Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[MassBass]

27 minutes ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

What boat did you go out on. I need to go back out on one. I went on Eastmans in NH. It was December, snowing, we caught so many big pollack. Pulling up 2 20lb fish at that same time from 200 feet deep.  So much variety to. Haddock, cusk, pollack, redfish and sea ravens 

It was Eastmans dock in Seabrook. I was in the bow but I heard guys in the back were killing it more with mackerel bait, rather than the squid the charter supplied. Still though nothing huge was caught. The way it is managed and harvested it seems like a keeper haddock is exactly a keeper. Definetly a fun fishing experience, still thinking about it. At one point I snagged bottom and thought I had something huge. So I picked out an outfit that had a firetiger tube/teaser on it. The redfish and sculpin (that is sea robin?) Had taken the tube. I am not sure if other specie were shy of that big bright thing. No doubt though that the haddock feeds visualy. Look how big their eyes are. If I go again I would bring like some orange or green hook tubing and just put a little piece on plus bait. 

[Mr. Aquarium]

15 hours ago, MassBass said:

It was Eastmans dock in Seabrook. I was in the bow but I heard guys in the back were killing it more with mackerel bait, rather than the squid the charter supplied. Still though nothing huge was caught. The way it is managed and harvested it seems like a keeper haddock is exactly a keeper. Definetly a fun fishing experience, still thinking about it. At one point I snagged bottom and thought I had something huge. So I picked out an outfit that had a firetiger tube/teaser on it. The redfish and sculpin (that is sea robin?) Had taken the tube. I am not sure if other specie were shy of that big bright thing. No doubt though that the haddock feeds visualy. Look how big their eyes are. If I go again I would bring like some orange or green hook tubing and just put a little piece on plus bait. 

I did more jigging when I went. One of the best salt days I’ve had.  I always found clams were better out there. I’ve never used squid for deep sea bottom fishin.  I did good with my hand tied cod teasers.   I be mackerel would be good to. Slight chance for a unicorn(Atlantic halibut) with a big piece of mackerel on bottom.   

[MassBass]

12 hours ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

I did more jigging when I went. One of the best salt days I’ve had.  I always found clams were better out there. I’ve never used squid for deep sea bottom fishin.  I did good with my hand tied cod teasers.   I be mackerel would be good to. Slight chance for a unicorn(Atlantic halibut) with a big piece of mackerel on bottom.   

Looks like you and the crew caught a lot that day. Do you have a picture of the teaser? The deckhands at Eastmans were great guys, but I questioned the captain's decisions. So we run all the way out to Jeffreys ledge, 28 miles, 2.5 hours. I thought great we can't get skunked there. So right away we are catching haddock, mostly on the mark keepers some short. Then he decides to move, I thought maybe he wants to find bigger fish. Nope, next spot was less, then we move again to what seems like the cusk hole. Moved afew more times, trying a drift sock to.  I think why jump around so much if we already have a 5 hour run and we were bringing in keeper haddock at the first anchor.  

[Mr. Aquarium]

On 6/10/2022 at 8:36 PM, MassBass said:

Looks like you and the crew caught a lot that day. Do you have a picture of the teaser? The deckhands at Eastmans were great guys, but I questioned the captain's decisions. So we run all the way out to Jeffreys ledge, 28 miles, 2.5 hours. I thought great we can't get skunked there. So right away we are catching haddock, mostly on the mark keepers some short. Then he decides to move, I thought maybe he wants to find bigger fish. Nope, next spot was less, then we move again to what seems like the cusk hole. Moved afew more times, trying a drift sock to.  I think why jump around so much if we already have a 5 hour run and we were bringing in keeper haddock at the first anchor.  

It was a blood bath, lot of fish coming over the rails. That sucks about moving so much. I don’t recall moving much on our trip.  I don’t have a picture of my teaser. It was pretty simple. Orange marabou tied on a hook.  I like a bit of action on my teaser.  We never used bait. Just jigging with big 16 ounce jigs and a teaser. No bait.

