Where Are You Finding them in RI/Southern Mass

[bassinri]

The last few trips out I have been catching Bass in very shallow water and just wondering what others in the area are finding. Actually I was surprised to catch virtually none in deeper water. Still seems kinda early to be all shallow as everywhere I fished with the exception of Roger Williams which was 56 degress, was around 51 degrees on my electronics. I realize the shallows warm up fast but even before the sun comes out for a while and has a chance to warm up the water Im still getting them shallow. Got out yesterday but didnt take the boat and sure enough there they were in 1 to 2 feet of water and it was chilly. I caught all 6 Bass in the last 20 or so yards of my retrive. I was just interested what others were finding.

[fishizzle]

Last weekend we got 14 bass in 4-10' water on jerkbaits.  The bottom was patchy grass last year.  Water temp was 53.

[Fishing Rhino]

Catching them in deeper water, and right against the shore.

They've moved in to the beach in some areas of the pond I fish, but not all.  Mostly where it is a sandy sloping bottom.

They are holding tight to the beach in a foot of water or less in some places.

Where the shore is rocky and loaded with dormant vegetation, they still seem to be on the outer edge of the shelf where it transitions from 3 or 4 feet to six feet.  

Except for three nine foot holes, the pond is only six feet deep.

[Tin]

Super super shallow. Largies are in less than a foot of water when the sun is out. The brownies have been on shallow (less than 3 feet) wind-blown banks. And with the weather this weekend, more will push up.

[bassinri]

I agree Tin. Its gonna be fun!

[fishizzle]

So if the bass are in super shallow water, will they be close to cover mostly, like docks and overhanging branches.

would you chase them with senkos jigs and flukes

[Tin]

Yea it has been a jig-fishermans dream when the sun is up and the weather is above 50*. Just throw your jig at anything that gives shade and they are there. Even on the nights it gets colder wait until about 2pm or so and they start to move up.

The smallies have all been eating the Smithwick as fast as I can rip it. One thing about this spring has been you don't need to fish slow to catch fish.

Note....I actually caught a Lake Trout out of Beach Pond on the CT/RI line from under a dock on a tube. Still can't believe it. I guess they are native in there and are very few left. I just know it definitely wasn't a brook, brown, or bow and was definitely not a salmon. Or so the CT game Worden said... :-/

[HOIST-N-HAWGS]

Super super shallow. Largies are in less than a foot of water when the sun is out. The brownies have been on shallow (less than 3 feet) wind-blown banks. And with the weather this weekend, more will push up.

WTH do you know? Don't listen to him Anthony, he knows squat! : ;D

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

We are finding them shallow, but not till the peak warming hours of the day.  

The fish we've caught deep have been "belly on the bottom" deep.  We were marking fish on the bottom, 16 ft, they would not take a drop shot, didn't catch one till I put on a shakey and my buddy used a jig. I'm talking ON THE BOTTOM.  

Thats all about to change though, they won't be there after this weekend.  

[Tin]

I take it back. Hit two big largies in Beach today in 30' on the drop-shot. lol

[Tin]

Ok now that I have more time....

 

Started at 8am on Beach Pond. Went right to my usual drop-shot spots in 25-35' of water and instantly hooked up with a couple 3 change largies on the first 3 drops on a tree. Then the sun burned everything off and it got bright so I decided to go run shallow with fluke (slick calm, and not a cloud in the sky. wasn't even going to try for a hard bait bite). And just loaded the boat with smallies ranging from 2-3 pounds. I had one that was almost eye-level with me when it came up. Nothing like watching smallies destroy your bait or calm shooting in from 20' away to eat it. Talked to a couple others and they all had smallies first thing in the am and couldn't get anything else going. And there had to be about 14 guys trolling for trout doing the same lap around the lake... :

[HOIST-N-HAWGS]

Sounds fun DB, I haven't even fished a SM pond yet! > :'

Ok now that I have more time....

Started at 8am on Beach Pond. Went right to my usual drop-shot spots in 25-35' of water and instantly hooked up with a couple 3 change largies on the first 3 drops on a tree. Then the sun burned everything off and it got bright so I decided to go run shallow with fluke (slick calm, and not a cloud in the sky. wasn't even going to try for a hard bait bite). And just loaded the boat with smallies ranging from 2-3 pounds. I had one that was almost eye-level with me when it came up. Nothing like watching smallies destroy your bait or calm shooting in from 20' away to eat it. Talked to a couple others and they all had smallies first thing in the am and couldn't get anything else going. And there had to be about 14 guys trolling for trout doing the same lap around the lake... :

[The Yankee Fist]

Just south of the Mass line in CT.....shallows 2:00pm-ish and hugging the rocky banks of the Housatonic river but not many takers.

[bassinri]

Fished the Blackstone CF ramp yesterday. Caught all our fish in the shallows in still water. Temps got all the way up to almost 70 degrees! Again all fish were in 1-2 feet of water. Fish were quite active and were chasing spinnerbaits and Lake Fork Shad. No bigguns but they were there somewhere. Looks like they are going to start making their beds any day.  

[Tin]

I think they need a little more stable weather Anthony. Going from upper 30's Thursday morning to mid 80's the past couple days is tough. It is supposed to drop off to highs in the low 60's come Weds too. So this warm-up will be offset by night lows in the upper 40's. They usually always stick to the moon phases up here to. You will see sparatic fish but as soon, but around the week before the full moon, the waves come.

