Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[MassYak85]

5 hours ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

Got out after work yesterday . Fished my winter honey hole in the kayak. Got a smallie, largemouth, few big perch and a nice pickerel all on tubes. Haven’t gotten a smallie here in a while.
I decided to try for a topwater bass after dark. I want to get a topwater fish each month. All I need is January.
2 rods 2 lures. Fished a spot I love at night but wasn’t feeling it, I don’t know where they sit in the winter. So I hit another spot that I know I’d be fishing right over their heads. Few whacks and 3 bass. The DEFCON and shell cracker got em. Nothing big but stoked for mid December topwater

Profile or broomstick defcon? I've got an older bluegill profile series that I've done well with in the cold. Can wake or crank it down its got a tight wiggle.

[Mr. Aquarium]

3 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

Profile or broomstick defcon? I've got an older bluegill profile series that I've done well with in the cold. Can wake or crank it down its got a tight wiggle.

Broom stick 

[Jigfishn10]

Looks like we getting some skim ice going on now. Should be long now that our overnight lows are in the upper 20*'s.

[guidoStow]

I fished the Concord today. Water was 33 degrees at the start and rose to 34.5 by 3:00pm

 

Very slow going...

[Mr. Aquarium]

12 hours ago, guidoStow said:

I fished the Concord today. Water was 33 degrees at the start and rose to 34.5 by 3:00pm

 

Very slow going...

I fished last weekend 41-43 water temps 

[guidoStow]

Those past three evening low temps of 19, 15, 23 degrees starting to have an effect...

[MassYak85]

I'm in the area for Christmas. Most local ponds are skimmed. No softwater but all the ice is too thin to fish yet. ? 

[Don51]

You are stuck in limbo!  

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! ?

[DogBone_384]

5 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

I'm in the area for Christmas.

A couple of us are planning a New Year's Day trip to a good SMB pond in Plymouth.  It'd be great if you could join us. 

 

I've got some time off next week and will do some recon as we get close.  Luckily, Plymouth & Cape Cod are the last to freeze around here.... gonna keep fingers crossed.

 

Merry Christmas to all!

[MassYak85]

1 hour ago, DogBone_384 said:

A couple of us are planning a New Year's Day trip to a good SMB pond in Plymouth.  It'd be great if you could join us. 

 

I've got some time off next week and will do some recon as we get close.  Luckily, Plymouth & Cape Cod are the last to freeze around here.... gonna keep fingers crossed.

 

Merry Christmas to all!

I appreciate the invite I actually won't be around for New Years unfortunately. Sometime though for sure!

[DogBone_384]

1 hour ago, MassYak85 said:

I appreciate the invite I actually won't be around for New Years unfortunately

I've tried to get members together before for group outings.  Cape Cod has many good waters for boaters and kayakers.

 

Let's revisit it in the Spring.

[Styguy922]

23 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

I've tried to get members together before for group outings.  Cape Cod has many good waters for boaters and kayakers.

 

Let's revisit it in the Spring.

I’d love to to meet/fish with some of you folks.   If all welcome, I’d love to join!

 

Merry Christmas, all! 

[DogBone_384]

1 hour ago, Styguy922 said:

I’d love to to meet/fish with some of you folks

The more the merrier!

[MassYak85]

55 and raining on New Years....RIP ice season. Will be lucky to squeeze in 6 or 7 weeks at this point.

[Dunks N Dinks]

Anyone have any goals in mind for 2022?

I know personally it will be to get back into the local tournament scene (fresh and saltwater), and to catch a 20lb+ limit of smallmouth (haven't had one since 2018 sadly)...

 

I also am hoping to build up my sub-stack newsletter https://devinacton.substack.com/ ... which is partially due to the love of outdoor writing I've helped develop here on Bass-Resource of all places lol. I'm hoping to combine short-stories, fishing reports, recipes and "angling culture" interviews with fresh and saltwater enthusiasts all across the north-east coast. If you want to do an interview for the newsletter, know anyone I should talk to, or have any 'must add' segments/stories, don't hesitate to reach out!

[Mr. Aquarium]

Catch an 8lb plus largemouth. That my only

goaln

[guidoStow]

I caught a 14" Rainbow Trout today at Walden Pond.

 

Also had a huge crawdad grab/hold my flyline while I was retrieving. Thing would have just missed the lobster short measurement...

[DogBone_384]

Swimbaits, jigs, and drop-shot will be on the list for ‘22.  My biggest weakness is deep water fishing.  Patience will be the key: I have none.  I’m going to force myself to play by “1 rod, 1 bait” rules and grind it out until my 5W bulb lights up….

 

I closed ‘21 at Hedges, in Plymouth.  3 SMB made it to the kayak and lost 1 when I let up ‘just enough’.  The biggest just made 2 pounds and all four still had a little fight in them.  All fish picked up a gold Damiki blade bait sitting still on the bottom.  Water temps were 41.x when I arrived and 43.x when I packed up at dusk.  It was overcast and nearly calm, with an air pressure of 30.0.

 

If weather allows, I’ll be back at Hedges early next week.

 

Happy New Year to all!

8 hours ago, Dunks N Dinks said:

catch a 20lb+ limit of smallmouth

I don’t think I caught 20 pounds of SMB in all of ‘21…. 

 

Also, don’t fish too close to @Saltysmalljaws either! He’ll catch all the big ones!

2 hours ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

8lb plus largemouth.

Looks like Wequaquet …. See you there in the spring!

[bass.slayer69]

Those weekend temps look tasty… might make my first trip to Hedges tomorrow with the waders

[DogBone_384]

4 minutes ago, bass.slayer69 said:

might make my first trip to Hedges tomorrow

I have my best luck in the W/SW corner about 2/3 the way down from the beach.  It’s a little hike by wader, but usually worth it.  You can reach deeper water wading there and there’s some grass near shore.

[Frezzy]

My only 2022 goal is a 7lb+ Smallmouth.  I know they are in there!

[MassYak85]

7lber is my goal. Don't think I'll make it out as many times as this year so gonna go for quality over quantity. 

[MassBass]

Holy smokes it was warm today, this can't be normal? Back up north Haverhill/Lawrence you used to be able to rely on safe ice by the new year, I say that and I'm not even that old. The ice sculptures didn't even make it past 8 o'clock last night. I might have to go fish open water tomorrow if it is going to be the same weather. I have some new blade baits to try. Anyone capitalize on this weather and conditions? 

[bass.slayer69]

Woke up too late today to make the trip down to Hedges - ended up jumping around a few local spots. Ended up settling on a deep rocky reservoir, tried ned, jerkbait, yo-yoing blade bait and a lipless, nothing. Only signs of life I saw were a pretty crawfish and a perch that followed my Ned in. Was really warm and foggy - didn’t even occur to me that it was New Years. Ice season is looking to be short or nonexistent.

[DogBone_384]

2 hours ago, bass.slayer69 said:

Ice season is looking to be short or nonexistent.

That's sure not a bad thing... '21 was the only year since '17 I didn't catch fish in open water in MA.

 

Dunno what happened in March '21, but I couldn't buy a bite in any water, from my boat or kayak!

 

Poor @Saltysmalljaws and @Mr. Aquarium suffered through my ranting and complaining (that's why they're ALWAYS welcome on my boat)!

 

 

2 hours ago, bass.slayer69 said:

Woke up too late today to make the trip down to Hedges

... tomorrow's another day....