I plan on heading out tomorrow to a local lake in Southwick, MA to do some bankfishing. What are you guys throwing from shore, and what are they biting? I have a boat, its just not fully ready yet, and I can't wait lol.

Caught a couple bass from shore on rubber worms last week. 

Caught a couple bass from shore on rubber worms last week.

Thanks for the input man!

The Congamond? And yes, I've been bank fishing around the Northampton area for a while now. My boat is regulated to fish the Quabbin only, so all I can do now is wander the shorelines around the Oxbow and other local ponds. Until next week when she opens!

I've had good success using a weighted Sweet Beaver, as well as a weightless Fin-S Fish used like a jerk bait. The 4" Senko has produced for me as well. Haven't caught any giants yet, but the largest LM went a solid 3 lbs. last week.

Good luck out there and try not to catch 'em all! ;D

I've been doing well on the banks from mid-march to about mid-week when this front came in.

The bass were pretty active and hitting on spinnerbaits and jigs.

My profile pic was takened on a jig in about 4' of water the day of Easter Sunday.

Good luck.

This past weekend's rain and cold front seem to have pushed the fish back towards deeper water. Has the bite slowed down for anyone else?

I was doing well earleir in the season, but seem to be having trouble locating fish lately. I don't know if the cold fronts have been that bad or what. I've seen some, not a lot of males guarding beds and in my opinion are not in full spawn.

How are you guys doing out there?

Ive been hammering em on a jig and paca chunk trailer.  Also, got a couple throwing a BBZ-1 6" perch swimbait as well

Threw everything and the kitchen sink and best I could get was a follow by a perch on a inline spinner.   Between the weather and the water levels being all messed up I've had no luck over the last three weeks. 

Glad to hear someone's been having luck, nice going mackkie.

CRFisher, I hear ya. The fish aren't where they're supposed to be this time of year. The water levels at one Res I fish at got pump down too low and it seems like a some structure got washed/relocated. The other pond I fish at seem to have relocated the fish and I'm spend more time trying to find them again.

It actually stinks, my son is 5 and has just learned to use a baitcaster and I'm trying to get him on some fish before he get discouraged. We've tried 3 outings - 2 hrs/outing -thus far and have come up empty.

Good luck to you both.

Finally had some late luck yesterday swimming a jig through some slop, used the paddle tail of a RI hollowbody paddletail swimbait as the trailer.    I think I'm fishing places that's just seeing too much traffic.  There was a 12 inch pickerel lingering around but not biting anything.  If it's so overfished that pickerel are getting gunshy it's probably time to move to another spot. 

Finally had some late luck yesterday...

NICE...glad you got on em again! Where do you fish?

I did as well last night. I moved to different spots which turned out to be on the opposite end of the res where I never had gotten much in the past. I picked up 3 in the 1 lb range and then a 4 lber in about 3-4' of water hopping a jig. I found some beds (I've never seen beds in this area before) that bluegill were hanging around, but not sure if they were spawning and I think the bass were coming in for dinner.

Oh yeah, I was hopping my jig and got a tap tap. Reeled down, set the hook. It was a weird fight, but when I finally got it in, it turned out to be a rainbow trout. The trout had a 3' leader in it's mouth and my jig hooked the swivel at the end of the leader. What are the odds of that happening? LOL, you can't make that up.

Mostly Charles River this year, hit Horn Pond a few times.  The water level has been all over the map in both. 

Mostly Charles River this year, hit Horn Pond a few times. The water level has been all over the map in both.

It doesn't sound like you're very far from me. PM me if you want to fish some night.

This latest round of cold weather have pushed the bass out towards the middle of the ponds I've been fishing in. Had a couple of little ones hit, but nothing to speak of. I've tried for a reflex strike on spinnerbaits and got some strikes but no takers. Ususally when they hit I can kill the retrieve and they would come back and take it, but that's not happening.

The little ones that I did manage to get were on a very slow retrieved jig and even then all you would see is your line moving sideways or you would lose the feel your jig.

