Northeast Angler? How Was (Is) Fishing Summer 2015

[JazzPipes]

Hey guys, 

 

I'm from Boston and I was wondering how has it been the fishing this summer for you guys that live here in the Northeast. Talking about numbers and size, compared to other summers and more important other seasons.

 

For me it has been super difficult. I'm trying many different approaches with minimum feedback. Me and my wife are hitting different lakes and pounds almost every weekend with the same results. Besides one that was a bluegill (small) fest even with bigger hooks.

 

I dont own a boat so, if you have been fishing from the bank/shore, I'm also super interested in knowing how productive this summer has been.

 

 

[FinCulture]

All my good catches have been from shore this year. I haven't had a great year, but I've gotten a 4.5, a 3.5, a couple threes, a bunch of 1s and 2s. I don't get to get out too much since I'm not driving. The key for me has been jigs (mostly swim jigs), as well as topwater (buzzbait and hollow body). if you're having trouble, try fishing finesse. Throw an unweighted senko or a finesse jig, maybe a small shakey head and just work 'em real slow. That should get you bites. Also, try to get out at dawn and dusk, especially because you're stuck on shore. I'm from the south shore by the way. Tight lines!

[massrob]

I haven't had as good a year as last year but I haven't fished as much either. My best day this year has been 2 4s and 2 3s and a few decent fish. No big fish either. Last year might have been a fluke but I had caught a six and 5 5lbers by now and hundreds of fish. I don't know if it was the brutal winter or what. I'm hoping the fall is going to be better with them feeding up for winter. Anyway good luck and if your new on here go over to the eastern MA reports in the northeast section lots of guys from around here that will help with any questions you may have.

[Weld's Largemouth]

Very slow. Fish are very specific in what they will take.

[DogBone_384]

Massrob & FinCulture about sum it up for my Summer.

Didn't fish as much this year as last. Caught bigger fish and fewer numbers.

Found my bite starting much later, likely because of the late winter.

Looking for a good Fall season.

[Djf3864]

Start of the summer was pretty good, but from mid-August on I haven't caught much in the way of Bass.  Did get a couple of nice Pike, the first time that I have caught one (ended up with two that day) so that was cool.

[Mainebass1984]

This summer has been great fishing for me in Vermont and Maine. I have caught more largemouth in Vermont over 5 lbs this summer then any other summer including a Vermont best 6 lb 14 oz Largemouth. I also got a personal best Vermont Smallmouth a 4 lb 13 oz smallmouth. I haven't been fishing in Maine this past summer as much as I would like but they big bite has been very good. My best day in Maine this summer I had a heavy 5 fish limit with a 6-2, 5-11, 4-13, 4-2 and 3-14.  I keep a detailed fishing log that allows me to key in on seasonal and water body specific patterns as well as look at data compiled from fishing all year, year to year. This summer, July and August, 26 % of the largemouth I have caught have been over 3 lbs. The spring was even better in Vermont and Maine.

Once surface temps hit 75 degrees I fish "deeper" water. Usually targeting isolated offshore cover and structure, submerged weed beds, sunken trees, etc. There are times though when the fish are super shallow slamming frogs and flippin baits. It seems that a lot of fisherman still try and beat the banks in the summer and think they will do well. Getting away from the shoreline in the heat of the summer works best for me. Night fishing is awesome this time of year especially when its around 90 degrees during the day.

[Nelson Wormefeller]

Poor summer for me here in central N.J.    

I've been fishing seriously for the past 3 summers and I just can't seem to get the combination of lure/location/method lined up correctly this year. 

I'm looking forward to the fall though, because I caught all my personal best's during that time of year.

[Scarborough817]

numbers this year have been good better than normal size is also broke my PB this year

[BaitMonkey1984]

I am glad you asked.

 

I fish the MA/NH border. This has been my worst summer fishing in 10+ years. The numbers and quality of fish are both down. I go 4 times a week so I have a rotating cast of family and friends that I take fishing with me. For them, it is the same, with the exception of one friend who has not caught a lot of fish, but the right kind. He has got a 7lb 2 oz bass which is huge for these parts, and a 6+lb pickerel.

 

I usually get a half dozen of so 5lb bass a year, majority right after ice out. I have one fish at 4lbs and then biggest after that is prob 2.5 lb. Pathetic. I almost broke down and got some shiners to see if I could catch a decent fish. 

 

I do not know if it was the long winter or the hot/dry summer but the fishing is off. Maybe it is the fish gods for punishing me for keeping a 6lb bass last year.  The only silver lining is that come deer archery season October 1 I will not be torn between fishing or hunting if this keeps up. 

[MikeOGNR]

It's been fair nothing to great this year. I fish up in southern nh mostly. I have caught about 3-4 bass over 4lbs but it definatelly has been slow. Not that I've moved around to much I have mostly been on Northwood Lake this whole summer, here are some of the bigger fish I've caught. Although my little cousin whose just starting to get into fishing begs me everyday I go out to take him and finally I took him one night and he ends up catching his best fish yet and the best fish of the season so far at 6lbs 1oz. The 6lber is in the last picture

[Bruce424]

Yea not that great either but this summer I haven't gone out as much as I wanted to. Probly only went out out 10 times. Which is low. Last year I was practically out 3 or 4 days a week all summer. Just 1 to 2 pounders this year.

