Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[Dunks N Dinks]

Quick Cape Report:

 

Got out on Wequaq for a few hours Sunday morning in the fog and got a coupla grown ones. Call me crazy but i think this was the first moderation in water temps i've spied so far this year, with surface temps ranging from 77-79, down from 82-84 about two weeks ago. Either way, it didn't seem to matter all that much to the Larries, with my two best bites coming from shallow heavy grass on a finesse flippin setup. Weird thing was i couldnt buy a topwater bite first thing...maybe the front coming in had them all buried overnight.       

[Bass Amatuer]

My 4 year old daughter has recently expressed a lot of interest in fishing and I'd like to take her to catch her first fish.  Looking for places in or near Easton where we can shore fish and catch something (don't much care what.. anything she catches will be a great experience!).  Haven't had much of a chance to fish since moving to Easton, so I could use some help here.  Not looking to exploit anyone's honey hole - just looking to build a few memories with my little girl. 

 

If all goes well and she's interested in fishing, a kayak will be in our future.  Thank you!!

[DogBone_384]

Fishing Rhino made the drive to my territory this morning.  We launched at Little South around 0845 in Plymouth and made our way over to Great South.  It was a warm, sunny 'bluebird' day and the fishing proved it.  We did OK until about 1045.  From 1045 to 1430, when we finally threw in the towel, proved futile even though we threw a good selection of baits at various depths.

 

I got two SMB, around a pound each, on a green pumpkin/red hula grub drop shot, and a nice LMB that I dropped while trying to snap its photo for my ANGLR APP.  My LMB was over two pounds and was caught on a grn/red flake 6.5" Kut Tail worm on a 1/4 oz. shaky head.

 

The water temp was 79.x with a slight breeze from the E/NE.  Barometric pressure was 30.1

 

All in all it was a very typical day for this pond.

 

I think I'll skip the shallow water and focus on deep drop-shotting and crank baits next time I fish here.

[Don51]

Should have given Billington a shot. When I was up from FL last August I fished it quite a bit and did ok. You just have to go early to avoid the parking fee.

[MassYak85]

I'll be back in MA the next couple weekends, looks like the weather might start to cool down here. I'm hoping that will change things enough I can put together some decent fishing. Might try from shore a bit at night Friday. 

[DogBone_384]

53 minutes ago, MassYak85 said:

I'll be back in MA the next couple weekends

Anyone want to try to get a group together to fish and cookout one of these weekends? 

 

My first thought is Nickerson State Park AFTER Labor day and when most kids are back in school.

 

Cliff and Flax offer up some pretty good smallie fishing.

 

I can't do anything this weekend, but I'll be down the Cape September 8 - 10.

 

I've got two FeelFree Lure 11.5s and a Native Redfish 10, but no bass boat.... those go to single and retired folks ....

 

Any other dates and locations?

 

Just tossing it out there. 

2 hours ago, Don51 said:

Should have given Billington a shot

I've fished there a couple times.  Didn't have much luck.  Not one of my top picks.

 

I didn't expect too much today, being a nice calm beach day after the thunderstorms and hail we had come through last night.  I don't think it would have mattered much if we'd fished somewhere else.

[MassYak85]

Got on the Charles today. Didn't get skunked so I consider that a success compared to how the rest of my summer has gone lol. Got a decent 2lber on a ned rig along with a couple dinks. Also got a small keeper on a t-rigged rage bug. Slow day overall, they seemed to be chasing small baitfish around the weed edges in the morning and showed some slight interest in spinnerbaits but I couldn't get the right combination of size, speed, blade right to get a pattern going. Ended the day fishing deeper hard bottom which is where I got all my fish. 

 

I also fished A1 from shore at dusk for about an hour hoping for a bigger bite. Had one blowup each on a spro 50 rat and a G2 shellcracker, missed both. An 8 inch largie decided it could get the shellcracker in it's mouth and learned how to fly when I set the hook. I called it after that, despite being absolutely covered in bugspray, two mosquito bites were two too many for me to stay any longer with the EEE threat right now in my area. 

 

Oh I almost forgot, on the far-off chance anyone here knows someone that fishes near the waltham launch of the charles from shore at night I've got two of their frogs I pulled out of a tree. They had rattles put in them. In case they want them back lol. 

[DogBone_384]

17 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

fishing deeper hard bottom which is where I got all my fish

Sounds like my Summer. Numbers haven’t been bad, but size is down.

 

Drop-shotting worked very well the last three times out at Great Herring and Great South.

 

I’m going to GS next week and go really deep.

[MassYak85]

The ONLY thing that has been consistent for me this summer has been tiny bait fish profiles. Like 3 inch keitechs. But with those I'm only managing small fish for the most part. 

[DogBone_384]

Hit Great South yesterday from mid afternoon to dusk, working deeper than I usually do with a drop shot and 1/2 ounce underspin with 4.3 bluegill flash Keitech Fat Swing Impact.

 

After an hour and a half of nothing, I added various treble hook lures to the mix.  I'm still hitless three hours into the trip when a 1-12 SMB, with a good belly, smashed my underspin.  I worked the area a little longer without any bites so I moved back towards the canal, trolling a Rapala DT6.  A decent white perch hit the DT6 in about 15' of water by the island.  That was it for the trip.

