Massachusetts Fishing Report- January 11, 2024

Massachusetts Fishing Report

Mother Nature hasn’t exactly been a friend of the angler who wants to stay busy in these parts. Rain swollen rivers look like footage from Niagara and the sliver of Hilltown hardwater that a few enjoyed has been relegated to maybe-next week status. The optimists among us continue to trumpet the future weather forecast as a sign of hope.

To find the mother lode you usually have to go to the source, so during these lean times, I surmised that the bait distributor should have a feel as to who’s buying and where they are fishing! Little did I realize that all of that information would be gift-wrapped in one place at Granby’s Bait in Granby! Paul, the proprietor, did get out on a few fleeting inches of Hilltown ice with rainbow trout the target on Plainfield Pond as well as North Pond. As always is the case the first ice bite was stellar – and then the deluge/thaw kicked in. The only value to this report is moving forward with a promising chilly forecast predicted next week.

Obviously it won’t take much for that higher elevation water to ice in again. At about the same time Paul from Granby’s was out Josh from the Fishing Hole in South Hadley along with his buddy Trevor timed it just right and found trout-filled hardwater in Lee. Shiners ruled the day while worms were largely ignored. Isn’t it funny how often that happens, in that on a particular day one type of trout candy will be hot and the other most definitely not! Josh did offer up a panacea for those who can’t wait – shiners fished among setback sloughs or oxbows of rivers. Most species of fish have been in dire need of sanctuary from all that current with anglers likely to find a real mixed bag outside of the main flow. Options include The Oxbow, Barton Cove and the similar “setbacks” along the Connecticut River in Hinsdale NH.

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According to Eddie of B&A Bait and Tackle Co. in West Boylston, his business has shifted from fish to fowl! The only shiners he is moving is to a woman from Tufts who is purchasing them for a wayward brown booby that should have been sunning itself in Florida but instead was found holed up on a boat on the Cape. The staff member has been showing Eddie that his new feathered friend has been rehabbing quickly due to the shops shiners. As for fishing options Eddie said that large sections of both the Stillwater and Quinapoxet Rivers are open to fishing outside of Wachusett Reservoirs offseason, but first the current has to cool down.

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

With hardwater already a reality for hardcore ice fishers it won’t take long for higher elevation Hilltown trout water to lock back up again. Ponds to keep an eye on are Plainfield, North and Windsor. Oxbows/setbacks throughout the Connecticut River and even the Merrimack are good open water options, especially for pike which will follow bait looking for a break in the current. Of course before we have ice, our northern neighbors get it and for that we have a New Hampshire/Maine report! So, do you feel like taking a road trip?