Massachusetts Fishing Report – November 17, 2016

Pictured above: It may be mid-November, but there are still quality stripers lurking in Boston Harbor.

The calendar may say mid-November, but temperatures both above and below the water tell a different story. As if 60-degree days and 52-degree water temperatures weren’t enough, Mother Nature is occasionally still throwing out 25-pound stripers just to really confuse things.

Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Report

While some view November and its diminishing sporting opportunities with all the enthusiasm they reserve for a yard full of leaves, Russ Eastman of Monahan Marine yearns for the Deerfield River and for that matter a field full of Deer. He has been hearing promising scuttlebutt about the trout fishing at Fife Brook Dam as well as at the effluence of Cold Brook. These fish have seen quite a few offerings so Russ will often tempt and dupe them with alternative baits such as Yo-Zuri Pins Minnows and Rebel Wee Crawfish. The Deerfield is liberally stocked with rainbows, brookies, tigers and browns but also features wild populations of both brook trout and brown trout.

Rodney of Flagg’s Fly and Tackle in Orange suggests you use a fly to tempt those trout in the Deerfield River. Rod is a decades-long fly-tying master who recommends the Royal Coachman, Rainbow Magic and Multi Dick patterns. Be prepared to downsize your presentation, which is often just the trick for leery trout. Another trout/river best bet is the Miller River where about 1000 brown trout were recently stocked. Additionally, there have been a lot of rainbows in the 15″ to 17″ bracket. For warm water species check out the North and South Spectacle Ponds, which feature healthy populations of crappie and largemouth bass. If you’re wondering what to use to fool a crappie, Rod ties a killer jig/feather combination that works great on crappie.

Eddie of B&A in West Boylston said that while salmon are still spawning in both the Quinapoxet and Stillwater Rivers, many are finished and dropping down. His friend “Billy” took a couple of spawned-out females on worms out of the Stillwater Basin. No reports of trophy brown trout encounters this weekend, but survivor rainbows and browns from the last stocking are keeping anglers interest piqued. While crappie get scant attention in Wachusett with all the cold-water species highlights there are some real slabs cruising around the Thomas Basin. You don’t have to get fancy, small shiners and 1/18th-ounce Mepps spinners should do. Laker accounts are often sounding like the tail of two water bodies – little wonder with such a massive reservoir – with some talking in terms of non-stop action and others wondering where the fish are! Good results have been coming from the Gate 6 and Scar Hill sides of the reservoir. For starts, Eddie suggests you stick with big shiners.

Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Report

November is when that fine line between “holdover” striped bass and migrant gets a little blurry. Blurry could also describe angler’s tear-distorted vision when launching in pre-dawn darkness looking for that one, last “good one”! Rest assured they are out there, but they don’t come easy and you can expect skunkings which will sorely test your resolve. Of course, when you lip, photo and then release a mid-November mid-20 pounder, odds are that the sacrifice will be well worth it. What has enabled me to catch nice fish well into November (and beyond!) is my Hobie Kayak. More specifically I bought a Revolution 13 from Monahan Marine and it has revolutionized my fishing in many capacities. At my core, I’m always going to be a surf fisherman, but since the beginning of October, every significant fish I’ve taken has been courtesy of that Hobie; if you’ve been kicking around the idea of checking out how the kayak side lives I heartily recommend you give it a try!

Pete from Belsan Bait in Scituate said that there has been bass/bird action recently off First Cliff. The “show” was not sampled so size is unknown. For a crack at a bigger Pete suggests you cruise upstream of the North River and target the “structure” by “couch cemetery”, Blueberry Island and Union Street in Marshfield. For a surer thing try for mackerel which are cruising close to the coast and may even be encountered from shore!

Lisa from Fore River B&T said that one of her customers encountered the handiwork of a “bucket biologist” at Houghton’s Pond in Canton. While fishing for trout, he caught a good-sized tilapia, which I’m fairly certain are not part of Masswildlife’s hatchery program. Not only is releasing invasive species in a water body illegal, but it can do irreparable damage to an ecosystem – leave the stocking to the biologists! The few who are relentless and are still on the striper chase are after stripers which are after river herring fry throughout Greater Boston Rivers. Among the determining factors, I’d list rain as the biggest trigger. The flow brought on by rain washes the hapless herring downstream and the stripers know it! Look for any sort of structure in the middle of the current where stripers will stage to ambush and you will increase your odds of catching. This becomes increasingly important as water temperatures drop out of the stripers comfort zone. Low light matters with nighttime best but a cloudy day may buy you a few extra morning hours.

It’s still looking like a better year for smelt than the previous few and the demand for grass shrimp from Fore River is proof! The ladies at the shop are carrying live shrimp during the weekend and fresh frozen during the week. The hot spot of the week which hasn’t been mentioned is the Fore River! Honorable mention should go to Nut Island.

With all the hoopla of the Buzzards Bay blackfish bite, you may have longed for something closer. Russ Eastman of Monahan Marine told me that he has a few customers who have been catching them off the ledges of Hull such as Harding’s and Ultonia. While you’re at it, you might even want to check out Strawberry Ledge. However, if you’re yearning for “real” tog fishing than you might be able to jump aboard Captain Colby’s Little Sister out of Westport. Don’t delay, by the time you’re reaching for that second helping of turkey, Jason will have finished up his last trip of what was an awesome year!

On the North Shore the steadiest action is courtesy of mackerel. They have also been the source of heartbreak as amped up anglers toss their wares into obvious surface feeds which wind up not being the signature of stripers but rather – mackerel! Still fun, but…just not the same! While Tomo from Tomo’s Tackle is busy battling tarpon south of the border, his shop mate Joe is pulling double-duty. Joe wishes he had more to add to the report but other than mackerel, there’s not much going on! A few have attempted to catch smelt locally but other than fresh air and exercise they haven’t had much to show for their efforts!

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

If you’re looking for that special freshwater fix, take a trip to Wachusett Reservoir where lakers are as close to shore as they get all season! And speaking of season, the scary part is that the season will end in less than two weeks! For a season with longer legs, smelt fishing is peaking at Hewitts Cove, the Fore River, Nut Island and Winthrop Harbor. Should you hook a nice jack smelt don’t delay in cranking it up – stripers still lurk in Boston Harbor. Regarding seasons which are ready to expire, you may still have time to jump aboard Jason Colby’s Little Sister for tautog. Not only is it fun, but those fresh blackfish fillets is a better for you than a bowl full of stuffing!