Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[FinCulture]

Caught myself a little trout today! First time ever I eat a freshwater fish from mass!

nice! rainbow?

[JazzPipes]

nice! rainbow?

Yes! 16 inches! On a crankbait.

[JazzPipes]

Just came back from the Jamaica Pond. I had a lazy saturday so I decided to go fishing. I got there pretty late, around noon. Four hours after my first cast I still could not get a bite. A guy coming out of a boat told me to try and drop shot. I had never tried that so, I decided, what the heck!

 

First cast I landed and 2 pounder and second cast a 1.5

 

I tell you this, it was funny as hell! hahaha

 

after that, no more bites! came home and now Im probably going to the movies.

[DogBone_384]

Took my friend's son who's winning his fight against leukemia to Ponkapog pond yesterday.  He managed two pretty good pickerels on his new 'popper'.  I caught weeds.

 

Vowed to get back there ALL DAY today because of the spectacular forecast.  Didn't get there until 11:30 and after two and a half hours of nothing more than a small pickerel, I packed it in.  I believe I had similar luck the last couple 'blue bird' days I fished there, though I managed one or two decent bass on those days.  My Lowrance showed surface temps in the low 60's.

 

Being a holiday Ponkie was very crowded.  There were five other 'yak fishermen there, the most I've ever seen there.  Two I spoke to caught only one bass each and a third reported he caught 4.

 

I have Tues-Thurs off.  I'm debating whether or not to give it another go or pack it in for the season and try for Trout.  

[DogBone_384]

I gave Ponkie another go this morning, regardless of the weather.  Got there around 9:00, put my rain gear on and away I paddled.  Caught two pickerel straight away on a red/red flake 4" Senko.  

 

I played with a new bass flavored Yozuri popper without anymore than a few pecks from bluegill.  I also threw 4"smoke/flake,  5" watermelon w/red & green flake Senkos, and a black with bronze spinner bait without success.  I worked the north & north west areas for the first time.  It didn't look much different from the eastern part I've had good luck in: between 5 & 6' with many patches of hydrilla.

 

I tried a brown/orange football jig but gave up after just a couple of casts becuse it just didn't travel through the weeds at all.

 

Surface temps were right around 60 - 61 and the weather went from pouring rain to partly sunny in an hour.  

 

I don't know where the bass were, or what I was doing wrong today, but 2 pickerel is better than a goose egg.

[JazzPipes]

I went with my buddy to Jamaica pond this morning. No bass, but I caught a big brown trout on a jerkbait! Just ate it! Some Rosemary, salt and pepper!

[DogBone_384]

Switched it up today by driving down to Jacob's Pond in Norwell.  It's a shallow pond about half the size of Ponkapog with a really nice car-top ramp.  The surface water temp was about 60 degrees.  I started on the Western side, working a mouse in and along the lily pads and weeds, nothing.  Switched off between a yellow perch Rapala and a Mepps spinner as I worked across the pond.  I snagged a GIANT 8" pickerel.  

 

After a while without so much as a sniff, I packed it up and headed to Wampatuck State Park.  They were closing the camping area and getting a key for the boat ramp was an issue, so I stopped by Whitman's Pond in Weymouth where I got nothing with my mouse, craw flavored jig, Senko, and Zoom t-rigged worm.  Water temps here were 62-ish.

 

I've never had great luck at either pond, so no foul.  With the water temps being where they are, I'd have to say bass season is pretty well done...  I have tomorrow off, so I might give it one last go before I get back to my 2nd job and start fishing for trout...

[DogBone_384]

I gave it one last go... and boy it went...

 

I launched at Long Pond in Plymouth at sunrise.  It's supposed to be a great place for MA smallies, so optimistically I packed a couple of MH baitcasters and my trusty *** M/F worm rod, hoping for some type of bass to close out the season.  After a lot of practice with a brown/craw colored jig, perch flavored lipless, and my trusty Zoom T-rig, I packed it in around 11:00.  Surface temps were in the low 60s.

 

I couldn't take looking at the other guys there (fishing for trout) almost watching the trout jump in their boats/kayaks any longer.  The couple guys from shore were catching them too, seemingly on every other cast.

