Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine Fishing Report 3-14-2013

Trout Stocking Has Begun!

For those who feel as if their eyes are going to succumb to frostbite if they read one more word about ice fishing, relief is here at last! Water bodies in the Southeast District of the Bay State and some in the southern sector of the Northeast District are brimming with freshly stocked rainbows as you read this. And for those who simply can’t shake the hardwater habit, anglers are icing salmon and attaching extensions to their augers in parts of Maine.

This week was a busy one for the hatchery trucks stocking rainbow trout in the Southeast District of Massachusetts; this weekend, if you’re looking to tangle with a trout or three, you can expect all the major ponds and lakes on the Cape and in Plymouth to have bows. Next week Masswildlife expects to begin stocking those beautiful brook trout from the Sandwich facility and the smaller water bodies with rainbows as well. And there are even a handful of ponds and lakes in the southern portion of the Northeast District that will have trout by this weekend. Look for the rest of the Northeast area to get their shot next week and other districts soon after.

For walleye fishermen who are busting ‘eyes up to 6 pounds from the Connecticut River, stocked trout may be considered forage! Rod from Flagg’s in Orange told me that sportsmen who are targeting these fish with blade baits and jigs tipped with worms or shiners are generally releasing the fish since they are spawning now. The epicenter for the ‘eyes is the ¾-mile stretch between Turner Falls and the rock dam downstream, especially the deep pool there. Another potential walleye spot is at the effluence where the Deerfield River meets up with the Connecticut River. As always, walleye are nocturnal beasts, and you’ll do better under low-light conditions. Strongly consider catching and releasing these fish to help sustain this unique fishery.

Eddie of B&A in West Boylston is beginning to count down the days until Wachusett Reservoir is open for fishing, and it is somewhere in the neighborhood of three weeks until the official date of April 6. Odds are that the water will still be icy and the spring season a prolonged one. In years with warm winters, lakers will often begin moving back to deeper water in force by the end of the month, leaving a luckless May.

Largemouth bass are beginning to feed aggressively closer to the Hub. A few folks have been doing well with blade baits and jigs in the Upper Mystic Lake where it joins up with the Aberjona River. This is a real “roll the dice” fishery; you could catch crappie or even a striped bass. In fact, one such guy was in the midst of a 9-fish largemouth bite when he struck what he thought was the new state record. After a spirited tussle he lipped a 37-inch striper!

If news of striped bass has you thinking in terms of the salt, then you’ll be pleased to know that some anglers are already experiencing “loligo love.” Noel from Darts B&T in Salem told me that squid are already being caught from the Danvers River Bridge. It didn’t take long for the word to spread and now fishermen are clamoring to stock up on squid jigs. When asked for options, Noel suggested Marblehead Landing and the Salem Ferry Landing, and he even heard of squid being seen in Gloucester! The Beverly Pier and Salem Willows Pier are being repaired and they may be ready by the beginning of April. If squid are active on the North Shore, one would think that the perennially “inky” Nut Island in Quincy should be worth a go.

An option to consider on the North Shore is white perch fishing in the Parker River. The bite usually kicks into gear now and the catching takes place from the Governor Dummer Academy downstream toward the “haystacks.” Chubs are great bait as are grass shrimp, but these hyper-panfish will also hit seaworms and crawlers to a lesser degree.

According to Tim from Suds ‘N Soda, the talk about open water is way too premature as many places offer solid ice, the best bite of the year, and waning crowds. Tim busted the new state record white sucker recently from 10 inches of ice from the Center Harbor area of Lake Winnipesauke while using 2-pound line! The nearly 4-pound fish was the second state record Tim has scored in less than a year, having tugged in a triggerfish last year from his kayak in the salt. We can only wonder what “exotics” we are going to see this year north of the Cape. According to Tim, the bays in Winnipesauke are fine as is Lake Winnisquam.

Three and one half seems to be the magic number in Moosehead Lake according to Dylan from Dag’s. The salmon have been cooperating with good action for fish up to 3 ½-pounds, but the downside is you’ll have to drill your way through 3 ½ feet of ice. Auger extensions here are not an option! Smelt are the best bait, and the bite takes place within 6 to 8 feet of the surface. There are plenty of 2-pound brookies left over from a recent stocking for a kid’s derby in Lower Range. The fish are right against the shoreline; some have even been seeing them fining in mere inches of water under recently formed black ice. For toothies, your odds of a trophy are terrific at Turner Boat Launch on the Androscoggin River or Lake Sabattus.

Fishing Forecast

Pick your passion: hardwater or open water this week we have something for everyone. Relax with your trout rod propped up against your camping chair and soak some Power Bait in Little Pond in Plymouth or Dug Pond in Natick. Or maybe while the evening away bouncing blade baits into divots of the Connecticut River by Turner Falls for walleye. Largemouth bass are shaking free of the winter slumber and will take a jig in the Mystic River or Charles River. If you’re yearning for salt in your diet and some calamari to sprinkle it on, squid have arrived on the North Shore and possibly in the Greater Boston area as well. But if March to you means ice fishing, then try your luck on landlocked salmon at Moosehead Lake; you can forget your worries, just don’t forget your auger extension!