Tips on New england bass

[Nunz]

Anyone have any tips for a new fisherman on how to catch bass in the wintertime up here in Massachusetts? I do not have that much access to a boat, and mostly do shore fishing, but any tips will help. thanks

[grampa1114]

Hint...Read and follow  "Eastern Mass Fishing Reports"....and pay attention!!

[DogBone_384]

What Grampa said ....

[Nunz]

where is that? i am new to the forum

 

[GrumpyOlPhartte]

@Nunz: Just wondering in which part of the state you will be fishing. Lot of pretty smart fellows out in the eastern part of the state but out here on the leftern part of the state it is pretty lonely. I just put my kayak up for the winter, but will be trying some bank fishing for awhile longer. I’ve found winter fishing really improves my ability to skip a lure and my overall casting distance is better; however, have noticed that I don’t many bites. I think it’s got something to do with that hard water covering my favorite lakes. Wish I could be of more help.

 

i think @grampa1114 is referring to the Eastern Ma Fishing Report which is another forum like this. Seems to be fairly active and a couple of the guys have been very helpful even for me out here in the cheap seats. If you go to the Northeast Bass Fishing forum and scroll through the topics listed, you’ll see the forum to which I refer.

[Chowderhead]

I think they are referring to this one: 

 

 

[Mr. Aquarium]

im very active on the eastern ma report and just posted my report about last weekends very cold slaughter fest. 

if your from shore, your best bet would be small jerkbaits fished slow with long pauses in shallow ponds, less then 10 feet deep. if you able to get on a kayak or boat then head deep with blade baits, hair jigs and small plastics on light jigs, this is slow fishing  with light lines but when you get on them youll get em good especailly smallies! find the deep structure. steep drop offs, humps, flats, holes.  i look for ponds deeper then 20 feet, clear water ponds. the pond i fished saturday was my first time there! on a map it didnt look to have alot deep structure, but when you really look you can find subtle changes in the depth contours, look at how steep a drop off is, thats how i found the spots to fish, new pond with out a fish finder! 

[Nunz]

3 hours ago, GrumpyOlPhartte said:

@Nunz: Just wondering in which part of the state you will be fishing. Lot of pretty smart fellows out in the eastern part of the state but out here on the leftern part of the state it is pretty lonely. I just put my kayak up for the winter, but will be trying some bank fishing for awhile longer. I’ve found winter fishing really improves my ability to skip a lure and my overall casting distance is better; however, have noticed that I don’t many bites. I think it’s got something to do with that hard water covering my favorite lakes. Wish I could be of more help.

 

i think @grampa1114 is referring to the Eastern Ma Fishing Report which is another forum like this. Seems to be fairly active and a couple of the guys have been very helpful even for me out here in the cheap seats. If you go to the Northeast Bass Fishing forum and scroll through the topics listed, you’ll see the forum to which I refer.

Mostly central Mass, i'm from worcester and the farthest i will probably go to fish is 45 minutes to an hour, maybe up to the quabbin or the manchester reservoir in attleboro which i heard was great fishing even in the winter.

2 hours ago, Chowderhead said:

I think they are referring to this one: 

 

 

thank you

2 hours ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

im very active on the eastern ma report and just posted my report about last weekends very cold slaughter fest. 

if your from shore, your best bet would be small jerkbaits fished slow with long pauses in shallow ponds, less then 10 feet deep. if you able to get on a kayak or boat then head deep with blade baits, hair jigs and small plastics on light jigs, this is slow fishing  with light lines but when you get on them youll get em good especailly smallies! find the deep structure. steep drop offs, humps, flats, holes.  i look for ponds deeper then 20 feet, clear water ponds. the pond i fished saturday was my first time there! on a map it didnt look to have alot deep structure, but when you really look you can find subtle changes in the depth contours, look at how steep a drop off is, thats how i found the spots to fish, new pond with out a fish finder! 

thanks man!

 

[grampa1114]

Nunz...Being from Central Mass is a Huge benefit for shore fishing...to the south you have Quinsigamond, Webster, Buffumville and Wallum. To the east there is Dark Brook, Chauncey, Whitehall, Cochituate and the Charles. North you have Wachussett and the Merrimack River. And Brimfield, Quaboag, Big Alum and Wickaboag to your west. All have plenty of space for fishing. You are in for a real treat.

The other good part is, when the ice is thick enough, you don't need a boat. 

Unfortunately they don't have ice here in Charleston, so I'm gonna have to keep using the boat.  

[Nunz]

1 hour ago, grampa1114 said:

Nunz...Being from Central Mass is a Huge benefit for shore fishing...to the south you have Quinsigamond, Webster, Buffumville and Wallum. To the east there is Dark Brook, Chauncey, Whitehall, Cochituate and the Charles. North you have Wachussett and the Merrimack River. And Brimfield, Quaboag, Big Alum and Wickaboag to your west. All have plenty of space for fishing. You are in for a real treat.

The other good part is, when the ice is thick enough, you don't need a boat. 

Unfortunately they don't have ice here in Charleston, so I'm gonna have to keep using the boat.  

Good to know! i actually go to school 5 minutes down the road from cochichuate... have been a few times but havent caught anything except some pickerel, saw plenty of large trout but no bass. Will definitely check out more you mentioned. 

[MassYak85]

52 minutes ago, Nunz said:

Good to know! i actually go to school 5 minutes down the road from cochichuate... have been a few times but havent caught anything except some pickerel, saw plenty of large trout but no bass. Will definitely check out more you mentioned. 

Others may have different opinions, and granted I haven't fished it in a couple years, but I think there are better places to fish than cochituate. Not saying there aren't decent fish in there, but among some of the ice fishermen it's nicknamed "the dead sea". By all means give it a go but especially shore fishing I would probably spend my time elsewhere if it was me. 

[Nunz]

3 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

Others may have different opinions, and granted I haven't fished it in a couple years, but I think there are better places to fish than cochituate. Not saying there aren't decent fish in there, but among some of the ice fishermen it's nicknamed "the dead sea". By all means give it a go but especially shore fishing I would probably spend my time elsewhere if it was me. 

Thats what i was thinking, i have been there three times, twice in a boat, with no luck on anything except small pickerel. I would go back to try and nab some trout though, but it looks dead for bass.