Massachusetts Fishing Report – March 9, 2017

As we wait for the “lamb” of March to hurry up and get here, the lion seems to have morphed into a rabid sabretooth tiger! Undaunted by the wind and the chill, however, those fine folks at the hatcheries remain busy stocking ponds, lakes and rivers throughout the Commonwealth with trout!

Western Massachusetts Fishing Report

Of course the Wachusett faithful don’t give a darn about stocked trout. Their dreams are preoccupied with 36-inch lake trout. Eddie of B&A said that the reservoir briefly skimmed over again, but the thaw/wind combination put an end to that concern. The robust rainbow smelt population could be viewed as both a blessing and a curse. When this cyclical species—some biologists suggest their amplitude follows a seven-year cycle—bottoms out, the lakers and salmon tend to be more spread out among the 37 miles of shoreline. But, when numbers are up as they have been the last few years, then it’s often feast or famine depending on whether you are wetting a line where there are smelt or not. This is why it’s a good idea to be prepared to be on the move. The worst of all fates is to be obliviously getting skunked while there is a massacre the next cove over!

Some believe smelt spawn around the first new moon of April. But with such unusual and prolonged ice-free conditions the spawn may occur a bit earlier, and with the March new moon scheduled for the 28th of this month, the best bite may occur as soon as you are able to wet a line, which this year is Saturday April 1.

B&A is beginning to stock all the magic metal you’ll need. If I had to pick one deep water spoon, it would be the ¾-ounce red/gold Kastmaster. For the shallows, which will be productive at dawn and on cloudy days, you’ll need something less dense such as a 2/5-ounce Little Cleo or 5/8-ounce Krocodile. Other killer colors are metallic perch, firetiger (for first light), blue/chrome and orange/gold. What’s not good news is that the big, old much-maligned pine tree just upstream of the Singing Bridge on the Stillwater River bit the dust and is now sprawled throughout that stretch of the river, blocking one of the best drifts/pools in any of the Chu’ tributaries. This is one conifer which seems determined to haunt even in death. While upright, it resembled a Christmas Tree more than an evergreen being “decorated” with all manner of leaders, bobbers, flies and lures. Spawning salmon will be able to circumvent it come fall but one giant monkey wrench has now been thrown into fishing that stretch of the river.

Berkshires Report

From Paul K Tawczynski of chartertheberkshires.com:

Open water abounds right now in The Berkshires.

Trout stocking has begun, but on a limited basis for now. The weather simply cannot make up it’s mind, going from warm and rainy one day to below zero and snowy the next. Please for the Love of God don’t get any bright ideas and try the ice out after a few cold nights….it simply is NOT safe right now, the water temps have risen to the point that even a few cold nights will not make enough ice safe to venture out on.

The rains have made the rivers a bit higher than last week, and a bit more muddy making it a challenge to the guys who are targeting the first spring native trout. Speed is the key to finding these fish, once the rivers teem with aggressive stock rainbows the native fish will become elusive once more. Patience with a floating rig will work wonders, but you’ll have to pick apart every current break and eddy to find feeding fish.

Pickerel are the stars of the show right now, as they are this time of year every year. Aggressive strikes on anything flashy make these green toothy fish a popular quest in the Berkshires. They are found virtually everywhere, don’t always hold tight to cover, and have a bent attitude that makes them strike seemingly at will. A silver 1/2oz PK Flutterfish over the weeds will almost always produce a pickerel, but if not, try a 1/4oz Booyah Pond Magic spinnerbait with a Chartreuse Skirt and Orange Blades…..works every time!

If you are going to target pike, now is the time for big females. The early morning bite (absolute First Light!!!) is key for the females as they patrol shallow spawning flats. Good Polarized glasses are a must in order to see them before they see you. An erratic action, High water Column, NOT surface bait will work wonders. I have recently discovered the

Bent Minnow from Game ON lures in Connecticut to be my go-to early season lure. It’s not something they see often, and (not giving away secrets) once you figure out how to get the right action from it, it will change your approach to shy fish.
Bass are waking up and an early morning topwater bite has produced a few nice fish for me already. My old stand by is Still a Rebel Pop-R…Can’t beat the noise level on such a small profile! You still won’t catch many…but nothing beats a topwater strike from a bass.

Carp should start moving again once we pass the cold snap this weekend!

South Shore/Greater Boston Fishing Report

Hopefully by now you’ve seen OTW’s video on fishing for pickerel “on the rocks”! It’s sure to give you a new appreciation for this unheralded native toothy. I asked Pete from Belsan’s for a few best bets on where to get “slimed” and without hesitation he said, “Cohasset Reservoir has some monstrous pickerel”! Other options are Lilly Pond, also in Cohasset and Jacob Pond in Norwell. The hatchery trucks are making their way closer to the Scituate area and when they do, I would not be surprised if they don’t put brookies locally as well as rainbows.

Rod from Arlington B&T said that he did just fine the past winter in spite of the local junk ice for most of the season. The pilgrimage you folks made out west after buying bait saved him and other shops. For something to file away for some frozen February in the future is the impressive growth rate which the Spy Pond tiger muskies are showing. Some of the 13″ fingerlings of last year are now 18″ killers! If you fish for them, pass on the bait and opt for barbless lures. Just imagine what it will be like when these fish become double-digit toothies!

Eric from Lunkers in Ashland was stoked at the good news that both Ashland Reservoir and Hopkinton Reservoir have been stocked with rainbows. The shop is carrying shiners, worms, Power Bait and all the lures you will need to tackle that first trout of the year.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

David from Merrimack Sports told me that the white perch bite where the Shawsheen meets up with the Merrimack has quieted somewhat. With less prey, there has also been less pike, but they are still around. A better bet for a perch-run ready for liftoff is at the Exeter River in New Hampshire, which should be gaining traction right now. For early-season pickerel, check out Artichoke Reservoir as well as Pawtuckaway Lake. When asked about holdover stripers in the Merrimack, he merely snickered about what is obviously a clandestine pursuit. I’m sure if you properly patronize the shop, he and Donny will clue you in on the particulars! Expect trout to be stocked in that area of the Northeast District next week.

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

Once the wind stalls, the snow clears and temperatures normalize we’ll have trout, trout and more trout to fish for throughout most of Massachusetts. If you’re looking for more than just rainbows, check out the Southeast District and Connecticut Valley Regions on Masswildlife’s stocking schedule list, those places also have brookies and brown trout respectively. If you’re juiced to get slimed by a pickerel, then on the South Shore check out the twin dynamos of Cohasset – Lilly Pond and Cohasset Reservoir! On the North Shore consider Artichoke Reservoir and Pawtuckaway Lake. If you’re looking for a member of the Esox clan that is a little more menacing, then the pike prowling the Merrimack River might be the answer.