MJEFF

Thanks,

With regards to fishing Winnie, if you have or rent a boat with a 25hp or less you do not need to take that test. Thats the rules. Should you be staying in Merideth area , there are literally dozens of places to fish the length of Merideth bay. #1 buoy marker is always got fish on it. Since you will be on the lake take advantage of getting out early on the water. For your next trip try Center Harbor are , Becky's Garden , 3mile , 4mile Island , Bear Island, Pine . There really is no need to burn up gas while on winnie , unless you want to sight see. Its very important to buy a good Winnie map available anywhere near the lake. Lots of shoals , exposed rocks and marine patrols.

Buying a new depthfinder in the next couple of weeks, I am thinking about a 565 hummingbird or a Eagle 480. The unit will be taken of auto as I will trying to separate some smallies from there deep structure homes. Does anyone have one of these units ? Any over all thoughts ? Thanks

Being a Quabbin die hard, there are some very good fish there. My fishing partner got a 6lb smallie out of 43 on top water, two years ago, there are lots of days when you can get 40fish. However, when the water warms the smallies head for 25-55ft ranges , lots of the trout guys get smallies way down to 75ft. The lake is very large, the maps are good and your better off picking a area where you can fish 5-6 good spots and learn that area and next trip , try a different section. The better fisherman are deep water fisherman, who have spent a lot of time on the water. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all could fish there 4 days a week. Be carefull of the weather as thunderstorms are not fun when they creep over the far western shores. Warm clothes in the spring and rain gear. Certainly a very interesting lake.

I live in the town next to "stump pond" or the A-1site as its called. Its actually the head of the Assebet River, and its a flooded pond with lots of thick weeds , tanic water and cut down tree's and they lie across one another like the game called " pick up sticks". I have a number of decent fish from there, there have been a couple of eights out of there and rumors of a state record caught by the fish and game guys when they were out doing there fish sampling. However, that was a rumor and they told me that the place has low oxy in the summer. It still is a very interesting place to fish with a canoe, kayak, bass buggy. Bigger boats are OK in the very early spring. Heavy stout gear is required. Sluggo's and black spinnerbaits do well, if the fishing is slow and the bite is off , dead sticking isn't a bad option.

I have to agree on the LC's I am from MA., ice has just left and its cold out side, water still in the high 30's. It seems the best water temp for jerkbaits is 50-62, at least in my expierence. Around here once the water gets above high 60's the smallie are heading for the bottom. Of course you can catch a good number of smallies pre-dawn on shoals etc. My favorite smallie lake is Quabbin Res, in Central MA. , you cannot get on the water till 6am, so a lot of those windows of opportunities are gone, unless its a windy cloudy day.... Those LC just have a great wobble and suspend very well, we also use trout colored Rapalas and a Rapala bait called a Sissy Bait as the color is a mother of pearl finish with soft reds and blues and yellows. MJEFF

Whisperwood Lodge in Belgrade, ME. is a decent one. Smallie fishing in Maine is always good in the Belgrade, as you many, many lakes to choose from. When you get up there you can always drive around an check out other lakes and lodges MJEFF

Hi everyone, I am a new member. I live in MA., I fish in MA., primarily at local ponds, North Pond, Lake Whitehall but focus most of my efforts on Quabbin Res. for smallmouth bass. The Res is a crystal clear lake , 44K acres, some weeds but lots of boulders, rocks. I also fish some of the larger lakes in NH, ME. I am purchasing a new depthfind and am very interested in learning how to fine tuning it when I purchase it. I love jerkbait fishing, drop-shotting, topwater.