 

I luckily had time off to fish Monday through today, but with not more than three pickerel to show for it, I believe it's time to hang up the baitcasters for the season and grab the light spinning tackle and wade for trout.  

 

I can say, though I still only catch one or two bass per outing, I managed one just under 4 pounds @ Ponkapog which makes this season a reasonable success for me.  

 

Next year I'm going to work on catching a bass or two on jigs, which I've never done before.

 

Perhaps it's time to enlist the help of a couple of you 'experts' next Spring to see if I can close the disconnect I have getting fish into my kayak... would be fun, because I'm getting bored of fishing alone all the time.

 

Tight lines everyone!

[Cyacnba]

I went to Jamaica Pond and Wards Pond on Tuesday after the rain. At Wards, I caught a pretty big bass on a black&blue jig with Rage Tail Crawfish trailer, but that was it. So I moved to JP to the boathouse with the same jig. After like 5', I had a subtle bite, and when I set the hook, I felt some really heavy weight. As I kept reeling in, I saw a huge bass managing to unhook itself from the jig... I thought that it was over, but I threw the line on the opposite side. Small bites again and set the hook! Again, something heavy on the line. This bass kept pulling line, forcing me to put my rod in the water since it kept going under the dock. After a few minutes, I managed to take it out. Not sure how much these two bass weighed, but I would say at least 3.5lbs for sure.

I went to these two ponds yesterday and caught nothing... oh besides a frog on the top water mouse LOL

[Cyacnba]

I forgot to mention that my buddy caught a huge brown trout on a jerkbait yesterday lol. That was an intense fight!

[JazzPipes]

I forgot to mention that my buddy caught a huge brown trout on a jerkbait yesterday lol. That was an intense fight!

and it tasted delicious! 

[Mike2841]

Went to wachusett, got skunked. On the way home it was snowing!!!!!!!!!

[DogBone_384]

Looks like it's time to break out the light tackle.....

 

Though I might bring my new Zillion along to practice with.

[grampa1114]

If you are ever in Charleston SC come and buy me a drink. Enjoy winter.

Grampa

[carlm01]

LOL Lived in Goose creek for a few of my navy years fished moultrie and santee cooper .........

[Janderson45]

Gonna go hunt for some smallies or pike tomorrow, haven't decided which but the forecast looks good! Highs in the 60s with chance of light rain showers and very little wind. I'll report back with where I end up and how it goes...

[JG233]

I got out with a friend last week for one last trip. This wasn't the biggest I caught this year, but it was the last, and largest fish of the day. 

Caught it on a wacky rigged Senko:

 

[Cyacnba]

Went to the Charles River yesterday. Landed 5 bass all over 2lbs for sure. I lost another 4. I used a black&blue jig with a crawfish trailer.

[DogBone_384]

Gonna go hunt for some smallies or pike tomorrow, haven't decided which but the forecast looks good! Highs in the 60s with chance of light rain showers and very little wind. I'll report back with where I end up and how it goes...

Where do you hunt for smallies, South, or West?  I might get out for one more go before hunting season....

[DogBone_384]

Got early relief today and had an hour or so to kill so I popped over to BHR to see if there was any life left there.  I tossed a black/blue chatterbait, lifting/dropping it, dragging/hopping slowly, and steady retrieve.  I didn't catch anything, but a bass 'tasted' as I reeled it back slowly, only 10' or so from shore.  It was already dusk, so I didn't see much more than a flash after it grabbed (lightly) the chatterbait.

[DogBone_384]

Gave Ponkapog one last shot (I shouldn't say that quite yet....  ) today.  I got out of work at 8:15, and with a forecast in the 70's, what else am I going to do?  

 

I started with a jig, which was a bad idea.  Ponkapog is too weedy.  I switched to a small Heddon torpedo and quickly caught a pickerel, about 12" long.

 

Changed the torpedo to a 4" watermelon/copper/orange/red Senko.  Ponkapog pickerel like odd colored Senkos because I caught two more pickerel: one good one, about two pounds, and a PB that was north of 3 pounds easily (no scale today, I packed light).  I've caught pickerel on pearl/flake and red/flake Senkos here too.

