Bass up shallow early

[jwo1124]

Up here in northern MA the ponds are no longer frozen, and I have been fishing a couple times now. Even though Hi's can get into the mid 40s, with the wind blowing, it still feels like January. We had a couple real nice days up here, so yesterday and the day before I went fishing at a popular pond that gets stocked up to a few times a year with hatchery trout and salmon. Being that the Hi's are only around 40 if we're lucky, and night time lo's are still dipping into the twenties, I figured the water temp can't be more than around 40-45 degrees, having complete ice out only about two weeks now.

Well, I did catch a nice salmon the other day, which is expected this early in the season. But, what was un expected, was catching three bass from the same spot(three in two days) up shallow. I heard that even in the dead of winter, there are still fish that stay relatively shallow all year round. So I'm guessing these bass were holding in the deepest section of this shallow spot by the ramp that gets no deeper then 10'. It makes sense seeing how people catch bass around the same area in the winter ice fishing.

Anyone else in the cooler states catching bass yet?

[SimonDM17]

I'm from MA as well...greater Boston area.  I just caught my first bass of 2008 about a week ago, fishing a new pond that still had ice on half of it.  I think the trick with the colder temperatures is to fish either very shallow (where the fish go to feed) or very deep (where the fish hang out when it's cold).  

I caught the bass in about 2 FOW, on a baby 1-.

[fishizzle]

Last weekend a bunch relating to rocks and rocky shoreline

2-5 lbs  7 bass,  2 guys, 3 hrs

mepps spinner, jerkbait, jig, texas rig

not bad for March hey

I'm soooo glad the ice melted

Good luck this season to all

[Paul Roberts]

I start fishing immediately after ice-out. Shallow ponds warm fast.

[Joel W]

Once the water temps warm up to the low-mid 40's I'm throwing hard & soft jerkbaits, Rattletraps, and crankbaits. I'm targeting the shallows with direct access to deeper water as well as rock walls.

[SenkoBasser]

Right on with the weather there.

For Georgetown, MA:

Friday 3/21 - High near 40   Low near 20

Saturday- High near 41   Low around 19

Sunday - High near 38    Low around 22

Monday - High near 42    Low around 23

   And most of NH looks to be frigid and we're not even close to being iced out. Rivers are still frozen!  I work in MA so I'll just hide my rod in my truck and go on lunch. Does MA sell one day licenses online>?

[SimonDM17]

Yes, they sell all fishing licenses online, and one-day licenses have a printout option, too.  (They may be printout only, I don't know.)

[dmoney]

I've been catching all my bass in under 4 foot of water. Ive been throwing spinnerbaits, dingers, and cranks with much success. Ive yet to get a bite in anything deeper then 4 foot..

[Perfect Hook Set]

Similar deal here

Not sure the depth of the water I would say no deeper then 5ft might be deeper but, I doubt it...

Fishing two small ponds

I had caught one LMB in a specific bass

Then a day or two later my buddy caught two out of the same spot

We couldn't catch or get a hit from any thing an where else on the pond

Today I caught three in a similar area in another pond and my buddy had caught two a week back in the same spot...

Nothing was caught any where else in this pond either

[Ryzies]

yesterday was the first "warm" day here...up until then it was just as you described...but...we went out and caught about 8 bass today ranging from 4 lbs to a little under 2 lbs...all of them were in the same area, all shallow....we were using crankbaits...bomber a's and rapala dts

i can't wait to post the pics...2 more posts!

sidenote, i got a BIG bass on after we got there that took my lure and snapped my line...he would've been bigger than the other bigger bass i caught that day...

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Water temps at my lake have not broken 36 yet (RI)

I've found 4 fish so far, 5 trips out.  All came from the same area, off the bottom on the base of the slope that comes off our main flat.

We have a shallow water pattern that is fantastic, it involves the shallow, dark back coves.  The magic number here is 48 degrees.  We've NEVER seen or caught a fish in that water before the water hit 48.  I've been back there on 3 of my 5 trips out to scout and so far zip, zilch, nada.  

Keep in mind this lake is the last in the state to warm.  It's deep and it's elevated.

I can't wait till it lights up back there, it's some of the coolest fishing of the yr. (literally,lol)