Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[MassYak85]

I was wondering if today would be any better for anyone after my strikeout yesterday. Sorry to hear that. 

 

I'll get a couple more trips in before putting most stuff away for the winter Thanksgiving weekend. Won't call it quits until it's ice season though. I'm gonna stick with the big baits mostly until it gets really cold then I might try my hand at the float and fly. Got the stuff to do it last year but never got around to it. 

[ne_dan]

Got out today on a river.  Wind forecast was wrong as usual, made it slightly more difficult but still managed to pull out a decent day (caught about 18 lost track at one point).  1/2 oz Football Jig and 1/2 oz Wobble Head dragging and bouncing in 8’-12’ did the damage today.  Forgot my scale in the car, but biggest went 20.5” so I figure a little over 5lbs.  All but one were hooked in the roof of the mouth.  They were inhaling it; so much so that some of the bites were hard to detect.  Water temp was 46 when I got out at 10am and 49 when I left at 3pm.  I also got one heck of sunburn on face after forgetting the sunscreen at home.  Hopefully there’s a few more nice weekends left in November now that fishing after work is out with sunsets a 4:30.

[DogBone_384]

Fished two ponds on Cape Cod with my Ranger, 4 hours each pond.  Threw the kitchen sink.  Caught nothing.  Marked a few bait balls suspended in 20' at the first pond, hardly marked anything other than perch at the second.

 

Water temps were 56.x in Sandwich, 58.x-59.x in Mashpee.  Air pressure was 30.  

 

Congratulations to other members catching fish.

On 11/4/2023 at 1:41 PM, Frezzy said:

Got a few decent bass in the mid 2's early on a Chatterbait.  Thought it was going to be a good day. 

Don't be disappointed .... you're catching fish.  

[MassYak85]

Hit Webster today. It was tough and the pattern I was hoping to find never developed. The water temp was 50 but we couldn't find any bait balls that usually develop later in the fall. The only signs of life came near sparse weed bunches that were still alive, but even then we found ourselves basically finesse fishing for pickerel and perch. I got one bass on a jerkbait but it felt like sheer luck. 

 

Managed to castoff a vision 110 and broke off a beast coast jig 🥲

[DogBone_384]

3 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

but even then we found ourselves basically finesse fishing for pickerel and perch. I got one bass on a jerkbait but it felt like sheer luck. 

Sounds like a lot of my trips the last few weeks, especially on the bigger waters on the Cape .. Water temps were still in the mid/upper 50's last week when I was out last.

I'm thinkin' it's blade bait and hair jig time?

3 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

Managed to castoff a vision 110

I just did the same with a JDM LV200.  I found another on an auction site but the asking price was $43 ... NOPE.

[1984isNOW]

I'm getting a late start, heading out on yak soon.

 

Any tips this late and cold, I've never fished past Nov 1 before pretty much.

 

I got a small red black crank tied on, umbrella rig for the first time, Ned rig, and a jig,  and a jerkbait.

[MassYak85]

Sounds good to me! Definitely give a blade bait or lipless a shot jigged off the bottom if you have one. Play around with how how you lift them. If they're active more aggresive rips can trigger bites, if not short hops where you just barely feel them vibrate before dropping them back down, combined with longer pauses.

[Frezzy]

8 hours ago, Kites R4 Skyfishing said:

I'm getting a late start, heading out on yak soon.

 

Any tips this late and cold, I've never fished past Nov 1 before pretty much.

 

I got a small red black crank tied on, umbrella rig for the first time, Ned rig, and a jig,  and a jerkbait.

Jig has been killing it for me lately.  Something a little more compact with a Smallie beaver trailer.  I like the Keitech Model 1 or Beast Coast Lil Magnum.  Jerkbaits are getting bit as well.

[DogBone_384]

11 hours ago, Kites R4 Skyfishing said:

Any tips this late and cold,

Blade bait… blade bait… blade bait …. Damiki Vault (Holo Ayu) if you don’t already have a couple.

3 hours ago, Frezzy said:

Jig has been killing it for me lately.

Give Seibert Outdoors a go. They’re a forum sponsor & jigs are made to order. High quality & quick turn around.

[1984isNOW]

They only wanted a jerkbait. The bottom of this pond is literally weeds the entirety of the water, jig just disappears and reappears carrying gunk.

