Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[MassYak85]

17 hours ago, Sputterbug said:

Got a 6.4 tonight. Very end as it was getting dark. Maybe 2 feet of water in a grassy area. Hadn't got hardly anything all night, and for the past 2 weeks for that matter. Caught on a plastic worm, she waked up on it just after it hit the water. 

 

Also caught my first fish on a 7" glide bait. 

Ah yes, the classic "catch a dink on a swimbait, and a giant on a worm" fishing experience 🤣.

[1984isNOW]

2 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

a gi

Makes me question all my recent tackle purchases

[Sputterbug]

Been fishing for bass the same way since I was 12. One rod with a spinnerbait, one with a plastic worm. Sometimes switch to a frog/ topwater when the weeds come in. It's worked well enough on the smaller ponds I fish that I just haven't bothered changing it up. So many other great lures and techniques that I just haven't got to until now.   

 

Ran into a coupe of different guy's back in March that were only throwing swimbaits and both had already caught fish over 7 this spring. It was finally enough for me to go get a third heavier rod and a couple of swimbaits . Last week I was going through the motions of giving it a chance, maybe 25 casts. Once, after I brought it up not really too focused or into it, noticed a giant wake slowly move away from the boat. Defiantly got my attention after that.  

[MassYak85]

5 hours ago, Sputterbug said:

Been fishing for bass the same way since I was 12. One rod with a spinnerbait, one with a plastic worm. Sometimes switch to a frog/ topwater when the weeds come in. It's worked well enough on the smaller ponds I fish that I just haven't bothered changing it up. So many other great lures and techniques that I just haven't got to until now.   

 

Ran into a coupe of different guy's back in March that were only throwing swimbaits and both had already caught fish over 7 this spring. It was finally enough for me to go get a third heavier rod and a couple of swimbaits . Last week I was going through the motions of giving it a chance, maybe 25 casts. Once, after I brought it up not really too focused or into it, noticed a giant wake slowly move away from the boat. Defiantly got my attention after that.  

I've got a memory seared in my brain of a bass coming up to my kayak on a stormy day in shallow water. I was throwing a Mattlures soft gill and it knocked a few feet of slack in my line maybe 15 feet from my kayak. By the time I caught up with it it had spit the bait. The wake that thing made through the shallow water it looked like a missile shooting off. No idea on size but to make that kind of wake...I don't even want to think about it haha.

[Frezzy]

Man the bass fishing has been tough the past week or so.  I think the fish are in that post spawn funk.  At least here in Metrowest.  Or maybe it’s just me

 

Anyone else having a rough go of it?

[1984isNOW]

16 hours ago, Frezzy said:

post spawn

I haven't even seen more than like 5 beds over the span of 3 waterbodied - if they spawned already they did it sneaky and deep

[guidoStow]

2 hours ago, 1984isNOW said:

I haven't even seen more than like 5 beds over the span of 3 waterbodied - if they spawned already they did it sneaky and deep

And the water temp is just too cold for fish that still follow that theory

[Frezzy]

1 hour ago, guidoStow said:

And the water temp is just too cold for fish that still follow that theory

What temp do you feel the spawn peaks at?  I had 66-68 on a Metrowest pond yesterday and 65-67 on another this morning.

[guidoStow]

65-70 should be peak spawn. That's certainly warmer than I have seen it on the chilly pond I fish most.

[DogBone_384]

Took a short trip to a new pond in Plymouth yesterday.  Three LMB, one pick, and one yellow perch made it to the kayak.  Not bad for an afternoon trip.  The pick and perch ate a Holo Minnow Rerange 130 and the bass favored a 4" Senko.

 

Water temps were 62.x.  There were a few beds but it was breezy and I couldn't tell if they were vacant or not.

[DogBone_384]

Got out again yesterday.  I was lazy and went to my favorite little smallie kettle in Plymouth one more time before Summer hits and the town requires a 'townie' sticker to park.  Four smallies made it to the kayak and one outsmarted me.  The first came on a purple 10" Zoom Ol Monster.  The others on a perch Vision 110+1 jr.  Everyone came in around 1 1/2 - 2 pounds.

 

Two other folks were fishing from shore and caught a couple on a bass colored paddle tail.

 

It was mostly overcast until early afternoon and the water temps were 66.x

[MassYak85]

On 5/22/2024 at 6:50 AM, DogBone_384 said:

Got out again yesterday.  I was lazy and went to my favorite little smallie kettle in Plymouth one more time before Summer hits and the town requires a 'townie' sticker to park.  Four smallies made it to the kayak and one outsmarted me.  The first came on a purple 10" Zoom Ol Monster.  The others on a perch Vision 110+1 jr.  Everyone came in around 1 1/2 - 2 pounds.

