Massachusetts Fishing Report – March 26, 2015

Anglers obsessed with casting a line have been gathering by open-water pockets like birds to a puddle. While the rain and 50 degree temperatures are going to help that cause, it’s been a chilly endeavor with usually little luck.  The same cannot be said for the ice fisherman who is often basking in the sunshine and the best fishing of the year.

The Southeast District of Masswildlife is poking around looking for a place to dump all those trout that are growing too big for their tanks in Sandwich. That stocking is imminent while the other districts are not even considering anything until April. It almost seems like an April Fool’s joke that the hatcheries are anxiously awaiting open water sometime in April so that they can make their first stocking! Meanwhile Pete from Belsan’s in Scituate said that last check Tack Factory Pond was sporting 12” of ice! Granted much of that ice is white ice and won’t last long with a 24-7 thaw, but there are still hardwater opportunities at the Southeast. One of them is Little Pond in Plymouth which is teeming with an unexpected late stocking of brook trout.  For an open-water fix, Pete recommends the North River for holdover stripers. They are present there, and your best bet is to fish upstream in the Norwell section by Norris Reservation. Another spot where holdover schoolies are occasionally caught is Mill River, which feeds into Cohasset Harbor. When the subject came up about American shad, which will be coursing the North River/Indian Head River soon, I was surprised to hear that the South River has a resurgent population of these acrobatic members of the herring family. It might be time to stock up on shad darts and wobblers.

There have been some guys gathering by open-water stretches of the Charles and Mystic Rivers if for no other reason to socialize and just maybe get a strike. Thanks to Larry the largemouth, I’ve heard of two near misses among the Mystic Lakes, one on a Finnish swimmer and the other on a shiner! Rod from Arlington told me that some who are seeking pike in Spy Pond are finding their big bait is being nailed by oversized largemouth bass! He had no new news on the pike front, but he felt that the year to date count is over 20!

Eddie of B&A told me that upstream of the Railroad Bridge, the Stillwater River is opening up. This is one of the few places among the Wachusett Reservoir which can be fished during the off-season. There have been big lakers taken here before the reservoir has opened. As for opening day on Wachusett, the official word from the DCR is it won’t open until April 11^th, the earliest! That same official told Eddie that they are considering opening Quabbin to shore fishermen before the boaters have a go because of the probability of lingering ice well into April. Stay tuned!

While Rod from Flagg’s hadn’t heard word yet of the plans from Quabbin (the very tentative open date is still April 18^th), the news from Lake Mattawa is that the fishing is fantastic. When we spoke he was in the midst of filling out a Masswildlife Sportfishing Award affidavit for an angler who had caught a 1 ½-pound yellow perch. The bass bite has been good here also with both smallies and largemouth bass contributing to the catch. If for you Mattawa means trout, than you are in luck there as well since brown trout up to 4 pounds have been taken recently.

Jim from JCB in Cheshire told me that late March is behaving true to form – pike catching is improving. They are talking in terms of double-digit toothies from Cheshire Reservoir now! Jim’s sons have been traveling to the “hill town” ponds in the Berkshires and catching trout. Trout possibilities up there are Plainfield Pond, North Pond as well as Windsor Pond.

Dave from Merrimack Sports told me of coves on the Merrimack River which recently had 19” of ice and the pike fishing is great. However, because of the rain and the thaw you should exercise extreme caution if you are considering it. A more reliable option may be Lake Attitash in Amesbury where the perch, pickerel and bass bite has been consistent. Dave suggests you target the points on the lake for luck.

Fishing Forecast

It’s hard to love limbo, but that’s what many anglers find themselves in. There is no shortage of ice fishing options, but many are saying, “Hey, it’s nearly April!” For those, I expect for next week’s report to have some solid open-water trout options for the Southeast. For now, however, the only thing that’s still solid is much of the ice! For those who remain in hardwater heaven, Lake Mattawa has been a multi-species winner. Cheshire Reservoir pike are feeding in earnest as they prepare for the spawn. Lake Attitash in Amesbury has perch and bass and to find them focus in on the points. The Mystic River and Charles River are finally freeing up and a good bet to float a shiner. Just be careful of “mutant mallards.” Like a scene out of a black comedy, my friends Carl Vining and Dave Panarello have been besieged by carnivorous mallard ducks! Apparently there’s a fearsome foursome of mallards in the Mystics that have developed an appetite for meat – shiner meat! The two buddies swear that these things are following them around. They thought they outsmarted them by hiding out of view until they flew away. They thought wrong as these mallards have the eyes of an eagle. No sooner did the first shiner plop into the water than the mallards resumed their attack! You’ve been forewarned, be careful out there!