 

Been a while since I threw a jerkbait, or anything with trebles, gotta play them different. I caught a few dinks,pne decent, lost a decenter one. Also lost my net, maybe it was the cold, maybe it was me being sick, maybe in just getting old slow and the brain damage is catching up with me. Pretty sure I just dropped the net in the water to grab the line.

 

It was freezing and windy. My toes were numb, my fingers were numb, couldn't feel my toes for like 35 minutes after I left.

 

Idk if it was worth it, definitely couldn't do a night trip, might lose a digit. The take was subtle, the pickerel hits a couple weeks ago were viscous.

 

Was blind casting to shore and away, they were away. No distinguishable structure, weed tops were visible, no idea how deep it gets or how tall the weeds were.

[Mr. Aquarium]

We fished hard 4 days in upstate Ny. Fish did not come easy. We fished some of our usual spots and checked out new spots.
Total tally. 3 lake trout. 2 salmon, 2 steelhead, 1 brown trout. We lost some good fish! Part of the game. Got 2 new personal best. 18lb 38 inch lake trout, and a 8lbs 10 ounce 29 inch steelhead. Fished 10 hours on Sunday with out a fish. Then bam 2 cast got a 13lbs 35 inch laker and the new Pb. Once again Dixie jigs crushed it. Tally for my jigs. 4 kings. 2 steelhead. We broke off 2 big steelhead and one big laker on the jig.

Mark caught 5 kings 4 lakers and 1 steelhead

[A-Jay]

Nicely Done @Mr. Aquarium !

Bet that was just No Fun At All !

Congrats

A-Jay

 

[Mr. Aquarium]

No I hated it! 

[DogBone_384]

On 11/15/2023 at 11:17 AM, Mr. Aquarium said:

We fished hard 4 days in upstate Ny.

Mr. Aquarium strikes again!  Great trip Mike!

 

I got to my favorite big pond in Plymouth for an afternoon mission.  Grabbed a 1-4 white perch on a yellow perch Stunna 112+1 pretty quickly, then nothing for a couple hours.  The Lowrance was blank anywhere close to shore so I moved deep.  Yup, it's blade bait season.  I found a 3-9 smallie and 3-6 pickerel in 25+' with a Damiki blade bait.  

 

There were a few bait balls suspended in 40' but I could get anyone to commit.  I worked my way back to shore and dropped a tube at a point's drop off and came up with another fat smallie, probably a couple pounds.  Both SMB had white perch tails sticking out of their gullets.

 

Water temps were 53.x,  it was about as bluebird as you can get, and air pressure sat in at 30.2.

[DogBone_384]

On 11/15/2023 at 11:17 AM, Mr. Aquarium said:

Fished 10 hours on Sunday with out a fish.

HA! Sounds like me on LPH!

[MassYak85]

Got out today for one last hail mary for the season. Gave it everything I had with the big baits, but they only wanted the Tiny Klash. I got 7 bass and a big pickerel (3+lbs) and lost another of similar size. Biggest two bass were 3-10 and 3-3, with the rest being cookie cutter 1 to 2 lbers. 

 

I certainly can't complain for this time of year but I did leave a little dissapointed. 3lbers wasn't quuuuuiiite what I was hoping for but it was nice to have a numbers day on swimbaits.

 

Water temps 42-45, 60 degrees and very windy. 

 

All my fish came in deeper weeds that were still hanging on. I tried some bigger trout baits with no luck. Was hoping the bigger fish might be out deeper so I dragged a Hudd down the deepest point in the lake, but no takers. They only wanted the TK for some reason, although I didn't give any glide baits a shot. I had it rigged to perfectly suspend and I was fishing it like a jerkbait, two twitches and a 5 seconds pause. Seemed to do the trick.

 

Good luck to everyone that is still getting out. I will be keeping an eye on the weather for sure (I still have my kayak racks on), but today may have been my last day out this year.

[DogBone_384]

1 hour ago, MassYak85 said:

Got out today for one last hail mary for the season.

No such thing....  If you can travel to the Cape, I'm planning on having my Ranger down there the 1st week in December.... lesse if we can get something to work.

 

I've mentioned it on this thread in years passed, we really have to get a group together for a weekend of camping & fishing.  Nickerson State Park comes to mind... anyhoo - those who read this thread keep it in mind for next Spring before the tourists invade!

