Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[DogBone_384]

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[kroberts9]

Rockingham County nh still iced over but I'm dying to get out there.

[MassYak85]

I'm hoping the single digit temps don't lock up all the places near me, I might still try and get out sunday if possible. I got a hudd gill from TW I'll be wanting to try out. 

[Janderson45]

16 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

 

Go get 'em Derek!  We're planning a group trip out to Quabbin as close to opening day as possible.  Wish you were still here to join us.

 

Enjoy the 80 degree weather!

 

I spoke to a guy working the perimeter of Hedges the other day who said he got 7 smallies with a gold spinner while there, one being 3 pounds.  You can work the entire pond with waders.  It's a kettle, so hitting 8-10' depths is doable from shore.  

 

I found two humps within shore casting range, one on the south side before the inlet and another by the west side.

 

I've got a bad feeling that this extreme cold front coming through will shut the bite off there on you, but even if it does it'll be back soon!  I'll probably make some casts from shore somewhere around here just because I've got a boat load of new gear I want to get wet..  I'll be throwing some suspending jerks, flat sided cranks and maybe a wacky rig or ned rig if I'm really trying to get bit. 

 

I fish the Quabbin opener every year with a bunch of guys... it's pretty nuts actually.  I fish from a friends boat, and he gets up there a few DAYS early to drop his boat off at the gate and reserve a spot near the front of the line... people renting boats typically sleep over night in their cars while waiting in line for the gates to open on opening day. For what it's worth this is for gate 8 (Fishing Area 1) which is the colder deeper side where more people target lake trout and salmon, I've never been to the other two boat launch areas for opening day. Official Quabbin opener for 2017 hadn't been posted last I looked, but I'll check it out again.  Unfortunately for me I'm really going to be restricted to mainly weekends since I got a new job this winter.. but for anyone that has availability during the week that's the best time to hit the Q- especially early in the season... rental boats go quick on spring weekends. 

[Mr. Aquarium]

6 hours ago, Janderson45 said:

 

I've got a bad feeling that this extreme cold front coming through will shut the bite off there on you, but even if it does it'll be back soon!  I'll probably make some casts from shore somewhere around here just because I've got a boat load of new gear I want to get wet..  I'll be throwing some suspending jerks, flat sided cranks and maybe a wacky rig or ned rig if I'm really trying to get bit. 

 

I fish the Quabbin opener every year with a bunch of guys... it's pretty nuts actually.  I fish from a friends boat, and he gets up there a few DAYS early to drop his boat off at the gate and reserve a spot near the front of the line... people renting boats typically sleep over night in their cars while waiting in line for the gates to open on opening day. For what it's worth this is for gate 8 (Fishing Area 1) which is the colder deeper side where more people target lake trout and salmon, I've never been to the other two boat launch areas for opening day. Official Quabbin opener for 2017 hadn't been posted last I looked, but I'll check it out again.  Unfortunately for me I'm really going to be restricted to mainly weekends since I got a new job this winter.. but for anyone that has availability during the week that's the best time to hit the Q- especially early in the season... rental boats go quick on spring weekends. 

when i do trips to the Q i always sleep in my car the night before. unfortunately  its usauly on saturday and i only get 2 hours of sleep due to work. call me crazy but i love it!!!!! cant wait to  it again this year!  i forsure will be up at the chu opening day probablly the night before

[CTBassin860]

You guys know any good mom and pop shops out here in the good old eastern part of the state? Need a good alternative out side BPS etc.I don't always feel like spending 50 to get free shipping either.Thanks in advance

[MassYak85]

6 hours ago, MassBassin508 said:

You guys know any good mom and pop shops out here in the good old eastern part of the state? Need a good alternative out side BPS etc.I don't always feel like spending 50 to get free shipping either.Thanks in advance

I'd like to know too, I have a couple pretty close to me but their selection isn't great. I usually just use them when I need bait. 

[CTBassin860]

I have a small one too.Its all live bait and a few bags of power worms

[je1946]

7 hours ago, MassBassin508 said:

You guys know any good mom and pop shops out here in the good old eastern part of the state? Need a good alternative out side BPS etc.I don't always feel like spending 50 to get free shipping either.Thanks in advance

Where you located?

