DogBone_384

Sounds like I need to pack my travel rod on my MC and take a ride when it warms up a little ... Better yet, is there anywhere to launch a kayak?

I bought a few reels from Jun at japantackle.com. I'm very happy with prices, shipping, and service.

Yesterday's forecast was too good to pass up. I took a vacation day and headed to my favorite big Plymouth pond, launching around 8:00. After 3 1/2 hours of nothing I packed up and headed to Hedges, where the smallies are more cooperative. I tossed a gold blade bait, green/red flake Rage Tail Menace, a red DT16, and the Yozuri square bill I caught Larries with at Ponkie the other day. Water temps were 42.x to 43.x. I launched at Hedges around 12:30. I kept it simple with the gold blade bait, green/red flake Menace, and a perch Rapala DT6. The Rapala was all I needed. I hooked onto six SMB and got four in the kayak, all around two pounds, with the biggest coming in at 2-4. Water temps were 46.x to 47.x and the SMB are AWAKE! They had a LOT more fight in them than just two weeks ago. Check March off the list....

Got done with my appointment around noon and had to go fishing. It was too late and windy to drive to Plymouth so I stayed local and launched at Ponkapog a little after 1:00. I started at the northern end and worked around figuring I’d find the warmer water. I threw a t-rigged Rage Tail Menace, t-rigged 4” Zoom U-Tail, Mepps spinner, a perch Shadow Rap, and a Yozuri 3DB prism shad square bill. Not much happened until a little after 4:00 when the Yozuri got hit by a truck in 5’ of water off a point on the eastern shoreline. What I assumed to be a pickerel by its fight turned out to be likely the biggest Larry I’ve caught at Ponkie. I got cocky and figured I could just lift it into the kayak instead of using the net under my seat. Karma struck as Mr. Bass came loose as I lifted it out of the water. I don’t usually count fish that don’t make it IN my kayak, but because this one was big and it hit the side of the kayak on the way down, I’m calling it a catch. It’s also my first LMB for ’18. Yozuri-san gave me one more LMB that came in at 2-2 from the same area the first came from. Water temps were 46.x - 47.x with a wind that picked up when I launched and died off when I left at dusk.

Boston and south is WIDE open. South of exit 5 on route 3 in Plymouth’s been mostly open all year. I’ve caught SMB at Hedges Pond in Plymouth since January. I was there last week with surface temps 43.x.

The smallest 9mm I own is a HK P30SK. My pocket guns are a Sig 238 and S&W 340PD. I carry .38’s in the 340, full on .357’s are too much in a J frame for me anywhere but the range.

There’s such thing as a ‘former’ Marine?

X2

Contact Mike at Delaware Valley Tackle, he'll know. He services and upgrades all my reels. Mike's a site sponsor. His website link is over there >>>>>>>> on the right...

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the fatties.

Here’s a map I took off the Navionics chart viewer: Not much different, but a little more detail

Keep an eye on this thread: It covers mostly eastern MA, but it's updated regularly.

Subzero winter is going great up here in the Boston area. My daughter sent me a picture of her Jeep with the top down..... It’s supposed to snow a little tomorrow night....

Three pounds is about the biggest I think you'll get there, being such a small pond. A one pound plus perch there regularly too. I agree it's a great numbers pond. My Lowrance is usually lit up with blobs. Once the water gets into the mid-high 40s you'll see me in northern Plymouth at that Big pond looking for bigger bass.

Is there a retailer near you that you can handle both? If there is, bring your reel and ask if you can mount it on each rod. Specifications aside, how the rod 'feels' in your hand is 90% of it. Best of luck picking out a rod.

Thanks for the +. Evan is 18. He's like his father who's an engineer (and works tons of hours), so Evan thinks like an engineer and has to try what he believes will work. It's good because he's learning what works/doesn't work for himself. I've got a great work schedule. I can take him fishing when he's got the time and his Dad can't.

Pretty easy to list 5 but limiting myself to just 5 .... fugggeetttaabbbouuuuttttt it. MH/F baitcast. M/F baitcast & spin. M/M baitcast. ML/F spin.

Took a friend's son to Hedges yesterday, hoping to get him a SMB or two. The weather was cloudy/misty, 45-50 degrees (at best) with a moderate wind from the north. I put him on the spot where I've caught them all year and told him to use a blade bait. He's a smart kid but not a good listener. He didn't catch anything. I caught 3 SMB, all on a blade bait. All were in 10' or less. Surface temps were 43.x all day. Mike, if you're looking for bass, drop your kayak into Hedges. I've not struck out there yet this year and all but a couple have been right around the two pound mark. It's only 28 acres so you should be able to cover it quickly. I'm going to re-con waters around my home area. I expect to see open water. Will post when I find out. Plymouth's a great town to fish, but it's $20+ in gas round trip to Hedges. Can't do that ALL the time.

I toss 4"& 5" Senkos, Rage Tail Menace, and other soft plastics with almost any of my BC's. I use mostly M/F setups with the occasional MH/F for weedier waters. My gear runs the whole spectrum - Diawa, Shimano, ***, and Abu which are attached to Abu, Kistler, and Fenwick rods.

Yankee Land !?!?!?!?! in Red Sox Nation !!!!!! Oh the HORROR! I try to get out once or twice a week. More when my second job is slow. We've had warm winter here and south Plymouth / Cape Cod have open water. I've been doing very well catching smallies so far this year.....

I don't have any Ike's but own Veritas (6), Villain, Veracity, and a Fantasista. They're great rods and tend to fish a little heavier than other manufacturers' rods I own. I own more medium than medium-heavy and never feel like I'm fishing 'underpowered'. If you have a Bass Pro near you, go handle them. My local BP has a pretty decent selection of Ikes. Good luck.

Welcome to the forum. If you have a car-topper, head east to Plymouth. Almost everything from exit 5 on route 3 southward is wide open. Here's a helpful link: https://mass-eoeea.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=c956ffbcff3142c2b6295985cce37372

Sorry Bull, I try not to go north of the Neponset Bridge unless I have to.

Welcome to the rest of your life! Congratulations on going to college. Your lifestyle changes will make you a better fisherman because you’ll appreciate your time on the water more.

Mike, good luck with the job. I'll be at Hedges with a friend's son on Tuesday and Thursday if weather and schedule pans out. I'm going to hold off the BIG pond until the water temps are in the mid 40's. I'm not good enough there to pick them off the way conditions are now.