Massachusetts Fishing Report
While trout remain the top target, some are beginning to branch out and connect with carp as well as bass. Alewife watchers are reporting some in most natal rivers and those serious snacks from the sea are awakening holdover stripers.
Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate said that some just can’t wait for that first wave of stripers to refresh the Bay State. Holdover striper fishing is the ultimate roll of the dice, but every once in a while, the angler beats the odds and experiences premature seven-striped euphoria. While it may seem counterintuitive to snap on larger lures this early, the goal is to dupe the striper into thinking that the fake you’re reeling is an adult herring.
Anglers giving it a go are fishing Bill Hurley Jerk baits, Slug-Gos, SP Minnows, Glide Baits, and Metal Lips of all sorts. Pete’s picks on the South Shore to help you to slide that first bass onto a bed of wispy eel grass are the South River, Gulf River, Norris Reservation section of the North River, and the Weir River. Trout are now a lot closer to the shop, with rainbows recently stocked in Norris Reservation Pond and Tack Factory Pond. The hope is that Second Herring River will get hit soon with brook trout.
Not to be outdone, anglers closer to Boston have been hitting Houghton’s Pond in Canton for rainbows, according to Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy. Not all have a Powerbait or bust mentality as shiner soakers are catching some solid largemouth bass at Sunset Lake, Pope’s Pond, the Brookline Reservoir, and Whitman Pond. White catfish are cooperating in the Charles River, as are carp and the occasional crappie. The shop has been selling squid jigs with clandestine calamari cravers, not cooperative with the all-important – where? Two possibilities, albeit on the early side, are Nut Island Pier and Pemberton Pier.
Pete Santini took a break from tying Zobo Flounder rigs – anglers are already sniffing around for flounder – to inform me that the culvert area of Horn Pond is still hot. Some are skipping out on trout and floating shiners in the current and connecting with nice Larrys. Herring fry form much of the forage base now, making for a caloric-rich snack for bass, thereby increasing hawg potential. Pete never stops tinkering, and he’s been experimenting with a unique trout rig from Mustad of Norway that is proving deadly at Stiles, Baldpate, and Sluice Ponds. Pike are cooperating in the Route 495 section of the Merrimack River, with crappie hitting at dusk. Seaworms should be stocked shortly, but in the meantime, Pete and Denise just packed fresh clams in the freezer, should you be hoping for a hot haddock bite, which should be occurring northeast of the B Buoy about now.
Eric from Lunkers in Ashland said that Ashland Reservoir, Hopkinton Reservoir, and Lake Cochituate are all in rotation for shop regulars looking for rainbows as well as the occasional holdover brown trout. Shiners have been just the thing for toothies as well as bass throughout the Sudbury River and through Fairhaven Bay. When asked for a Metrowest best bass bet, Eric offered up Farm Pond in Framingham as well as Whitehall Reservoir. Rick from Jerry’s Bait in Milford told me that many of the customers are going Chu crazy! Who can blame them with that coldwater dynamo open for business on Saturday? The shop has no shortage of Kastmasters, Little Cleos. Phoebes and even those almost-impossible to get Julie’s Gut-a-Bite strike indicators. How those guys had the foresight to grab hundreds when they were still being made is nothing short of amazing! No longer do you have to watch with envy as those flags fly for the “old-guard” as someone yells out – fish on! The water remains low at Wachusett, but with the overcast/rainy conditions predicted, lakers should be comfortable moving into shallows, making for an even playing field for all anglers.
When asked how he’s preparing for opening day at Wachusett, Eddie of B&A Bait and Tackle Co. in West Boylston sounded like he’s been working out. He’s been hefting hundreds of pounds of – shiners, into the shop. You’ll also find plenty of Kastmasters of every conceivable color/size combination, including staples such as 3/4 ounce blue/chrome, firetiger, metallic perch, and red/gold. Quabbin Reservoir also remains low, and because it is used to supply Wachusett with much of its water, odds are that the low levels of the Chu are not going to change any time soon. Thankfully, because water temperatures are still coldwater species-friendly and the weekend weather is expected to be inclement, anglers should be able to enjoy good fishing among increased shoreline access.
Crack of Dawn Bait and Tackle in Phillipston customers have sure gone carp crazy, according to Gerry who runs the shop. The “Leslie Boys” have been hooking tanks among area river system. Both the Connecticut and Miller Rivers hold carp, channel catfish and pike. Conor Murphy from Tight Lines Outfitters is back at paddling charters in his pontoon boat for holdover trout among rivers from the Connecticut Valley District into New Hampshire. Fly fishing is the forte of those folks. Regarding native trout, there are wild brook trout thriving in brooks and streams not far from the shop. What those beauties may lack in size, they make up for in splendor!. Tully Brook is just one of the many waterways that hold native brook trout in the region.
In addition to anglers out and about for trout, Shawn from The Nuke’s Bait and Tackle in Meredith said he’s starting to field inquiries about white perch in Great Bay, New Hampshire, and even shad in the Merrimack. Some who are soaking worms on the bottom of the river for catfish are incidentally catching shortnose sturgeon. Those mythical throwback fish are protected and must be immediately released if caught by accident. Increased current in the Merrimack is resulting in a better pike bite by Kimball Island, Stanley Island, and at the outflow of tributaries and inlets.
Tomo from Tomo’s Tackle told me that business has been brisk for groundfish gear now that the haddock season is upon us. As to the choice of equipment the shop carries, Tomo is steering customers towards Shimano Torium, Tekota, and Daiwa Saltist Reels. Those reels are highlighted not only for their smooth performance but also because they are durable. As for a matching rod, he suggests the 7’ medium-heavy Daiwa Proteus as well as similar action Harrier rods. The shop also carries every line and rig imaginable.
Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
Recent rainfall should make angling for carp, catfish, and other species more productive in the Connecticut, Charles, Mystic, and Merrimack Rivers. With herring beginning to trickle in, those rivers that holdover striped bass and harbor black bass should see an increase in activity. Angling gears are spinning towards groundfish and other salty favorites, with fresh clams now being packed away in area shops as well as orders underway for seaworms. Another taste of salt should soon be available in the Exeter River in New Hampshire and, to a lesser extent, the Parker River in Byfield. Many will be setting their sights on Wachusett Reservoir this weekend, and with water levels low and cloudy conditions predicted, lake trout and the supporting cast of salmon, rainbow trout, and smallies should all be in play.