I am planning on fishing the mystic/charles river in september. Can anyone give me and tips on main forage, type of structure and size fish I can catch???? I have no idea where I am going to launch from but just want a heads up of what I can expect... I have never fished in Mass. before and just looking for a headstart.

Any help at all??? I will be fishing the bass divisional there next september and probably won't get to prefish since I am in canada... need help with the basics... forage??? what type of baits depths I should look at... size of fish I can expect and how much the tide affects the fishing

Where and when are you fishing the area J?Tthose two rivers don't have anything in common except Boston harbor. Are you fishing for Black bass or Stripers? Perhaps we just don't understand the question.

Grampa

I don't know all of the details yet but those are the fishable waters... there is a speed limit if that helps narrow down the location? I just don't want to drag down all of my gear... also will the lead ban affect these waters???

The new lead ban will definitely affect you next year. It sounds like your tourney may be out of the lower Charles ramp. This is a5-6 mile stretch of fresh and brackish water which locks into Boston Harbor. This is a haven for crew and skull activity along with numerous marinas. The fishing is good and the water quality has improved greatly in the last 20 years. This will be pretty straight foreward river fishing with a lot of traffic and a soft(mucky)bottom. I prefer baits that are not going to rest on the bottom and catch my share but next year could be brand new. Your prefishing will help. The Mystic river also accesses the harbor and is very shallow and tight in some places, with a small lake at the top. The lake has been my primary area but again, your pre-fishing will give you a better answer. More care in navigating is necessary on the Mystic though, so topo tools will be handy. Good luck.

Grampa

There is a "no wake" in the Charles River in the section Grampa mentioned. Although it is very wide, it is a no wake area because of the rowing programs that are always on the river. This area of the Charles is quite a distance from the Mystic River and I would suggest fishing the Charles more than the Mystic. The area near the ramp was good fishing when I was there years ago and also up near the Museum of Science. The no wake really hurts runnning to spots.

Thanks guys... is the lead ban going to be just sinkers and jigs or lures too??? I have read in places where lures like spinnerbaits buzzbaits and skirted jigs won't fall under the ban??? I am guessing that being a mucky bottm it is mainly a largemouth fishery and lots of weeds???

The debate seems to still be going on about spinnerbaits and buzzbaits but it seems that jigs are included. I don't see weeds as a big factor on the Charles, moreso near the lake area of the Mystic.

The lead ban is bare jig heads not jigs or spinnerbaits. There is a note on the new regulation for 2012.

are you sure Big Al??? another article I read specified jigs either bare or with attached skirts... maybe if they have a weed gaurd it is different?