 

The weather was as blue-bird as you can get and water temps were 76.x - 77.x.  BP was 29.8 with a slight breeze that changed from N to E/NE throughout my trip.

[MassYak85]

Beautiful day on Webster this morning. The fish didn't think so. I did manage a decent (14 inch probably) largie and a dink smallie on a tube. But that was it. 

 

I never though I'd say this...I miss ice fishing. 

[Mr. Aquarium]

Bunch of stripers on Friday all on freshwater tackle. Such a blast.  my

buddy and I went on an adventure yesterday. Laker salmon and pike trip. Started out looking for smallies and lakers.  I got a nice hit at sunrise on a  metal.  Some guy did pretty well on metals Down the shore from us. He caught 3 lakers and a fat rainbow. I ended up with one healthy laker, a missed laker and a whack.   Packed up hiked out of the spot. Went to check the salmon spot. Didn’t see any fish nor did we get any.  Fished a small creek for trout. Ended up with a few fallfish tiny bass and sunny on worms. Fun fishing.  Last minute decision to go pike fishing. Went to my favorite spot. My buddy had a giant come up and smash his swimbait. It unfortunately missed his lure. I had a good hit quick run on a spoon. 

 

Unfortunately my buddy never got his first pike laker or salmon. He did catch his first fall fish. I caught a baby smallie, baby largemouth, baby Sunnie, a fall fish, a yellow perch and a fat lake trout. Good day.

 

[DogBone_384]

Welcome back Mike.  Fall crush is upon us.  I’ll be down the Cape 9/8-9/10. Let’s try to hook up.

 

I’m heading to the Quabbin in the morning. It’s gonna be post-front, but drop shot & swimbaits deep might just do the trick.

[Dunks N Dinks]

CC Update: Bass Brother From Another Mother

 

Got out on Cliffs Saturday evening for a few hours and got a 5-pounder on discount. Discount because it weighed 4.89 (but whats a few hundredths of an ounce between friends). Came on a new swim-bait I've been super psyched to try, which matches the thinner and rounder profile of a sunfish/blue-gill. Threw it up against a deeper weed-edge and let it count down on slack...3...2...1 and the line took off 5ft to the left! 

 

Sunday went out on the salt looking for Albies around Monomoy, but only found snapper blues. Ended up pushing way out in search of bass and finally marked (see image below) a few deep schools that birds were working on top (sand eels, macks, etc). Ended up finding some stripes below, and nabbed a >40" specimen jigging a RonZ. Hopefully the green rockets are in after the storm stirs the pot this week...  

 

[Mr. Aquarium]

13 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

Welcome back Mike.  Fall crush is upon us.  I’ll be down the Cape 9/8-9/10. Let’s try to hook up.

 

I’m heading to the Quabbin in the morning. It’s gonna be post-front, but drop shot & swimbaits deep might just do the trick.

Let’s go. It’s been awhile. I haven’t gone bass fishing all summer! 

[MassYak85]

Got to fish maspenock the last couple days. Both were pretty everage days but got a handful of 1-2lbers on a variety of lures. Definitely needed some "average" days to get some confidence back. 

 

It's feeling more and more like fall! 

[DogBone_384]

Launched at Area 3 just after 0600 and nabbed a 2-8 pick on the first cast with a KVD Sexy Dawg topwater..... OK, this could be good.....

 

My next catch came at 1032, a SMB, measured in ounces and not pounds, on a bass flavored Ned.  Catching bait sized smallies continued for the next hour and a half.  I managed a pretty good one on a shiner colored DT10 but it spit me in mid air.

 

It got time to head back so I fished the launch area for the last half hour or so.  I grabbed another micro smallie and a fat yellow perch on a Canada Craw Ned.  Everyone I caught today had a good belly on them.  I’d have to say the fall feed-bag in on.  

 

Less the pickerel, topwaters, DT’s, jigs (including hair), and drop-shot failed me royally today.

 

I fished some different areas today and really didn’t mark much on the Lowrance.

 

The weather was very bluebird once the fog lifted.  Water temps and BP were 74.x and 30.1 respectively.

 

I’ll be down the Cape Monday and Tuesday of next week.  I have some homework to do...

[Dunks N Dinks]

Turnover Chain?

Been getting my behind kicked by Long Pond (Lakeville) the last few outings. Went out yesterday for 6-7hrs and only had 3 (somewhat random-feeling) reaction bites to show for it. Water temps have dropped to 68-69 from 75-77 a month ago, so this could be the turnover funk, while I imagine the recent front coming through didn't help things. Anyone have any suggestions to locate some fish during this time of year in dirtier waters?    

[Jigfishn10]

Haven't been out in, well, forever. Went out last Saturday after Dorian passed thru. Afternoon turned out to be a gorgeous day. I tied on a Homemade #4 Indiana spinner figuring the fish would still be locked down and of course a blue bird day wouldn't help. I was hoping at this point for anything to bite. Anyway, not a sniff on a bait that will usually produce at least a follower.

