Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[DogBone_384]

@Mr. Aquarium and I tried to take advantage of yesterday's good weather.  All the waters we drove buy were skimmed over until I got to south Plymouth, almost to the Sagamore Bridge....  Mike met me at the ramp and we did our best until the cold and 12mph wind froze us to the bone... 

 

Our few marks were stuck to the bottom in 20-25'.  We threw the 'normal' winter assortment.  There were two other boats fishing too.  Water temps were 27.x - 38.x and air pressure was 29.7.  Needless to say we came up empty.

 

It was 15 degrees warmer than Plymouth when I got home...  welcome to New England!

[ne_dan]

I didn’t get to get out and enjoy the nice weather yesterday, but I was able to sneak out for an hour before sunset this afternoon.  Found fish on the transition from 10’-15’ to 5’ with a jerkbait, which worked well as I was wading.  Managed 3 pickerel, 1 slab crappie, and 4 bass that ranged from 2.4 to 4.6lbs.  They were definitely energized by the warmer temps.  The 4.6 jumped out of the water when I hooked it, better then the frozen no fight fish from earlier this month.  Of course winter is coming back this week so who knows how the rest of the month will go.

[DogBone_384]

Drove over 'the bridge' to Sandwich in search of bass.  I may as well have left my Lowrance off - I had 'clear screen' while shallow, deep, and everything in between.  My blade bait, jig, small Keitech, swim Senko, and Tactical DD crank proved useless.  Late in the afternoon I managed two picks, 3.64 and 2.24 respectively, while dragging an American Shad LV500 up a hill in about 20'.

 

Water temps were 37.9, air pressure was 29.8.  It was overcast and winds were about 10 mph from the west.  

 

@ne_dan - a 4.6# bass came out of the water?!?!?!?  And you were in Massachusetts !?!?!?!?.  Congrats!

[DogBone_384]

I drove by Ponkapoag & Blue Hills reservoir while doing errands. 

 

Ponkie was WIDE open and BHR had some ice along the Western bank, but was 80% open otherwise.

[Don51]

Those Ponkie pickerel are waiting for you!  😆

[DogBone_384]

The picks can wait.  

[DogBone_384]

Drove by Sunset Lake in Braintree yesterday.  It's 30% iced over on the NE side.  It's 23* this morning, hopefully we won't get completely locked out.

[1984isNOW]

12 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

n Br

I used to fish this lake a bunch until a lot of people there couldn't answer how they were doing when I asked about the fishing, but instead showed me a cooler full of fish of all species and sizes - often illegal.

 

The lake was dead for Mad long

 

Have you had luck the past couple years?

[MassYak85]

The long term forecast is looking juicy 😎

[DogBone_384]

I fished on the Cape with @Saltysmalljaws on Monday.  We ground it out all day.  I skunked, but Jake caught five or six big smallies, with the biggest just over 4 1/2 pounds.  Winds were tough, but a day's fishing is a day's fishing.  Water temperature was 38.x and air pressure was 30. 

 

I returned to the same water Tuesday morning looking for some redemption.  I managed 1 decent 2 1/2 pound smallie on the same Damiki blade bait, in the same location as  Monday.  Go figure.  I moved over to another pond I generally do pretty well at, but after 4 hours of marking 1 or 2 fish 'here and there'  and unable to connect, I called it a day.  Water temps at here were 39.x.

 

I also saw two bald eagles.  I'm heading back to Cape Cod March 10th for a couple days.  I think I'm going to leave the Ranger home and bring my kayak.  I can hit more ponds, increasing my odds.

 

I'm going to see @Fishing Rhino on Friday to help him get the dust off his Nitro and give it a good once over.  With any luck I might get a couple hours at a private pond near his house.

 

Spring is coming.  I hope everyone's got their gear ready!

[MassYak85]

Took a few casts from shore today to get warmed up. We're taking the boat out for the first time tomorrow, not sure where yet. Feels like we just put it away lol. 

[DogBone_384]

6 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

not sure where yet.

Plymouth, Cape Cod? It's open and the smallies are starting to liven up.  If you have a 60 hp or less, there's Massapoag in Sharon.  It holds SMB and LMB.

