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Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports


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  • Super User

Our 7 month old cats woke me up at first light and since my kayak & gear was already in my truck I decided to drive to Plymouth and give the pond I love to hate a shot.  It was quiet the first two hours.  I switched between a jig, Senko, crank bait, and jerk bait to see what was on the menu.  I ditched the Senko for a 3.8" Keitech and started casting 'dirt' shallow.  I got snagged so I start pedaling towards it but as I got closer I saw the line was not where I casted.  I set the hook and came up with a healthy, brightly colored LMB that was 4 pounds (or better) and 20 7/8".

 

Spent another couple hours working drop offs and a flat full of beds.  I hooked a small SMB on a Shimano jerk bait but got spit.  I hooked, and landed, a nice white perch shortly after.  That was it for the trip.

 

The highlight came as a crossed a berm and into a canal where I saw a @Mr. Aquarium sized LMB with a smaller (3 pounds) bass hanging out.  I tossed a jig, Ned, V110, and weightless Senko at them.  The big bass nosed up to the JB but wouldn't commit.  Too bad, it surely would have been a PB.

 

I also saw a few BIG turtles and one loon doing what they do.

 

It was bluebird clear.  Winds were 5 mph from the East, and the air pressure was 30.4.  Water temps were 64.x.

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  • Super User

Dropped into my home pond yesterday for a couple hours.  Got two picks.  One on a baby brush hog and the other on a Duo Realis 80SP jerkbait.  

 

It was bluebird clear, winds were 5-10 mph, and air pressure was 30.  Water temps were a balmy 70.x.

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Herring were in full force Tuesday evening. Couldn't help but snag em on striper baits. Did see a striper show off a log jam for a slug go but it was shy. 

IMG_20230523_172017.jpg

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I trudged through Cape traffic yesterday to fish my #1 Plymouth kettle before resident stickers are required for the Summer.  Got 4 good SMB and 1  1_6 yellow perch to the kayak and got spit by two more SMB.  The smallmouth didn't want anything other than a 3.8" Keitech.  Mr. Perch hit a Ghost Minnow Duo Realis 85SP.

 

Water temps were 69.x.  It was mostly sunny with light wind from the SE.  Air pressure was 30.3.

 

I'm still waiting for my first topwater fish of '23....

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Good days on the water.

 

It was a fishing extravaganza: 2 days, 16 hours of fishing and paddling, 40 odd fish, and a very sore back and shoulders. Water temps were around 68 the entire time. Most fish were caught on a paddle tail, ned rig, or grub. I kept it simple and simple worked fine.

 

Most bass were right around 2 lbs, give or take. I might have lost a bigger one who got acrobatic right after I set the hook, but the bass you didn't really see, and lost, is always the biggest one. I also caught the occasional perch and pickerel to keep things interesting.

 

This is the average bass I was catching:

 

98.thumb.jpeg.61e0d0735c76a280d9f849e9c94b41a4.jpeg

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  • Super User

Got my kayak salty this afternoon behind my house.  Came up with a nice 6 pound schoolie on a pink/white jig head & white paddle tail.  

 

High tide is just after dawn.  I might just get out after the cats wake me up.

 

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I took the kayak to Plymouth and Cape Cod over the last few days and boy did it pay off.  I fished my normal waters and felt more like @Mr. Aquarium and @Saltysmalljaws.  While I didn't break my PB, my average LMB was almost 4 pounds.  Most were shallow and took a Keitch or jerk bait.  I got a couple decent SMB, but LMB were the majority catch.

 

Unfortunately that all ended when I woke up Thursday AM and wrenched something in my back.  I drove off the Cape and swapped my kayak for my Ranger, since I don't have to pedal it.  I fished the 'normal' Cape Cod waters you can get a bass boat in and couldn't buy a fish over a pound with Apple Pay.  80% of my 'Ranger' catches were picks and yellow perch via a Perch Stunna 112 +1.  I managed a few dink SMB on the Cape water I love to hate.  Don't know what it is, but I can't catch JACK with my boat.  It's time to dump it and stick to kayak fishing.

 

The weather was perfect, winds were light, and water temps were high 60's to a hair over 70.  Air pressure started at 30.2 and were 30 when I drove home today.

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I got out on the home lake Friday before the storms. Got on a decent big worm bite in the deeper weedbeds outside spawning areas. Got a few 17 or 18 inchers but they were skinny from the spawn and didn't even crack 3lbs. Managed 7 or 8 bass in total, was decent for a half day.

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I drove to Plymouth yesterday afternoon.  Caught 2 LMB, 1 SMB, 1 white perch, and 1 sunfish.  The biggest LMB came in at 3_6.  It took a 5" orange/brown Senko.  Everyone else, even the little sunfish, bit a perch Stunna 112+1.  All bass were F A T, so they're eating well.

 

The weather was mixed, with thunderstorms passing through around supper time.  Water temps were 68.x.

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I drove back to Plymouth around lunch time in search of some good smallmouth action.  Instead I picked up 3 Larry's, and 2 Sally's.  The biggest LMB was 3_6 and 2 even for the SMB.  A baby bass Yamamoto single tail grub and perch Stunna 112+1 did the damage.  I had a good SMB follow the Stunna close to the kayak, but it turned away.

 

Water temps were 64.x - 66.x, which are about 5 degrees cooler than this time in ‘22 & ‘21.  It was overcast with nary a breeze.  Air pressure was 29.7. 