Water was clear with a chop on the surface from the remaining winds from Dorian. I went to a Swim Senko in Black w/Blue Flake. After what seemed like an hour, I finally got a couple of bites, no take. Got a little bird's nest on a cast into the wind. After picking thru the bird's nest, I looked back at the water only to find my bait had moved...significantly. I thought it was current, but there was no way the current was that strong.

 

Then it dawned on me. Deadstick. Next cast, deadsticked for about 2-3 minutes. The line at the water surface intersection dropped about a foot. I felt nothing. reeled down not even a quarter turn and knew I needed to set the hook. Turned out to be a 2 1/2 lb LM. I continued on for about another hour and a half or so before I had to leave and got 3 more in the same weight range dead sticking.

 

All fish were on a second weedline from shore ... a good long cast away ... and colors used were Black w/ Blue Flake & Smoke w/Purple & Black Flake.

 

Went back yesterday and ended up repeating the pattern.

 

Supposed to be a beauty of a week so I'm hoping to get out at some point.

 

Good luck all.

[Jigfishn10]

1 hour ago, Dunks N Dinks said:

Turnover Chain?

Been getting my behind kicked by Long Pond (Lakeville) the last few outings. Went out yesterday for 6-7hrs and only had 3 (somewhat random-feeling) reaction bites to show for it. Water temps have dropped to 68-69 from 75-77 a month ago, so this could be the turnover funk, while I imagine the recent front coming through didn't help things. Anyone have any suggestions to locate some fish during this time of year in dirtier waters?    

I may be wrong, but I think it's a little early for the turnover. Maybe the dirty water was from the storm that passed thru Friday night into Saturday? Anyway, more stable weather is coming. so I think you'll see the bite come back.

[DogBone_384]

Hit Bucks pond from 4:30 p.m. to dusk.  Had a pretty good trip, getting 5 LMB to the kayak and losing 4 good ones.  The two biggest to make it in my kayak were 1-9.

 

A 3.8” Keitech Fat Impact Swing on a 3/8 oz. under spin was the most successful bait. I got one baby larry on a perch colored KVD Sexy Dawg pencil. It was barely bigger than the KVD.

 

Of the misses, 3 were on the Keitech. The hook on the under spin isn’t terribly long so I figure the fish were holding onto the tail and spat me when they got close to the kayak.

 

Water temps were 72.x and BP was 30.1. It was mostly cloudy and little breeze.

[MassYak85]

13 hours ago, Dunks N Dinks said:

Turnover Chain?

Been getting my behind kicked by Long Pond (Lakeville) the last few outings. Went out yesterday for 6-7hrs and only had 3 (somewhat random-feeling) reaction bites to show for it. Water temps have dropped to 68-69 from 75-77 a month ago, so this could be the turnover funk, while I imagine the recent front coming through didn't help things. Anyone have any suggestions to locate some fish during this time of year in dirtier waters?    

So the turnover is something I've never really wrapped my head around completely. I know it's when the top layer of cooling water starts trading places with the cooler bottom layer from the summer and mixes up the water column and can throw fish for a funk. But I never had a grasp of when it was happening. The way I've always heard it described had me thinking the top water temps had to get to a specific temperature depending on the lake and then the whole water column would flop over a couple days, but that's not quite the case is it?

 

Shouldn't it be a gradual thing, where a cool night sinks a thin layer of surface water, and this goes on throughout the fall and into the winter, slowly cooling the lake until you get that equalized 4°C where the water can finally start to freeze? But if that's the case I would think the change would be slow enough the fish could adapt an not be thrown into a funk. Is it just those first consistently cool nights (say, upper 40's  low 50's) that cause a significant amount of water to flip flop that marks the turnover? 

 

Kind of me thinking out loud, let me know if I'm off base. 

[Don51]

Yeah, that is pretty much it. You have a way to go! It is still summer! Lol It probably won't really begin to happen for another month. The air temp has to consistently get cooler to cause a steady drop in water temp. The shallow bog type ponds will turnover long before the deeper ones do. As long as there is open water, the surface temp. will always be a couple of degrees warmer from the sun. 

[Dunks N Dinks]

ya i was totally off-base. Definitely the cold front and high winds that had the water muddled up and sediment stratified. Looked at my notes from last two years and of the ponds i fish that i actually realized had turned-over, it was around 56-53 degrees. Most area lakes for me are in the high 60s still, so false alarm! 

[Jigfishn10]

It's kinda like the straw that broke the camels back type of thing. Cool water is dense water. As the surface water cools, it sinks and mixes in with the layer below the thermocline creating a more uniform water temperature from top to bottom. There may be some temperature differences, but for the most part, it's pretty consistent. Not sure why it's called "turnover", it's not like the 70* temps are now on the bottom and the colder water on top. Wouldn't make sense, would it? It should be called lake "mixing" as the 2 layers of water are at the same densities/temps.

 

Depending on lake shape and depth, the turnover could take days or months.

 

To know if it turned over, the temps should be consistent from top to bottom. You may also smell a bit of a stench from the decaying matter rising from the bottom...hence the murky water during this period of time.