Massachusetts Fishing Report – April 9, 2015

Finally a lot of the waiting is being replaced by the catching! Trout are the primary target and they come in two forms – stocked rainbows and lake trout! While we are weeks away from a near-total immersion in the salt, stirring flounder and shops now carrying seaworms mean that the tug of something in the brine is a real possibility.

At last, anglers in the Northeast get theirs—trout that is! Biologists refer to the current crop of rainbow trout as 14+ fish. These better-than-usual stockies average about a pound – that’s a fun fish! Because there is less ice, the southernmost portion of Masswildlife’s Northeast District is getting most of the first-week stocking. But, they intend on hopping around when open water is available. Initial water quality results have been good at most of the places they are checking with oxygen and PH levels adequate for stockie survival. Get that PowerBait, Rooster Tails, Little Cleos and Thomas Colorados ready, the tout are here!

Meanwhile if you’re just jonesin’ after reading Jimmy Fee’s crankbait for bass tips, then Pete from Belsan’s in Scituate has a few ideas. Scituate Reservoir is a solid choice. Anglers attempting to ice-fish this place were promptly shooed off this year by police, so it was hardly pressured. Some say this place holds 10-pounders! Another spot where some real hawgs swim is Cohasset Reservoir. Honorable mention goes to Oldham Pond, Jacobs Pond and Lilly Pond. Don’t discount the cranberry bogs among the Southeast where not only bass lurk but plenty of 24-inch pickerel. Should you know of a place that gets infused with herring, now is the time to target those since the first wave of alewives are making headway into their natal watersheds and big bass will make up the welcoming committee.

If you prefer your fishing salty, it’s looking like flounder time. Most of the shops are making a concerted effort to carry sea worms in response to increasing interest toward flounder. On the South Shore, check out the harbors of Scituate and Cohasset. The rock barrier wall of Peggotty Beach is often an early flounder producer. You may also want to try the piers of Hull, such as the A Street Pier, the Hull Public Pier and Pemberton Pier. I’ve already heard of the first flounder being caught off the Nut Island Pier with a suspect “vintage” of clams. With fresh seaworms on the hook, your success rate is bound to improve. Castle Island and the Sugar Bowl have historically been good for early spring flounder. Or how about surfcasting from the harbor side of Deer Island? The Irish American and Native American memorials are in close proximity of Deer Island Flats, which is one of Boston’s Best early season flounder spots. If you have a boat, pram or kayak at the ready, check out the inner arm of the breakwater at Revere Beach. I was recently talking to my friend Bobby DeVincent of Saugus who grew up in Beachmont and he told me that it was this time of the year when his gang would catch loads of them here!

The muddy, dark bottom of Lynn Harbor from the mouth the Pines to Gaslight Park and out to Lynn Heritage Park I’m sure has flounder right now. Farther north, poke around Swampscott and Marblehead for your flounder fix. Regarding Swampscott, I spent an entertaining evening last night with a bunch of new friends at the Swampscott Yacht Club. It appeared that my audience enjoyed my presentation almost as much as I did! And I was pleased to hear of quality flounder, squid and striper fishing in nearby environs. What a great bunch of folks!

I received some good and some bad news from Eddie of B&A in West Boylston. The bad news is not all that unexpected: because of ice, the opening day for Wachusett Reservoir has been delayed for at least one more week with the DCR pinning their hopes on April 18^th. Yet, the laker fishing is just fine! How you ask? The Stillwater Basin baby! The portion of the Stillwater River that parallels Waushacum Street is open to fishing all year long and lake trout are taking shiners there right now! Shallow-planning spoons such as 3/8-ounce Krocodiles are a good choice also. Regarding Quabbin, Rod from Flagg’s is hearing of some DCR staff murmuring stuff about maybe May before boats are allowed to fish Quabbin – yikes! However, the official line is that Quabbin Reservoir will be open to shore fishing on April 18^th, while boating will be delayed until April 25^th. Of course this schedule is tentative and depends completely on the ‘berg finally giving up the ghost. I’ll do my best to keep you updated. Rod did make some comments about a few extreme ice fishermen gaining access to hardwater with planks. When the wood in your planks is as much a priority as the wood in your traps, I’d say it’s time to call it a season.

Much of the rest of Massachusetts is in limbo with unsafe ice preventing fishing opportunities. With consecutive 60-degree temperatures predicted throughout next week, look for that to change soon!

Fishing Forecast

Freshly stocked rainbow trout, which have not only been stocked throughout the Southeast District, are finally finding themselves throughout the Northeast District as well. Consult the Masswildife website Friday evening for an up-to-date list. For something big enough to potentially make a meal out of a stockie, rip a crankbait over the top of weeds of Jacobs Pond or bounce it off the bottom of Scituate Reservoir or Lilly Pond. A more salty option is the winter flounder, which are stirring among Scituate Harbor, off Gunstock Beach in Hull and off Deer Island and Swampscott. If you’re frustrated about the delay of opening day on Wachusett, take comfort knowing you can still get your forktail fix at the Stillwater Basin!