 

It's been a strange year so far.   I did well during the winter, had a lousy March/April, and seem to be having a pretty good early Summer ..... hopefully I didn't just jinx myself...

 

Best of luck to everyone getting out there! 

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I fished Massapoag Lake in Sharon today because I didn’t have time to go to Plymouth. I should have gone striper fishing behind my house.

 

I fished here six times this year and have a lonely white perch to show for it.  I expected something today, but didn’t mark much of anything deep or shallow. The one surprising thing also NOT on my Lowrance was vegetation.  The western shore is primarily rock but the east had vegetation. Today there was none, where Ponkapoag and ponds I fish on the South Shore & Cape Cod show healthy salad.  The water also had a dark tea stain to it, similar to Sunset Lake and Canton Reservoir.  I’m crossing this lake off my list.

 

I can’t say for sure the vegetation was killed off, but one guy coming to the landing the same time as me said there was a fish kill within the last couple weeks.  Another angler came in just after us and said there was still vegetation at the southern end where there are few houses.  
 

Water temps were 66.x-68.x and air pressure was 29.7.

 

 

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I dragged my kayak around Plymouth & Cape Cod the last three days.  With the exception of Sheep's Pond, the bass were biting.  The smallmouth were out of control, making Cocaine-Bear look like Valium-Bear..... 

 

Water temps in shallower ponds peaked in the low 70's and deep kettles were still in the high 60's.  My biggest smallie was 2_9 and big Larry came in at 4_14 (ALMOST!)....

 

The highlight, I guess you'd call it, was a BLUE chain pickerel I caught in the same pond my 4_14 LMB.  I've heard of blue lobsters, but blue picks?

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IMG-20230618-WA0000.thumb.jpg.273b80786bd29758f9de449f5afccdb9.jpgWell the bass didn't cooperate this morning for my dad but I was able to snag a nice one. Absolute blimp of a fish that had a bluegill in it's throat went after a 3pc PB rat. It's not often I feel outgunned with a swimbait rod but this fish hit hard and managed to get a few good headshakes in. The first headshake I thought it was a giant as I caught a glimpse of it's side. It only ended up being 20 inches but had the girth to still come in at 5lbs 10oz. Fattest fish I've ever caught at that length. That thing has some genetics for sure. 

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On 6/18/2023 at 1:34 PM, MassYak85 said:

IMG-20230618-WA0000.thumb.jpg.273b80786bd29758f9de449f5afccdb9.jpgWell the bass didn't cooperate this morning for my dad but I was able to snag a nice one. Absolute blimp of a fish that had a bluegill in it's throat went after a 3pc PB rat. It's not often I feel outgunned with a swimbait rod but this fish hit hard and managed to get a few good headshakes in. The first headshake I thought it was a giant as I caught a glimpse of it's side. It only ended up being 20 inches but had the girth to still come in at 5lbs 10oz. Fattest fish I've ever caught at that length. That thing has some genetics for sure. 

That thing looks like a rodent eater.  Well done!

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On 6/18/2023 at 7:34 PM, MassYak85 said:

IMG-20230618-WA0000.thumb.jpg.273b80786bd29758f9de449f5afccdb9.jpgWell the bass didn't cooperate this morning for my dad but I was able to snag a nice one. Absolute blimp of a fish that had a bluegill in it's throat went after a 3pc PB rat. It's not often I feel outgunned with a swimbait rod but this fish hit hard and managed to get a few good headshakes in. The first headshake I thought it was a giant as I caught a glimpse of it's side. It only ended up being 20 inches but had the girth to still come in at 5lbs 10oz. Fattest fish I've ever caught at that length. That thing has some genetics for sure. 

That's a beast! Nice one!

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Figured I would give A1 Site a shot this morning.  Bad idea!

 

The entire pond is basically a giant grass mat.  The only area that was truly fishable was the eastern end near the launch/dam.  This was my first (and last) time trying it in the summer.  Is it usually this bad?

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  • Super User
8 hours ago, Frezzy said:

Figured I would give A1 Site a shot this morning.  Bad idea!

 

The entire pond is basically a giant grass mat.  The only area that was truly fishable was the eastern end near the launch/dam.  This was my first (and last) time trying it in the summer.  Is it usually this bad?

It varies so much. I've had summers there without any of those grass matts and only isolated lily pad groups. THOSE summers are epic there. But lately it seems to want to choke up really bad in the summer. Great if you like punching though.

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  • Super User

My cats woke me up early again (have to hide the coffee better!) so I took one rod to Plymouth and found a few angry smallies from shore.  All they wanted was a perch Rapala Shadow Rap.  Grabbed a couple small yellow perch too.  It was near calm and overcast with a little on/off drizzle.

 

Not a bad start to July.  I'm still on track to catch fish in open water here in MA.

 

Happy Independence Day to the membership, and best of luck to everyone getting on the water!

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Threw a dart at the map and fished a new pond on Cape Cod today.  Ended up with 7 LMB and 1 SMB to the kayak and a handful of hits/misses.  All the baits I threw worked: jerkbait, crankbait, Senko, and jig.  All fish were in 10’ or deeper.

 

Water temps were in the low 80’s.  It was overcast when I arrived and bluebird when I left around 1400….   

 

I gottsta win the lottery and move to the Cape!

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  • Super User
3 hours ago, Don51 said:

How's the bridge traffic?

Traffic is light at 0530 in the morning .... I avoid it during 'rush hours'.  

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