Eastern Ma & New England Area Fishing Reports

[DogBone_384]

52 minutes ago, TheSwearingAngler said:

I feel like we’re in for a tough winter.

I agree. The geese were through my neck of the woods back in late August and my cats’ coats are thickening up good.

 

I’m on blood thinners now. I get COLD easily now but have Milwaukee heated clothing, which is worth EVERY penny.

52 minutes ago, TheSwearingAngler said:

my feet about froze though…

SmartWool brand socks. Made in USA and worth the extra cost. Unless you’re like Matt Allen of TacticalBassin that wears flip flops all year!

[MassYak85]

The weekend is looking VERY nice, I will likely be out on Friday. 

 

Haven't gotten out as much this year, still only one 5 lber so far but there's still time. 

[DogBone_384]

2 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

still only one 5 lber so far

That's one more fiver than me...

 

I'll be on the Cape Wednesday to Friday, then NH the following Sunday to Tuesday

 

ReelNorthernBass (NH YT channel) gave me a list of a couple lakes to try that are favorable to break my PB's.

[1984isNOW]

4 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

no gloves I'll be happy

Hands were so cold last night the one time I thought I got a bite I couldn't tell if it was a bite and missed the hook set - I feel better telling myself it was just a small branch. 

 

4 hours ago, TheSwearingAngler said:

my feet about froze though

Last week in the yak I started dancing my toes to bring the feeling back, what you wearing for boots/socks? I just had rubber waders and regular socks - I ordered some thermal socks to see if it helps

 

3 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

heated clothing

You on a yak?

[1984isNOW]

@DogBone_384 I'm on the north shore not far from NH at all, moved here a bit ago and my fishing buddy lives about 2 hours away in Halifax.

 

Happy to meet up sometime time and hit the water when you're up this way. 

2 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

only one 5 lber so far

What did you catch it on and what was the weather, time of year, cover etc?

 

I only have one this year too, boy did I have to work for it.

 

Black and blue paddletail on weighted swimbait hooks, day after some rain, cooler night a few weeks ago, just by the bank in some grass beside a spill way from the dam. Slight increase in water flow must've had them waiting for snacks to come by.

[MassYak85]

@1984isNOW I got mine back in mid August on a 10" Black Power Worm (T-Rigged). Fairly calm day with some clouds. It was the first weekend it felt like Fall was coming with some cooler night time temps. 

[1984isNOW]

6 minutes ago, MassYak85 said:

10" Black Power Worm

Deep structure or shallow cover?

[MassYak85]

18 hours ago, 1984isNOW said:

Deep structure or shallow cover?

I wouldn't call it "deep". It was near a submerged boulder in a weed bed off the first drop that sits along a row of docks. It's an interesting area of the lake where you have a transition area between multiple basins. It's slightly deeper than the coves of the shallower basin. Maybe 6-7 feet. 

[1984isNOW]

I can dig it bro, sounds fishy for shore

I'm finally gonna get a chance to get out with my buddy next weekend, he gets out of work in Braintree. 

 

We're gonna go on the yaks, any places around there worth hitting? Not asking for your honey hope, just looking for one last good day of the season. 

 

PM me if you don't wanna post it here, much appreciated

[MassYak85]

11 minutes ago, 1984isNOW said:

I can dig it bro, sounds fishy for shore

I'm finally gonna get a chance to get out with my buddy next weekend, he gets out of work in Braintree. 

 

We're gonna go on the yaks, any places around there worth hitting? Not asking for your honey hope, just looking for one last good day of the season. 

 

PM me if you don't wanna post it here, much appreciated

Southeast MA is more @DogBone_384's stomping grounds I think. I don't make it out there very much. I've heard good things about Monponsett though. 

[TheSwearingAngler]

2 hours ago, 1984isNOW said:

I can dig it bro, sounds fishy for shore

I'm finally gonna get a chance to get out with my buddy next weekend, he gets out of work in Braintree. 

 

We're gonna go on the yaks, any places around there worth hitting? Not asking for your honey hope, just looking for one last good day of the season. 

 

PM me if you don't wanna post it here, much appreciated

This is the buddy that lives in Halifax?… that’s my area.. a lot of good water here.

 

If you’re looking to fish the Braintree/Weymouth area I’m not a lot of help but if you want to come a little south I have suggestions.

 

The closest suggestion I have for Braintree is Lake Holbrook, which is a blast if you want to catch 100 crappie, 8 yellow perch and 2-3 dink bass.

[1984isNOW]

1 hour ago, TheSwearingAngler said:

if you want to come a little south I have suggestions

Thanks! PM on its way

[TheSwearingAngler]

30 minutes ago, 1984isNOW said:

Thanks! PM on its way

PMed back.. for the record if anyone is ever wants to meetup down this way let me know. I’m always game for fishing with new people .

[1984isNOW]

@TheSwearingAngler I'll take that as an invite bro, not sure if I'll get another day trip before this season comes to a close but if not let's connect and hit some bass next spring

[DogBone_384]

On 10/14/2024 at 1:40 PM, 1984isNOW said:

You on a yak?

Yes, mostly from a kayak. I also gave a tin Ranger.

