Mr. Aquarium

Anyone getting out this weekend??

My winters are cold and snowy. Some years we are ice fishing all winter others it’s rollercoaster weather. Cold snowy then warm and rain. So the ponds are still super cold open water or have some skim ice. From what I’ve heard from local fishermen, that do very well, is to fish the north side of the ponds. That area gets the most sun and warms up. Even though it may not be the deepest part of the pond. This is advice for shallow ponds. Less then 15 feet. I fish ponds but with some depth. I find these spots to have better fishing. Fishin 20 feet plus deep over grass near drop offs and points. Some sort of structure. One pond I do well at is only 20 acres. 25 feet deep. The north side of the pond is the only area I fish. There’s a point of where I don’t fish past. The ponds I fish I use blades, hair jigs, shakey heads and small swimbaits. Lot of other guys do well with jerkbaits especially in those shallow ponds. But I can’t get bit to save my life on a jerkbait in the shallow ponds. Still trying to learn it. I have better luck ice fishing for bass with lures at these same ponds I suck at open water fishing in the winter. I have better luck on bigger swimbaits fished like a jerkbait in those shallow ponds then I do with an actual jerkbait!

The place I’ve been to many times with stumps had PBs in it. My buddy got an 8.12 Massachusetts fish from here last spring. I’ve had my heart broken MANY times here. It’s a pain to get to. But the rewards are HUGE Trying to get in as many days I can this winter. I never know when the ice will set in, if it will even set in. Some winters ice from December to March. Others no ice at all. I got out for some saltwater fishing last weekend. My arms hurt. We smoked them. 20 miles out 30 degrees, 5 foot waves 200 feet of water. Reeling in 2 20lb fish at the same time is a work out!

Come on man! List the lure rating for your rods. Mostly for saltwater tho. I hate not knowing the lure rating.

To many options to fish. It’s winter snow on the ground. Some ponds are still wide open. The weather here fluctuates so much. 60 few days ago, 20s today then back to 50s. So this weekend 3 days of warmer weather. Saturday pouring rain near 60, Sunday sunny windy 50! But we just had snow and it’s freezing today. So here’s what I’m thinking. There’s ponds I’ve never fished before, no idea what could happen. I know there’s bass but that’s it. So I like the draw of the unknown. Can’t find anything on the internet about it like depth, structure. I have another pond, I’ve never fished it in the cold, but many times in the spring and summer. HUGE BASS. But I have no idea how the winter bite is here. But I know the structure. It’s an old flooded apple orchard with a creek channel that runs the whole pond littered with stumps! or just fish ponds I’ve caught fish in the cold? most of those ponds are smaller like less than 50 acres

I caught fish in Ma at night on topwater thanksgiving week. Water temps were In the 40s. We had a few warm days so I knew I had a chance. Super shallow pond. It’s one of my go to night spots.

Incredible day on the water. Went to Nh on a pollack trip. Went out with Eastmans. 5 foot seas. 30 degree air temp. Rough and cold! 3 new species. 5 personal best. Smoked the polack. 13 pollack 10-20lb fish. Bunch of redfish. Few small haddock. A cusk and the biggest scalpun I’ve ever seen!!! hooked into 3 15lb pollack at the same time on the rig. Last time I use 3 hooks jigging for polack!

I didn’t bass fish much this year. I caught 4 new species broke 7 PBs. biggest largemouth 5.10z biggest smallie 3 lbs. I caught the 2nd biggest striper. Biggest boat striper @ 26 lbs. we did well with big stripers this year. Lot of 20lb class fish. I got my first white sucker, first Spanish Mackerel, first palimino trout, first white cat. Got a nice fat albie. Few nice tog, couple nice steelhead, nice big rainbow, couple king salmon. A big shad.

I’ll cast it out let the bail open. Pick up a blade to see if they are feeding more aggressively. The hair jig gets bit. they’ll hit it on the fall. But slow crawl on bottom with a few pauses and twitches. The hair jig works awesome!!!

