MyFishFinder Forum
MFF US Northeast => Massachusetts => Topic started by: elevatorman on Apr 04, 2018, 05:27 PM
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Just wanted to say good luck to everybody who decides to hit the chu on Saturday. I'll be heading there early am Saturday. hopefully the chu will be generous to all who get out . Fish on !
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wish i could make it but im out of town untill wednesday. fishing all day wednesday and thursday and probably half of friday and throughout the weekend.
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Dam ss tiss the season we will keep you posted.
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The opening is literally my favorite holiday of the year
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Ill be out there sat and sun. Heres hoping the weather cooperates..
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Never been to the Chu but its something I would love to try. I thought it was far longer of a ride for me but its exactly a 1 hour run to the southern tip on Rt 140 and 2 more minutes to the northern most section near the school on RT 110. Being a RI resident would I need anything other than a MA license? Not sure what the specific laws are to the Chu but I am sure I can find them.
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No lead sinkers sharps.
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Never been to the Chu but its something I would love to try. I thought it was far longer of a ride for me but its exactly a 1 hour run to the southern tip on Rt 140 and 2 more minutes to the northern most section near the school on RT 110. Being a RI resident would I need anything other than a MA license? Not sure what the specific laws are to the Chu but I am sure I can find them.
Only need the MA license. No other special permit required.
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Oh yea lets not forget your not supposed to be on the shoreline until 1/2 before sunrise and off by 1/2 hour after sunset. :whistling: :whistling: :whistling:
:rotflol: :rotflol: Just saying
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Oh yea lets not forget your not supposed to be on the shoreline until 1/2 before sunrise and off by 1/2 hour after sunset. :whistling: :whistling: :whistling:
:rotflol: :rotflol: Just saying
good point
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Lead is still allowed in RI and I do use it here and there but for the most part all of my sinkers are non lead since I fish MA and NH as well.
What happens at the Chu stay at the Chu. ;D
If anyone is willing to take me along and show me the worst spots possible, PM me. lol
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No lead sinkers sharps.
Hey what's the deal with that? Last June the only place I could find non-lead sinkers was BPS. Seems a lot of people are ignoring it.
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Lead is fine at the chu as long as it 1 ounce or heavier.. anything under 1 ounce must be free of lead, to protect the loons.
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Lead is fine at the chu as long as it 1 ounce or heavier.. anything under 1 ounce must be free of lead, to protect the loons.
This. Is indeed for the loons benefit. And they are worth it in my opinion. One of the main Ma breeding grounds for them is the chu.
No lead smaller than one ounce. I whip three ounce lead weights all day.
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anyone been down there to see water levels? im guessing water will be super high like last year and some shore access will be gone...
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Good luck guys. Have to tow boat to get washed for quabbin so I'm skipping the opener.
Jeff who would, show up early there? Not anyone we know.
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Good luck guys. Have to tow boat to get washed for quabbin so I'm skipping the opener.
Jon, is this your boat? U guys hitting gate 8?
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anyone been down there to see water levels? im guessing water will be super high like last year and some shore access will be gone...
You would be correct. Water levels are high.
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You would be correct. Water levels are high.
Plus 30deg temps and wind in the teens!! Yup, its Chu weather lol
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Jon, is this your boat? U guys hitting gate 8?
Buddies boat, but he isnt around for the opener so I am using it so I offered to tow up for the wash. Gate 8 for sure. Its my jam.
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Buddies boat, but he isnt around for the opener so I am using it so I offered to tow up for the wash. Gate 8 for sure. Its my jam.
Nice! U going sat and sun?
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Waters high but not as bad as last year.
I have to work Saturday - so I can onlycast for salmon a few hours in the morning. But I’ll be out there Sunday after the crowds let up and all day Monday.
I’ve got some 4 ounce C&R alien jigs ready to hook into a double digit laker this year! Among other large lure upgrades I’ve made with an eye toward Wachusett lunkers
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Lead is fine at the chu as long as it 1 ounce or heavier.. anything under 1 ounce must be free of lead, to protect the loons.
wachusett is a no lead zone. no lead at all. anywhere else in the state you can use more than ounce of lead. i had dnr rangers checking my 2oz weights at wachusett to make sure they are not lead.
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wachusett is a no lead zone. no lead at all. anywhere else in the state you can use more than ounce of lead. i had dnr rangers checking my 2oz weights at wachusett to make sure they are not lead.
I just double checked both state and reservoir regulation. I cannot find this. Got a link to regs?