[Smokinal]

Well, I have had some huge numbers days; I mean huge; with 2 of us boating 147 one day and 189 another, 1 day was around 5 hrs and the other about 6. Last Sunday we caught 90 in 4.5 hrs and more days like that. But, our weight is down. I attribute that to the fact that we have discovered the Ned for one thing. Another is we stopped throwing jigs. Not for any other reason than we are having great success with other baits but just smaller fish.  I'll be honest with you, I don't mind some of the numbers days we have had, even if our biggest was 3-3.5 lbs. Sure, I have an itch for a big fish but I don't get to go very often so when I do, I like to whack em!

I recently bought a kayak, put a finder on it with some other accessories and plan on hitting a small pond that always produces at least a few 7's and an 8 every year through the ice. Carry in only so it really doesn't get fished during the summer. I'm on vacation the week of Oct 12th and you'll find my truck parked on the roadside of said pond every morning. Then I'll be looking for a sow....

[bassguytom]

I've had a good summer fishing with both numbers and size. What do I think the main reason is? I forced myself to look for structure off shore. I have always been a bank beater would try off shore and when didn't catch anything move back to the shore. This year I just kept moving from spot to spot off shore. It paid off big time. I don't even want to go back to the banks now. Lots of great info. And people on here that have helped me tremendously. Tight lines.

[WilliamMcCabe]

It's been pretty bad haha

only  "quality" fish i've caught was a 6lber on 4th of july and a 5lber the day after other then that ive caught maybe 10 4's and the rest was just a grind haha

[JazzPipes]

Guys I deeply appreciate your comments! Its really interesting how much it varies from one to another. I will keep fishing and trying to get better!

thanks a lot!

[desmobob]

My summer was definitely slower than last summer.  The water on southern Lake Champlain was higher than normal through the middle of summer and the fish didn't seem to be where they were last season.  On days that I had good numbers of fish, I caught a lot of small bass, which wasn't the case last year.

 

Things seemed to have picked up toward the end of August for me though, and I'm looking forward to a good fall (if I can find more time to get on the water!).

 

Tight lines,

Bob

[einscodek]

Central Jersey here.. fishings been as good as last several years.  Numbers have been good as well as size.

Lots of  4's and 5's .. only down is this year is that have not broken 6 lb yet but the seasons not over.. a good time window is coming up which is end of summer and fall transition.

I've only taken my boat out a couple of times this summer.. been able to reach fruitful deeper waters from certain parts of steep shorelines with long ripping casts and also taking big girls from the thick stuff.

Been playing around with different presentations and new lures and I'm finding well its really come down to that if you can find the bass and at the right times.. itll bite just about anything.

Bass behavior dont vary that much year to year unless the lake experiences drastic changes..you need to adapt to the conditions which may slightly change year to year.. the bass are mostly always hungry

[Hurricane]

Caught this 50 inch 18lb Musky on my last outing on the Niagara river with my brother in law.. My wife is due any day with our 3rd boy in a row so I am not trying to head out on the water again for the year..Don't need to be out there when her water breaks lol.. Fish of a lifetime for me..Great ending to the summer. . Strictly pond fishing around my house now till the day comes so I am close to home..

[Jon S]

Don't know if many people consider Maryland to be North East, but fishing has been sporadic for me. Some days it will be 30+ bass, some days it will be all pike and pickerel. I have noticed that all the smallmouth this year have been really chunky, almost all of them have been footballs. Was slow yesterday until a storm hit. Rain lasted an hour or so and we landed about 10 bass, so it's not too bad. I'm definitely ready for fall, though.

[Racerx]

Glad to see I'm not the only guy up here that's having a rough summer.

[JOBU1967]

I live in Ohio & I fish both public lakes & privately owned farm ponds. All my shore fishing is done on farm ponds. what I do is try to be the first one on the pond by fishing as soon as I get off work. that way I can catch the most aggressive bass with reaction type baits (spinnerbaits, crankbaits, rattlebaits) then when others show up I fish slow with soft plastics & jigs. I've been doing this for 20 years & have no problem catching bass during the summer months. if I had to compare this summer to previous summers I would say it's the same. this summer we had a lot more rain than usual and it kept the water temp. lower than usual so the weeds didn't grow to the surface like it did in the past. so I didn't get to use frog/rat lures instead I used chuggers, poppers, & walking style top water lures. Summer bass fishing is great but it isn't even close to spring & fall. Spring is always the best (numbers & size). there are days during prespawn when I would catch over 100 bass in 4 hours after work. during the fall I catch 10-12 bass an hour, & during the summer I catch around 5 an hour. the fishing on these ponds are so great I don't even want to fish public lakes anymore.

[GoodMemoriesz]

From central New Jersey. Wasn't having that much luck this summer until i discovered this golf course pond with my friend. We go at night and you can tell barely anyone fishes there. Basically just throw a wacky rigged worm and get slammed over and over. Caught tons of 5 lbers and less, there are bigger ones in there have yet to catch them though. Caught some sunnies that were over 1 lb.

[MIbassyaker]

I feel like Michigan belongs in north central rather than northeast, but no matter. My summer has been quite a bit slower than the last few years. Some of that is because I've spent a lot of time learning some new waters and trying out some baits and techniques (new to me, that is). But still, on my "home turf", both sizes and numbers have been down. My biggest bass of the year was my first of the year, back in May, a little over 4; Since then, I can count the number of bass I have caught over 3lbs on one hand. I had quite a few over 3 last year and several over 4 (I may have even broken a pb, but I had an scale that wasn't accurate enough to be confident). I'm an academic so over the next month I'm about to get too busy for anything. My season's basically over.

[dcreign]

I'm from CT. I haven't go na out as much as I did last year, but I feel that I caught better fish..it's tough..I've only caught em finesse style..I missed the spawn this year lol. But guys in my club are still bringing in 14-20 lbs bags