Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[DogBone_384]

I dropped into Wampatuck yesterday afternoon to sort out some side-scan issues with my Lowrance and, of course, took some fishing rods.

 

I took a zero after 2 1/2 hours, which is pretty normal here.  Winds were tough and the water level was down at least 6 feet, which revealed a lot of structure for future visits.  Water temps were 76.x.

[Manifestgtr]

Fished Lost Lake in Groton today (high pressure, bluebird skies, variable wind) and it’s official. We’re now into that time of year that’s truly dominated by stealthier presentations deep in the shade…unless you’re an offshore enthusiast, naturally. 
 

Nearly every fish I took was on a wacky rigged, pumpkin, BPS stik-o thrown deep underneath overhanging brush, docks and generally thick cover. It’s not my favorite way to catch ‘em…I’m a power fisherman and a jig specialist at heart but hey. It’s the third week of August. What are you gonna do?

[Mikey99gofish]

I've had a good chunk of time the last few weeks to fish in the Plymouth area.  Probably went out about 10 times this month at various ponds.  Wacky senko has been good for a fish or two each trip, and got a couple on swimbaits- Pat's perch etc.  Night bite has been totally dead for me--wake baits, crawlers, crankdowns etc.  My best fish over the past few weeks is 3lbs, haha.  Granted, I've been trying lots of new ponds too, but the funk has extended to my tried-and-trues as well.  Hopefully the bite will turn on soon, especially at night

[MassYak85]

3 hours ago, Mikey99gofish said:

I've had a good chunk of time the last few weeks to fish in the Plymouth area.  Probably went out about 10 times this month at various ponds.  Wacky senko has been good for a fish or two each trip, and got a couple on swimbaits- Pat's perch etc.  Night bite has been totally dead for me--wake baits, crawlers, crankdowns etc.  My best fish over the past few weeks is 3lbs, haha.  Granted, I've been trying lots of new ponds too, but the funk has extended to my tried-and-trues as well.  Hopefully the bite will turn on soon, especially at night

I'm gonna start heading out more as we start transitioning into Fall. Hoping for at least a couple big ones before the year is done.

[Mr. Aquarium]

I love deep jiggin this time of year! Caught some very nice fish over the years. 

[Mikey99gofish]

2 hours ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

I love deep jiggin this time of year! Caught some very nice fish over the years. 

Was just watching the Tactical Bassin video on jigging in the Summer and it's intriguing for sure.  Pretty much taking a pitching jig, using a craw with claws that have some action to them, and "hop HOP"ing it along the bottom.  Also big sweeps of the rod and jig drops.  What techniques are you using, how deep and what sort of bottom?

[Mr. Aquarium]

8 hours ago, Mikey99gofish said:

Was just watching the Tactical Bassin video on jigging in the Summer and it's intriguing for sure.  Pretty much taking a pitching jig, using a craw with claws that have some action to them, and "hop HOP"ing it along the bottom.  Also big sweeps of the rod and jig drops.  What techniques are you using, how deep and what sort of bottom?

I slow crawl with a hop or 2. I fish 10 feet plus on structure ledges, rocks, points.  Sandy bottom. My summer Arsenal is a big jig, a tube and a soft plastic swimbait like a savage gear, Matt’s shad, a real prey.  All fished pretty much the same. Slow and on bottom deep.   I will throw a t rig craw and creature  in that mix. 

[DogBone_384]

I dropped my Ranger in Mashpee-Wakeby Tuesday afternoon. It was a mixed trip. I landed a 1 pound white perch and hooked onto two good SMB and a third ????.

 

The YP bit an American Shad LV500, SMB #1 took a green pumpkin/red flake jig, and SMB #2 hammered a Jackall Rerange 110 in 5’ of water. My mystery fish grabbed a dark/light green tube as soon as it landed under a dock. 

Unfortunately I left my good hooksets at home and the three good fish got off.

 

Shortly after losing my ???? Fish, the skies opened up with a bit of lightning. I parked on a beach until it passed and beat feet with dark skies coming towards me.

 

I marked a few bait balls suspended in 15-20’ but couldn’t pull anything out of them.

 

Water temps were 77.x - 79.x and air pressure was 29.9.

