Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[Janderson45]

9 minutes ago, DogBone_384 said:

The Bluegill ans Sunnies were doing the same for me at Ponkie this afternoon, roughly 5:00 - 6:00 pm tonight.  Not a bite until dusk when I got my 4-3... 

I've seen similar situations before, it's frustrating sometimes as you're thinking that the bass HAVE to be feeding on those panfish.  I'm still trying to figure out what my go to presentation is for imitating a bluegill in shallow to mid depths with lots of weed cover.  I just ordered up some Lake Fork live Magic shads in a few different color schemes.. The boot tail ones and the fluke style split tail ones.  All in 4.5", also restocked a few  different swimbaits hooks to toss them on.  I've had good luck with them in the past, but haven't fished them at all this year.  I'll give them a shot and report back on how I do.  

[Torn Thumb]

On 9/3/2016 at 10:27 PM, Janderson45 said:

 

Anyone have any fool proof advice on how to catch a good northern pike in mass at the end of summer/into fall?  I gravitate towards the few areas they exist in the state with the hopes of catching one, but still haven't managed to do so. 

Silver or gold spoons. Think brass colored. They're huge out here but I've only managed a couple small ones. I don't often try for them on purpose though either.

[Fishing Rhino]

Went on Sawdy yesterday.  It will be the last time until we get enough rain to raise the water level.  I barely made it back to the ramp.

Anyway, I had gotten a couple of Whopper Stoppers or Floppers or whatever and I got a chance to try 'em out.  Caught four fish, all small, but it was action.  It caught both small and largemouth.  Caught several more on an assortment of wacky, fat albert, Rage Tail Craws and menaces.

I came to a conclusion that we try various baits when nothing seems to be working.  The best time to try various baits is when the fish are actively going after what we throw at them.  If they aren't hitting much of anything, we aren't learning much of anything.

So for the time being, with Sawdy out of commission I'll be consigned to the Nitro.  Tomorrow it's off to a small pond on the Cape.  Maybe another if the first disappoints.

[Janderson45]

I'll be fishing the Quabbin again with one of my buddies on Monday.  Looks like temps in the mid 70s, sunny, and very little to no wind.  Should I expect them to be holding in similar spots as to last time I fished there under similar conditions?  Region hasn't received anywhere near enough rain to make a dent and the water is just starting to cool off.. I was last there 3 weeks ago. 

[DogBone_384]

Yesterday was my last vacation day so off with the kayaks I went.  I drove to Plymouth and dropped into Little South Pond for the first time.  It's a nice little kettle and reminds me of Little Pond, just not as deep, 16' at its deepest.  I spent three hours casting a drop shot, wacky rigged Senko, jointed shad rap, and my trusty U-Tail.  Hooked onto a nice fish with the wacky in 15' near the middle.  I saw a brown flash so I figured it was a Smallie, but when it came close to the boat it looked like a pickerel but brown on its top and spotted more than striped - a pike, perhaps?  Unfortunately it unhooked itself as I tried to net it.

I later took my wife's friend's son to Sunset Lake in Braintree.  Evan caught a Larry on his first cast, a 2-14 a few minutes later (his PB!), and a third, roughly a pound just minutes after his second one.  I caught a 1-8 and a little pickerel in the same time frame as Evan.  It was quiet for the rest of the evening. 

The last 48 hours was pretty quiet.  Perhaps it was one of those 'blue bird' periods after the rain.  

A great night - congrats to Evan - he was thrilled to catch a nearly three pound bass!

Edited September 11, 2016 by DogBone_384
I'm retarded.... don't know where I fish - DOH ?!?!?

[Janderson45]

12 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

Yesterday was my last vacation day so off with the kayaks I went.  I drove to Plymouth and dropped into Little Sandy Pond for the first time.  It's a nice little kettle and reminds me of Little Pond, just not as deep, 16' at its deepest.  I spent three hours casting a drop shot, wacky rigged Senko, jointed shad rap, and my trusty U-Tail.  Hooked onto a nice fish with the wacky in 15' near the middle.  I saw a brown flash so I figured it was a Smallie, but when it came close to the boat it looked like a pickerel but brown on its top and spotted more than striped - a pike, perhaps?  Unfortunately it unhooked itself as I tried to net it.

