Sadly, the operative word regarding the fall run is – fall – as in striped bass numbers have fallen off a cliff. Fortunately, a benevolent higher authority just might be at work as other fishing options have moved up to fill the void. One of them is huge news as the shore fishing season for the Bay State’s pristine, 39-square-mile Quabbin Reservoir has been extended until the rest of the year.
Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Report
It’s a bit early to be thinking of yuletide gifts, but the DCR and MWRA just might have had that in mind when they granted anglers the opportunity to fish Quabbin Reservoir by shore until December 31st. While Wachussett is some kind of awesome, the Q is like the Chu on steroids. Before you give it a go, in addition to your tackle, break out the most comfortable hiking boots you own because most likely you’ll have to walk some distance. I was informed by someone at the DCR that the gates to the boat mooring areas – 8, 31, 43 – will be closed as they normally are at this time of the year, but parking will be allowed next to (but not blocking) those gates. While Gate 8 is a haul, the other two afford relatively short and even-footed access.
While unfortunately many of my Quabbin contacts have passed on, I broke out some of their notes, which hopefully will put folks into fish. It’s about a 2-mile haul from Gate 12 in Pelham, but you can reach Pelham Hollow, which is at the effluence of Purgee Brook. That area was singled out as good for salmon, lake trout, and rainbow trout. Gate 16 affords one of the shorter walks in Quabbin and has also produced good fishing in the past. One mile from Gate 22 in New Salem is Hop Brook, where salmon should be spawning now. Now is also prime time for lake trout to spawn in close among shoal water. Ideal temperatures and shore-cruising smelt and yellow perch fry should be magnets for rainbow trout as well. Gates 35 and 37 in Petersham have often been highlighted by shop owners as productive, with the shorelines easily accessible.
For a shot at a solid Larry, check out Pottapaug Pond, which is managed in lock step with Quabbin. This stump-filled pond can be reached from Gates 41 and 43 in Petersham and is often ignored in season because of its close proximity to Quabbin. Many feel that from now until ice-in is a great time to catch a big bass, so this is an opportunity worth taking advantage of.
As for gear/tackle, “blown-up” shiners and worms will usually work for everything from white perch to salmon to black bass. A worm inflater bottle will suspend the bait in the line of fire, while a fish finder rig is the best tackle to allow the fish to move off with the bait unencumbered. While you may be able to get away with leaning your rod against a forked stick at the local trout pond, should a 15-pound laker take off with purpose here, you may lose more than just your bait.
A rod holder that secures your rod and allows placement of it parallel to the surface of the water is as essential as a Julie’s Gut A Bite is. I’m always amazed how those now-discontinued, innovative Julie’s Gut A Bite strike indicators never caught on at Quabbin as they have at Wachusett Reservoir. When I’ve shown the uninitiated how they work, it has elicited a “wow” response every time. The good news is that Rick from Jerry’s Bait and Tackle in Milford told me his shop still has 100s, which is incredible considering how long ago they fell out of production.
As for lures, tote along something for the depths as well as the shallows. I’m fond of metal as it seems almost every cold water species that swims in these parts does. For the depths, it’s hard to top a 3/4 or 1 ounce green/silver Hopkins Smoothie or gold/red, blue/chrome Kastmaster or a yellow-striped 3/4-1 ounce Swedish Pimple. For skinny water, a gold or fire tiger 5/8 ounce Krocodile should get it done. Of course, all manner of tungsten jigs/paddletails will also catch fish.
Regardless, take advantage of the splendor and tranquility that is unique to Quabbin and enjoy this special opportunity to fish it until the end of the year!
Recent rains have been a godsend to those who long for a landlocked salmon in the Stillwater and Quinapoxet Rivers. Eddie of B&A Bait and Tackle Co. in West Boylston has been taking exploratory trips throughout the two tributaries of Wachusett Reservoir and reported that males have moved in ahead of females to prepare likely redds. A few brown trout have been taken in the Quinapoxet River. Current coming out of the Thomas Basin has made the stretch from the Power Lines to the Causeway among the hottest at the reservoir for lakers and rainbows at the moment.
Crave-worthy Kastmaster colors have been metallic perch and gold/red and B&A has them all in stock! As for rainbows and bass, blown up crawlers are working well. Those crawlers also give the angler his best chance at catching one of the corker white perch with swim in Wachusett Reservoir.
Massachusetts South Shore and South Coast Fishing Report
Whipping winds and punishing seas have reduced Captain Jason Colby to little more than the marine version of a caged animal as he bides his time to have at the bonito and blackfish which he knows are on the feed. Prior to the nasty weather, limits of blackfish were no problem, with the one caveat being the distraction that comes from busting bonito all around the Little Sister. Fortunately, hardtail gear is on board and but a rod holder away. Odds are that the Westport River side is also still holding striped bass and probably bluefish. Either way, a trip aboard the skipper’s boat is seldom one without action. It even includes catch-and-release black sea bass and soon-cod!
Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate told me that striper fishing has gone from red-line to white flag for most anglers, but a terrific tog bite at Minot Light is helping to take the sting out of the dearth of stripers. And a few of those tog have been 10-pound beasts! Striped bass, including some drag-pullers, can still be found, which explains why Belsan’s is still moving eels as well as eel imitators such as the new Bill Hurley 12” jighead/eel body made out of real eel oil. The game consists of nighttime pursuits in estuaries/rivers as well as intermittent feeds along open beaches. I used to be addicted to bridges over such estuaries this time of the year. The factors I’d look for were the top of a flooding tide and a bridge with a nice shadow line upstream of the current. I’d often look before casting and marvel at stripers “leapfrogging” over each other to pick off bait carried by the current into the darkness of the shadow line. While eels would always work so would a trusty jig/trailer, with my favorite jig embellishment being the Gulp Jerk Shad. This angling is the antithesis of finesse stuff with a stout conventional and 50-pound mono mattering greatly when trying to control a big bridge bass.
Greater Boston Fishing Report
The incessant pleas of “Do you have any?” show no signs of abating at Fore River Bait and Tackle in Quincy. In spite of sloppy weather, requests for grass shrimp continue at the urging of patrons of the shop who are obsessed with smelt. The answer is that Lisa is hoping that the shrimp will reassemble once all the freshwater flushes out of the estuaries just in time for the weekend. Another example of how good the fishing is is that anglers are having to brush up on just what a limit is (50 per person) again – something which hasn’t been necessary in years. The bite remains great off Pemberton Pier, the Hull Public Pier, the A Street Pier, Hewitts Cove, and off Summer Street. I’ve even heard of more action on the North Shore than in years. The rebound of rainbow smelt is perplexing, and I’m wondering if it could be simply symptomatic of fewer striped bass. Folks are still catching slot stripers, but the bite is usually restricted to harbor rivers such as the Weir, Weymouth Back, Weymouth Fore, Neponset, Charles, and Mystic Rivers. Anglers fishing from Nut Island Pier are still catching squid as well as mackerel.
Tomo from Tomo’s Tackle also touched on the smelt subject this week. It seems that a charter captain he knows of moved his boat to Gloucester Harbor and has been finding smelt from his port. While not for everyone, he’s digging his own seaworms, hooking pieces on sabiki rigs, and catching smelt. As to an area a bit closer for customers of Tomo’s, the Congress Street Bridge used to be one of the more reliable locations, as was the Commercial Street Pier in Marblehead. It’s a good thing there are options because most bass fishing is a bust, with many turning to freshwater pursuits. TJ from Three Lantern Marine in Gloucester said that shop is still carrying seaworms with flounder, one reason why. A few have been focusing on what for generations was the Bay State’s favorite flatfish and catching solid blackbacks off the Jodrey State Fish Pier as well as the Rockport Granite Pier. Interestingly, some of those same piers are producing smelt at night. Just when taps is ready to be called on the striper season, reports pop up of feeds in Gloucester Harbor and Manchester Harbor. Cod remain in close with Magnolia and Halibut Point, a few of the more reliable spots.
Like many at this time of the year, I look for encouragement from Martha of Surfland Bait and Tackle, and she did provide a short lifeline. There are anglers from up north who are still coming into the shop for eels, as nights are still producing a few big bass. Closer to home, anglers traipsing the surf off Lot 1 at the refuge are catching schoolies on metal such as Ava Jigs. When asked where the last smelt action she knew of was, she said Thurlow’s Bridge, which spans the Parker River. Ironically, that same bridge was mentioned by the late Kay Moutlon years ago when I asked about a spot to catch a late-inning bridge bass. Maybe that spot deserves another look all around.
Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
Terrific tautog action makes the South Shore and South Coast a best Bay State bet for the salt. The action in Buzzards Bay has been close to the Westport River, with busting bonito a real exclamation point to the fishing. The Minot area has been money off Scituate for impressive whitechins. Robust rainbow smelt fishing on the southern side of the harbor bodes well for a surprising fishery well into the winter. While diminishing in frequency, a few striper feeds have still been apparent on the North Shore, with recent reports coming from Lynn Harbor and Manchester Harbor. It’s curtain call for the cod season come October 31st, with Magnolia and Halibut Point good choices for a bottom-of-the-ninth brown bomber. The salt may be waning, but with Wachusett and from-shore-fishing at Quabbin scheduled to continue until the end of the year, freshwater fun has only just begun.