 

[kroberts9]

7 hours ago, MassBassin508 said:

You guys know any good mom and pop shops out here in the good old eastern part of the state? Need a good alternative out side BPS etc.I don't always feel like spending 50 to get free shipping either.Thanks in advance

just up 93 in Hooksett nh is a bass pro also Foxborough mass Has a bass pro 

I think billerica still has a small bass shop near the center

[MassYak85]

Well with the bitterly cold weather this weekend I figured I'd at least do something productive related to fishing. Made a kayak light pole out of some PVC and a diving flashlight with a defuser I got online. I added a small metal eyelet in case I want to add a flag to it as well for daytime use. I'm pretty happy with it, should work well. Apparently the flashlight is rated waterproof down to 100 feet so I wn't have to worry about it crapping out on me in the rain. Still not 100% sure how I'm going to attach it. I have flush mounted rod holders and I might just jam a pool noodle into them to fill the gap between the PVC and the rod holder diameter. Also made a stakeout pole a couple weeks ago.

[DogBone_384]

Excellent. Wednesday looks like a good day to test it.

[MassYak85]

40 minutes ago, DogBone_384 said:

Excellent. Wednesday looks like a good day to test it.

If I didn't have classes until 2 and a possible interview maybe  

 

I have next week off I'm hoping there will be at least a few days in the high 40's or low 50's that I can get out. 

[CTBassin860]

I'm in Franklin so BPS in Foxboro is 10 minutes from my house.Was hoping to find a smaller place to check out.

I've been there twice today

[kroberts9]

it is dangerous being so close to one, I'm in raymond nh like 25 min from the Hooksett one.I think I could put myself in serious debt if my wife allowed it. the one thing about the smaller shops the mark up can be huge for the same products if BPS is close just stick with them

[Mr. Aquarium]

Mgc in Hanover has a great selection of swimbaits jigs plastics frogs spinner baits! Awesome small shop! Lots of saltwater gear to! But the freshwater gear is what I go for! Not many like this around 

[Phil_NH]

18 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

Well with the bitterly cold weather this weekend I figured I'd at least do something productive related to fishing. Made a kayak light pole out of some PVC and a diving flashlight with a defuser I got online. I added a small metal eyelet in case I want to add a flag to it as well for daytime use. I'm pretty happy with it, should work well. Apparently the flashlight is rated waterproof down to 100 feet so I wn't have to worry about it crapping out on me in the rain. Still not 100% sure how I'm going to attach it. I have flush mounted rod holders and I might just jam a pool noodle into them to fill the gap between the PVC and the rod holder diameter. Also made a stakeout pole a couple weeks ago.

Thought maybe Sunday was going to be doable, but that wind. I'm working on some more mods for my kayak too. Last year was the anchor trolley and stake out pole. This year I put on a fish finder and I think I'm gonna work on some lighting too. Gotta pass the time right?

[Deeare]

For those a little north of Boston, Arlington bait and tackle is a great shop with great prices.   Rod is a class act.   Great selection of non lead jig heads and jigs which is hard to find.  

[Deeare]

On March 3, 2017 at 4:34 PM, swamp hawgs said:

when i do trips to the Q i always sleep in my car the night before. unfortunately  its usauly on saturday and i only get 2 hours of sleep due to work. call me crazy but i love it!!!!! cant wait to  it again this year!  i forsure will be up at the chu opening day probablly the night before

I can't wait for the chu to open.   Had a great opening day last year.   Already planning on what gate to fish but it's going to be an area that's tough to access.  Id like to hit the rook but I doubt my 2 fishing partners are up for that trek in the dark.    Gate 8?  Bull rock?  Decisions decisions. 

[MassYak85]

2 hours ago, Phil_NH said:

Thought maybe Sunday was going to be doable, but that wind. I'm working on some more mods for my kayak too. Last year was the anchor trolley and stake out pole. This year I put on a fish finder and I think I'm gonna work on some lighting too. Gotta pass the time right?

