Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[bass.slayer69]

17 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

Pretty much.  This time of year you'll find them along the northern shore where it transitions from rock to vegetation.  Medium heavy gear is a minimum there and leave the treble hooks at home after mid April.  There are big fish in there, and it's great when you find them.  Most of my LMB over 4 pounds came from here.  

 

I've never had much luck in the western part where it's really shallow.

Thanks for the tips. Looking forward to getting my canoe out there

Hit up a local pond for the first trip of the year. Had a half hour and fished a bitsy bug for the first time. Really looking to get into jig fishing this year. Felt some dead weight, set the hook, and still felt dead weight. Stopped reeling to see if there was anything there, and the fish woke up and started fighting - but then got off shortly after. Not a bad first trip of the year

[MassYak85]

6 hours ago, guidoStow said:

I was out on the Concord looking for Pike and got the skunk. Nice day to be on the water though...

The Central MA pike can be elusive. I've still never caught one around here. Or should I say I've still never landed one. I've broken off a few in Quinsig while going for bass I would have loved to get a closer look at. 

[DogBone_384]

On 3/11/2022 at 11:45 AM, bass.slayer69 said:

not too much structure

There are a few big rocks just left of where you launch and lots along the Northern shore. The S/SE shoreline also has a lot of stumps and flooded brush.

 

I’d call dense vegetation structure too. It’s a place for bass to hang out & stay out of sight. 

Ponkie’s my ‘home’ pond. If you see an orange Tundra or green CRV with BassResource decals on them in the parking lot, that’s me.

[guidoStow]

17 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

The Central MA pike can be elusive. I've still never caught one around here. Or should I say I've still never landed one. I've broken off a few in Quinsig while going for bass I would have loved to get a closer look at. 

It's all I got... The Western MA places are still frozen solidly... Hopefully the warm temps this week will bring some more fishable water.

[MassYak85]

Gonna be a couple weeks before I can get out for the first time I think. I think this year I won't be going all out like I did last year. Got in 50 full or half day trips last year, definitely won't hit that this year. I've got some hiking goals I wanna hit and I'm looking at changing jobs and moving closer or back to MA so it might be a chaotic year. Hopefully I can get at least a few bigger fish though. 

[guidoStow]

Took the kayak to Chauncy lake for an afternoon of communing with Pickerel. Unfortunately the Pickerel had other plans. No bass or other surprise guests either.

I did get wonderful looks at an Adult Bald Eagle, starting as a flyover, evolving to a slow circle, to a rapid descent and a catch of a probably 10" fish. Despite two other boats out there it was the only catch of the day.

Low point of the day was a troller who thought it was fine to motor by with his outboard at less than casting distance away. He got all grumpy when I suggested it was a big lake...

[padlin]

On 3/13/2022 at 7:00 AM, guidoStow said:

It's all I got... The Western MA places are still frozen solidly... Hopefully the warm temps this week will bring some more fishable water.

Drove past Lk Congamond just west of Springfield today, totally ice free, 3 bass boats and a few shore trout fisherman were out. Think I'll take a ride up into the hills later this week and see how some of the ponds look, chances are they are still iced in.

 

Going to be a while till I get brave enough to put the canoe in.

[Mr. Aquarium]

Only got one today. She was a good fish. 4.10 on a DS glide bait. Had another whack on that bait, missed one on a T rig 

[Frezzy]

9 hours ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

Only got one today. She was a good fish. 4.10 on a DS glide bait. Had another whack on that bait, missed one on a T rig 

I saw the pick on IG.  That was a beautiful bass.  Very healthy.

[Mr. Aquarium]

6 hours ago, Frezzy said:

I saw the pick on IG.  That was a beautiful bass.  Very healthy.

Thanks buddy. Was hoping she was going 5 

[DogBone_384]

I planned on fishing Sawdy pond today but home duties called.  I managed a good couple hours at Ponkapoag this afternoon.  And guess what .... water temps hit that magic 50 degree mark!

 

I came up with a pick and LMB, both just making the 2 pound mark.  Mr. Pickerel hit a green pumpkin / orange chatterbait HARD and Larry swiped at my new copper green shad Rapala Ott's Garage crankbait.

 

I'll be on Cape Cod the next couple days with the Ranger and kayak, expecting good things.

 

Good luck to everyone getting out this weekend, and don't forget RED (as per the TacticalBassin' boys) is the color when water temps hit the 50's.

[guidoStow]

That must have been my problem! I was using a red fly with water temp still in the 40s.

[NE.Angler]

12 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

I planned on fishing Sawdy pond today but home duties called.  I managed a good couple hours at Ponkapoag this afternoon.  And guess what .... water temps hit that magic 50 degree mark!

Congrats on the catches DogBone! I work in Canton and plan on spending many afternoons at Ponkapoag. However, Reservoir Pond is right in the area too, since you're local have you ever tried Reservoir Pond, and do you have a preference for either one?

[bass.slayer69]

1 hour ago, NE.Angler said:

have you ever tried Reservoir Pond, and do you have a preference for either one?