 

I checked off March with five yellow perch and one smallie at my favorite little Plymouth kettle.  Two perch were just over 1.5# and the SMB was 1.7#.  The perch came on a gold/black/orange Damiki blade bait.  All my smallie wanted was a green/black flake tube dragged S L O W L Y.

 

Water temps were 43.x.  Winds were pretty stiff from the East, and the air pressure was 30.4.

[MassYak85]

We got out on a local lake for the first time. Even with the wind it was still fairly comfortable, especially this time of year. The bass didn't show themselves but I managed a good size pickerel and a fat perch on the vision 110.

[DogBone_384]

I dropped into my 'home' pond this afternoon.    I threw a 1/4 ounce jig, chatterbait, jerkbait, squarebill, Keitech on underspin, and a fluke.  I couldn't get any type of groove going so it was a pretty short trip.  I marked targets glued to the bottom.  Water temps were 46.x.  Another couple weeks or so and that magic 50* should be here!

[MassYak85]

I really need to get familiar with deep bottom contact baits and comfortable fishing jigs in the wind. This time a year if the jerkbait fails I generally don't do well.

[DogBone_384]

6 minutes ago, MassYak85 said:

I really need to get familiar with deep bottom contact baits and comfortable fishing jigs in the wind. This time a year if the jerkbait fails I generally don't do well.

You and me BOTH.  I've learned a lot fishing with @Saltysmalljaws.  Jake's a deep water guru.

 

I'll be on Cape Cod from 3/22 - 3/29 with my Ranger if you can make time.

[MassYak85]

23 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

You and me BOTH.  I've learned a lot fishing with @Saltysmalljaws.  Jake's a deep water guru.

 

I'll be on Cape Cod from 3/22 - 3/29 with my Ranger if you can make time.

22nd might work! I'll keep you updated.

[1984isNOW]

I've been living vicariously through y'all, I'm excited to get my first trip in soon, probably still won't be for a couple weeks, but y'all got me pumped up already.

 

I respect the commitment to get out and start your season early, and that for some of you the season never ends haha

[Mr. Aquarium]

I’ve only fished twice this month. Went out Sunday, late start, had to unpack from CO last week. Only one pick, missed a few good ones on jigs and glide baits. Then shore fished Monday local, got 3 dinks on lipless. Now my truck is in the shop. No fishing this weekend 

[DogBone_384]

Maybe … just maybe … throwing trout swim baits is in order!

 

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/trout-stocking-report

 

 

7 hours ago, Kites R4 Skyfishing said:

start your season early

If there’s open water, the season doesn’t end.

[MassYak85]

I got humbled today, not a single bite. Spent half the day fishing for a reaction bite and half the day giving bottom contact stuff a fair shot with a hair jig, and blade bait. Not even a sniff, not even a single dink perch or pickerel. I saw some giants caught today on Facebook too 🙃.

[Mr. Aquarium]

Weird bite this afternoon, couldn’t figure out the pattern. Random fish on random baits.  Got 3 fish few whacks. Got one on the DS Customs 3 piece swimmer. She went 5-9. She was sitting on a shallow windblown point!

[MassBass]

Got a nice bass last weekend. Maybe try again this Friday.

[DogBone_384]

Had a tough Cape trip.  6 ponds in 3 days netted me 2 SMB, 1 LMB, and 2 YP.  The smallies were a shade under 2 pounds and the other fish were in the 1.5# range.  Water temps in 5 ponds hung around 47 degrees, and number 6 just nicked that magic 50, which was where Larry and one perch came from. 

 

I threw anything and everything I could think of, and a couple recommendations from @Mr. Aquarium and @Saltysmalljaws that didn't come to mind.  I fished deep, shallow, and in between.  My Lowrance marked little or NOTHING in 4 of 6 waters. 

 

I'll be back on Cape Cod for a week starting next week.  Hopefully I'll have better luck.

[DogBone_384]

Dropped into my home pond (shallow & weedy) this afternoon figuring the water temps would be up.  Yep, they were 49.x - 50.x.  The only signs of life were two eagles, a loon, two swans, and a muskrat.

 

I threw enough of a variety for long enough without so much as a whiff out of even a pickerel, I was wasting my time. 

 

Another day.