[1984isNOW]

@DogBone_384 I can dig it, what kinda yak you in? I'm just thinking I like the idea of being warmer, and fishing later into the end of the season, but if i ever tipped wearing electric clothes I feel like I'd be cooked

[DogBone_384]

13 hours ago, 1984isNOW said:

what kinda yak you in?

 

FeelFree Lure 11.5

 

As far as being cooked, I doubt it. The battery/grid would short out. That’s about it.

[DogBone_384]

Firstly, thank you to @Glenn and @Jigfishn10 for changing this thread's name to include NEW ENGLAND.  @Jigfishn10 started this thread in 2012 and it's been a bit stale lately so I asked that it include New England to try and liven it up again.  So you members around New England, dust off your keyboards and let us know how fishing is in your area.

 

My trip to the Cape the last two days turned out pretty forgettable.  I fished three lakes, and came up with a few dink SMB/LMB, and some 3# plus pickerel at the second pond.  I don't know where the fish went, but I couldn't find much of anything for bait, even at the pond I fished a few weeks ago that was 'Red Bull' alive.  I fished dirt shallow to 30' with minimal success.  

 

My front Lowrance dropped its 2D and after plugging in my kayak's transducer and control unit I determined it was the Elite Ti2-9.  I called Lowrance and got a human.  My 2D came back when I turned my AUTOPILOT off.  Strangely, I never turned it on.  Regardless, I finally made a few casts and got a yellow perch at the bottom of a drop off in 40' with a blade bait.

 

Water temps were 59.x - 62.x and air pressure started at 29.9 Wednesday and finished at 30.4 this morning.

 

I'm heading to NH/VT Sunday to Tuesday.   I'm fishing waters I've never fished before.  Hopefully it'll be fun.

 

Best of luck to everyone still getting out.

[DogBone_384]

HOLY SHEEP DIP! @JG233.  I figured you fell off the earth. What country are you in now?

[DogBone_384]

Fished in mid NH today. Water temps were 57.x - 59.x. Air pressure was 30.4 and about as bluebird as you can get. I threw the whole Tackle Warehouse catalog in 3 to 30+ feet and came up empty.  May as well have fished in my bath tub.
 

Talked to two guys on another boat. They had live scope and had only 2 fish between them for the day. 
 

It was one of those days I should have left the boat home and drove around in my convertible all day. I’m booked to fish VT & NH the next three days. I might just forget it and ride around in my convertible if the weather’s gonna be like it was today. Not worth the gas & traffic.

 

BTW, where’s this big fall blitz I read so much about? I can’t seem to find it in the Northeast.

[MassYak85]

I got out on Friday. I got four solid fish around 3lbs but man it did not feel like it. Every bite was spaced out and a grind and I did not get on any kind of pattern. All fish on swimbaits, two on a wake the other two on a TK fished like a jerkbait off deeper weed edges. The two wakebait fish came off dense weed clumps right next to deeper water. 

 

I hear you @DogBone_384 sometimes the "Fall bite" never materializes for me. A lot of times the "nice" fall days where the sun is out and not super windy I don't do well. It's almost like they need that cold front to take the hint that it's feeding time but I also find the bite windows can be short. But I think all my bigger fall fish and better days have been overcast and windy and colder. Usually if there's a 65 or 70 degree day it's nice to be out but the bites are few and far in between.

[DogBone_384]

10 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

Usually if there's a 65 or 70 degree day it's nice to be out but the bites are few and far in between.

 

That was the case yesterday in NH and today in VT.  I managed a 3# LMB in 20’ on a DT20 and a few dinks on a topwater Rapala.  I marked lots of fish, and threw the entire Tackle Warehouse catalog again and couldn’t coax another bite.

 

Looking at it after, the formula was simple: bluebird and high pressure … 

 

It was my first trip to VT.  I’m heading back tomorrow since I took today to run it slowly with the side scan.  Lesse what happens.

[DogBone_384]

I fished a New Hampshire pond instead of heading back to VT.  Like VT, it's known to give up big bass.  It's a little over 100 acres and looks textbook: reeds, weeds, rock ledges, drop offs and lots of laydowns.  Eight hours of casting and covering it twice over,  I came up with a Fallfish (!?!?!?!) on a Ito Wasagi Vision 112+2 and a couple hits from Pickerel on a wacky Senko.  I saw one heavyweight bass next to a fallen white birch and another 'light heavy' in the same area, but they weren't interested in anything I tossed at them.

 

The weather was just like Saturday & Sunday.  The air pressure dropped to 30.1 and water temps were 56.x - 58.x.  I was supposed to fish NH/VT today, but after the last three trips out, decided to pack it up and go home.  My convertible is in the garage ... 

 

Good luck to everyone getting out there.

[MassYak85]

Thursday night we start getting more seasonable temps so I wonder if by the end of the weekend we might start getting a more aggressive fall bite going. The baitfish activity I have seen has been very minimal lately so I think once more consistent schools form it will get better. 

[DogBone_384]

1 hour ago, MassYak85 said:

The baitfish activity I have seen has been very minimal lately

That was my experience this weekend. The only pond I saw any signs of life was the third one in NH.