Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[Don51]

Yeah Mike. It is an old ammo storage facility right? Who knows what was dumped in the water years ago? It may be the cause of the dark water and lack of growth of those fish. I know the small pond you are talking about. There is another small one that is separated by the path, that used to hold a lot of fish but it dried out a few times over the past few years.

But, it is nice over there! 

[hamma]

On 5/16/2019 at 9:47 PM, MassYak85 said:

My spring has been tough too. I think part of it is just that this is the first season I've truly fished since ice-out, and I suppose I had unrealistic expectations from the start. I think in the back of my head I thought fishing a jerkbait, hair jig, and blade bait really slow would be some kind of magic bullet for those early season fish and that just wasn't the case. So I think I've been a little antsy as we get closer to spawn trying to force stuff like spinnerbaits and other reaction baits now that "it's time". 

 

I also need to stay off social media a bit. I see too many posts the day before I got out of someone who had a great day doing XYZ, and I think they stay in the back of my head and influence my decision making. 

 

And the wind...seems like 4/5 trips this year have been windy as hell. It's mostly a mental thing on my part, but it makes it difficult to go really finesse, and again I usually wind up just chucking and winding reaction baits for little return. I should probably try and work a jig more but it eats at my patience when there's a 10ft bow in my line fishing a "bottom contact" bait. 

 

 

Oh, I don't think I've mentioned yet but I'm going to be moving to Vermont for a job in June now that I finished with my degree. It's like half an hour from the NH border so I'll probably need 3 fishing licenses lol (NH, VT, MA). 

This time of year? Anything can occur from day to day. A good rule of thumb is, have a plan but be flexible with it. I will have the usual lures on and ready to go,. But I kinda hold back to committing them fully  until I'm on the water reading temps, considering conditions, forage, and available structure/cover. Often I find myself starting in deeper water, working my way shallow. Contact to bottom is usually key here, hence the typical hairjig, bladebait, etc.  

   Paying attention to any nibble, sniff, even lack of feel is always important. But no more than now. They are now coming out of the metaphorical freezer, some will thaw quicker than others. If you know your on fish but they seem still  bit dormant. Your mind wonders, and it's easy to fall prey to outside influences. Stay focused on "current conditions", re-assess what's really going on down there. And stick to what brought you there, you, your experiences, your strengths, have confidence in whatever your throwing, and pay attention to that, instead of what might be.

 And oh yeah, a small single bladed Colorado spinnerbait  bounced along the bottom Kicks butt

[DogBone_384]

I dropped by Ponkie for a while Friday.  It was rainy but calm but the fish didn’t mind.  I nabbed 5 pickerel and one LMB, all around 1 to 1 1/2 pounds.  All the picks came from a little green/white square bill and the Larry on a black/blue T-rigged Yum Swim-Dinger.

 

I also caught what is likely the ONLY rainbow trout ever caught out of Ponkie.  I snagged some heavy line and when I pulled it up was lucky enough to free a snagged Spro swimbait in rainbow dress.

 

Water temps were 58.x - 60.x, BP was 29.7, with little or no wind.

 

I’m guessing that the bigger bass are tucked deep in the flooded brush, or in post spawn recovery.

 

Any-hoo, you’ll find me down the Cape Mon - Wed.  Best of luck to everyone that gets out this week!

[MassYak85]

@Janderson45 Were you fishing on Whitehall today? My friend and I were hiking the loop trail that goes around the lake early afternoon and I swear I saw a Lund bass boat with an Evinrude through the trees lol. Parking lot was packed with trailers so I assumed a tourney was going on? 

 

We finished up hiking around 3 and it was too nice out not to go fish lol. So my dad and I headed to Quinsig and fished the Flint pond area. Water temps were higher than I expected, about 65-67 so we stuck to the shallows looking for fish around spawning areas. Got a few smaller males and a bunch of pickerel but no big ones. Tried a few different things but the ones we did catch wanted something slow with a little flash. My dad did well with a johnson spoon fished through the emerging pads and I opted for a light spinnerbait that would stay higher in the water. Bite seemed to shut off once the front of clouds moved through. 

