DogBone_384

A sock, and on another trip, a t-shirt.

Good luck!

I got out with @Fishing Rhino for the first time this year. We fished his ‘home’ pond. I caught 14 fish in a mix of LMB, yellow perch, and pickerel. Tom matched it, with three of four LMB around 3 pounds to boot. Winds were stiff from the NE and air pressure was 30.2. Congrats to @Mr. Aquarium for another great catch.

Ground it out at Little/Great South yesterday afternoon. Weather conditions were similar to Monday's trip to Webster lake. The only fish I marked were on the bottom in 30'+. I took an average size white perch off the bottom in 40' with a chartreuse shad LV500 late in the afternoon once winds calmed down. It was good to beat the skunk. Water temps in GS's shallows and Little South were 55.x while temps were still cold at 52.x in Great South.

That’s why he’s Mr. Aquarium!

Fenwick Elite Tech Bass 6’9” M/MF.

Nope, no Live Scope.

I met @JG233 at Webster Lake yesterday morning. The weather was perfect for an early Spring day. After seven hours fishing shallow, deep, humps, wind blown points/shorelines, we called it a day. I threw everything I could think of and came up with one LMB, about a pound, with a bluegill flash Rage Tail Menace off a rocky, wind blown point. Derek caught two really nice non-bass (hopefully he'll post his details). We marked fish on bottom in 15 - 20'. I stopped by Jacobs Pond after dropping off my boat, in attempt of salvaging the day. In short order I came up with a 1-6 and 4-5 LMB on the same Rage Tail that Webster's bass took. Not a bad recovery. Water temps at Webster were 55.x - 57.x. Winds were light in the morning and increased steadily from the West. Air pressure was 30.4 in the morning and dropped as the day progressed. All in all a very good day on the water.

I'm sure it's required in Massachusetts. I wear mine, regardless.

I have too, but haven't experienced it. Maybe in a couple weeks. I marked most targets on the bottom in 25+ ft., similar to Cape waters.

I planned on Snake Pond today, but a necessary kayak repair and 'honey-do' list kept me home too long to make the trip worth the drive. I randomly picked Lake Masapoag in Sharon. After two hours in STIFF winds from the west, I felt like I'd just rode a century on my mountain bike, up hill. I threw the kitchen sink and came up empty, and so did another guy on his Tracker. Water temps were 55.x - 56.x and air pressure was 30.1. There are supposed to be SMB there, and two locals confirmed it. I fished there in April '20 and came up with a pickerel. There's a 60 HP limit, so my Ranger stays home. I might give it a couple more tries in better conditions.

I fished Ponkapoag yesterday afternoon. The bass didn’t cooperate, but three good sized picks devoured a 3.8” super shad Keitech, with the biggest being at least 3 pounds. All three were nice enough self-extricate at the kayak. The winds were light from the north, water temps were 56.x - 57.x, and air pressure sat at 29.8.

X2

Welcome to the forum, from the other side of this 'great Commonwealth'!

My legs and FeelFree Lure get me 3.2 - 3.5 overall, 4 mph with some effort.

I started with a 128T in ‘14. It was a great Kayak and fair price to start kayak fishing with. I sold it when I discovered pedal drive kayaks. It had a very comfortable swivel seat, lots of hull storage and was stand up stable. I also had a trolling motor on it. They were made in the USA then. Best of luck with your choice.

I get it every year. I use this: Wash the affected area two or three times a day. It works, plain and simple. Best of luck with it.

Today's trip with @Fishing Rhino fell through so I trekked to Little/Great South. Four and a half hours in the rain got me a pickerel and LMB. Larry came on the last cast as I was OTW back to the launch, weighing 3-6 and measuring 17 1/2". My pick chomped a live river shad Rapala Ott's Tiny 4 and my bass took a 3.8" bluegill flash Fat Impact on a 3/8 oz under spin I let sit next to a downed tree. Water temps were 48.x - 50.x. Winds were 10-12 mph from the East and air pressure was 29.9.

I've found Abu Garcia rods fish a little heavier than their rating. I have a couple M/F Veritas that I'd feel comfortable throwing a chatterbait with, even in my home pond that's shallow and weedy. Best of luck with your pick.

I don’t call it a catch unless they make it to the boat/kayak You could call it a long foul ball…

I finished my week on Cape Cod yesterday. Overall it was a much better trip than last year, where I got skunked EVERY trip in March '21. I took a zero at Long Pond, Peter's Pond, and Mashpee-Wakebey. All are deep ponds whose water temperatures were 45.x - 46.x. Deep ponds are my kryptonite. I caught fish at Santuit, Lover's Lake, White Pond, Small's pond, Hinckleys, Goose, and Great Herring. Overall size was good, with a 4-8 SMB at Hinckleys, 3-11 LMB at Great Herring, and 3-9 LMB at Goose being the biggest. Hinckley's SMB took a chartreuse jointed Rapala Shad Rap deep in 16'. The two big LMB took soft baits in shallow water right at wind blown drop offs. Water temps where I caught fish ranged from 48.x to 51.x, air pressure from 29.4 to 29.7, with overcast or light rain for the week. Winds varied from 10 to 20+ mph.

Firstly, welcome to the forum. I’ve fished Whitman’s pond on/off for a long time, with mixed success. It’s very weedy and shallow along Middle street but opens up after you turn the corner and head to the rte 53 side. I’ve done ‘OK’ there, but witnessed a guy in a Jon Boat pull a 5 pound LMB out of the lili pads near the ramp. I’d bring heavier gear if you have it. The ramp is good for small boats.

I bought my first FeelFree Lure 11.5 in '15, and my second one in '18. My '18 accepts their Overdrive (pedal) and MotorDrive systems as drop in accessories. It's a nice way to build a kayak if you're on a budget. The two things I like best about them is the seat, which is ALL DAY comfortable, and the wheel they put in the keel. The 11.5 is stand up stable and weighs about 75 pounds stripped, which I can lift onto my Tundra's ladder rack for transport. Buying accessories is easy. They have a good dealer base, and if there isn't one near you, their website is easy to navigate. As a company, FeelFree is top notch. I've had a few little problems over the years, but they were taken care of quickly. The staff is very attentive. They answer phone calls and emails. One thing, regardless of brand, is that you should try to pedal/paddle as many different models as possible before you buy. Good luck with your search.

SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Keep it that way!

Don’t be chicken. Stick to small waters and keep a change of clothes in your vehicle. Like @guidoStow said: Dress accordingly and WEAR YOUR PFD! And go get’m!