Got out again in the cold yday on Long Pond. Not exactly another barn-burner of a day but did get two quality bites with a 2.26lb smallie and 3.75lb largie. Most bites were shallower than expected despite 31 degree air temps and 43 degree water. Neds and jerkbaits again did the trick.

I practiced some distant socialization this afternoon at Ponkapog.  It was mostly cloudy, around 50 degrees, and a light wind blew from the northwest.  Water temps were 46.x and the air pressure was 30.1.

 

Starting along the northern shore, I worked a Yozuri square bill, Rapala shad rap, T-rigged swim Senko, and Zoom U-tale.  Nothing happened for a while, so I paddled down to the shallow area by the golf course.  Along the way I stopped and made a few casts with the square bill and grabbed a 2 pound pickerel in about 6' of water, in the middle of the pond.  I worked the shallow flat for a bit but marked and caught nada, so I started along the southern/windblown shoreline back towards the launch.  

 

I switched to a clown colored Yozuri square bill and junebug U-tale.  It was a good choice because I bagged three more pickerel, all over 2 pounds, in the last 45 minutes of my trip.

 

Even though Ponkie's LMB still evade me, I'll take pickerel instead of a zero.  

 

Congrats to Dunks N Dinks for some nice Long Pond bass.

 

We plan on being back on the Cape for a few days after tax season's over (boss-lady's an accountant), pending the current 'shut down' in MA.

Did some catfishin last night With some buddies . It was fun. Wasn’t fast and furious but we got a handful!  I also got an eel. 

Looks like Mr. Aquarium STRIKES AGAIN!

Lol, iconic pictures right there haha. Masks and all. VT just issued a stay at home order untik at least mid April so I won't be back in MA for a while. Supposed to be warm this Saturday though so I might get out on some lakes up here. 

Good to see MA is still open to fishing except for the obvious (Social Distancing)

 

i read Washington closed up recreational fishing.,

26 minutes ago, BR1AN said:

Social Distancing

Good to see you posting again Br1an!  Alone, on my kayak, in the middle of a pond... that's what I call social distancing.

 

I got this email today from MA Division of Marine Fisheries, "DMF has become aware of rumors and a fabricated Facebook post, appearing to come from DMF, that state commercial and recreational fishing have been closed due to the Covid-19 public emergency. This is not true! Commercial and recreational fishing remain open in Massachusetts.

All official updates are posted via this email service, our website, and our verified Facebook page."

 

And on the subject of social distancing, today's forecast said Great South, in Plymouth.  After housework, et al, I dropped into Little South around noon.  The weather called for winds around 10 mph.  Great South felt like 15 - 20 mph.  After 3 hours of fighting the wind and watching white caps come over my bow, I called it quits and moved on.  Water temps were 46.x.  The highlight at Great South was the bald eagle that cruised over me.

 

I drove to Hedges in hopes of salvaging the day.  I hit the water at 3:45 and stayed until dusk.  The 10 mph winds were realistic here so off to the wind blown shoreline went I, which happened to be the NW corner.  I grabbed a 1.91 pound SMB on a 3.8" Keitech FAT Impact on an underspin in 8-10' of water.  This fish had good fight and came out of the water a couple times.  I moved around the NW shore, tossing a brown/purple tube, jerk bait, and Ike Demon DT6.  Nothing bit so I switched the tube to a black Zoom U-Tail and nabbed a 3/4 yellow perch and a 2.02 SMB.  I lost a two good SMB as well.  The first spit a gold/yellow BX Brat and the second didn't like black U-Tails.  Water temps were 49.x - 50.x, and air pressure was 29.8.  All fish/bites were in 8' or less.

 

Great South (GS) and Hedges both did what they always do to me.  I know GS will warm up, and is a good lake, WHEN you find them.  Hedges is a consistent performer and rarely disappoints.  

 

Good luck to everyone else in their 'social distancing'.

 

Got out for a quick post-work sesh on Long Pond today. Glad I made the effort because the bite turned out to be pretty hot for the last few hours of daylight. Got bit on a jerkbait, finesse swimbait and a tube, depths ranging from 6 to 14ft. Went 7/9 on bites, best 5 fish going for 12/13lbs....dumped a +4lber right at the boat as well. Water temps were a balmy 46 degrees...   