[MassYak85]

Got out for the first time in a while for the afternoon. Got 3 small guys on a dropshot and some good whacks on a spinnerbait including a 4lber. 5 fish in total and lost another. As much as I usually fish a spinnerbait I've definitely learned a lot this year about fishing them. 4lber smoked it on the fall, a bit tricky to feel that bite sometimes especially with the wind bit setting the hook on the slack line is always fun.

[JQ-92]

To fish massapoag in Sharon are non-residents allowed to purchase a boating sticker to launch? 

[DogBone_384]

11 hours ago, JQ-92 said:

To fish massapoag in Sharon are non-residents allowed to purchase a boating sticker to launch? 

Here’s the town website:

 

https://ecode360.com/29563873#:~:text=No person shall operate any,feet of the shore or

 

Good luck.

[bass.slayer69]

Been getting the summer doldrums for bass so decided to try for carp in the Charles. No luck the past couple of days so just wanted to see if anyone had any tips - just using corn on a small hook with a 3 ounce weight. Spots, rigs, baits, whatever it is, just looking for some help. Thanks

[Mr. Aquarium]

3 hours ago, bass.slayer69 said:

Been getting the summer doldrums for bass so decided to try for carp in the Charles. No luck the past couple of days so just wanted to see if anyone had any tips - just using corn on a small hook with a 3 ounce weight. Spots, rigs, baits, whatever it is, just looking for some help. Thanks

Go saltwater!!! 

[bass.slayer69]

2 hours ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

Go saltwater!!! 

I wish man. No longer a 2 min drive from the ocean, now 45

Gonna try and get out this weekend though

[Mr. Aquarium]

10 hours ago, bass.slayer69 said:

I wish man. No longer a 2 min drive from the ocean, now 45

Gonna try and get out this weekend though

45 ain’t bad. I drove 1hr 45 to Ri for saltwater fishin. 
 

I had stripers jumping out behind my house at sunrise this morning when I was getting ready for work! 

[MassBass]

22 hours ago, bass.slayer69 said:

Been getting the summer doldrums for bass so decided to try for carp in the Charles. No luck the past couple of days so just wanted to see if anyone had any tips - just using corn on a small hook with a 3 ounce weight. Spots, rigs, baits, whatever it is, just looking for some help. Thanks

Find current and make a chum slick. Once you can either find or attract the carp, think about using a hair rig. If a carp feels the hook, it will spit it and move on. Not that the carp knows its a hook, but it just feels inedible. With the hair rig, the carp takes the bait into the throat without feeling the hook, usually. It can turn bite and spits into strong takes. 

[DogBone_384]

Took another ride to Mashpee- Wakeby yesterday, launching around 1:00 pm.  I threw a jig, Ned, wacky Senko, Rage Menace, V110+1 (and Jr.), various drop shot baits, and a couple LV500's over 5 hours in 5' to 30+' with nothing more than a few 'pecks' from panfish.  I covered a LOT of water, was tired and frustrated but made a 9th inning hail-mary across from the launch in some grass with a Munky Butt Whopper Plopper 75.  

 

I'm glad I did. I beat the skunk with a 1-4 SMB and had good sized follower.  A few minutes later a 4-15 swallowed the WP and made it to the boat.  A new PB SMB by 4 ounces and just 1 ounce short of 5 pounds.  

 

It seems like reaction baits are the only ones that worked for me this Summer with the exception of a private pond @Fishing Rhino and I fish at. 

 

The nights are cooling quickly.  I'll be on the Cape for a couple days next week, hopefully my good luck continues.

 

Best of luck to everyone getting out this month.  It's gonna be a good one.

[Mr. Aquarium]

It was a good weekend. Pike fishing Sunday. Slow bite. Got one on my new DS gill glide. First fish. Had 2 other big whacks. 
Monday. Woke up to stripers blitzing off my dock. Grabbed 3 off the dock, then 3 more on the kayak 

[DogBone_384]

I dropped into Massapoag this afternoon to get my sidescan transducer working on my kayak (A Lowrance story for another thread).  Got it squared away and fished for a while.  Got two SMB, two good picks, and one LMB.  My big SMB ate a green pumpkin/red Rage Tail Structure bug and the little guy tried eating a T1000 Whopper Plopper 110 that was almost his size.  The two picks and LMB also chomped the Whopper Plopper. 

 

The coolest part of the trip was how I caught Larry.  I 'skipped' the Whopper Plopper under a dock just for fun and as soon as the WP cleared the dock ... PPOOOFF ... down it went.  Shame on me, however, I let up just a little when Larry got to the kayak and he self-extricated.  It was a good fish, 2 1/2 - 3 pounds.  It bounced off the kayak's hull, so I'm counting it.  

