Massachusetts Fishing Report - December 17, 2015

I’m not sure if they are arriving courtesy of Donder and Cupid and the rest of Santa’s steady steed of “reindeer”, but shops are ordering shiners thanks to demand – finally!  With no ice in sight many are taking advantage of rare winter casting opportunities. If you’d like a salty alternative, smelt should be in your sights.

Rod from Arlington B&T has been selling big bait for those targeting big bass throughout the Upper and Lower Mystic Lakes. Another big bass option is the coves of the Charles River in Waltham. While this once productive pike place has gone cold, you never know if an outsized toothy is still prowling around there. The fall stocking of trout draws but a fraction of the attention the spring does and some ponds such as Comet, Horn and Jamaica sometimes seem as if they are boiling with rainbows as they pluck midges from the surface.  Spy Pond has pike and few anglers trying now. This is typical as the fair weather crowd has quit yet there is no ice to draw the hardwater junkies. Now could be that rare opportunity you’ve been looking for to catch a nice pike in open water.   I was encouraged to hear from Eddie of B&A in West Boylston that even though Wachusett Reservoir is closed for the season, he’s still ordering shiners, some big ones at that! There are some hot “hawg” bass spots nearby such as Fort Pond, South Meadow as well as the adjacent Coach Lakes. Quinsigamond has been quiet as far as fishing pressure is concerned but this big water body has a reputation for giving up big pike. Eddie suggests the south side of the lake if you’d like to try for pike but you better hit the shop early for the biggest bait.

A few fishermen are spending some time among the Stillwater Basin soaking shiners for lakers in the only spot you can legally fish for them in Massachusetts this time of the year. These guys are repeat customers so they must be onto something.

Rodney Flagg of Flagg’s Fly and Tackle in Orange said that there is much interest in the trout fishery in the Swift River. The catch and release areas such as the Y Pool get the most attention so downsizing your presentation to as tiny as a number 24 Jailbird helps! When asked for his personal favorite, Rod said he’d skip out on this heavily fished area entirely and spend some at Bondsville which is heavily stocked and lightly fished.

Two Connecticut Valley Region gems worth mentioning according to Rodney are the North and South Spectacle Ponds. These pristine places which are in the shadows of Quabbin Reservoir are packed with big crappie, bass and some of the nicest hornpout you’ve even seen. And the homely hornpout is a thing of beauty on the dinner table when taken out of clean water.

Dave from Merrimack Sports said that the shop is carrying pike shiners for the sharpies who are catching in the Merrimack. As he put it, “the river is loaded” with pike! Look for current edges where the pike will lurk among quieter stretches and ambush unsuspecting prey. Starting points are the effluence of the Shawsheen and the Merrimack, upstream of the Lawrence Dam, coves and the stretch by the Haverhill incinerator. In addition to bait, the pike will bust chatterbaits and magnum sized spinnerbaits.

For bass, float a big shiner in weed pockets at Tewksbury Pond. And for trout, fall stockings mean there are no shortage of rainbow trout in Forest Lake, Lake Saltonstall, Stiles Pond and Baldpate Pond.

Smelt have moved upstream and if you’re fall spots have gone cold you can almost trace a line to where they can be found in upstream rivers and tributaries! According to Lisa from Fore River B&T the Town River behind the CVS on the Southern Artery is fishing really well now. I’ve also been hearing good things about the Belle Isle Creek culvert by the VFW in Beachmont. I suspect the same thing can be said about the Chelsea Creek Bridge on Broadway by the skating rink! Business has been so brisk that the shop has been selling out of grass shrimp, although they are looking to reload by this weekend. While that’s all good, the bad is that the shop is closing for most of the winter after Christmas. But that’s then and that’s not the case now, so hit the shop hard this weekend for gear and grass shrimp and take advantage of the “pain-free, frost-free” smelt fishing while it lasts!

Best Bets for the Weekend

Even if your stocking next week is not full of goodies don’t despair, you can at least count on ice-free guides while you’re fishing! Trout are the top ticket and there are no shortage of them swimming around in Jamaica Pond, Horn Pond, Comet Pond and Forest Lake.  For bigger game, toss a big shiner next to a weedline in the Mystic Lakes, South Meadow Pond or one of the North and South Spectacle Ponds. The latter locations have some impressive crappy as well. If a “hawg” still isn’t big enough for your liking then try a pike shiner wherever there’s a current seam in the Merrimack River. If the holidays to you is a traditional meal of fresh smelt than have no fear, not only are they biting but they are as close as the Town River in Quincy and the Belle Isle Creek in Beachmont. Look at it and the weather as a yuletide gift from the fish gods! Here’s too many more gifts for you this holiday season and may more than a few of those gifts have fins!