It’s 54 degrees around Boston, but no open water (OK, the ocean...).

 

I hope some of you get out today, especially south, towards Cape Cod!

 

Merry Christmas and a personal best to all for ‘21!

1 hour ago, DogBone_384 said:

It’s 54 degrees around Boston, but no open water (OK, the ocean...).

 

I hope some of you get out today, especially south, towards Cape Cod!

 

Merry Christmas and a personal best to all for ‘21!

I got out but it was on the hardwater. Found some sketchy ice along the 495 belt. I got a couple spots that are usually the first in the area to lock up. 

 

Ice was very variable you really gotta know what you're doing. The snow seemed to accumulate on one side of the lake and in those spots there was a layer or black ice maybe 2 inches thick with 3 inches of white ice on top of that. That was safe and what we fished. The remainder of the lake was solid black ice but only a hair over 2inches. I wasn't risking that. 

 

A couple pickerel decided to hit the tipups but no bass today. I jigged up a good amount of tiny perch and sunfish. A fun but slow start to the hardware season. 

 

The weather was crazy, started out just below freezing in the morning but I knew it would get sketchy in the afternoon. It hit 55 before noon and the wind combined with the temperature started cutting through the white ice like a buzzsaw. There was half an inch of water on the ice when we left. I imagine the rain tommorow could be enough to reset the ice completely. 

Merry Christmas all. Hope you have a great new year.

I just heard at the beginning of the week that my boat will be completed and will ship in the beginning of February. 
Hoping to get her launched in June providing I can get her registered. 
Take care, be healthy and be safe. Enjoy the holiday.

Merry Christmas everyone! 
 

I got out yesterday. Hit 3 spots from shore. The first one was good to me last winter. No fish, fished the hell out of the jerkbait, fish a small real prey, hair jigs, and blade.  Spot 2, I know I could hit deep water from shore, jerkbait,  swimbait and blade nothing.  
On my way back home I drove by a pond I haven’t hit. I knew I could reach deeper water, plus a chance for a trout. 
first few cast got a beautiful brownie on a vision 110 

18 hours ago, Jigfishn10 said:

my boat will be completed and will ship in the beginning of February. 

 

Awesome! Congratulations!!!

I've said it the past few years running that a group of us should get together for a weekend at a camp ground, or alike, and have a good time IN PERSON, fishing, BBQ'ing, BS'ing, and meeting each other. 

 

I've mentioned Nickerson State Park before.  Cape Cod, before the Summer crowd hits.  

 

'21 might be a the right year for that.

 

Depending on what King Charie Baker lets us do... of course.

19 hours ago, Jigfishn10 said:

Hoping to get her launched in June providing I can get her registered.

It took me a month to get our boat registered, only because of CV-19.  With any luck, this'll all be over and the EP registries will be open again.

Hopefully, 2021 is the year. It’s starting out on a positive, so far, for my family and friends. My brother got rid of his 21 year old champion bass boat; was going to stick with kayak fishing and fish with our good friend who just bought a triton 18x, a few weeks ago. Well, we happened to see a 2020 Phoenix 919 pro xp for sale in Dracut, Ma on ***. The guy lives 2 miles from my brother, and friends of ours fish in the same club as him. My brother talked to the guy and got the boat for an amazing deal. 18 hours on the motor and it’s loaded. I’ll be coming up this May for sure. Working as first responder for the federal government, in Washington D.C, I’m sure I’ll be getting the Covid vaccine sometime before that.

sorry I’m so long winded, just hoping to get back up there and fish a lot in 2021.

Happy Holidays

Closed out ‘20 with a trip to Hedges with hopes of a couple good SMB.  Kept it simple with a small Keitech, Vision 110, and Damiki blade bait.  Unfortunately I got skunked.

 

Water temps were 40.x and 38.x when I left at dusk.  Air pressure was 30.2.

 

Saturday’s weather’s supposed to be good.  I’m planning on getting out somewhere.  Hope the rest of you do.

 

Happy New Year!

Good luck @DogBone_384!

Took the boat to Monoponsett Pond in Halafax for my first trip in '21.  It was my third time here.  A little more than 3 1/2 hours of jerkbaits, small flat cranks, a jig, Ned, and small Keitech yielded nothing more than a few weeds.

 

Monoponsett is about 10' deep at its max, has a few points, and some dead grass beds.  I fished secondary points first, then moved shallow, but still nothing.

 

Water temps were 38.x - 42.x (shallow).  It was mostly cloudy with winds averaging 15 mph.  Air pressure was 29.8 and rising.