Hope you guys are having better luck than I am.

jig, whereabouts in MA are you? sounds like fish some common places...i'm on the charles pretty frequently.

It has been real slow for me around Sturbridge lately. Not much luck for bass or trout.

I have been doin really well in northern ma on a manns 1- , senkos and suspending jerkbaits.

WOW! I't's takened some time, but I'm slowly finding the MA guys...

Nice to meet you all!

sambf, I work in Waltham and fish a lot after work in Lexington. I do a lot of fishing on the weekends down @ Hougtons Pond in Milton/Canton, Buckmasters in Westwood and at times Ames Long Pond in Stoughton before it gets choked. I'm looking for more areas in the Waltham area. PM me sometime and we'll meet for a fish. Where abouts on the Charles do you fish?

BTW, congrats on your 6 lber. My best this year is the pic under my forum sig.

WOW! I't's takened some time, but I'm slowly finding the MA guys...

Nice to meet you all!

sambf, I work in Waltham and fish a lot after work in Lexington. I do a lot of fishing on the weekends down @ Hougtons Pond in Milton/Canton, Buckmasters in Westwood and at times Ames Long Pond in Stoughton before it gets choked. I'm looking for more areas in the Waltham area. PM me sometime and we'll meet for a fish. Where abouts on the Charles do you fish?

BTW, congrats on your 6 lber. My best this year is the pic under my forum sig.

nice, will do. when i'm out there, i stick to the charles usually and that's around the kayak place all the way up to the waltham dam stretch. norumbega area is the best. my best and first this year is a 3.1 lb pre-spawner. here's the big guy on the charles. you can probably guess the location...

I've been out of commission with the flu for the past week.  You should check out the Charles below the watertown falls.  Herring are running so anything that resembles are herring will catch bass - silver spoons, silver rapalas, baby 1 minus, etc. all work well.  Flukes and rage tail shads as well.  Striper run with them to feed on the herring as well, you'll see a lot of saltwater guys.  Haven't had the pleasure of catching a striper, was banking on this year but haven't had a chance to head down.  I found bass also hang out right at the top of the fish ladder to eat their fill directly at the falls.

Nice catch BMontana (did you change your screen name?)

CRfisher, sorry to hear about the flu man, I'd go crazy if I had the flu this time of year...or any time of year for that matter. I love striperfishing, I may have to visit that area. PB was a 49" on a charter and 32" off a beach in ME. The one in ME was on 12lb test, 6.5' freshwater crankin stick. A day later I had one close to spooling me and then broke my line around a mooring...LOL

MAhooksetts,where in northern MA are you? Do you have smallies your way? I miss the smallie bite. I'll take a 3 lb smallie any day on the end of my line...Keep it up

MAMann, I've never fished out your way, but have really enjoyed the time I did spend out there. Keep plugging away, they'll come. Have you seen any spawing beds yet? I see some out here and have witnessed a few males guarding the beds, but with the rapid changes in temps and the early ice out, I think the spawn will last a little longer than normal out here anyway...not all bad.

Take care guys. Keep this thread going, it would be nice to hear what's producing and what isn't during the season.

Hey MA fishers, I've been out the past 2 nights with some success. The bluegill are on the beds and the bass are not far behind.

Last night 6 hook-ups in 2 hours and 4 hook-ups a couple of hours ago. All were caught in about 4' of water or less. I tried spinnerbaits, but had no takers. Jigs and worms dragged were the ticket. The bass didn't seem to want anything moving fast and the bite was subtle. You really had to watch your line carefully to detect the bite, if not, all you felt was something "sticky".

Unfortunately, I couldn't stay out longer, I honestly think I missed out on a more aggressive bite.

Hope you guys are having luck out there.

Take care

I think the trout fishing has been better lately, just not in the river where I normally fish it. The water seems real low early, maybe this rain will help out. I need to get out in the kayak in a couple local lakes and look around a bit also.

yeah jig, i did change it.  i've been out a few times to various places and flukes, senkos, and cranks have been working for me.  pretty much the stuff that works year round.  water is still cooler so the action hasn't been as good for me.  i think most fish have been reaction strikes so far.