 

No bass today, but I'll take 3 pickerel and 70 degrees just two days before Halloween...

 

Surface temps hovered between 55-57 degrees.

 

I might head down to Long Pond, or Little Pond in the morning, weather/schedule permitting.  Long Pond reportedly has good smallies, and I know both ponds were stocked with trout.

[Fishing Rhino]

God bless you guys for extending the fishing season.  I'm most likely done for the year.  I've fished into January and caught bass.  One year I had set a goal to catch a bass in every month of the year, and caught three bass on the last day of December.  The problem for me was that the bass were lethargic.  They'd try to jump and could barely get their noses out of the water. 

 

The fight was more like a tug-of-war with an inner tube.  I went out on New Year's day and fished for about an hour before packing it in for the season.  To me, it's just not fun to drag a lethargic fish to the boat.

 

Now, the wife and I are cleaning up the gardens, cutting down the perennials and waging war with the falling leaves.  After leaf season ends, it's into the house to tackle some projects that have been on the back burner during fishing season.  After the holidays, more inside projects, then it's off to Daytona in the middle of February for speed weeks.  After that, it's back to the house, attacking what remains on the to do list and transitioning into the 2016 fishing season.

[DogBone_384]

Too bad if you're done for the year, Tom.  I told myself two weeks ago I was done, but when the wife and daughter at work & school, I figure I've got nothing to lose.

 

I went to Little Pond in Plymouth this morning after my daughter went to school.  It's a decent bass pond and is stocked with trout by the state so I figured I'd get something.

 

I Spent 4 hours fishing a brownish/craw jig and a 4" Senko, covering the spots I've caught bass at, with nothing more than a nibble on the Senko from little Bluegill by the Northern shore's grass.  Heck, I tried a Mepps spinner and struck out with it too.  Surface temperature was 57-58 from 8:00 - 12:00.

 

Admittedly, I've only fished a jig a couple times prior to today, so I no expectations there, but nothing from a Senko surprised me.  There was one other kayaker on the water with me, and 8 - 10 shorebound fishermen.  Nobody looked to be catching much today.

 

Will I get out again?  Perhaps once or twice.  I'm going pack for trout more than bass, but I keep a M/F baitcaster in my truck... just in case.  

 

I work two jobs, so it's up to my schedule and the weather.  And if I'm done for the year, just means reading lots of Bassresource.com to get through the winter so I can figure out how to get a PB for '16.

[Justin K.]

Went to the Charles River yesterday. Landed 5 bass all over 2lbs for sure. I lost another 4. I used a black&blue jig with a crawfish trailer.

Whereabout on the Charles did you catch these? I'm headed back home to Boston this week and will be trying my luck anywhere I can around the city.

[Fishing Rhino]

Too bad if you're done for the year, Tom.  I told myself two weeks ago I was done, but when the wife and daughter at work & school, I figure I've got nothing to lose.

 

I went to Little Pond in Plymouth this morning after my daughter went to school.  It's a decent bass pond and is stocked with trout by the state so I figured I'd get something.

 

I Spent 4 hours fishing a brownish/craw jig and a 4" Senko, covering the spots I've caught bass at, with nothing more than a nibble on the Senko from little Bluegill by the Northern shore's grass.  Heck, I tried a Mepps spinner and struck out with it too.  Surface temperature was 57-58 from 8:00 - 12:00.

 

Admittedly, I've only fished a jig a couple times prior to today, so I no expectations there, but nothing from a Senko surprised me.  There was one other kayaker on the water with me, and 8 - 10 shorebound fishermen.  Nobody looked to be catching much today.

 

Will I get out again?  Perhaps once or twice.  I'm going pack for trout more than bass, but I keep a M/F baitcaster in my truck... just in case.  

 

I work two jobs, so it's up to my schedule and the weather.  And if I'm done for the year, just means reading lots of Bassresource.com to get through the winter so I can figure out how to get a PB for '16.