 

A coworker fished a shore mission in Plymouth and caught 5 Crappie, 4 LMB, 3 pickerel, and one perch.  Maybe I should have left the boat parked today?

 

Not the start to '21 I'd hoped for, but all I can do is move on and try another pond, another day.

First trip of the year yeilded a broken rod, paddling against 20mph winds in a kayak, a leaky yak and 2 pickerel on a jerkbait 

1 hour ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

First trip of the year yeilded

Sorry to hear Mike ... Should we have stuck to shore like Dana?

12 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

Sorry to hear Mike ... Should we have stuck to shore like Dana?

I think that was the right choice 

Hey @DogBone_384, sorry about the trip. Keep looking for spot and logging on your electronics and chalk it up to a cold experience.

@Mr. Aquarium is the rod that bad that it can’t be repaired? Its winter and I’ll pony up to repair it for ya?

14 hours ago, Jigfishn10 said:

Hey @DogBone_384, sorry about the trip. Keep looking for spot and logging on your electronics and chalk it up to a cold experience.

@Mr. Aquarium is the rod that bad that it can’t be repaired? Its winter and I’ll pony up to repair it for ya?

Broke a bit off the tip, I was bringing the kayak down a hill, lost control of it and it crashed into a tree 

34 minutes ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

Broke a bit off the tip, I was bringing the kayak down a hill, lost control of it and it crashed into a tree 

Ouch! Doesn't sound like it's repairable.

Check the warranty. You may be surprised!

5 hours ago, Don51 said:

Check the warranty. You may be surprised!

Doesn’t cover it!

Anyone have any tried and true recommendations for medium-large (4-6") swimbaits beyond the typical (huddleston, scottsboro, keitech) ones? Preferably top-hook or hard-body treble baits for open-water smallies and largies. Trying to branch out this year to UP my big bites (my 3lbers were up this year, >+4lbers down sadly).  

10 hours ago, Dunks N Dinks said:

Anyone have any tried and true recommendations for medium-large (4-6") swimbaits beyond the typical (huddleston, scottsboro, keitech) ones?

 Where's Mr. Aquarium?  He'd be the one to chime in.  He does well with swim baits.

10 hours ago, Dunks N Dinks said:

Anyone have any tried and true recommendations for medium-large (4-6") swimbaits beyond the typical (huddleston, scottsboro, keitech) ones? Preferably top-hook or hard-body treble baits for open-water smallies and largies. Trying to branch out this year to UP my big bites (my 3lbers were up this year, >+4lbers down sadly).  

So many, look a spro, Savage gear and river 2 sea. There’s a ton of swimbaits you can use. I LOVE Ms slammers. A mini and 7 inch slammer are great baits.  Check out sebile magic swimmer. 

daddy Mac lures, a local guy makes great baits as well. 

19 hours ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

Ms slammers. A mini and 7 inch slammer are great baits.  Check out sebile magic swimmer. 

daddy Mac lures, a local guy makes great baits as well. 

Have had a Slammer on the wishlist for a while...will make it happen this year. Sebile swimmers you say...love them for striped bass, dont see why larry wouldnt like 'em. thnx for the rec's. 
 

2 hours ago, Dunks N Dinks said:

Have had a Slammer on the wishlist for a while...will make it happen this year. Sebile swimmers you say...love them for striped bass, dont see why larry wouldnt like 'em. thnx for the rec's. 
 

They make small ones for freshwater. 

@Dunks N Dinks Hit up Real Prey swimbaits! They're local and they make their baits out of silicon so they are durable but still have that subtle tail kick even in super cold water. They've got you covered for just about any size. They make a nice 5" perch and some bigger 6 and 7" shiner and gill patterns, all the way up to BIG 10" trout and a Jumbo Shiner. But the Perch is nice, you can throw it on a jig rod you don't need swimbait gear. 

 

 

36 minutes ago, MassYak85 said:

@Dunks N Dinks Hit up Real Prey swimbaits! They're local and they make their baits out of silicon so they are durable but still have that subtle tail kick even in super cold water. They've got you covered for just about any size. They make a nice 5" perch and some bigger 6 and 7" shiner and gill patterns, all the way up to BIG 10" trout and a Jumbo Shiner. But the Perch is nice, you can throw it on a jig rod you don't need swimbait gear. 

 

 

Yea he  make great baits, I’ve got a bunh. The alewife, perch and shiner are my favorites. I have the mega shad, 10 inch trout and jumbo shiner. I got bit by a massive Pickerle on the 10 inch trout. I have a bunch of his baits as well. The forage trout and fall fish worth great as well. He just started making a chad

tail and smal alewife