Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine Fishing Report 12-20-2012

Broodstock Salmon Stocked

Sea Herring Bonus

It’s nothing out of the ordinary for shops to be topping off their shiner tanks in late December, but so far it has nothing to do with ice but rather it is in response to a state-wide stocking of broodstock salmon. An unexpected bonus to the freshwater fervor is that many are just now experiencing the smorgasbord of trout that were stocked recently. Traditionally late fall/early winter means smelt for the hardy and opportunistic but an “invasion” of another species is resulting in some unexpected sport.

 

Rod from Arlington B&T has been getting the calls for bait as word is out that the hatchery trucks have livened up a number of ponds and lakes with broodstock salmon, such as Horn Pond and White Pond. This is the first of two stockings that will happen throughout all the Masswildlife Regions. The first batch of broodstock, which have been completely stocked by now, came from the Roger Reed state hatchery in Palmer, Massachusetts and will most likely be the last Atlantic salmon ever reared from this hatchery. The second slug of salmon will come courtesy of the federal hatchery in Nashua and they will be stocked in early January. I was told by a biologist that by the time this effort is completed there should be about 1000 super salmon streaking throughout the Commonwealth. But considering that this literally is the last significant year, contemplate snapping a photo and releasing your catch so that someone else can enjoy the thrill of catching a fish of this magnitude in freshwater. The upside to this dour news is that we may experience bigger holdover brown trout in some shared water bodies. I know of a few Greater Boston ponds which prior to the stocking of salmon used to grow big holdovers but that all but ended once the broodstock stocking program began in the late 80s, and should the Palmer facility retool and grow tiger trout, brookies and/or brown trout, we may still have some special salmonids swimming around in these parts soon!

Some are already experiencing some special fishing for different members of the trout family, according to Eddie of B&A in West Boylston. Inspired by broodstock news coming out of Comet Pond in Hubbardston, Eddie put the “gone fishing’” sign on the shop the other day and left early to see if he could trick a salmon. And while his shiners did not bamboozle a broodstock, he did catch a hat trick of trout, including brownies, brookies and rainbows. Some of these fish were feisty, colorful 15-inch specimens and they fell for bait, Powerbait and spoons. Folks have been getting a few salmon up to 7 ½ pounds on shiners, spoons and even garden worms and there should be plenty left. While I tried to glean whether there was any lake trout action from the Stillwater Basin, Eddie became uncharacteristically curt, claiming that he had to bolt because someone might be catching “his salmon”!

The good times are not just limited to the central part of the state according to Rod from Flagg’s Fly and Tackle in Orange. Lake Mattawa has gotten some broodstock love and the fish have been falling for shiners as well as Krocodiles and Kastmasters. Rodney told me of fish that were released by anglers valuing this soon-to-be rare species. Power baiters that opt for orange and green are doing quite well on fall-stocked rainbows. Mattawa may be one of the area’s best kept secrets because so few are fishing it! Everything about the Quabbin awes the uninitiated and that goes double for the Swift River. In addition to eagle sightings and a pristine environment the pools from the Windsor Dam to miles downstream teem with trout, but they are nothing if not educated. Rod who ties some of the neater flies around recommends that you downsize your leader and presentation and exercise patience. Flagg’s favorites are size 20/22 black fly larvae and sow bugs; inversely, occasionally an ornate Wooly Bugger will get their attention.

For the smelt scuttlebutt I dialed the den of the “Shrimp King”, Rick Newcomb of Fore River B&T in Quincy who told me that anglers off Hull were experiencing lights-out action but it’s been for the wrong species, swarms of 10-inch-plus sea herring are making it near impossible to sink a shrimp down to the smelt. I bet if smoked or pickled, sea herring could be tasty – maybe not in the smelt category, but palatable! And for those looking to hook into a Hub holdover striper, you could do a lot worse than swimming a live herring around in a likely haunt.

Still, I have seen some smelt catches which while not epochal are inspiration enough to give it a go. To thread the bait past the sea herring, freespool your grass shrimp or sea worm right to the bottom and lift just off of it.

Fishing Forecast

The new is big, as in broodstock salmon big. Fish up to and over 10 pounds have been stocked throughout the Bay State and these dynamos will engulf a shiner, dilly or brightly colored spoon. Check out White, Horn, Hopkinton, Comet, Mattawa, Forest and a host of other designated salmon ponds and lakes. If you have a boat at the ready, then slowly troll a shiner behind an egg sinker and you may catch a salmon, smattering of trout or possibly a big black bass. While it’s the prospect of a delicious supper of smelt that is keeping up many anglers at night in the Hull, Hingham, Quincy area, invariably it is a sizeable sea herring that is crashing the party. When prepared properly sea herring can be tasty, but if you live-line one you may find that stripers love them just the way they are.