[Mr. Aquarium]

So my buddy, his son and I jumped on the boat this afternoon. I fish on my buddys boat all the time. His son doesn’t come with us very often. So we wanted him to catch some fish today. Immediately found pogies but we ran off shore after bit, saw one come up after a pogy… No fish one or 2 whacks then we moved back in shore finding and fishing different pogie schools. As the sun was setting the fish came up and started blowing up on the schools. I got one 36 inch, few whacks, got bit on a musky doc. I set out the pogie on my fin nor conventional, immediately gets bit. This fish hit like a tuna, porpoised and smoked it, drag running. I set the hook, fought the fish and yell do you want the rod Tommy? (Son) “nah I’m good!, me- take the rod! It’s yours. It’s a big fish. Grabs it, drags screaming. Him helping him keep rod tip up. I lip it, HUGE FISH! Honestly May have been a new personal best, my PB is 32lbs. We got no measurements but this fish was one of the biggest fish I’ve seen!
Total- I had a few whacks , got one. Tommy senior got one, Tommy Jr got 3

[Sputterbug]

Fished a pond after work tonight until it was dark. Within the first 10 minutes I hooked a very big fish. Beast came flying out of the water and hit plastic worm. Set the hook and this fish felt like lead. Not tugging, just heavy and running deep. Had him on for a bit and then it broke my line. Tough one. Just don't get many chances hooking big fish like this.

 

Rest of the night was a blur. Caught a bunch, maybe ten, 2and 3lb range and one that was 4. Lost or missed just as many.  All caught on plastic worms.

 

Nice night though, wind died down and water was glass. Fireflys were out. 

 

 

[DogBone_384]

I got out to Wampatuck State Park, Whitman's Pond, and Ponkie over the last few days.  Not much going on.  One crappie at Wampatuck, one 2 pound LMB at Whitman's, and one 1 pound LMB at Ponkie.

 

The highlight was at Wampatuck where a doe swam just about to my kayak, noticed I wasn't something to climb on, turned and swam off in another direction.

 

Water temps were in the high 70's at all three ponds.

[MassBass]

Started off throwing a spinner I made with a single hook. The lure was spinning very badly so I put on a proven spinner from last outing. Soon I had a decent bite but missed it. Continued downriver, these would be new spots for me. Hit a nice looking bank, following a rabbit down its hole. Bam fat little largemouth. Then same spot farther cast bam smallmouth. Now I continued down the rabbit's path, but the trees would make it difficult to cast. Looked very fishy, with old gas cans and rotting sleeping bags.

 

Then I came upon a great refuge of this river, where fourscore or more birds of every kind stood and loitered. Taken aback, I sauntered down to the river, watching my back in peripherals. This spot looked very fishy. Still throwing the spinner that got the bites moments ago. I was burning the lure to keep it out of the weeds. I thought I snagged the parlor carpet. That moment when you hang up, there is a second every time when you ***** if it is a fish. It was a fish. Kept firm pressure on, it moved towards midriver, then came up, not a headshake but just enough to spit hook. I dont know if the hook pulled, or what exactly. I have noticed a pattern with these river LM. They face the rod tip, emerge slightly, and free themselves. I think it has something to do with how shallow the river is. I would hit the hole again with other baits, but nada.

 

Further downriver, towards the exspanse of the basin, I sat down and tied on a buzzbait. First cast smallmouth on splashdown. Good sign, but I would start walking back now. Came back to where I missed my first bite with the buzzer, and bam he hit! This was a good fish in shallow water and this one came unbottoned to! At this point the outing was more about the fish I lost than ones caught. Tried a spot on the way out near reeds, smash at the bank. There is a keeper for redemption. Pictured.

 

 

 

 

 

[MassYak85]

Had a pretty good father's day weekend. Fished Friday and Saturday with my dad. He actually outfished me pretty good on Friday, getting 15 bass and better size than me. Saturday I flipped it and got 15. 

[Sputterbug]

Last Friday did well, biggest being 4.8. Caught all on plastic worms.

 

Then last night went out to find that the entrance to Indian pond is now gated off complete with sign and surveillance camera. Could be tough to fish it now as other access might be private property. Was really a great spot back in there.

 

Ended up driving out to a small bog pond I hadn't fished since last year. Slow going for a while then caught a pickerel that was probably close to 4 and the biggest perch I've ever caught.

Finally found the bass. They were up against or possibly beneath these small floating mat like islands that seem newly formed on the edge of the pond. Some looked like a mat of muck and roots? Others had plants sprouting on them. Water was maybe 3ft deep. Caught five fish. The biggest two where 3.7 and 3.6. One on a worm the rest on spinnerbait.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[guidoStow]

Fished Lake Boon yesterday morning. First time out since march due to a shoulder injury. Had a couple of hits but no connection. Shoulder tired but no pain. I'll take it.

[DogBone_384]

Boss lady and I are in Dennis Port for the week.  I fished LPH twice and Wequaquet once this week and goose-egged both trips to LPH.  Wequaquet was a dink fest, with a perch Vision 110+1 doing 99% of the damage.  I’m 0 for my last 8 trips to LPH and am done with the place.