Got out for an afternoon/night trip. First spot I got a bunch of pickerel. Good size ones to. Fished a few different areas on this spot. Only pickerel. Spot 2. Nothing. I’ve caught more sunglasses here then fish. Spot 3! Nothin. Spot 4 is a go to night spot, I missed 3 fish. First one was a good fish. Spit hook trying to land it. 2 other hits were on topwater.  I fished long pond for trout after dark. Nothin. Then went to littles pond. Stuck it out for 2 hours. Had 2 hits and got 1 nice brookie at midnight. 

9 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

Good to see you posting again Br1an!  Alone, on my kayak, in the middle of a pond... that's what I call social distancing.

 

Thanks ?

 

Good to see a familiar name.

 

 

Got some more home cooking on Long Pond on Saturday. While the conditions were a bit more of a challenge than Friday afternoon's slugfest, my buddy and I did figure a few things out to put a solid limit in the boat. With water temps backing down a tad to 45 and the sun only peeking out for a few hours in the early afternoon, we backed off a bit depth-wise and had to finesse em into the boat early. The most productive areas early on were points and steep depth change areas, while coves/shallow flats proved effective when the sun peeked out late in the day. Ned rigs, finesse swimbaits, and the trusty 110 got the job done for a ~13lb limit. 

Everyone out here in agreement that opening day at Quabbin Res. will be delayed?

3 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

Everyone out here in agreement that opening day at Quabbin Res. will be delayed?

Talked with a buddy last week to schedule a boat wash. It might be delayed a week or so due to getting the docks in. Boat was is scheduled for May 18. First time they had available and it seems like they are doing every other week for washes. Guessing a man power shortage? 

 

Don't mind it being delayed a bit. Ponds in Central Mass have been pretty great the past few weeks. Had about 12 with a 4.3 LM at a pond inear the Quabbin yesterday. 42-43* water but they were eating a jig up shallow in buckbrush/wood. A few others on the swimbait on grass edges. Even if the bass are not chewing you run into trout eating jigs, swimbaits, lipless cranks, etc. More trout stocked this year than I can remember.

3 minutes ago, QuabbinDude said:

Ponds in Central Mass have been pretty great the past few weeks.

Great to hear, and welcome to the forum.  If you want to learn anything/everything bass fishing, this is the place.

12 hours ago, QuabbinDude said:

Talked with a buddy last week to schedule a boat wash. It might be delayed a week or so due to getting the docks in. Boat was is scheduled for May 18. First time they had available and it seems like they are doing every other week for washes. Guessing a man power shortage? 

 

Don't mind it being delayed a bit. Ponds in Central Mass have been pretty great the past few weeks. Had about 12 with a 4.3 LM at a pond inear the Quabbin yesterday. 42-43* water but they were eating a jig up shallow in buckbrush/wood. A few others on the swimbait on grass edges. Even if the bass are not chewing you run into trout eating jigs, swimbaits, lipless cranks, etc. More trout stocked this year than I can remember.

Rumor has it the state emptied all the hatcheries.  Don't know if that's true, but the source I got it from is pretty reliable.

Regarding the trout stocking...I had someone tell me similar last night when i stopped by Sheeps to take a few casts after work with the Huddleston. While I didn't see any lunker largemouth stalking the freshly stocked trout, I did manage a nice fat smallie on the swimbait...which was pretty surprising given the size of the bait. 

19 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

Everyone out here in agreement that opening day at Quabbin Res. will be delayed?

Anyone hear if wachusett is still opening Saturday? 

Always been curious of Long Pond in Tewksbury. Anyone fished it before?

13 hours ago, je1946 said:

Rumor has it the state emptied all the hatcheries.  Don't know if that's true, but the source I got it from is pretty reliable.

I've heard the same thing, something about not being able to maintain the current trout so they were just gonna release them all to save cost. 

Went out to try for my first tiger trout. The pond was packed.  Got a nice little brown trout.

21 hours ago, BR1AN said:

Always been curious of Long Pond in Tewksbury. Anyone fished it before?

The one time my son and I went we caught a handful of crappie and what would have been a pin size pickerel for my son had I known about the pin program in MA. No bass unfortunately, but it was a really windy, rough, rainy day. But when you get to fish, you got to go fishing. 

 

Brian

22 hours ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

The pond was packed

Little?

Surprised Morton Park is still open!  

Yep. I’m surprised to 

Hit a smaller 120 acre pond in central Mass yesterday. Only four keeper bass, biggest was about 3.5. Water temp was 44-45*. Focused on deeper holes 15-20', most were suspended in 8-12". Swung 11 rainbow and brown trout in the boat, most 14-18". All yo-yoing on a 5/8 lipless lol. Unfortunately I don't eat fish.