2023 Fishing thread

[Admin]

Finally got out yesterday. It was a miserable slushy mess, but we did well considering my son and I only used two rods, no tipups.

In the second pic you can see the perch had a couple of smaller perch in it's belly.

 

[Atlas]

First bass of the year slow jigging a Ned Rig at a bog pond.

 

[peterk123]

Finally got out yesterday. It was a miserable slushy mess, but we did well considering my son and I only used two rods, no tipups.

In the second pic you can see the perch had a couple of smaller perch in it's belly.

View attachment 712429

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I miss loading a bucket with perch!

 

[Bostonian23]

Went down to the Hamptons for a duck hunting trip. Got skunked on the ducks with all the warm weather but managed to hit our geese limit. These are hitting the smoker tomorrow!

 

[peterk123]

Went down to the Hamptons for a duck hunting trip. Got skunked on the ducks with all the warm weather but managed to hit our geese limit. These are hitting the smoker tomorrow! View attachment 714653

I have heard geese sausage is out of this world good. We have plenty out my way. They are on the list for next year!

 

[Knob Creek]

Trout stocking should be about finished in Mass.

Trout stocking report

 

[tuna]

Don’t buy this reel! It was a Christmas gift to myself. First one got a tangle and when I was fighting the tangle something fell out and the reel was dead. Replaced. Yesterday I went fishing and dropped the rod and when I picked it up I see THIS! WTF? Handle literally shattered. I’m going back to my Mitchell 300.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

Patiently waiting for Quabbin to open.

 

[CRSIII]

Don’t buy this reel! It was a Christmas gift to myself. First one got a tangle and when I was fighting the tangle something fell out and the reel was dead. Replaced. Yesterday I went fishing and dropped the rod and when I picked it up I see THIS! WTF? Handle literally shattered. I’m going back to my Mitchell 300.

View attachment 738530View attachment 738531

Harbor Freight?

 

[HARRYM]

Patiently waiting for Quabbin to open.

I stopped going there when they started the lock your boat and trailer between visits.

 

[tuna]

Harbor Freight?

Lol.

LL Cote in Errol. The reel was mid priced and got good reviews. Then I got my mitts on it.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

I stopped going there when they started the lock your boat and trailer between visits.

Fish Quabbin until the fishing dies down or you are sick of it, break the seal and fish elsewhere, get the boat resealed in the fall for the winter quarantine program (free) and repeat.

 

[peterk123]

Good day on the river. We caught some nice rainbows today. Daughter number two had some fun the past few days. We started Thursday skiing in almost four feet of snow, ended the weekend with some beautiful native rainbows.

 

[weatherby]

Hers is bigger.....lol

 

[ccm75]

ASMFC Takes Emergency Action to Support Stock Rebuilding for Striped Bass​ On May 2, 2023, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Striped Bass Management Board (Board) voted to take emergency action to implement a 1 fish at 28″ to less than 31″ size slot limit for all ocean recreational striped bass fisheries coastwide. This action responds to the unprecedented magnitude of 2022 recreational harvest, which is nearly double that of 2021, and new projections indicating that the stock has a very low chance of rebuilding if the higher 2022 fishing morality rate continues. The 31″ size restriction is designed to reduce harvest on the 2015 year-class, one of the last strong year-classes in the population, and a major factor in the recreational fishery’s increased harvest in 2022. States must implement compliant measures as soon as possible and no later than July 2, 2023— or risk being found out-of-compliance and having a full harvest moratorium enacted. The emergency action will be in place for 180 days but could be extended by the Board. See the ASMFC press release for more information. The ASMFC will be holding informational webinars later in May on this action; details will be released as soon as possible. Please note, until the new regulation is formally adopted in Massachusetts, the current striped bass regulations remain: 1 fish at 28″ to less than 35″. However, in order to maximize the conservation benefit, anglers are encouraged to release all fish 31″ or greater immediately. DMF is working with other New England states to align our implementation date to the extent possible and have rules in place later this May. The public will be notified once the new regulation is formally adopted. The Board also voted to initiate an Addendum to examine additional measures for 2024 if needed to meet the 2029 deadline to rebuild striped bass. This Addendum will be a fully public process and consider changes to both the recreational and commercial regulations. DMF will be providing further information on the Emergency Action, regulatory timeline, and Addendum in the coming days. ​

 

[sig shooter]

The wife caught this fat brown last week. About 17 inches long and just over 10 inches wide. I want to get a reproduction mount done.

 

[CWulf]

Just got a new surf casting reel, looking forward to trying it out. Anyone have any experience fishing at Nantasket beach or other areas in Hull or Cohasset? I usually go to the Cape or Islands but want to try closer to home.