 

My big smallie was 1-15, and had a FAT belly on it.  Water temps were 74.x where last week they were hovering around 79.x.  

 

I'm on Cape Cod the next couple days but haven't decided on my Ranger/kayak/both.  That'll be a game-time decision.  Winds on the Cape are supposed to be 20+ mph on Friday.... 

[1984isNOW]

Hey all, I've been on this forum for years - just never set up an account. I'm new to the North Shore area in MA - grew up in South Shore. Anybody know any good spots with either numbers or size North of Boston, or even into southern NH? Thanks

[DogBone_384]

Firstly, welcome to the forum @PUTitinYOURmouthFISH.  I'm a south shore/Cape Cod guy, I don't fish north of the Neponset Bridge, sorry.

 

Secondly, I took the kayak to Cape Cod late last week and had mixed results.  I did well at Stetson Pond, Hedges Pond, and Lovers Lake.  Didn't do well at Snake, Hinckleys, or Sheep.  Deep waters with little structure are my kryptonite, which Snake and Sheep are.  Hinckley's was a short 'hail mary' trip in attempt to salvage my time at Snake Pond.

 

Treble hooks produced better fish than soft baits, specifically, jerkbaits and pencil topwaters.  I had a few fish around 2 1/2 - 3 pounds, but most were +/- a pound.  All but a couple fish had good bellies on them.  I also hooked onto a BIG snapping turtle ... a first for me.  I freed the big dude by holding him at an arm's length with my paddle and getting the lure with my pliers.  Boy he was ticked!

 

Water temps ranged from 74.x to 75.x.  Winds were pretty light, overall, and air pressure started @ 29.9 on Thursday and ended at 30.1 on Saturday morning.

 

I'd say the fall blitz is starting.  Good luck to y'all getting out there!

[Don51]

Those water temps are still a little high for the fall frenzy. A few consecutive nights in the 50's should get them going. It's coming! Wish I could be there for it! ?

[Mr. Aquarium]

Been wanting a tuna forever. So many heart breaks. Spooled, bent swivel, broke off, pulled hook, etc. Finally got my tuna. 
 

Got this fish early in the trip. Got it jigging on the spinning rod. My fish went 51 inches 60lbs. My buddy mark got one shortly after. About the same size. We released that fish! 
 

I ate the whole heart! 
 

[DogBone_384]

CONGRATULATIONS! to @Mr. Aquarium for an unbelievable fish!

 

I took kermit to Ponkapoag last night, along with a creature bait, a Rapala Skitterwalk, and Senko.   I got NO love from any baits.

 

Ponkie was as low as I've ever seen it.  My Lowrance reported 3.9' where I usually see 6' to 7'.  

 

Water temps were 75.x and the rain had just moved out.  

 

I woke up early and went to one of my favorite ponds in Plymouth in hopes of some good SMB.  Launched with the sun and stayed until 10:00, throwing a mix of jig, tube, topwaters, crankbaits, and finesse plastics.  No interest from SMB/LMB, but six white perch, all a pound or more, made it to the kayak.  Water temps were 74.x, it was nearly bluebird.  Winds were light at dawn and picked up to 12-15 mph by the time I left.  Air pressure was 29.7 last night and 29.8 this morning.

 

I'm not sure where the bass went my last four trips, but I'll find them.

[DogBone_384]

Fished with @Fishing Rhino at his home pond this afternoon.  They were chewin', big time.  With baitfish blowing up around Lilly pads, I decided on topwater, which was the right choice. 

 

I ended up with 6 LMB, 6 picks, and 3 bright Crappie.  Two LMB were over 3 pounds, three others north of 2.  Had a few picks 'self-extract' which is fine by me.  I swapped between a T1000 Whopper Plopper, bluegill Rapala Skitterwalk, and another unknown pencil bait.  One crappie took a bluegill Rapala lipless I had dangling off the canoe's side while unhooking a pickerel.  One of my bigger pickerel and bass took a brown/tan Biospawn creature out of some lilly pads.  

 

@Fishing Rhino did pretty well.  He stuck with his regular rotation of soft plastics.  

 

It was cloudy and almost calm most of the afternoon, with a front OTW.  Air pressure was 29.9 and falling.