[Dunks N Dinks]

Derby & Cape Update: Hangin' 9 or 10
It's definitely not surfing weather yet down on the Cape, but certainly feels like we're stuck in the awkward stage between SM and LMB spawning waves (and the return of keeper Stripers!). Last few trips its been an awful tough grind to get 5 bites, with 9 or 10lbs the most I've managed to compile, even resorting to super-finesse tactics. 

Saturday my buddy and I fished a team event on Long Pond Lakeville, where we were confronted with quite a balmy session (74f air, 61-63f water, sunny and little wind). We ended up with ~9lbs on 6 keeper bites in 8hrs, in what what an exhausting barrel-scraping effort to figure out a pattern. It wasn't until there were 2hrs or so remaining in the day that we dialed into some fish skipping 4" dingers up under docks. Really letting it soak in the shade was the only way we could coax some action. 

 

On Sunday, I hit up Mashpee-Wakeby solo, and was greeted by similar conditions (a bit more wind), and managed to find a few smallies shallow, but on no particular program. Several bites came on flats in the 5-6ft depth, while the remainder were on ML points, possibly fry-guarding or late-spawners on deeper beds. A finesse swimbait on an under-spin did most of the damage, while i got the biggest of the day (~2.75lbs) on a chatter-bait under an overhanging tree limb. Nothing special, but Go B's!    




 

[Janderson45]

On 5/19/2019 at 11:17 PM, MassYak85 said:

@Janderson45 Were you fishing on Whitehall today? My friend and I were hiking the loop trail that goes around the lake early afternoon and I swear I saw a Lund bass boat with an Evinrude through the trees lol. Parking lot was packed with trailers so I assumed a tourney was going 

 

Haha stop stalking me!!  Was out there for most of the day, we had a slug fest on dink bass, small keepers and pickerel lol... probably caught 50 fish between my buddy and I on a whole variety of lures.  Our biggest bass went a whopping 15” Caught a ton in the 10-12” range and too many pickerel to count.  Found some males on beds up super shallow towards the end of the day.  I didn’t find nearly as beds as I thought I would, the stiff wind and overcast conditions probably played a roll in that.

[DogBone_384]

Got back from my trip to the Cape.  Despite steady 15 - 20 MPH winds most of the trip, Cape Cod bass cooperated.

 

I started Monday afternoon at Snake Pond, catching 5 SMB, a 1-2 white perch, and a few misses.  Four SMB were about a pound, and one was 2-4.  I almost shared one of my sallies with a big pickerel who tried to eat it as I was reeling it in.  Water temps were 61.x - 62.x, BP was 29.7, with a stiff wind from south.  I then went to Bucks Pond and caught 4 LMB and 1 pickerel.  The Larries were decent sized with the biggest weighing 2-5.  Mr. Pick was around a pound and half and smashed a 130 Whopper Plopper.  Water temps were 63.x - 64.x at Bucks.  It wasn’t as windy as Snake.

 

Tuesday’s first offering was Hinckleys.  It was windy enough that my 5 pound anchor and drift sock were nearly useless and a baitcaster was out of the question.  I gave it my best for 2 hours then decided to find somewhere with some cover.  Water temps were 60.x - 61.x and winds howled from the west at 20+ MPH.  BP was 29.8.  Long Pond’s Camp Favorite launch was pretty protected so I gave it a go.  Two SMB and one LMB made it in the Kayak and three somethings didn’t.  Big fish was a 1-11 LMB.  Water temps were 63.x.  I closed out the day at Flax with 3 SMB and 1 LMB, all between 1.5 - 2 pounds.  Surprising was the LMB that inhaled a orange/black Yozuri pencil bait.  Water temps were 62.x - 63.x.

