Massachusetts Fishing Report - March 10, 2016

UPDATE: The following waterbodies have been stocked with trout as of March 11, 2016:

Northeast District

Ashland: Ashland Reservoir
Boston: Jamaica Pond
Framingham: Lake Cochituate
Franklin: Uncas Pond
Haverhill: Lake Saltonstall
Hopkinton: Hopkinton Reservoir, Whitehall Reservoir
Methuen: Forest Lake
Milton: Houghton’s Pond
Natick: Dug Pond, Lake Cochituate
Wenham: Pleasant Pond
Woburn: Horn Pond
Wrentham: Lake Pearl

Central District

Brookfield: South Pond
Douglas: Wallum Lake
Hubbardston: Comet Pond
Lunenburg: Whalom Lake
Petersham: Conners Pond
Rutland: Long Pond
Sturbridge: Big Alum Pond
Webster: Webster Lake
Worcester: Quinsigamond Lake

Connecticut Valley

Brimfield: Dean, Sherman, Little Alum
Holland: Hamilton Reservoir
Ludlow: Chapin
Palmer: Forest
Springfield: Fivemile, Lorraine, Loon
Ware/Palmer: Swift, Peppermill
Wilbraham: Spectacle, Ninemile

 

Massachusetts Fishing Report

Anglers sometimes wrangle with the effects water temperatures have on early season success regarding saltwater pursuits. I’ve often heard the proclamation: “They show up at the same time, same place every year, temperature be dammed!” I however, beg to differ with that theory and if Mother Nature keeps blowing El Nino breezes our way, we can expect early-season success on everything from flounder to striped bass!

On Wednesday while in the throes of spring fever, Captain Jason Colby and I were discussing past early season success on flounder. The earliest he ever launched was on April 13, 2012 and this was incentivized by a non-winter such as this one. Water temperatures on that day were 44 degrees and about 20 minutes into chumming and soaking bait at Portuguese Cove off Peddock Island, I stuck a 16-inch flounder and all was right in the heavens! Some reports have Boston Harbor water temperatures already nearing that mark! Unquestionably, flounder are already inshore and spawning. But not all spawn and it’s a simple matter of degrees to get those blackbacks into a feeding mood.

Two angling-associates of my friend Dave Panarello have been witnessing a bird-show the last few days from Winthrop Beach out through Broad Sound! The feeling is that these are river herring ready to enter the harbor in preparation for a run into the rivers.  If holdover striper activity is any barometer, then those herring are going to be pounced on as soon as they begin heading upstream. Dave and Carl Vining have been enjoying a Boston bass bite which flies in the face of the calendar!

If you need another anecdote that things are going to kick in early, Noel Leslie of Bridge Street Bait—AKA the seaworm king—has been seeing gulls feasting on spawning seaworms on mudflats on the North Shore. This is very early and if the gulls are feeding from above just maybe the flounder are feeding from below! You might find feeding flounder in Cohasset Harbor as well as the mouth of the Mystic River. Late last fall, friends who were trolling a tube and worm by the railroad bridge were getting harassed by some unforeseen adversary that they could not hook. Finally one guy downsized his hook, dropped a worm on the bottom and began picking off flounder! This is a likely early season as well as a late season flounder spot.

Lisa from Fore River in Quincy has patrons poking around Nut Island Pier for flounder but no word yet on any catches. Tomo of Salem has some patrons who have fared better with catches coming from Fisherman’s Beach in Swampscott as well as Lynn Harbor. The problem is that due to lack of demand, shops are not carrying seaworms yet. If you commit to buying a flat, maybe divvying it up with some buddies, than Noel from Bridge Street in Salem should take care of you. For obvious reasons seaworms are a far more effective bait than frozen clams of questionable vintage.

Eddie of B&A in West Boylston feels as if he’s the Wachusett Reservoir information hotline, he’s fielding so many questions about opening day. It looks as if April 2^nd is a go but considering how tempting the Stillwater Basin looks right now, you may not want to wait. The shop is loaded with wares custom-made for Wachusett including the hard-to-get gold 1 ounce Acme Trophy Spoons. The hammered finish on these offerings presents a different look than the smooth shiny finish of a Kastmaster and is often more effective when jigged in deep water. Many await news that the hatchery trucks have visited their favorite fishing hole, but others such as Russ Eastman of Monahan prefer tempting a wily holdover brown trout from the Deerfield River. Russ recently had success at the confluence of the Deerfield and Cold Brook. Often rivers run murky this time of the year so Russ opted for a chartreuse Daredevil and did it ever get noticed! The talk is of trout on the North Shore as well as the rest of the Northeast District of Masswildlife. The biologists and hatchery folks have been busy stocking rainbow trout throughout the Southeast and Northeast Districts this week.  This year however there is the unusual bonus of brown trout in the very first stocking! By the time this weekend is here expect to see 12” plus brown trout swimming around in Forest Lake in Methuen as well as Lake Saltonstall in Haverhill!

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

If a river with wily holdovers is more to your liking than check out the Cold Brook section of the Deerfield River or the Stillwater Basin.  Regarding a different sort of holdover, namely one with stripes, surging temperatures are causing a spike in resident striped bass behavior in Greater Boston Rivers. Warming mudflats have energized seaworms and the birds have taken notice. Try soaking seaworms in Cohasset Harbor, the Sugar Bowl, the mouth of the Mystic River and Lynn Harbor and see if flounder have also taken notice of those seaworms!

Also, Surfcasters can get their fix at the Plum Island Surfcasters 20th Annual Fishing Show taking place this weekend at the Hope Church Gymnasium in Newburyport.