Massachusetts Fishing Report – March 30, 2017

Frozen and frustrated anglers are running out of examples to describe what a monster this March has been. The latest is that even though trout are a coldwater species, plummeting temperatures have even put them off their feed. One remedy worth considering is Wachusett Reservoir, which opens for business this Saturday. If there ever was a critter that has no problem feeding in cold water, lake trout are it!

Ramping Up For The Reservoir

After a winter season where Eddie of B&A in West Boylston was feeling like the proverbial Maytag Repairman (not much to do!), he finds himself hopping as if he’s on a pogo stick from all the interest in Wachusett Reservoir. Last check, skim ice was still present from the causeway through the Old Stone Church, but it was on its last leg. The rest of the reservoir is free and clear. If the weather forecast holds true, then “clear” would not be an apt description for the environmental conditions regarding the ‘Chu as snowfall up to 8 inches is expected to fall through Saturday. For the dogged, this may be a good thing as it will ward off fair-weather fishermen.

The last time we were taken for a “fool” on April 1st, the Wachusett area was 20 years ago, when we were walloped with about 3 feet of snow. The few who were not dismayed made a killing. The following opening day, I happened to be set up right next to one of the crews who took part in the “expedition” and the tales of awesome fishing were nothing short of torturous to hear of secondhand. Don’t be dismayed by a few inches of snow – your reward could be some incredible fishing! The shop is loaded to the ceiling with all the proper Wachusett goodies, with the noted exception to the Gut-A-Bite strike indicators. The machinist who was the last to fashion them has lost his capability to do so. What separates the Gut-A-Bite from lesser systems is that it allows a determined, powerful fish to freely take line off the spool without drag. Considering the size of what swims in Wachusett, giving line to a big laker can be the difference between catching a trophy verses losing the fish or even the rod! An alternative, which one of the Chu’s better anglers, Danny Morin, showed me years ago, can be fashioned from a small rubberband, a small orange oblong float, and a piece of pipe cleaner. The rubber band’s role is to fit over the fore grip of the rod and lightly hold the line coming from the open spool. Select a rubber band that will fit over your fore grip snugly. The strike indicator can be made by halving one of the floats, drilling a hole through the middle and then threading the pipe cleaner through the hole so that the pipe cleaner sticks out both ends. Since pipe cleaners are malleable, bend both ends into roughly a hook shape. “Hook” one end over a taught line just beyond the spool post-cast as the rod rests in the rod holder. When a fish pulls line the strike indicator will drop to the ground and it overwhelmingly falls free from the line, leaving you clear to fight that Wachusett beast.

South Shore/Greater Boston Fishing Report

The hatchery storks finally visited the Scituate area, according to Pete from Belsan’s Bait and with 2-pound brook trout the reward, it was worth the wait. He’s heard good things about Tack Factory Pond and Norris Reservation. Shiner soakers are catching largemouth bass from Scituate Reservoir, Lilly Pond and some of the no-name cranberry bogs. For a chance at a smallie just starting to stir try a suspending a jerk bait in front of marked fish in Long Pond or Great Herring Pond, both of which are in Plymouth.

It seems no-one wants to be the first to chuck out a wad of clams for cod, but March has been the month when you could catch from shore. Three historic South Shore shore spots are Cedar Point, Duxbury Beach (especially High Pine Ledge) and The Gurnet.

Few fished for them, but a clandestine cadre had their way on cod in Boston Harbor last season, more so than in years. With less of a directed fishery from the commercial fleet, a few were slipping through between the B Buoy and the BG Buoy and the pictures I saw were of some impressive fish up to 10 pounds! When cod numbers were up, March would be the time they would cruise through Nantasket Roads and President Roads and would be fair game for anglers fishing off Deer Island, Drydock Ave, Castle Island and Nut Island. Lisa from Fore River said that she is getting many inquiries from anglers waiting for news of the first but not wanting to be the first. Back in the day, we grappled with a trout verses cod conundrum because we would catch them right about the time trout would be stocked. It wasn’t always bliss, especially when the cod were not cooperating while we had a hunch the Jamaica Pond trout were! Lisa did mention a promise of better things to come, namely the first herring sightings in the Weymouth Back River. Once they appear, the biggest holdover stripers a river has to offer awaken.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

Tomo from Tomo’s Tackle talked of tackle-busting brutes when we spoke Thursday morning, but he was recalling a tuna trip he just returned from off the Outer Banks. While it’s hard to segue from Sushi to perch, he told me he has scouts sniffing around the Squamscott and Exeter rivers in Great Bay for the first signs of the annual white perch run. He expects to have seaworms in stock soon for the perch and the flounder fans who usually catch a few this time of the year off The Fishermen’s Beach in Swampscott and Lynn Harbor. Meanwhile, salters are getting some relief thanks to rainbows from Sluice Pond and Horn Pond.

David from Merrimack Sports said that some of the rainbows and browns anglers are catching from Round Pond in Haverhill are 18 inches plus! One guy who had some serious game said that the fish hit anything as long as it was silver! There is a lot of silver flashing in the tanks of the shop from big pike shiners. Dave feels that most any cove in the Merrimack, upstream and downstream of the dam, offers a real chance at a pike. Current cushions – eddies, seams, and tributaries – are all worthy of working a big a shiner through. In spite of the cold, largemouth bass are hitting at the Artichoke Reservoir as well as Powwow Pond with “meat” being the magic.

Berkshires Report From Paul K Tawczynski of chartertheberkshires.com:
It seems Mother Nature has finally decided that we can have a bit of spring weather, even if only for a few days. Many if not most of the lakes still have a partial skim of ice on them which makes navigation dangerous with a boat, however smaller vessels can easily still get out to access the freshly stocked trout.

The early season favorite around here by far has been a 1/4 oz PK Flutterfish in either the Rainbow Trout or Silver color. It has a unique wobble which is more erratic that the old standby’s like a Buoyant or Phoebe. The Flutterfish has been a “Secret Weapon” for years, but the cat is finally out of the bag! You also cannot go wrong with powerbait on a bottom rig. The early season colors have been Chartreuse and Fluorescent white.

The Pike bite for those able to access them has been as erratic as the weather. Top water baits worked well on any days that the water wasn’t skimmed over with ice in the morning. A heddon Popping Spook in Bone / Chartreuse Head produced several nice fish for me. As the day progressed, switching to Inline Spinners. Inhaler spinners have been doing great, and now that the state has started stocking trout, the Big Daddy Inhaler spinner has got me several nice bites.

Carp are still not showing up in numbers yet, another few degrees of water temperature and they should become more active.

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

Talk of trout has transitioned from any old stockie to 2-pound brookies in Scituate and 20-inch browns in Haverhill. For a shot at a stocked trout big enough to eat, the mighty Wachusett Reservoir opens for business this Saturday, snow be dammed! The other big fish possibility remains pike from the Merrimack, Concord and, what could be a sleeper, the Shawsheen.