[HOIST-N-HAWGS]

I think they need a little more stable weather Anthony. Going from upper 30's Thursday morning to mid 80's the past couple days is tough. It is supposed to drop off to highs in the low 60's come Weds too. So this warm-up will be offset by night lows in the upper 40's. They usually always stick to the moon phases up here to. You will see sparatic fish but as soon, but around the week before the full moon, the waves come.

R.I.P. the Beast? :-?

[bassinri]

I think they need a little more stable weather Anthony. Going from upper 30's Thursday morning to mid 80's the past couple days is tough. It is supposed to drop off to highs in the low 60's come Weds too. So this warm-up will be offset by night lows in the upper 40's. They usually always stick to the moon phases up here to. You will see sparatic fish but as soon, but around the week before the full moon, the waves come.

I agree, I guess I was getting a little too anxious   . Especially seeing how this morning is 40 degrees cooler than it was 3 days ago! Sheeeezzz. This is just like last spring.

[Tin]

I say 2 weeks you will find bed-fish and lots of them in southern RI.

[HOIST-N-HAWGS]

Last evening, Tin found them with a jerkbait on wind blown shorelines and points and in four hours he had close 30 fish with a mixed bag of smallmouth, largemouth and a few walley to boot, including a 3/4lb beauty! I found one smallmouth on a swim jig and a HUGE serving of stubborn pie (yes stubborn, not humble pie ) refusing to throw the jerkbait and throwing the jig and 7" slammer the majority of the time. I had a few biggun's roll on the slammer but they weren't ready to fully commit. I was completely convinced I could pick up the big one..........WRONG! :-/

I think even I heard Mr Waddles laughing at me! :-[ ;D

Had a great Mike and hope to do it agin soon! I'll post the pic's later this evening.

[Fishing Rhino]

Here's what I have observed the past two days. I'm not sure how to interpret it, since it's the first time I have actually observed this behavior.

Since I hadn't fished in more than 30 years 'til last July, this is new to me.

It is apparent they spawn where I launch my canoe. It is shallow with a rocky, sandy, gravel bottom. There are small tufts of grass and vegetation here and there.

Yesterday, the low lying rocks were covered with sandy bottom material. I assume the bass are stirring up the bottom in the process of making a bed or beds.

In one area, two bass, 1.5 to 2 pounds each are cruising the area. There is one spot to which they consistently return. They cruise four or five feet away, to slightly deeper water, then return to that spot, which is no more than a foot deep. Sometimes they cruise side by each, at other times one will leave, the other may follow, and then return.

They obviously are paired up.

In an area ten feet away, a group of four to eight dinks seem to be holding, but they just mill around a bit. They do not exhibit the "restless repeating behavior" of the larger pair.

There is a convenient clump of trees. From behind this, I can lean against them to observe the behavior without disturbing them.

When I first arrive, all the fish depart. After situating myself behind this clump, they all return within a minute or two, and the "ritual" begins.

My guess is they are in the last stages of their pre spawning ritual.

Maximum water temps in the pond 67 - 68 degrees. No doubt warmer in the shallows along the shore.

On Tuesday, I caught a lot of bass along the shore. Yesterday, I tried different areas with different bottom structure and cover, that was not productive at all.

These areas, while as rocky as the other areas, also have a mucky bottom. Mucky meaning that if the lure gets close to the bottom, it returns with dark gunk, which may be a good sized wad, to a bit hung up on the knot.

The bass in my avatar was caught in one of these areas on a jig last Friday. Caught several others from this bottom as well.

Very slow since then.

Caught two on the Rage Tail Toad in 3 - 4 feet of water, but not even interest close to the vegetation around the edges.

Will give the areas where they were hitting on Tuesday a shot today to see what happens.

[bassinri]

Yes Rhino I am seeing the same thing. Was out yesterday at Stump pond and even though it was a chilly day the water temp on my electronics was a consistant 65 degrees. Bass were in the shallows cleaning out spots to bed. If it wasnt for this big cold front thats going to be hanging around for a while they wouldnt be far off from the spawn. Unfortunatly this will delay them more.

[Fishing Rhino]

Yes Rhino I am seeing the same thing. Was out yesterday at Stump pond and even though it was a chilly day the water temp on my electronics was a consistant 65 degrees. Bass were in the shallows cleaning out spots to bed. If it wasnt for this big cold front thats going to be hanging around for a while they wouldnt be far off from the spawn. Unfortunatly this will delay them more.

Stump pond in Westboro?

If so, how'd you do.

I went once last year, sometime in September.  Did ok, but nothing great.  Fairly gusty westerly wind limited my fishing in the stumpy part of the pond.  Caught a few in the clear water around the grass mats.

Want to try it again this year.  On a weekday.  I hear it gets a lot of pressure on weekends.

[HOIST-N-HAWGS]

Just a few of Mike's fish from the other day.

[Bassnajr]

I think they need a little more stable weather Anthony. Going from upper 30's Thursday morning to mid 80's the past couple days is tough. It is supposed to drop off to highs in the low 60's come Weds too. So this warm-up will be offset by night lows in the upper 40's. They usually always stick to the moon phases up here to. You will see sparatic fish but as soon, but around the week before the full moon, the waves come.

That's today!!!!! http://www.stardate.org/nightsky/moon/

ajr

PS Nice fish Mike........

[Tin]

Full moon for next Saturdays T on Johnsons     8-)