I've toyed with the idea of a fish finder as well but haven't done it yet. How did you do your transducer, is it a through-haul? 

 

Speaking of passing the time, I went to Bass Pro today to check out the sale. I didn't go crazy but I did find some nice deals I couldn't pass up. I've been looking for a new kayak net for a while and they had these guys marked down to 10 bucks from 17. They were too long for my liking as a kayak net so when I got home I sawed off a couple feet from the handle and put the grip back on (picture is after I modified it). They also had some Zoom plastics marked down 25% so I thought I'd try some chunks for my new jigs. They had some scatter raps down about 25% as well so I grabbed one. 

 

And get this, Seaguar Smackdown Braid....marked down almost 70% OFF. They had 10, 15, and 20lb 150yd spools for just 12.88. The higher strengths had been picked clean but I figured I'd stock up on some 15 to use on my spinning reels. I've never tried it before but I've great things about it, and for that price I couldn't say no. 

 

 

[Fishing Rhino]

On 2/21/2017 at 2:41 PM, DogBone_384 said:

Where's Fishing Rhino?

 

Hey Tom, what's Sawdy look like?

 Just got back today, from Daytona and then our daughter's home in GA.  Went by the access pond to Sawdy and it was iced over.

 

Took a swing by Stafford Pond just up the road and the main pond was free of ice.  Suspect the same would be true of Sawdy, but access to the main pond would be a problem.  I'll take a look at Sawdy and Devol tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

 

 

[Fishing Rhino]

On 2/27/2017 at 8:52 AM, swamp hawgs said:

went out in the wind yesterday! the motor died across the lake so we had to paddle back in the wind to the launch  so i could run home and grab another. fished all day only one HUGE pickerel. it was my PB pickerel 

i need one!! 

Try letting out more line.  It might do the job.  If there is not enough "scope" in the line it will prevent the anchor from digging into the bottom.  Too short, and the boat is lifting, rather than dragging the anchor.  Or exerting too much lifting force on the anchor.  The longer the line, the less the boat will exert "lift" on the anchor.

[Fishing Rhino]

On 3/4/2017 at 5:01 PM, MassYak85 said:

I'd like to know too, I have a couple pretty close to me but their selection isn't great. I usually just use them when I need bait. 

I've never been there, but I've heard good things about this place.

 

Bob's Bait and Tackle and Hobby Shop

235 Whittenton St. Taunton, MA 02780

(508) 967-7095

 

Oops, just noticed this might be a jaunt for you.  But, it might help some from this neck of the woods.

 

My head is still numb from the drive home.  My wife and I left Decatur (southeast of Atlanta) at 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning.  Got home just after midnight this morning, a nearly 1200 mile drive.

 

I had to do all the night driving.  My wife has cataracts which seriously impair night vision.  Surgery to correct the problem is not far away.

[DogBone_384]

Thanks Tom. Hope you had a great holiday. I'm not working Tues & Wed this week (as yet) and have already had some success with Smallies in Plymouth.

 

Big question is: Did you tow your boat down and get some southern bass?

 

Fishing season is here and will only get better.

3 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

I've toyed with the idea of a fish finder as well but haven't done it yet. How did you do your transducer, is it a through-haul

 

I used a scupper hole mount for my Lure 11.5's transducer and customized my Ascend 128T with a plumbing flange.  Both work great.

 

Here's how I installed it on my Ascend: 

 

[Mr. Aquarium]

18 hours ago, Deeare said:

I can't wait for the chu to open.   Had a great opening day last year.   Already planning on what gate to fish but it's going to be an area that's tough to access.  Id like to hit the rook but I doubt my 2 fishing partners are up for that trek in the dark.    Gate 8?  Bull rock?  Decisions decisions. 

i cant wait!!! ill be there! we usually fish the longer walk areas. caught a nice smallie and a laker last opening day. 
im going to switch up tactics this year and search out for the giant bass and lakers!  i have never fished bull rock, only been to the rook once! thats a haul!!!!  i dont know where to go yet. but as we get closer ill have my game plan 

CANT WAIT!!!! I hope it opens on time! im sure it will!