 

[Patriot]

I fished the 'Gut" w/o success, the Back River w/o success. I caught a 30 pound 43" s/b on the Squantum flats fishing Pogy. I've fished Duxbury beach with no luck. All of these spots wll yield fish but your success, like any other trip to the shore, will depend on a lot of factors. Weymouth bay was ruined by bluefish eating anything we caught before we could haul it in. Blues used to be common on the Squantum flats as well. Squantum was f*ed up by the yuppies by putting a place for their unleashed dogs shitting all over the place and building a monstrous concrete eyesore on the best shore fishing area in Boston. If you go to a place new to you, talk to the guys fishing to get their take on best times, bait, etc. I never had so much fun fishing as I did from the shore. The buildings in the back of the picture are UMass Boston.

You can also try the Nut Island Pier in Hough's Neck. It's like fishing on a boat though. Lots of ignorant fishermen who have no idea what courtesy is.

Nut Island Fishing Pier | Island Ave, Quincy, MA 02169
Located on Hough’s Neck, the Nut Island Fishing Pier is a beautiful spot to cast out. While fish are abundant here, the real showstopper is the sunset and sunrise views you’ll get while being here.

Nut Island

Terrain: Fish Pier, Rockwall, Sand Description: Nut island is a great spot if you can catch it at the right time. It is however one of the most well known spots in the area. The crowds often rival …

fishthehub.com

 

[tuna]

I’m on the board this year. Got my first fish. Pretty sure it’s a tessellated darter, and it didn’t survive the hookup. Must have run my spoon right into it while reeling.

It’s still a fish.

 

[peterk123]

I’m on the board this year. Got my first fish. Pretty sure it’s a swamp darter, and it didn’t survive the hookup. Must have run my spoon right into it while reeling.

It’s still a fish.

View attachment 750657

Cat that back out there! Something will eat it.

 

[Dennis in MA]

Got 3 on Sat. A decent Pick, which I hate. A small smallie near shore - pushing bait, I suspect. And this one on scattered rock cover.



Didn't bother weighing him. Not sure why I didn't.

The sallies were on a nail-weighted green pumpkin tube. I was throwing it around and my SIL says, "damn - that thing looks real!" Fun morning. Lake temp still under 70. No Larry's spawning yet that we saw. Another week, I suspect.

 

[peterk123]

Got 3 on Sat. A decent Pick, which I hate. A small smallie near shore - pushing bait, I suspect. And this one on scattered rock cover.

View attachment 752857

Didn't bother weighing him. Not sure why I didn't.

The sallies were on a nail-weighted green pumpkin tube. I was throwing it around and my SIL says, "damn - that thing looks real!" Fun morning. Lake temp still under 70. No Larry's spawning yet that we saw. Another week, I suspect.

That's a good eating fish right there.

 

[admcd]

I'm making my first trip out fly rodding today since 2019. I haven't been this excited to go out and not catch fish since I was a kid.

My uncle was, in a lot of ways, my early window into hunting and fishing. He had me plucking pheasants at the age of 8 (to my mother's horror) and fishing from around that point on.

When I got old enough and patient enough (which honestly is still a work in progress), he taught me to fly fish.

We chased trout and striped bass all over Massachusetts, but especially around his home on the Cape. We'd planned a trip to the Catskills in May of 2020 that was canceled for COVID and, sadly, we never got to reschedule it.

My uncle, Robert, died in early February.

As the only outdoorsman in my family, he left me his two shotguns (AYA 12 Gauge in need of a lot of work and a never fired AYA 20ga from the mid-80s), his fly-tying rig, thousands of fresh and saltwater flies, and 20+ fly rods and reels.

Today, in his memory, I'm taking his two favorite rods, his waders, and his vest out to the Swift.

 

[Upland]

A Reminder for everyone Black Sea Bass opens in Massachusetts tomorrow. New size and limit 16.5” and limit of 4 One of the tastiest fish in the sea.
Tight lines!

 

[admcd]

Hooked up with three fish today but couldn't bring any of them to the net. TINY BWO and Caddis were the ticket today.

I forgot how insanely difficult those fish are to trick.

Already planning my next trip out.

 

[MassPete]

A Reminder for everyone Black Sea Bass opens in Massachusetts tomorrow. New size and limit 16.5” and limit of 4 One of the tastiest fish in the sea.
Tight lines!

Opened in RI today. Same size, 2 fish limit...

 

[Patriot]

My Grandson with his trout catch on the Sudbury River recently. He really caught the fishing bug this year. Reminds me of when I was his age (except for the success - his is much better!).

 

[arlow]

Just finished recarpeting my boat and installing a recessed trolling motor pedal tray. 4 weekend straight working on it, what a bitch

 

[Dennis in MA]

Sunday AM on the lake - biggest of 8 we caught in about 2 hours.



Then on Monday AM, my SIL was on the Taunton in his kayak. In 2 days of fishing, he hooked into a BUNCH of stripers, landed a few dinks, lost two whales - both at the boat. Wife took this pic yesterday AM while out with him.

 

[CWulf]

Heading to the Quabbin (Area 1) with my son for our annual fishing day on Thursday. Anyone been out there yet this year? What's biting and what are you using?