmalljaws lives down there, and there are a few other members within an hour of the Cape. We could have a lot of late winter fun with the SMB.

[Mr. Aquarium]

Went out testing new swimbaits yesterday. Found enough open water to cast. Brought a jerkbait rod just in case.  Got one little bass. I’m pumped! 

[Jigfishn10]

21 minutes ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

Went out testing new swimbaits yesterday. Found enough open water to cast. Brought a jerkbait rod just in case.  Got one little bass. I’m pumped! 

Nice, where'd ya go?

[Mr. Aquarium]

3 hours ago, Jigfishn10 said:

Nice, where'd ya go?

Down the cape