 

 The weather was perfect, though very windy.  Water temps were in the low 70’s.

 

Gonna be busy until after the 4th so Happy 4th to everyone and good luck if you’re getting out there.

 

 

[MassYak85]

21 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

Boss lady and I are in Dennis Port for the week.  I fished LPH twice and Wequaquet once this week and goose-egged both trips to LPH.  Wequaquet was a dink fest, with a perch Vision 110+1 doing 99% of the damage.  I’m 0 for my last 8 trips to LPH and am done with the place.

 

 The weather was perfect, though very windy.  Water temps were in the low 70’s.

 

Gonna be busy until after the 4th so Happy 4th to everyone and good luck if you’re getting out there.

 

 

Yea for some reason jerkbaits for me only produce dinks when I try them in the warmer months so I usually put them away.

[DogBone_384]

Nothing else was working so I tried forcing a reaction.  Beats a blank, I guess.

 

Looking back at my log I don’t break 1.5 pounds during the Summer.

 

 

[MassYak85]

My dad was killing it last weekend ripping a chatterbait and underspin out of weeds to get a reaction. They'd eat it as it was falling back down after the rip. It was weird cause they wouldn't touch a spinnerbait the way I usually fish them but the second I started doing the same thing I staryed getting them too. 

[MassBass]

I had a good evening last week. Started with the white spinner, but it wasn't getting bit. Switched to a gold spinner, and convinced a smallmouth to bite. This river is not putting out quality smallmouth. The biggest I have gotten are keeper at best, and most would be considered dinks. Average size is not good. 

 

Found a spot with carp feeding...so I baited my spinner hook with a couple berries and dangled it over em... and one took it. Always such an epic battle with these things. I think I may have the carp itch again. Sadly, there is no cure. Carp went 27". I am making note to not touch their gills anymore. I reached in to gill it to bring it ashore and I think I damaged the gill, there was blood. I know how to properly hold a carp, I shouldn't be doing that anymore. Yes, there is a ton of carp and if that fish passes it doesn't really matter, but that is just not sporting, and it makes you feel like crap when you come home and wonder if you killed that fish. However if there is famine in the city I will be hauling those things out.

 

I moved on and switched to the buzzbait. Really the only thing I can present with the slime and scum in some areas. Got a nice LM, 18", and another good one off the same spot. On the way back casted off the black/red buzzer, then put on a chart/white buzzer with a clackah guy and caught two more keeper lm to close out the evening.   

 

  

[Don51]

Pretty quiet on here. Dog days already?  LoL

[MassBass]

Maybe everyone is killin it summer peak just don't want to bring too much attention to our spots now?

[bass.slayer69]

Had a tough outing yesterday at my local go to spot. All of the typical areas just did not produce. Landed a bluegill a dink largie and a decent pick. Just slow.

[MassYak85]

Slow and hot day today. The wind made it bearable. Managed 3, two dinks and a solid 3.5lber on an MS Slammer. 

[guidoStow]

Took the skunk at Chauncy today. I thought the low pressure/storms might turn things on but it was not to be...

[MassYak85]

On 7/2/2022 at 8:00 PM, guidoStow said:

Took the skunk at Chauncy today. I thought the low pressure/storms might turn things on but it was not to be...

I've never had great luck at Chauncy tbh. I try it oncea year usually to give it another chance but I don't think I've ever caught anything much over 3 there.

[guidoStow]

2 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

I've never had great luck at Chauncy tbh. I try it oncea year usually to give it another chance but I don't think I've ever caught anything much over 3 there.

So where would you suggest in the western suburbs area? I don't want to spend over an hour each way to get to the cape... Someplace I can launch from a light trailer preferred...

[MassYak85]

3 hours ago, guidoStow said:

So where would you suggest in the western suburbs area? I don't want to spend over an hour each way to get to the cape... Someplace I can launch from a light trailer preferred...

You fishing out of a kayak or small boat?

 

Whitehall is my "default" a lot of times. It can be hit or miss cause a lot of vegetation can make it difficult to slow down and finesse fish, but offers tons of opportunities for heavy cover fishing. It's a nice lake, very undeveloped. Chance to see Eagles and Loons there too. 

 

 

[MassYak85]

Has anyone else noticed a distinct lack of bugs lately? I keep hearing articles saying the population of all sorts of bugs has been declining for years but never really noticed it fishing until now. Normally I see tooooooms of bees in those white flowers in the lily pads. I might have seen like...3 today. Very few dragonflies too. I remember I used to have to keep them from constantly landing on my rod and line.