 

Since Flax was pretty good, I started at Cliff this morning but found conditions the same as Hinckleys.  Water temps were 60.x, BP 30.2, and winds were 20+ from the north.  I was blown around for an hour and a half, managed one SMB on a purple/brown tube, and beat feet to Shubaels.  Shubaels was a smaller version of Cliff.  I stayed an hour without a nibble and left.  I finished at Hedges because it’s sheltered from the wind, AND on the way home.  Water temps were 64.x, BP 30.2, with winds from the North.  I bagged two SMB, one on a bass square bill and the other on a smoke/purple Hula Grub.  The one that swallowed the Hula Grub wrapped itself around a sunken tree limb.  You should have seen me try to keep him pinned, lift my pedal drive, anchor, and keep in place with my paddle simultaneously.  It was a show.

 

For three days kayaking in stiff winds, I did OK.  Size and numbers seem similar to other members’ reports for the Cape.  I’m going back for more next Monday and Tuesday, with a better game plan.

 

Lastly, the only reason I didn’t get skunked at Hinckleys is because I walked over to the pump house and netted a herring that was close to the output pipe.

[JG233]

Things have been slow for me the last two times out.

 

Today, I bank fished a spot I always do well at and got skunked. In fact, I didn't even get a bite over the course of a couple hours. 

 

I'm fishing the Q next week and hope to have a good day out there!

[gjfisher]

35 minutes ago, JG233 said:

Things have been slow for me the last two times out.

Same here.  It seems that the up and down weather really confused the fish.  I fished three hours yesterday and caught two dink bass early in the morning on a whopper plopper but nil after that.  

[Dunks N Dinks]

Cape Update: Shallow & Angry

Was out on Wequaquet Friday, dawn to dusk. I hadn't planned on such a long day but the way the fish were biting (>20 keeper bites), it wasn't really much of a choice ahah. While it took an hour or so to figure out what they wanted, once I got dialed in on shallow wind-protected pockets, I was getting constant action. 

 

It was a bit of a battle against conditions, with NW winds kicking up into the 20s, but I'd reckon it was the primal focus on spawning on those flats out of the blasting wind that stacked the fish in those easier-to-fish areas. As I was fishing the water temps rose from 62 to 65 in the sun.    

 

Caught fish on drop-shots, stick-baits, and t-rigs (flipped up around bushes), with almost every bite in less than 4ft of water. Most fish seemed to be relating to wood cover or docks. While I don't normally like picking fish off beds (especially in smaller lakes), I did make one exception for what turned out to be the biggest bite of the day. 
 

I had spotted a 2lb male guarding the base of a sunken tree limb on a very visible circular sandy bed, and was trolling past when I nearly ran over what I thought was a log on the end of that tree out in 6ft of water which actually turned out to be a huge immobile female bass. As stealthily as I could, I turned around and spot-locked a good 15-20ft off the bed and started pitching back to the area. It took nearly 20 mins and three bait changes as the female cruised around this deeper tree limb, but eventually the fish sucked in my drop-shot that I had left shaking in the sweet spot. With just 6lb test on, the fight was pretty nerve-wracking but I finally got her up to the side of the boat and lipped her. She went 4.61lbs and was by a decent margin the biggest of the day, though I did get another around 3/3.25 near the end of the day on a beaver-style bait pitched into the seam between a dock and pontoon boat. A great day and hopefully a good sign for the next few weeks to come...      

 

 

[Mr. Aquarium]

Hope you all had a great long weekend! I fished hard on Saturday! 

Left my house at 230 am. Got home at 1130pm. 

Total tally for the day between the 3 of us!  14lbs mirror carp. 2 brown trout, 1 rainbow, few bass, few bluegills, 2 shad,  couple white catfish. Biggest white cat was 5.6lbs, bunch of eels,  a white perch, and many laughs! Great long day on the water.  

 We traveled many miles. 

[DogBone_384]

Took a short trip to the Cape.  Snake and Hinckley's yesterday.  I caught 4 SMB at Snake, 3 dinks and one right at 2 pounds.  All were caught on a brown/purple BPS tube.  Water temps were 64.x and it was WINDY.  I drove to Hinckleys in the afternoon and stayed until it was time to beat feet to the Bruins' game.  I caught two SMB and one LMB.  One smallie and the Larry were a shade under two pounds.  The bigger smallie smashed a 110 Whopper Plopper hard enough to come out of the water.  The wind died down at Hinckleys.  Water temps were 69.x.  BP was 29.9.