I’ve fished Reservoir Pond from my canoe a couple times - it’s hit or miss. The whole place is 10 feet deep all around except for these two coves in the southeast corner. By far the best spot to fish is the rock piles by the golf course on the southern shore. Besides that it’s a crap shoot.

Been seeing some good fish being taken at night on big wakebaits - gonna have to give it a shot when I get back home next week.

[MassYak85]

16 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

I planned on fishing Sawdy pond today but home duties called.  I managed a good couple hours at Ponkapoag this afternoon.  And guess what .... water temps hit that magic 50 degree mark!

 

I came up with a pick and LMB, both just making the 2 pound mark.  Mr. Pickerel hit a green pumpkin / orange chatterbait HARD and Larry swiped at my new copper green shad Rapala Ott's Garage crankbait.

 

I'll be on Cape Cod the next couple days with the Ranger and kayak, expecting good things.

 

Good luck to everyone getting out this weekend, and don't forget RED (as per the TacticalBassin' boys) is the color when water temps hit the 50's.

I've found here up North it kick on even in the mid to upper 40s if conditions are right. I had a great stretch last spring throwing a red spinnerbait with gold blades on drops on the outside edge of spawning flats. Slow rolling it bouncing the bottom. 

[Mr. Aquarium]

Stuck a giant yesterday on the kayak. She went 7lbs 5 ounce on a glide bait. Fished around the pond without anything, came back to that spot and stuck a 5 on the last cast. 
 

[MassYak85]

That's a giant! Congrats! Now your giving me the itch to get out there haha.

[guidoStow]

Nice fish sir!

 

[padlin]

Took a ride up into the Berkshires along the CT line today, all ice except maybe 10' of the edge on the sunny sides, water temp where it was melted, 44 degrees. It'll be a while.

[Frezzy]

11 hours ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

Stuck a giant yesterday on the kayak. She went 7lbs 5 ounce on a glide bait. Fished around the pond without anything, came back to that spot and stuck a 5 on the last cast. 
 

Hell yeah bud!  That’s a beast! Congrats.

[Mr. Aquarium]

First striper of the year today! 

[The one that got away]

I got out with my buddy today for the first time this year.  Went to the shallow side of Mirimichi, which I think is in Plainville.  I picked up a Megabass Vision 110 over the winter to see what all the fuss was about.  It lived up to the hype as far as pickerel are concerned.  I got about a dozen pickerel, including FAT ones that were 24.00 and 24.25 inches respectively.  The second big pickerel bent the hooks out.  Those Megabass hooks are super sharp but I was a bit disappointed that they bent out fairly easily.   My buddy got a bass just shy of 2lbs, a crappie, and a bunch of pickerel as well.  Would have been happier with more bass, but overall we had awesome weather today and a good numbers day.  

[DogBone_384]

Boss lady (wife) braved the rain with me Thursday afternoon for some time on LPH.  We didn't mark much and came up empty.

 

I fished Wequaquet Friday morning.  I was the 6th boat on the water, with perfect weather conditions.  I came up with a 2lb 4 ounce LMB and a few picks.  Mr. Bass hit my bait pretty hard and had some fight in him, so things are waking up.  The biggest pick was 3 1/2 pounds, 24".  The bass and all but two picks ate a blue/purple 'regular' Keitech on an under spin.  The remaining pickerel came on a shad V110.

 

From Wequaquet I went back to LPH in search of a good SMB.  Had the same luck as Thursday.  

 

Water temps were 47.x at Wequaquet and 44.x at LPH.  Winds were light and air pressure sat in at 30 both days.

 

LPH's deep fish still escape me.  Good thing I'll be back there next week.

[Frezzy]

14 hours ago, The one that got away said:

I got out with my buddy today for the first time this year.  Went to the shallow side of Mirimichi, which I think is in Plainville.  I picked up a Megabass Vision 110 over the winter to see what all the fuss was about.  It lived up to the hype as far as pickerel are concerned.  I got about a dozen pickerel, including FAT ones that were 24.00 and 24.25 inches respectively.  The second big pickerel bent the hooks out.  Those Megabass hooks are super sharp but I was a bit disappointed that they bent out fairly easily.   My buddy got a bass just shy of 2lbs, a crappie, and a bunch of pickerel as well.  Would have been happier with more bass, but overall we had awesome weather today and a good numbers day.  

Nice work! 

 

Yeah, Vision 110 hooks are very light wire and will bend out.  The bait was actually designed by Megabass to be fished on a spinning rod with 6-8lb line, so the hooks match the bait perfectly.   

[DogBone_384]

Drove to Hedges in search of some SMB.  I found one in about 12’ of water with a red Tactical DD crankbait.  It was 2-6, 17” long and skinny.  Nobody wanted the jerkbait, chatterbait, underspin, Ned, or Rapala DT’s I threw at them.

 

Water temps were 49.x - 50.x, winds were stiff from all directions, and the air pressure was 30 and rising.