 

Two other folks were fishing from shore and caught a couple on a bass colored paddle tail.

 

It was mostly overcast until early afternoon and the water temps were 66.x

Oooo the big worm bite already? I do love dragging the 10 inch power worms on those deeper areas outside the spawning coves for those post spawners. 

[DogBone_384]

@MassYak85 I threw it on a whim, and that’s what I had. Never thought a smallie would have gone for it, but sure enough. Went for it on the first cast too.

[DogBone_384]

I dropped into one of my regular Plymouth SMB waters yesterday just before 0600, hoping for some topwater action since the weather was so beautiful.  Turned out the weather was too beautiful.  I threw a popper, whopper plopper, and Skitterwalk for the first couple innings.  I continued to what's ususally a 'guaranteed' rocky point with a steep drop off and threw a jig, wacky senko, Keitech, jerkbait, crankbait, and lipless, but nobody was playing.  I worked the whole perimeter and managed one LMB on the wacky Senko.  

 

I packed up after 3 hours.  It was too 'bluebird'.  I threw my jig tight to shore as as many trees/bushes as possible on the way back to my truck,but there were no takers.  I saw a couple cruisers, who weren't interested.  There were also clouds of fry on windblown banks.  The turtles were also in full display, as well as a bald eagle.

 

Water temps were 65.x when I arrived and 67.x when I left.  I'm bringing my boat to NH next week.  Hopefully mother nature will cooperate and I can get a couple good days out.  

Best of luck to everyone getting out this weekend

[guidoStow]

Vermont camping/fishing trip this last week. Ran the whole gamut of nature moments, vehicle breakdowns, wild weather and focused bite windows. Water was 64 to 71 over the week. The LMBs were in cabbage beds in 10' of water the SMBs and the Rock Bass were on cobbled shelves.

 

 

 

 

[MassYak85]

Managed a couple stripers in the river on Friday ane did some local fishing today. Forgot my normal rods so I had a forced "swimbaits only" trip. Watwr temps were 68 to 71 and the bluegill were into their spawn it seemed. I did not see a single bass on a bed. Only managed one dink on a UFO and some pickerel on an Swaver 200. The bass did not seem very active.

[DogBone_384]

1 hour ago, MassYak85 said:

The bass did not seem very active.

I agree.  There was nothing going on in Plymouth at a water I usually get something.  I could have left my Lowrance off.  Guess we can call it the post spawn blues ... 

[1984isNOW]

13 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

post spawn blues ... 

So they just skipped spawn and went right to.post spawn thus year huh,hate when they do that

[DogBone_384]

11 minutes ago, 1984isNOW said:

So they just skipped spawn

I don't know if they did that, but all the beds I've seen in Plymouth / Cape Cod are empty and I've seen clouds of fry in a few waters.  

[MassYak85]

23 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

I agree.  There was nothing going on in Plymouth at a water I usually get something.  I could have left my Lowrance off.  Guess we can call it the post spawn blues ... 

My dad had a bit of luck on a jig outside some spawning coves. But with only swimbaits rods my options were limited. I tried working some softbaits slow through some of the weedbeds but only the pickerel were interested.

[DogBone_384]

Pick’s are OK when the bass don’t play nice.  I fished a big lake in Manchester yesterday with ‘boss-lady’.  It was our first time there.  I managed a 3.08# LMB on a LV500 and she got a little one on a wacky Senko.  My Larry was skinny.

 

Water temps were all over the place, low 60’s in one section and low 70’s in another.  Is that the lake turning over?

[DogBone_384]

Boss-lady and I spent the week in NH.  I got to fish two days.  Did pretty good for our first time fishing much bigger waters than I'm accustomed to.  Grabbed a 3# LMB at one lake and 3 smallies, plus a SLAB of a crappie at the other.  Water temperatures were high 60's - low 70's at the first one and all over the place at the second, ranging from high 50's to low 70's.  

 

I'm glad I bought the annual non-resident license.... I'm going back there more.

[guidoStow]

Hit my local pond this morning. Water was 70 degrees. Had follows and careful examinations from 8 LMB with out a single one sealing the deal. No SMB interest... 

[Sputterbug]

Ended up being a pretty good night tonight. Started off slow. Got a couple near the end, back to back.  Four fish in all, Three of them were over 3. All on plastic worms.  

[DogBone_384]

Fished Hingham for a couple hours this afternoon.  Nabb'ed  three and lost one LMB.  Everyone was around 1.5#.  A purple Senko and a black/blue/purple/brown jig from Siebert Outdoors did the trick.  Threw a crankbait and jerkbait for a few but nobody was interested.  All fish were tight to structure.  Water temps were 75.x.

 

It's finally Summer.