What is the first open water species you target?

[ICEHOLE]

Have u seen any sign of carp in the shallows yet? I really want to get into them. I've put countless hours in carp fishing without a bite but I never chummed. Im gonna buy a big bag of deer corn,boil it and soak it in koolaid before I chum with it. I hear canned corn works fine but when chumming the cost can pile up.

I would stick to oats and cream corn for chum this time of year. They don't eat a ton, you don't want to fill them up...

[BeerMe]

Shad and stripers! I think it will be a early run in the ct. River this year!

[bigredfishing]

I would stick to oats and cream corn for chum this time of year. They don't eat a ton, you don't want to fill them up...

agreed, when the water is cold (under 40) I actually like just plain ol' sweet corn.  Its super easy for them to digest, and puts out a very strong food signal to the fish.  Spread half a can in the area you are putting your rods, use the other half for bait. I don't start getting into the oats/cream corn deal until the water temps are well into the 40's...but i'm sure it still works well even in super cold water.   I just try to keep things as simple as possible.

[Yachtzy]

Stripers in freshwater rivers are active at Easter time, along with the pikes. The buck bass are also active in the shallows as the temps rise, nothing big, but plenty of action.

[bigredfishing]

Stripers in freshwater rivers are active at Easter time, along with the pikes. The buck bass are also active in the shallows as the temps rise, nothing big, but plenty of action.

Never chased the schoolies in the hudson in the spring, what do you look for, deep holes, strong current, structure, etc?

[otzi thawed]

I've got a good early season bass spot and after that window closes I'll usually toss small spinners or metals in feeder streams and take whatever hits. I've never been one to target the stocked trout but have found some of the places they put them in when I caught trout by surprise. Thinking about trying carp but not sure I have the patience anymore. Used to catch some horses in the Charles as a kid if we could stop em.

[SHaRPS]

Trout, carp, black fish, striped bass.

[dirtydeeds]

Going for lake trout, bullheads and crappie, not in that specific order but whichever one is biting 1st.

[Baitbucket]

In MA?  I'd think it was too early for them to make their way up the coast.  I did read on On The Water that a schoolie was caught in the last week of February in one of the bays in MA.

There are holdovers. But not enough to warrant making them the first fish i would target fist when the ice melts.

[perchgypsy]

Stripers...yellow kind 

[lowaccord66]

Never chased the schoolies in the hudson in the spring, what do you look for, deep holes, strong current, structure, etc?

Staging areas for herring is what you look for.  The holdovers are a very viable spring thing for some but like all fishing you have to know what you are doing.  I've taken keeper bass in Mass and CT this week in March several years in a row.  

Perchgypse I enjoy chasing the spring run of yellows too. 

[BASSQUATCH]

This is a new thing for me, I'm usually on the ice in the hills until mid April sometimes. Then I go straight into hunting big bass. This season the ice is gone much earlier and the waters are colder local than a typical season for me. Early March apposed to mid/late April kind of sucks for largemouth action.  So this year I'm researching smallies and what to use where to target them etc. I'll admit, I'm not too familiar with smallies and how to be successful catching them. I guess that's half the fun, learning about new techniques etc.

[Yachtzy]

Never chased the schoolies in the hudson in the spring, what do you look for, deep holes, strong current, structure, etc?

The rivers with depth and strong flow, had the best luck with outside bends around eddys, and if a tributary comes in that's a bonus.

On shallow narrow rivers, they seem to be either right at the lockes or fish ladder, or deep holes if the place has pond sections with current running thru it.

Once the herring run is done, I have no clue. They must feed at night, because I can't find them, and I don't fish rivers at dark in a boat.

That's the freshwater side I'm taking about early in the season only. On the salt they hang out at hot water discharge outlets all year.

[Jschumacher]

Cape trout and then Chu trout and May 1st its Saltwater time!!

It will be earlier than May 1st for the Saltwater this year. I'll bet you can get into the flounder by the end of March once you find them.

[Jschumacher]

This is a new thing for me, I'm usually on the ice in the hills until mid April sometimes. Then I go straight into hunting big bass. This season the ice is gone much earlier and the waters are colder local than a typical season for me. Early March apposed to mid/late April kind of sucks for largemouth action.  So this year I'm researching smallies and what to use where to target them etc. I'll admit, I'm not too familiar with smallies and how to be successful catching them. I guess that's half the fun, learning about new techniques etc.

Ketih Webster Lake is good for smallies. Jigs and jerk baits will both produce. I might pull the boat out and try there this spring before the Chu opens