Massachusetts Fishing Report - February 25, 2016

Provided that the “lion” of March doesn’t roar, this will surely go down as one of the wimpiest winters in memory. While ice fishermen have viewed this with all the enthusiasm of a root canal, open-water enthusiasts are seizing the opportunity to be casting and catching in late February!

The upside to an iceless winter, which for all practical purposes is what we experienced on the South Shore of Massachusetts, is that the pre-spring is usually better since the fish were less harried. Foremost among those less-pressured potential honey holes are cranberry bogs. Pete of Belsan’s in Scituate said that sweetwater sharpies know that big pickerel, bass and panfish thrive in many of these under-appreciated gems. A smattering of bogs exist in Scituate, Norwell, Pembroke, Marshfield and Carver. Sometimes access is obvious for a pram, kayak or other small craft, and other times it’s there for the polite asking of the owner. Two in the Scituate area that have been productive through the years are off Cross Street and Old Oaken Bucket Road. Of course, shiners will work wonders as will a shallow-running crankbait.

Soon the hatchery trucks will be making their anxiously anticipated deliveries (maybe as early as next week!), meanwhile many are finding the holdover trout fishing in Long Pond much better than previous years since ice fishing pressure was so light. It’s great to have Lisa from Fore River B&T once again contributing to the report. The shop is selling shiners and other freshwater gear as anglers are taking advantage of open water in Whitman’s Pond, Jamaica Pond and the Brookline Reservoir. Odds are good that both Houghton’s and Ponkapoag are open as well; the last 24 hours has been a perfect storm for ice-melting and literally overnight open water abounds. Lisa is getting requests about seaworms and flounder. Flounder are spawning right now in estuaries and bays but the problem is that few are feeding. It takes temperatures of at least the upper 40 degree range to put them in the mood to feed. When we’ve fished for them early in the season, we found that we were snagging a lot. The flounder showed interest and would bump the bait but not inhale it and we wound up foul-hooking the blackbacks. Soaking bait from Nut Island or from the piers of Hull could result in just one or none, but if you catch no more than a sunny, mid-50-degree day in late February, then you’d be hard pressed to call that a loss!

Eric from Lunkers in Ashland told me that patrons have greeted the open-water possibilities with gusto! Holdover browns have been the prize for anglers floating a shiner in Hopkinton Reservoir while Ashland Reservoir has been a better choice for rainbows. No world on Walden and White’s yet but with ice giving up the ghost in a grand scale I’d be surprised if at least Walden was not mostly open.

Tom’s Bait in Saugus is stocking shiners and worms and some have been putting those to good use by the boat ramp at Sluice Pond in Lynn. This urban kettle pond is heavily stocked and it’s a safe bet that there are plenty of leftover rainbows from the fall stocking. Nearby Flax Pond should be mainly free of ice by now; a lively shiner could entice a bite from a still-lethargic Larry.

I asked Noel of Bridge Street Sports, who knows more about seaworms and their relationship with flounder than probably anyone in the state, for some early season optimism towards catching a late February flattie and he was convinced that they are inshore already but probably not feeding much. Regardless, he knows of divers who have seen them this time of the year off Marblehead Neck, Manchester Harbor and Magnolia. Noel used to catch them this time of the year among mudflats in Salem Harbor. Specific spots he mentioned were Derby Wharf and Eagle Island. If demand is there for seaworms, Noel will send out his diggers in response.

Fishing Forecast

Literally overnight, many water bodies have opened up with countless casting possibilities now a reality. Long Pond is one of your best bets for trout on the South Shore. If stockies aren’t your bag than work a shiner or shallow-running plug among the plethora of cranberry bogs along Southeastern Massachusetts. Hopkinton and White Pond should be productive for brown trout. Flounder are inshore now even if they are attending to matters other than feeding you may be able to coax a hit off Nut Island pier, the piers of Hull, Deer Island or Lynn. With Sunday looking like the pick of the weekend even if the catching could be better it would be a fine way to spend the day.