I’ve been tying hair jigs. They’ve been getting fish. I enjoy cold water bass especially smallies

I got out. Few perch and pickerel. Had a few hits on topwater. Tried for a night bass again. No bass today. i do have a vice I use to tie

Got out for an afternoon trip and night trip. went out for deep water fish. Few hits on my hair jig. Few hits on a blades. Lost a big smallie on a blade bait also had another follow the blade to the yak. Wish I had more time to fish here before it got dark. I finally found active fish at sunset. 2nd pond I wanted to see if I could get a night bass this late in the season. I’ve fished here many many times at night. I got 2 bass on a black dog shell cracker slowly reeled on top. Had a few other hits as well. Biggest fish was just shy of 3lbs. decided to try a trout pond for night time brownies. I saw and heard a lot of fish. But they had no interest in what I was using.

They opened it up? I thought it was December 1st

It was a good afternoon. Quick trip. Only had an hour to fish before sunset. Got 3 bass and 2 fat yellow perch. All fish were on my jigs.

Got out in SE MA. Still trying to learn the shallow cold water game. I’d rather fish deep ponds. Only fished the northern side of the pond. shallow and weedy. Got 2 bass and a pickerel. Had to work for them. Nothing big But they were health fish. All fish in the same spot. I was fishing holes in the weeds. All fish were on hair jigs I tied. Fished the whole northern area but only found fish in one spot. Got the first bass and pickerel early. Ventured around but came back to the same spot I got the first 2. Ended up with one more fish. I fished the hell out of a jerkbait, real prey and Matt’s meathead. Hoping to find one of the giants that live here. Not a sniff. Still can’t figure out the jerkbait game! For the life of me I can’t get on a good jerkbait bite. I’ll maybe get one or 2 bass and a few pickerel but that’s it.

Nice report. Getting bit on the hudd!!!! Nice dude!!

Good trip with awesome people. Slow fishing we worked hard. But we had a lot of laughs! I lost a few good fish Lost a big brown trout on my jig. Oh well it happens. I got a king salmon on a Barbie rod. Wooooooo hell of a fight. My buddy hooked into a fish at the same time so we had to duck under each others lines. It was so awesome! 99% of fish we caught were on my jigs I tied. I love getting fish on my jigs.

I saw that to. No way that’s a 10. Still a nice fish but no way a 10

I’ll be out all winter in the kayak!

57 pretty warm. Hope it last though this cold spell

Went out yesterday for a bit. Wanted to try for some crappies with shiners. Got 2 largemouth instead. No panfish. hit sunset at a different pond. Saw the place come alive. Lot of topwater action. I dug through my car found the only topwater I had. A strike king sexy dawg. 1 rod 1 lure, no headlamp. ended up with 2 more bass. Nothing big. Had a lot of blow ups. Been awhile since I’ve gone out for a night mission. I’ll be getting back at with some wake baits.

Did a bit of freshwater recently. Got out for some smallies. Fishing offshore structure on a cape pond. Got a 3.8 smallie. Missed 2 other smallies. Got a 2.5lbs largemouth as well. went after some lakers. Got my PB rainbow instead. Hit an albie jig, epoxy jig, twitched up top. Love the colors on this fish.

It was good weekend. Landed a few kings and a nice steely on a jig I tied. 99% fish were on jigs I tied.

Was planning a trip on the kayak on Monday. But ended up helping mom out. Got a late start. Decided to do a shore trip. 2 spots. I wanted to try for some slab crappies and jumbo perch. Saw a bunch of bass up shallow. Couldn’t get them to bite tho. Bunch of pickerel and 2 small bass. I missed a large fish on a small crappie bait. It slurped it off the surface. Set hook. Fish came up, rolled, splashed and spit hook. If that was a crappie that was the 2lber I was looking for. I really want to break 2lbs for crappie.

Wow dude that’s crazy!