Big Rainbow Trout
Even though there are still hardwater options, considering that it’s nearly April I’ve decided to free the forecast from the freezer. With accounts of 16-inch stocked rainbows, slammin’ salmon and largemouth bass big enough to make a meal out of a stockie, the emancipation is an easy one. And it’s made all the easier with some buzz about blackback flounder, cod caught from the shore and headboat haddock opportunities.
If you don’t ordinarily get much of a rise out of stocked trout, perhaps you should reconsider. Some of the rainbows that Masswildlife have stocked this year almost defy you to deride them as mere stockies; it’s hard to knock a 16-inch fish that is fat, feisty and features hues that would rival a painters palette. And best of all there are no shortage of them in water bodies from Worcester to points east. Sorry, those in the Connecticut Valley Region and in the western part of the state will have to wait a bit longer. Speaking of waiting, the berg that is making up much of the ‘Chu is reluctant to relent, forcing the DCR to postpone opening day until April 13, which incidentally has been discussed as the potential opening day for Quabbin but there is still ice there from The Gap to Gate 31. Should that ice give up the ghost, the Q’ may open early; I’ll keep my ear out for news and pass it along.
Pre-spawn gets a lot of attention when folks talk about big largemouth bass and breeders are packing on the pounds now. Habitats that feature herring runs are often hawg havens as these fish take advantage of an unusually prolific forage base. Anyone who knows a herring run will tell you that in some capacity herring never leave. With scouts infusing a pond or lake in spring, the onslaught that occurs late April through June, fall backs that linger into mid-summer and with fry that don’t completely tumble out towards the sea until late fall, a water body with a herring run is fortunate water body and one species that benefits in a big way is largemouth bass.
While I love artificials as much as anybody, you can’t beat a big shiner in the domain of the herring-hunting largemouth bass. Right now in a pond or lake where this drama takes place there are some scary-large bass prowling looking for a big baitfish. Friends of mine have been putting numbers of bass up that are very impressive. How about an 11 fish tally in two hours sound, with the smallest fish a 2-pounder and 4 over 4-pounds? This played out on Tuesday afternoon and could be your reality if you frequent watersheds that support herring runs. An alternative to the live bait route is a drop-shot jerk shad. The fish are still lethargic and will not give chase to an artificial but a morsel wiggled in front of their nose will get their attention. One tip that I tout often that makes a difference is to smudge some scent attractive on your artificial or dead bait. On a recent outing after burning through two dozen shiners I was left one dead one. I dabbed it with a BioEdge Smelt Wand and as soon as it broke the surface a 3-pounder inhaled it. When the water is as chilly as it is now, playing to as many of a fish’s senses as you can pays off.
Rod from Flagg’s in Orange who in addition to supplying me the news of the Q, filled me in on some fine river possibilities. The Miller River is a solid bet for a holdover brown trout right now. Even though the Swift River gets plenty of attention, if you target the trout from Rte. 9 to the Y Pool at night, those weary trout become less guarded. Rod told me of an angler who hails from New Hampshire who fishes the Swift with streamer flies at night and has caught trophy trout, including a 27-inch rainbow that was bested last year. The other riparian alternative is the Connecticut River; a customer of Flagg’s took 3 walleye recently including a 6-pound ‘eye. The best run in the river is between the Turner Falls Dam and the Power Plant.
I was psyched to hear about some briny action from Lisa from Fore River B&T in Quincy. It seems that folks fishing clams off Nut Island Pier in Quincy have been into both flounder and cod! If there’s a blackback and brown bomber bite there I can’t help but wonder about the prospects off Hull Gut, the stretch behind the Hull High School and Castle Island. No one ever said it was easy and history shows that a from-shore cod bite is always better after dark; flounder on the other hand are a daytime lurker.
If you’d rather target the cousins of the codfish (GOM cod opens April 16th), make a reservation aboard the Yankee Fleet out of Gloucester. Because of weather delays they are finally ready to cruise the gadoid grounds beginning on Friday and continuing every day that they have charters. These are 7-4 all-day trips and just the antidote for those dying to rub some salt on their faces.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Trout, beautiful bows at that, are seldom as plentiful as they are throughout designated trout water throughout the Bay State now. All but the Connecticut Valley and Western Regions have been stocked. For something significantly wilder than a freshly stocked trout, check out the holdover browns in the Miller or attempt to lure a wily big rainbow from the Y-Pool of the Swift River. Snoop around for a pond or lake that supports a herring run and in it you’ll find pre-spawn hawg bass looking for a big shiner. Salty delights are finally on the menu with cod and flounder being taken from Nut Island and possibly Hull and Castle Island. To hedge your bets for haddock, ship off aboard the Yankee Fleet Headboat; their season and yours begins anew.
Assuming these “herring runs” only occur in coastal ponds/lakes? Or lakes that are fed by rivers that run to the ocean?
All of the above! I’d say most any watershed that benefits from a shot of river herring has the capability of producing monstrous largemouth bass. From The Oxbow to Whitman to Chebacco and then some. I liken it to the Kodiak bears that far out-grow their inland grizzly relatives because of the salmon runs. We’re knocking them dead in a pond that is fed by a river which should be supporting alewives any day now!
Bummer that the ‘Chu is opening so late. It’s going to be an extremely short spring season. I was there two weeks ago and there was a lot of open water. I’m very surprised.
goin to my herring run today 3-31. report to follow when i get back !!!!!