In the Bay State the best way to “reel” in the New Year is for open water trout. Some view winter trout fishing as arguably their best chance at not just catching any old trout but a bonafide trophy too! However if to you winter is code for hardwater, until the next cold spell you really have only one sensible choice – head north!
Fishing Report for Massachusetts
Saltwater? There is another open water option which some might consider is crossing the threshold from pleasure into masochism and that would be holdover harbor stripers! My friend Carl Vinning self-indulged a bit on Christmas Eve and decided to give himself the gift of striper slime! In spite of 37 degree water temperatures, he found about a half dozen willing linesiders up to the mid-20”! This kind of stuff is not for everyone but it is nice to know that when striper withdrawal makes May seem like lightyears away there is relief out there all winter long. Most Massachusetts rivers which have a flourishing river herring run hold holdovers! Personally I’ve caught them in the Charles, Mystic and Saugus Rivers. Even though it does not possess a herring run, I’ve also taken them in the Pines. I also know of holdovers taken from the Weir River, Weymouth Back and Neponset.
To coax those lethargic linesiders to hit during the offseason you can’t beat the meat option – seaworms, lugworms and even BioEdge enhanced crawlers (a dab of sandworm/bloodworm potion does wonders). Chances are if you’re still chasing stripers while the flakes are flying, you’re a different kind of cat! But then there’s the “other guys”! Those other guys I speak of will be determined to be the first Massachusetts angler to catch a 2019 striped bass. They will be out there, usually in their kayaks, and somewhere just north of midnight will feel the tap of a striper on their jig/jerk bait and they’ll revel in being the very first of the striper obsessed to catch a striped bass in the new year!
Freshwater outdoor sport on the South Shore, according to Pete Belsan, is all about trout fishing! The latest luck has been taking place on Plymouth’s Little and Long Ponds where occasional good sized brown trout have been falling for free-lined shiners. The larger offering will result in a bigger potential trout and often a brown trout as compared to the Power Bait option which is usually better for “truck bows.” Two of Metrowest’s top trophy trout producers – Concord’s Walden and White Ponds – have been giving up browns measured in pounds rather than inches over the last few weeks. One of the tip-offs came unexpectedly from a New Hampshire shop where I got word of patrons making the trip from the Granite State just to open water fish in those two spots for trophy brown trout with shiners. Never discount the bass-sized artificial alternative for exceptional trout. One of the better holdover rainbows I know of was taken in a Greater Boston area pond this time of the year on a crankbait! The pot-bellied mid-20” fish was full of eggs, colorful and was released!
Fishing Forecast for Massachusetts
With yet another foreboding thaw/rain storm forecasted for the weekend, safe ice – even out west – is hardly a guarantee for those who don’t know the water. For more of a sure thing, heading north into New Hampshire or Maine is a better bet. I spoke to Al from AJs Bait in Meredith, which is in the shadows of Lake Winnipesaukee and everything is pointing to a perfect kick-off to the Winnipesaukee, Squam and Winnisquam ice fishing seasons which begin as of January 1st. Meredith Bay notwithstanding, the bays and coves are all locked up and the forecast for them is a smattering of snow/sleet and no thaw/rain! It’s not every year when you can look forward to the first ice, non-pressured-fish bite and with hardly any snow to inhibit access! Fishing Forecast Kick-off the New Year in fine form this year with open water options such as Plymouth rainbows and Metrowest browns! Then there is that little old Harbor holdover striped bass thing to consider for the truly striper obsessed. But for those who prefer their New Year “on ice”, heed the call of near perfect hardwater which awaits you in New Hampshire!
Hi
Where was the picture of Carl Vinning catching the holdover striper. I promise I wont tell anyone. Thx