We are nearing the third week of November and there’s no escaping the fact that the stripers of summer are gone. A possible consolation is that smelt have become easier to find and catch with some anglers even achieving limits! Elsewhere, there is a lot of freshwater action, especially among blue-ribbon salmonoid spots out west, which underscores the “sweet” in sweetwater!
Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Report
It’s often been said that it’s not wise to leave fish for the possibility of other fish, so it’s little wonder that Patrick Barone of Early Rise Outfitters is still laser-focused on trout in the Swift River. While not on redds yet, more brook trout have been making the upstream trip to established pools and other fishy-looking lairs. Naturally, you’ll encounter more trout in the C&R stretches but those pressured trout are fussy. Because of that it’s wise to rotate your offerings after only a few casts to sighted fish. Still, with the spawn imminent, you could do a lot worse than stick to egg patterns. While all-in on the trout, Patrick is hearing word of pike on the prowl among toothy strongholds in the Berkshires and other spots out west.
Eddie of B And A in West Boylston said that business is far brisker this year thanks to improved numbers of 4-pound-plus lake trout. Shiners are good, yellow perch fry great, and for a metallic perch, Kastmaster is best of all because of the utility of being able to work over more water. Best Gates have been 8, 25, 30, 35 and 36. Smallies are still hanging in close with reports of fish to over 4 pounds still coming in. Salmon continue to pile into the Stillwater and rainfall should awaken the Quinapoxet from its stupor. With so much attention on the Stillwater, resident brown trout in the Quinapoxet may be less wary and more inclined to be caught.
Don from Merrimack Sports said that pike accounts in the Concord River are resulting in demand for big bait. However, some fish shiners or worms on the bottom of the Merrimack wherever it meets up with tributaries and they catch white catfish. These game cats are far different than bullheads as they grow bigger, prefer faster water and fight much better. For trout, Donnie prefers Plugs Pond in Haverhill where in addition to recently stocked rainbows there have been catches of holdover brown trout. For “bronze bass,” it’s hard to top the Merrimack River where you can catch them from Rocks Village in West Newbury to as far upstream as you can reach!
Saltwater
Regulars of Fore River are not only talking of still catching well into November but they are even recording “limits” of smelt! Boston’s Reserve Channel remains one of the most consistent historical places to catch smelt. Some anglers are sniffing around and finding access among the extensive wharves which define this channel and reaching 50-fish limits. At Nut Island in Quincy, a Sabiki rig has been standard issue among the regulars. Recently one guy was observed catching mackerel on a larger rig while next to him another angler was catching smelt with a downsized Sabiki.
Tomo from Tomo’s Tackle said that some surf guys are suffering from such a severe case of striper-withdrawal that they are taken to surfcasting for mackerel! There have been strange sightings off Salem Willows lately with guys loading up 12-foot-long distance lure-launchers with Sabiki rigs weighted and whipped toward the horizon for mackerel, that’s desperation to the Nth degree! There may just be a therapeutic solution not far away. Just this past Tuesday, my friend Joe Holey got a call from his Dad, Joe Sr., imploring him to make haste and get the heck down to Nahant Beach where there was a full-on blitz occurring. Joe beat it to the shoreline in record time and suffered the scourge of most surfcasters as the fish were just out of reach. Joe said he did not view it as a failure since he was casting toward breaking fish in mid-November and best of all – the fish were heading north!
Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
If sating the fishing urge for you is exclusively a saltwater persuasion, then smelt from Boston Harbor’s Reserve Channel may be a best bet. With ideal water temperatures and for all practical purposes the last leg of the striper migration now behind us, now may be a good time to poke around lit marinas and other river, bay, estuarial access points for smelt. Some prefer a walk on the “wild” side this time of the year for brookies in the Swift and salmon in the Stillwater. Something can be said for fish that never knew a hatchery!
Thank you. Always helpful
tons of big pollock around and water is warm enough party boat fishing is comfortable still, if you have never tried it you won’t regret it, last weekend out of glosta