I later took my wife's friend's son to Sunset Lake in Braintree.  Evan caught a Larry on his first cast, a 2-14 a few minutes later (his PB!), and a third, roughly a pound just minutes after his second one.  I caught a 1-8 and a little pickerel in the same time frame as Evan.  It was quiet for the rest of the evening. 

The last 48 hours was pretty quiet.  Perhaps it was one of those 'blue bird' periods after the rain.  

A great night - congrats to Evan - he was thrilled to catch a nearly three pound bass!

I don't believe there are any Pike in Plymouth or little sandy pond.  I suppose it's possible but I would tend to think it was something else.  A nice brown trout perhaps?  They'd be brown to yellow or white in appearance, have a body shaped more similarly to a pickerel than a bass, and have spots all over their lower half.  They're commonly stocked in many of plymouth's ponds.  

[DogBone_384]

11 hours ago, Janderson45 said:

I don't believe there are any Pike in Plymouth or little sandy pond.  I suppose it's possible but I would tend to think it was something else.  A nice brown trout perhaps?  They'd be brown to yellow or white in appearance, have a body shaped more similarly to a pickerel than a bass, and have spots all over their lower half.  They're commonly stocked in many of plymouth's ponds.  

I got a good look at it. It looked like a pickerel but was brown on top, light on bottom and spotted more than striped.  It fought harder than trout I've caught.

Regardless, it was cool looking.

I fished Little South and not Little Sandy ----  How I get home some days ..... ?!?!?!?

Edited September 11, 2016 by DogBone_384
I'm retarded.... don't know where I fish - DOH ?!?!?

[Mr. Aquarium]

i fished little south before decent pond, some good fish but can be tough. as far as i know theres largemouth, smallies, pickerel, white and yellow perch and suckers. pike being stocked in there? doubt it but with people these days and bucket biologists anything is possible, same goes for brown trout!

[MassYak85]

I was under impression the state had halted the pike restocking programs in recent years? Most of the potential pike lakes around me seem to be places that were stocked in the 80's and may still have a few remaining from the ones that managed to establish a small spawning group. 

[Janderson45]

34 minutes ago, MassYak85 said:

I was under impression the state had halted the pike restocking programs in recent years? Most of the potential pike lakes around me seem to be places that were stocked in the 80's and may still have a few remaining from the ones that managed to establish a small spawning group. 

Nope, they definitely scaled back, but they stocked pike/tiger Muskie this year (2016) and in 2015 as well.  They get them in an exchange program from New Jersey in which our hatcheries trade landlocked salmon for tiger Muskie (hybrid half northern pike half muskellunge).  They stock "fingerlings" at around 12-14" in various locations around the state, I believe recent stockings in most locations were 500 fingerlings.  There have been various other pike or tiger Muskie stockings that have occurred in various locations in Massachusetts throughout the 2000's and even 2010's.  

[MassYak85]

Hmm, good to know. Does the state list the stocking locations/date on their site? I am not familiar with how long pike live but I'd guess the big ones you would want to target would be from the 2000's era stockings. 

[Janderson45]

1 hour ago, MassYak85 said:

Hmm, good to know. Does the state list the stocking locations/date on their site? I am not familiar with how long pike live but I'd guess the big ones you would want to target would be from the 2000's era stockings. 

here ya go:

http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/hunting-fishing-wildlife-watching/fishing/pike-stocking-sites.html

[JAB50]

There are still Tiger Muskie and Pike in Wequaqhet on cape cod. Still a bunch of holdovers there from the 80's-90's. I lost about a 10lber in there several years ago while fishing for bass. 10lb p-line Cx was no match. You usually catch them during the winter time while ice fishing. They tend to stay in all those little coves and points of the coves! Concord river in concord/Sudbury has them too. We usually catch them going into fair haven bay in October through Thanksgiving. Ive seen a 20lber pulled out of there by a friend and he has the picture to prove it. Spinnerbaits,blk&online jig n pig and jerkbaits.