 

Fishing Rhino and I met at dawn at Cliff Pond this morning to mid 50's and a steady wind.  We gave it our best three hours.  I ticked off a 2-12 LMB when I hit it over the head with a black/blue chatter bait.  Luckily it made it to the canoe.  We split there, grabbed one of Cape Cod's best breakfast sandwiches and discussed our next location.  

We drove to Sheep, but thought it was still too windy and settled on Hinckleys.  We gave it another two or three hours and called it.  I managed one sally, about a pound and a half, on a brown/gold 4" Senko.  Water temps were in the mid 60's and the BP was 30.

 

The last couple weeks produced small fish.  I figure the big ones are hunkered down in the flooded brush with the high water levels, or recouping from their spawn in deeper waters.

[MassYak85]

Got out on Sunday night hoping for that night bite...didn't exactly work out as planned. With the warmer temps I was hoping enough would be shallow that I could get some decent bites with wakebaits. Only fish I got was a dink that hit a shellcracker cranked down. Also had a blowup on the same bait deadsticked near a log but of course I wiffed on the hookset. 

 

Going to try and take a friend out tomorrow for a few hours, we'll see what happens. If the bass aren't cooperating we might just beat up on some Crappie at a spot I know where they eat underpins like candy. I'm moving this Saturday so that will probably be my last time out (at least here) for a while. Although I'm sure I'll be paying plenty of visits back to the area, it's not too bad of a drive.  

 

 

[DogBone_384]

1 minute ago, MassYak85 said:

I'm moving this Saturday

Good luck with your move.  Once it warms up you'll have plenty of time to fish your new state.  Congrats!

[Janderson45]

Went up to Champlain (Ticonderoga) for the long weekend.  Man do I love that place.

 

The southern end of the lake was ripe for the picking.  Didn’t get any real studs, but had a blast sticking a bunch of 2-4lbers along with numerous pike and pickerel.  Water was warm (62-65 degrees), flooded (4 feet above normal) and muddy!   The key for me seemed to be targetting submerged milfoil in about 6’ of water or emergent reeds in 2-4’ of water.  I also caught a few off the plentiful wood scattered along the flooded shoreline.  

 

I caught them on a myriad of lures, with a chatterbait being the top producer but also caught fish on a squarebill, spinnerbait, jig, Texas rigged worm, paddletail swimbait and topwater.  

 

[DogBone_384]

Stopped by Blue Hills Res after work today to try out my new swim bait rod.  While there I managed two dink larries with good guts on them.  Panfish were also very active, nibbling on my wacky Senko.  There were fry in the shallows too.  It's good to see fish here.

 

If our weather cooperates next week, I'm gonna see if I can catch something on a swim bait.  

[MassYak85]

Got out with my friend for a few hours this afternoon. We found some fish shallow in a spawning cove, I managed four 2-3lbers on a tube. Water temp was 63 pretty much everywhere on the lake. Seemed like the males were pushing hard into the shallows but the females weren't around. I did see some good sized females from shore cruising that same cove on Sunday when it was really warm so I think one wave may have gotten the chance to spawn but it seems the cold rain the last couple days may have reset things again. 

[Janderson45]

On 5/30/2019 at 10:59 PM, MassYak85 said:

Got out with my friend for a few hours this afternoon. We found some fish shallow in a spawning cove, I managed four 2-3lbers on a tube. Water temp was 63 pretty much everywhere on the lake. Seemed like the males were pushing hard into the shallows but the females weren't around. I did see some good sized females from shore cruising that same cove on Sunday when it was really warm so I think one wave may have gotten the chance to spawn but it seems the cold rain the last couple days may have reset things again. 