 

[MassYak85]

59 minutes ago, DogBone_384 said:

No such thing....  If you can travel to the Cape, I'm planning on having my Ranger down there the 1st week in December.... lesse if we can get something to work.

 

I've mentioned it on this thread in years passed, we really have to get a group together for a weekend of camping & fishing.  Nickerson State Park comes to mind... anyhoo - those who read this thread keep it in mind for next Spring before the tourists invade!

 

Thanks I'll keep that in mind! I think that 1st weekend in December I'm gonna help my dad winterize his boat and next weekend will be busy with Thanksgiving plans. Lowkey hoping for a good ice season but if it's not meant to be I'll take another warm December. 

[DogBone_384]

Took a short trip to Plymouth this afternoon.  Threw a blade bait, 2.8" Keitech, Rapala DT10, tube, and small jig but came up empty.  I hooked a small SMB on the Keitech but it got off. Two Damikis are at the bottom of the pond due to knot failures.

 

Winds were light.  Water temps were 48.x and air pressure was 30.4.  It's starting to feel like winter...

[MassYak85]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

[DogBone_384]

Happy Thanksgiving .. belated ... to everyone following this thread.

 

I dragged the Ranger to Mashpee today .... should have dragged the Kayak somewhere else.  I've rarely done well on any water on Cape Cod with my boat ... and no matter how I try to break that code, I just can't seem to figure out waters over 250/300 acres.  I rigged the usual: Damiki blade bait, 2.8" Keitech, 3/8 oz tungsten jig, jerk bait, and drop shot.

 

I managed two white perch, not much bigger than my blade bait, in 30'ish feet of water.  Water temps were in the low 50's.  I didn't mark much of anything anywhere I went.  

 

At least the weather was nice.

[ne_dan]

Decided to take advantage of the mild temps today; put the roof rack back on the car and took the kayak out for a couple of hours.  Only brought jerk baits and jigs.  Forgot how much I dislike fishing a jerk bait from the kayak when there’s any wind, but managed to pick up a few.  Biggest went 3.15lb on the jerk bait, two smaller ones on a jig and a handful of pickerel on the jerk bait.  
 

It was nice to get out after fishing from the bank for the last couple of weeks.  Hopefully there’s a few more warmish weekends this winter.

[MassYak85]

Nice one! I've been itchy to go again with the milder temps too. Seems like this week is gonna chill down quite a bit.

[Mr. Aquarium]

Got out yesterday, It was a grind but we got em. 2 ponds all day. 4 largemouths 2 smallies, bunch of perch a few jumbos and a couple pickerels.  Blades, my jigs, tubes, and spinnerbaits got em!

 

[DogBone_384]

My Cape Cod trip’s been a seesaw.  I packed up Friday and crossed the bridge, stopping in Sandwich.  Take the kayak off the car and realize I left the pedal drive home.  A 2 1/2 hour round trip and I’m on the water.  I came up with a 2-10 smallie, a 4-14 Larry, and a few white perch.  The smallmouth took a Clearwater Minnow colored Tactical DD crankbait and the LMB ate a green/orange 3.8” Keitech on an underspin.

 

We had friends down for the weekend but I got out Sunday afternoon in Harwich and fished a deep pond I struggle at.  I managed a 3 pound SMB on the Clearwater Minnow Tactical DD.  I didn’t mark much deep or shallow.  It was good to grab a decent smallie here.  Water temps were 48.x

 

I started Monday morning at one of my favorite Harwich ponds.  It wasn’t too windy, but wind from the west made it rough.  I grounded my kayak while tying on a bait and broke the prop.  Another trip back home to rob #2 kayak and I’m back on the water.  I stopped in Sandwich again to try to save as much of the day as possible.  It paid off with a 2-14 SMB and a 2-14 pickerel.  Both took a Light Hitch LV500.  I got a second SMB, about 1 1/2 pounds.  

 

Water temps are still in the mid 40’s. I also had a couple followers in Sandwich, so they’re still active, though all my smallies wallowed on the surface rather than going airborne.  

 

I still have a couple days on Cape.  Lesse what happens.

 

This is the fourth straight year I’ve caught fish in open water every month in MA.  Living near Cape Cod is great.  

 

It’s going to be warm this weekend.  Good luck to anyone getting out there.  If the boss lady doesn’t have a lot for me to do, I’m gonna get out somewhere.