[Mr. Aquarium]

i need to catch a pike soo friggin bad! 

[JAB50]

Connecticut river and Attitash also has good pike.

[MassYak85]

19 hours ago, Janderson45 said:

here ya go:

http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/hunting-fishing-wildlife-watching/fishing/pike-stocking-sites.html

Thanks, I do fish some of those places and have never caught one of either species. My dad did catch about a 30 inch pike out of Quinsig last year, but it was not in good shape. Poor thing barely pushed 2lbs and looked like a stick. I know some get taken out of flint in the winter though. 

[Janderson45]

 

I fished the quabbin yesterday with my buddy.  We did very nicely again.  Dropshots, tubes, Ned rigs, and a Strike King 6 series crank.  We had numerous doubles, boated probably 25 fish.  Lots of them in the 2-3lb range, with the lunker on the day a nice long fish at 21", but a bit on the skinny side.  She was 4.3 lbs and blind in one eye.  

 

[Mr. Aquarium]

nice fish dude! i love that place!! 

[Torn Thumb]

Come to Berkshire county if you want to catch massive pike. Western Massachusetts.

[Jigfishn10]

On ‎9‎/‎13‎/‎2016 at 9:10 PM, Janderson45 said:

 

I fished the quabbin yesterday with my buddy.  We did very nicely again.  Dropshots, tubes, Ned rigs, and a Strike King 6 series crank.  We had numerous doubles, boated probably 25 fish.  Lots of them in the 2-3lb range, with the lunker on the day a nice long fish at 21", but a bit on the skinny side.  She was 4.3 lbs and blind in one eye.  

Man, you're putting together a really nice year of fishing. Sweet memories for sure. I've been working like a donkey and haven't been able to fish near enough this year or last for that matter.

Keep up the good work and keep posting! I love seeing peeps catching and posting. Keeps the juices flowing for me.

Congrats!

[Janderson45]

Thanks jigfishn!  I've definitely spent a good deal of time on the water this season, and definitely had more success than any other season in my past.  I'm always looking to improve my fishing so someday when I'm older and wiser I might actually get "good" at this sport ;).  I owe a lot of my recent success to the community here at BassResource,  being on these forums frequently and reading/applying advice and tactics that all of you guys contributing to this thread share, as well as other members who post in separate sections has helped me out a lot. Hopefully you can get out on the water a bit more this fall, I know I'll be out there trying to soak up every last drop in my free time before winter hits.  

 

[Mr. Aquarium]

On 9/15/2016 at 1:58 AM, Torn Thumb said:

Come to Berkshire county if you want to catch massive pike. Western Massachusetts.

I WILL BE OUT THERE SOON!!! I NEED A PIKE SOOOOOOOOOO BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[DogBone_384]

Fishing Rhino and I are planning on fishing the Quabbin next Tuesday.  Gonna be good!

Got home a little late to pack up the kayak and head out somewhere so I beat Blue Hills Reservoir for a little bit. It was suprisingly slow, being just after a full moon, with little fish nipping at my Rage Tail & 4" wacky Senko and nary anything else.  I got two little dinks to shore. They were cute, could use them as bait .  Even though it was slow, it's better to see a lot of little fish @ BHR, which means bigger fish in years to come.

Edited September 17, 2016 by DogBone_384
Had time, went fishing...

[Janderson45]

Good luck Dogbone!  Think I'll be heading back soon as well.. I'm in a smallmouth tournament on social media, which is why that fish has a ruler and wooden puck with it in the picture.  Haven't been catching quality smallmouth anywhere else in the state other than the Quabbin! 

[Torn Thumb]

5 hours ago, swamp hawgs said:

I WILL BE OUT THERE SOON!!! I NEED A PIKE SOOOOOOOOOO BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Pontoosuc lake (state record muskie) and onota lake are your two best options for pike.