The females will come in and do their thing on beds with males for a few hours - after the deed is done the female will immediately pull out (or in) to the nearest hard cover - if that’s not available they’ll drop out a bit deeper and suspend.   Great time of year to fish docks and hard cover (rocks and wood) directly adjacent to spawning grounds to catch good females recovering.   Treat her nicely if you do find her and shes cooperative ;).

[DogBone_384]

Dropped into Ponkie yesterday before picking wifey up from the airport.  A short trip netted a nice larry and one pickerel that was big enough to take my kayak for a ride.  Bummer was my knot broke and the poor pickerel has my last punching setup stuck in his face.

 

Got a few hits on GY's Kreature after that, including yellow perch.  They must like the tentacles.  My pearl white Senko produced nada.

 

It was near calm, BP was 29.7 and the water temps were 68.x.

Dropped into Ponkie yesterday before picking wifey up from the airport.  A short trip netted a nice larry and one pickerel that was big enough to take my kayak for a ride.  Bummer was my knot broke and the poor pickerel has my last punching setup stuck in his face.

 

Got a few hits on GY's Kreature after that, including yellow perch.  They must like the tentacles.  My pearl white Senko got NO love.

 

It was near calm, BP was 29.7 and the water temps were 68.x.

Dropped into Ponkie yesterday before picking wifey up from the airport.  A short trip netted a nice larry and one pickerel that was big enough to take my kayak for a ride.  Bummer was my knot broke and the poor pickerel has my last punching setup stuck in his face.

 

Got a few hits on GY's Kreature after that, including yellow perch.  They must like the tentacles.  My pearl white

 

It was near calm, BP was 29.7 and the water temps were 68.x.

[JG233]

My CT kayak outing early this morning was fruitful. I caught a ton of small bass and bluegill, and a few nice LMB as well. The biggest went 2'8. I also spotted a huge female LMB hanging near a rock pile. I positioned my yak and casted beyond her a few times, before hooking into a bluegill.

 

So I'm reeling in the gill and what happens--the huge female chases and engulfs the bluegill. My drag kicks in and my rod doubles over and for a moment I think I'm going to be able to land both fish, but the big bass lets go and the bluegill gets off the line, and I end up missing out on a 5+ lb fish, and losing the bluegill. Good story though. 

[DogBone_384]

13 hours ago, JG233 said:

the huge female chases and engulfs the bluegill.

Hmmm ... I'm thinkin' a small bluegill swim bait.

[JG233]

In retrospect, fishing a weightless, t-rigged paddletail might've been the move.

 

I dunno, there were a couple good bass in through there, but mostly bluegill. And the couple bass were cruising around, they weren't stationary. 

[Janderson45]

Check out the Mattlures bluegill, the little creeper bluegill, and the storm wild eye bluegill.  They all have have the distinctive bluegill profile and are rigged in different ways.  Bass HATE bluegill during this time of year (spawn and post spawn)

[Dunks N Dinks]

Cape Update: Frisky Fiver

(a bit late) but I got out on Memorial Day with a buddy on Mashpee and got my first >5lb largie of the year(!!). Both smallies and largies were on beds, as conditions were primed for spawning activity. The early morning clouds gave way to sun around 8am as temps ran up into the high 70s, with the water ranging between 64-67 degrees. The smallies were mostly in the 6-10ft range near wood, while largemouth were very (2-3ft) shallow and setting up on beds near grass in the northern basin.

 

The big bite came on a BC magic flick on a drop-shot (8" leader) shook subtly just a few feet off a bed. I was sight-casting just beyond a 3-ish pound male guarding a bed when a freaking submarine came out of nowhere and slurped it. After a heart-pounding fight around the back of the boat, my buddy netted the beauty. We grabbed a quick pic, and back she went to the grass-bed adjacent to the bed. Before the release, we also couldn't help but notice the 8" herring down her gullet...so incredible. 

 

 

[JG233]

11 hours ago, Janderson45 said:

Check out the Mattlures bluegill, the little creeper bluegill, and the storm wild eye bluegill.  They all have have the distinctive bluegill profile and are rigged in different ways.  Bass HATE bluegill during this time of year (spawn and post spawn)

Will do - thanks man.