Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[MassYak85]

Did anyone else struggle hard today? I managed one dink bass and the only other excitement was thinking I hooked a Pike twice only for them to be big pickerel both times (I was on the concord river). I'm not super familiar with it so maybe it wasn't the best call fishing there during a tough time of the year. The "overcast" forecast while I guess technically accurate, did not shield the sun as the clouds were paper thin. It got HOT. 

 

My gameplan was to find sandy/rocky banks and fish the weed edges outside of those hoping to run into post spawners (water was upper 60's). Found the areas I thought would work but they didn't produce squat. Fished on top with a frog, slow with a jig, and covered water with a spinnerbait. 

[JAB50]

If your fishing the concord river right now, Fish Fairhaven bay. Don’t start fishing the river until Mid June, when all the pads and scum are in the river systems. They’ll be moving to deep water after the spawn. The bay is it. 

[bass.slayer69]

I had a decent day yesterday. Got skunked at my local reservoir and moved onto a different spot. Threw the popper around and got a 2-8 which is my unofficial pb (I didn’t have a scale last year). I’m still confident we are in the end of spawning/prespawn

[Styguy922]

22 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

Did anyone else struggle hard today? I managed one dink bass and the only other excitement was thinking I hooked a Pike twice only for them to be big pickerel both times (I was on the concord river). I'm not super familiar with it so maybe it wasn't the best call fishing there during a tough time of the year. The "overcast" forecast while I guess technically accurate, did not shield the sun as the clouds were paper thin. It got HOT. 

 

My gameplan was to find sandy/rocky banks and fish the weed edges outside of those hoping to run into post spawners (water was upper 60's). Found the areas I thought would work but they didn't produce squat. Fished on top with a frog, slow with a jig, and covered water with a spinnerbait. 

@MassYak85 have you ever been successful catching Pike on the Concord/Sudbury rivers?  I’ve been trying to catch one but no luck there.  Perhaps there’s other better spots?  I never imagined I would struggle so much trying to catch basically a giant pickerel seeing I catch far too many of those ?.....but perhaps underestimating the pike is my first mistake! 

[MassBass]

The river has been hot for multiple species. White perch, small sm, and a good LM yesterday. The pike is biologically similar to the pickerel, yes. However they have slightly different reactions to lures and presentations. Pike will follow up and not bite more often than pickerel. Keep an eye for a following fish. I can't recommend a sure way to trigger a follow but it certainly proves that your spot is a pike hole.   

[MassYak85]

17 hours ago, Styguy922 said:

@MassYak85 have you ever been successful catching Pike on the Concord/Sudbury rivers?  I’ve been trying to catch one but no luck there.  Perhaps there’s other better spots?  I never imagined I would struggle so much trying to catch basically a giant pickerel seeing I catch far too many of those ?.....but perhaps underestimating the pike is my first mistake! 

I've never caught a Pike in MA. A few summers ago though my dad pulled a 36" fish out of the Concord just swimming a big rapala down the center of the river. They're in there but you'll work for them if that's what you want to target. 

[Mr. Aquarium]

Pike are a fish of a 1000 casts, I’ve caught a handful in MA. They love hitting last minute at the boat. Some days are better then others.  I’ve had days where you get one follow. Then other days they just don’t care they’ll hit anything. So just keep fishing. 

 

if the bite sucks. I’ll go catch a sunnie and live line it then continue tossin plugs for em. Usually works for me 

I’d fish for bass then you get pike lol. 

[JAB50]

I’ve caught and lost several Pike on the concord river. I’ve seen big pike too(15+ lbs). I’ve caught mine in the late fall. When all the scum is up in the rivers, they’ll lurk in there. If you can punch through that heavy stuff, senko catch them. 6-7” senko, jigs, big spinnerbaits(1oz). 

[MassYak85]

Gonna be a COOOOLD holiday weekend. 45, rainy with some wind....hopefully the fish like it cause I sure won't lol. I think most fisheries are post spawn by now, maybe some inclement weather will have them feeding back up out of their post spawn slump. But that's just me being hopeful.

[Mr. Aquarium]

I’m braving the elements going to chase big stripers and blues in the surf!

No bass fishin for me for the foreseeable future 

[DogBone_384]

17 hours ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

I’m braving the elements going to chase big stripers

Good luck!

[MassYak85]

Didn't wanna brave the brunt of the storm so decided to wait until late afternoon to head out for a few hours. Actually did fairly decent for a short trip. Managed a VERY spawned out female that went 19 inches, skinny as hell though probably was just over 3lbs on a topwater bluegill swimbait. Got a bunch of smaller fish and pickerel on spinnerbaits as well.

 

Whitehall is usually mobbed this time of year between boats, kayakers, and hiking. We were the only vehicle in the parking lot on memorial day weekend...doubt I'll ever see that again.

 

I can't think of a crazier weather swing between weekends. 90 last Saturday with full sun gear to having to dress like it was early March with a full rainsuit on top the next. Real feel was in the THIRTIES today. Wild.

[Mr. Aquarium]

Got 2 small stripers, 2 sea robins and a fluke. 