 

I can remember the days of my youth, when I could not get out as often as I'd have liked.  That was back when Massachusetts fishing season opened on the third Saturday in April.  Don't hold me to that third Saturday in April.  It may have been the second or the fourth Saturday.  Been a long time.

 

I couldn't sleep a wink for a week or two before the season opened.  Those were the days when "I wished my life away", wishing those two or three weeks prior to opening days could go by faster.  In the four years following our marriage in 1965, the wife and I lived in Holliston, MA, and one of my favorite haunts was Lake Winthrop in Holliston, and when I felt like taking a journey, I'd toss the jon boat on the roof of my car and drive to Lake Whitehall in Hopkinton. 

 

Somewhere along the line, after having lived on Cape Cod from '69 - '72, we moved back to our home town of Westport.  After a short stint of making grandmother and grandfather clocks as well as school clocks and mantle clocks for a company on Cape Cod in Osterville, I became a commercial lobsterman.  Did that for over twenty years, and when I quit that profession in '98 I did not care if I spent another minute on the water, fresh, or salt.

 

Been through the raising of two daughters, and pinching pennies so we did not get over our heads in debt. My wife is a thrifty Yankee, who is a much better money manager than I am.

 

In 2008 my wife thought it would be nice if we got a couple of kayaks, or a canoe to get some exercise as weather and time would permit.  That was when I resumed recreational fishing for freshwater bass, and any other fish that might take the bait.  Being semi retired at the time, and with a pond only minutes from our door, the fishing bug bit me.  Off to BPS and returned home with two spinning and one bait casting combo, and I was off to the fishing wars once again.  On the water at or before daylight, and fishing 'til mid afternoon, or later was enough to satisfy my fishing "fix". 

 

For a year, I fished out of the paddling canoe in my avatar.  In 2009 I got a square stern canoe and a trolling motor.  In 2010 I got a new Nitro Z7 and two years later traded it in on a new leftover Z8.  My wife had not yet retired, so I was on the water, either in the Nitro, or the canoe with the trolling motor, several days per week. I'd fish until the ponds iced over and resume as soon as the ice was gone.  Never interested in ice fishing.

 

When my wife retired from her day job, she became my "supervisor" wanting to get this or that done around the house and the yard.  I've always been handy with tools so we never had to hire an electrician, or a plumber, or a carpenter.  So, being able to satisfy the fishing bug when the weather was nice, and being able to get the household stuff done during the off season turned out to be an arrangement that satisfied both of us.

 

So now, I'm getting the household stuff out of the way.  Clean up the gardens, fight the wars with the falling leaves, replace the carpet in a room or two with pre-finished hardwood flooring, install a built in double wall oven, etc., keeps her happy enough so that in the fishing season, from late March, early April through October I can fish to my heart's content.  I take care of the lawn, and emergency.  When we visit our daughter who lives in GA in October or November, I may drag the Nitro along to get a few days of fishing in down there.  Come late April or early May, I've hauled my Nitro to the forum's Road Trips.  Since that has been a 1200 mile trip, one way, I've turned the road trip into a two week fishing expedition to Pickwick, KY Lake, Guntersville, Wilson Lake, all on the Tennessee Valley Authority waters of the Tennessee River.

 

At the end of those two weeks, I look forward to returning home, where the bite is usually heating up.  On all but one year, I've made the drive by myself, only stopping for food, fuel, and to answer nature's calls and a few naps along the way.  I know where all the best prices for gasoline are along the way, and how to avoid purchasing gasoline in states with high taxes on fuel, such as Pennsylvania.  A fill up, just before the state line into PA will allow me to get to Virginia before I need fuel.

 

And I know where every Cracker Barrel, and every BPS is along the way (Harrisburg, PA, Bristol, TN, Sieverville, TN, and Nashville, not to mention the BPS in Birmingham, Alabama.  And, there is always the Cabela's staring you in the face on I-78 west, in PA.

 

My heart's desire for all my fishing friends is that when you reach my stage of life, you are healthy enough, and have the means to live life on your terms.

 

It's a system that works well for my wife and me.