I have a friend, who has an uncle, who knows someone who heard that the Surgeon General recommends fishing as the best antidote for the tryptophan in turkey that the internet says causes sleepiness. And if the prospects of hooking up aren’t enough to perk you up after the big meal, surely the blustery winds of late should do the trick.
Even the diehards who were reveling in the balmy mid-November weather of last week are all saying the same thing. “Were we actually fishing last week?” The cranked-up winds and chill of this week have kiboshed most recent interest, but once conditions moderate there will be places to go and fish to catch. Rod from Flagg’s in Orange recommended walleye in the Connecticut River as a calorie converter. Patrons of his who he calls the “Melanson Boys” probe depressions with jigs/worms or jigs/shiners and do quite well. Two suggestions from Rod are the deep hole just downstream of the French King Bridge and the Northfield section of the river. The happiest anglers in the Orange area might just be the “retired guys” who have the solid trout fishing of Lake Mattawa all to themselves. Most of the trout are rainbows, but every once in a while a brown crashes the party. Best bets on the lake are by the boat ramp and at the culvert where the spring enters the lake. For a chance at a hawg largemouth, play it simple – right behind the shop at Lake Rohunta – and float a big shiner in weed pockets.
Some view the calendar as a reminder that the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year. Fans of the ‘Chu differ greatly knowing that the Wachusett Reservoir fishing season comes to a halt on November 30. Fortunately, according to Eddie, lake trout are helping ease the pain. Latest lucky spots are at Gates 8, 19, 33 and 35. If you’re looking to add a little color to all that laker brown, now is your best time to catch one of Wachusetts beautiful rainbows. Owing to the pristine conditions of the ‘Chu, the bows here grow to be especially colorful with a purplish sheen which is quite a treat for the eyes. They will prowl at the edge of drop-offs close to shore now, and a small shiner or gold spoon makes an enticing offering.
Eric from Lunkers suggests largemouth bass fishing in Farm Pond or Winthrop Lake as a good way to work off too many turkey day fixings. What little pressure has been applied to freshwater this fall has been mainly reserved for trout in Cochituate, Ashland and Hopkinton making black bass fishing underutilized. Another option to consider is crappie in the Waltham cove stretch of the Charles River and Fairhaven Bay off the Sudbury River.
Believe it or not, there are actually a few fishing for tuna still. The commercial fishery is closed, but according to my friend Captain Tom Ciulla, giants are almost easy pickings right now on the Southwest Corner of Stellwagen. In fact, a pal of Tom’s said that the fish are so aggressive that he has taken to “feeding” these monsters fresh mackerel boatside, similar to the videos you may have seen from PEI.
Pete from Belsan Bait in Scituate said that there is no shortage of mackerel, which you can find almost as soon as you clear the harbor, as well as occasionally inside. You may even be able to tempt a few from the Cedar Point Jetty. Most interest, however, remains sweetwater pursuits such as trout in Plymouth and largemouth bass fishing in Scituate and Artichoke Reservoirs. Yellow perch at this time of the year begin packing on weight and color; preferred perch picks are the Tar Pouch and Jacob Pond.
Lisa and Maria already oversee a shop that is base camp for smelt fisherman, but it just might minor for those targeting – tilapia! Apparently the catching we reported last week was not errant, those fish have become almost routine in Houghton Pond! David Do is catching three pounders on jigs/curly tail grubs and according to him they fight like heck. Lisa did tell me that had a laugh the other day when they spied in the fish case of a local supermarket – you guessed it, tilapia! And by the way while fishing for tilapia anglers are catching the occasional rainbow trout as well. David Do has also been catching hake on clams off World’s End. Summer Street in South Boston is ordinarily a great place to catch hake as well. While I can’t confirm that this year, I can report that they are catching smelt there. On the North Shore anglers are catching up to 20 smelt off the Congress Street Bridge according to Tomo of Tomo’s Tackle in salem.
Donny from Merrimack Sports said that there are all kinds of options up north that no-one is taking advantage of. For pike, he suggests the confluence between the Concord Rivers and the Merrimack Rivers. There are also surprising numbers of walleyes upstream of the Lawrence Dam. This big water body also holds over striped bas, so you never know what you’ll catch. For bass Donny prefers the Pow Wow River, which connects Lake Attitash with Gardner Lake. If you crave crappie, Big Island Pond is the place for you!
Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
Work off those extra calories you consumed by taking a walk along the shore of Wachusett Reservoir. Hike the stretch from Gate 7 out toward the Tahonto School running-and-gunning with spoons for bows and a potential big laker. Suspend a slab shiner on the South Shore in Scituate Reservoir for a chance at an oversized largemouth. If you’re feeling guilty from a few too many sweets on Thanksgiving, add some fish in the form of smelt or hake to your diet. The bite is on off Summer Street and Congress Street in Salem. Of course, you can always substitute that turkey for – tilapia!