[gjfisher]

I had no idea how the bass would behave after the rain but still went out in the drizzle this morning.  I am glad that I did because when I go fishing, rarely I find empty parking lot, overcast sky and feeding fish all at the same time, like I did today.  Within an hour, I caught a limit of cookie cutter 15-17 inch bass on chatter bait and spinner bait.  I switched up to texas rig, ned and drop shot and got another dozen bass in the next three hours.  I found most of these post spawners at the edge of the weed line in 10-15 feet of water.  

 

Also something unreal happened during fishing.  When I was fishing a finesse worm, a bass broke me off.  He swam off with the worm, the hook and the weight.  I retied and kept fishing the same finesse worm rig.  About 10 casts in (which was about 10 minutes after that bass broke off), I caught the same bass on the same finesse worm setup.  He still had my weight hanging out his mouth but had swallowed the worm completely.  Fortunately I could still see the hook stuck out his gut.  After a little surgery, I was able to remove both the hook and the worm from his gut.  He swam off fine and I got my hook, worm and weight back.

 

[DogBone_384]

Spent this afternoon at Mashpee Wakeby.  Hooked onto a good SMB with a LV500 but lost it as I reached for my net.  Had another follow my 3.8" Keitech Fat Impact/underspin but peel off when it saw me.  I tossed an assortment: LV500, Vision 110+1, 3.8" Fat Impact on underspin, 2.5" Keitech on drop shot, and a perch Whopper Plopper; covering deep, shallow, drop offs, and two humps over about 5 hours.

 

The weather was great, low 70's, 10 - 12 mph wind from SE, and air pressure at 30.2.

 

I've blanked 20 of 30 trips this year, most of which are on the RT178 I bought last year.  If anyone on this thread, or in Massachusetts, is interested in it, send me a PM.  It's time to dump it and stick to small waters with my kayak.  

[JG233]

Hey @DogBone_384, I was hoping to be back in New England now, but I'm waiting on a vaccination before flying back to the states. Hoping to get some fall fishing in with you this year. Take care! & and maybe take the yak out to Sawdy. You should crush them there right now.

[bass.slayer69]

Had a really great day numbers wise on topwater but no big girls. 2 were about a pound and the big of today was 1-12. Pretty sure these are all postspawn males. All caught on Rebel Pop-R. Oddly enough, my buddy I was fishing with got nothing on the senko, but he switched to a popper and got 2 nice bass to end the day. Great that topwater season is back in full swing. Next step: frog fish

[bass.slayer69]

Wow was it ever hot today. Went pond hopping for around 4 hours, throwing a shaky head finesse worm, weightless senko, and frog. Took the skunk. The fishing around where I live just plain sucks.

[Mr. Aquarium]

Haven’t gone bass fishing since April, Went out Friday night. Hot 2 ponds, 1st was a bust, got a few at pond 2.   They wanted topwaters,  a lucky craft Bulldog and a lanciotti psycho gill got it done. They didn’t want any chatter baits or t rigs.  Got a handful of dinks. Biggest was 3.11

 

My buddy hit me up for some stripers on his boat. He got 3 good fish, one going 20lbs , I only got one small fish. Saw plenty of fish. Lot of follows and half hearted hits. I can tell ya I hate bright calm  sunny days. 

[Dunks N Dinks]

Completed a Cape Cod Bass 'Slam' on Saturday. It started in the cold and pouring rain on LPH, chucking topwater early and then transitioning to deep-finesse tactics with largemouth and smallmouth adopting their more stable summer patterns. It ended in Pleasant bay, hammering on some 22-26" schoolie stripers wading from shore at sunset.  

[Deeare]

Looking to fish down in Plymouth at the end of the week.   Haven’t fished there before.  Thinking either big sandy, great herring or long pond.   Any suggestions on which one to hit?    
 

im fishing from a kayak

 

thanks!

[DogBone_384]

1 hour ago, Deeare said:

Looking to fish down in Plymouth at the end of the week.

If you're fishing for bass, Great Herring is a good choice.  It's a LOT of water for a kayak, but there's plenty of drop offs near the launch.  If wind direction is favorable, start at the point to the left of the launch.

 

You might be able to sneak into Hedges pond later in the afternoon. You need a Plymouth resident sticker to park there.  I've never had an issue in the fall/winter/spring, but the gate is manned during the day from Memorial Day to Labor day.

 

  It's a couple hundred yards from the parking lot to the water, so bring a cart if you have one.  It's a couple miles from Great Herring, is only 20 acres, and has SMB and big yellow perch.

 

I've only fished Long Pond a few times with my kayak.  I had good luck at the far end, pulling some nice LMB out from under the docks and downed tree on the left, next to a garage.

 

If you can drive a little further, over the bridge, Snake Pond, in Sandwich, is a good bass pond.

 

Best of luck.

[bass.slayer69]

23 hours ago, Deeare said:

Looking to fish down in Plymouth at the end of the week.   Haven’t fished there before.  Thinking either big sandy, great herring or long pond.   Any suggestions on which one to hit?    
 

im fishing from a kayak

 

thanks!

If you’re willing to go a bit further north, Billington Sea would be good for a kayak.

[Don51]

If you go to Billington you can also fish Little for trout. Get there early because they do charge to get in!

[Mr. Aquarium]

Throw a dart at the map. So many good ponds in the area!