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i cant find it either. im tempting to call them because i have seen it before and out of hundreds of people i talk to fishing there everybody was on the same consensus that no lead is allowed
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wachusett was a no lead zone before the 1oz lead law that was passes 3 years ago.
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wachusett is a no lead zone. no lead at all. anywhere else in the state you can use more than ounce of lead. i had dnr rangers checking my 2oz weights at wachusett to make sure they are not lead.
I beleive this changed with the passing of the 1oz lead law. They just dont advertise it. I cant find it anywhere saying you cant use lead.
Quabbin used to specifically say "NO LEAD". But starting last season their regs now read:
• The use of any lead fishing sinkers and lead jigs weighing less than 1
ounce is now prohibited in all Massachusetts inland waters.
(freshwater). There is a Lead Recycling Receptacle at each boat launch
area as well as in many locations around the reservoir. We encourage the
use of non-toxic weights, sinkers and jigs instead of lead.
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Nice! U going sat and sun?
Not sure yet.
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i wouldnt risk chancing it i just use steel.
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https://www.mass.gov/regulations/321-CMR-400-fishing
The law is the law, you cant be fined for obeying the lead ban laws. 1 ounce and over is legal..
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Couple small rats to start out
(https://s9.postimg.org/m14mpbxa3/IMG_20180407_062139692.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/m14mpbxa3/)
(https://s9.postimg.org/div6kyvwb/IMG_20180407_063816133.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/div6kyvwb/)
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throw the dinks/rats into the woods
burp
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throw the dinks/rats into the woods
burp
Lol we released them .
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Elevator was that you with 2 others as I was walking out you were moving to a new spot. I said they didnt want metal and you got one on metal first cast?
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That was us .that was my buddy you talked to I was in fullcamo . Picked up another one up on the move.
(https://s14.postimg.org/582b5uunh/IMG_20180407_083129016.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/582b5uunh/)
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Lakers look like they aren't getting enough to eat. Are the smelt still available to them? Smelt will go in up and down cycles and lakers have been known to wipe them out during one of those down cycles in some bodies of water. Some states monitor the smelt and if they are down will try and bolster their populations by planting smelt eggs.
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They are frail :-\
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Lakers were fat 3-4 years ago. Skinny now. As you said, it is cyclical. Lots of rats will starve to death soon giving survivors the chance to fatten up again. Definitely in a down swing at the moment
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Lakers were fat 3-4 years ago. Skinny now. As you said, it is cyclical. Lots of rats will starve to death soon giving survivors the chance to fatten up again. Definitely in a down swing at the moment
No effort by the state to bolster the coldwater forage base? I know some other New England states, and near me the state of Michigan does. Smelt are extremely important to landlocked salmon.
A lake in my state had a healthy population of smelt and cisco until the state planted lake trout. The lake trout most likely effectively wiped them out. State refuses to let us replant smelt at no cost to the state. Says they're an exotic species and will prey on the native fish eggs. But still plants rainbow and brown trout, which are exotic. Also the idea that smelt will eat bluegill, bass, yellow perch, and northern pike eggs has no merit scientifically. None of those species make up much of a fishery in the chain of lakes and other than northern pike and yellow perch, the smelt could not tolerate water temps when those fish are spawning. Can you picture a smelt in water in the 70's? And yellow perch eggs are repulsive to predators due to the gelatinous matrix.
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No effort by the state to bolster the coldwater forage base? I know some other New England states, and near me the state of Michigan does. Smelt are extremely important to landlocked salmon.
A lake in my state had a healthy population of smelt and cisco until the state planted lake trout. The lake trout most likely effectively wiped them out. State refuses to let us replant smelt at no cost to the state. Says they're an exotic species and will prey on the native fish eggs. But still plants rainbow and brown trout, which are exotic. Also the idea that smelt will eat bluegill, bass, yellow perch, and northern pike eggs has no merit scientifically. None of those species make up much of a fishery in the chain of lakes and other than northern pike and yellow perch, the smelt could not tolerate water temps when those fish are spawning. Can you picture a smelt in water in the 70's. And yellow perch eggs are repulsive to predators due to the gelatinous matrix.
MA does next to nothing to improve fishing other than trout stocking. Sucks. Is planting smelt eggs an option?! why hasn’t this happened yet!!
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I would add however that salmon are more plentifful now than ever. There were a couple small stockings. But there is a lot of natural reproduction - more than ever I believe. They are eating something.
Literally millions of banded killifish in there. An underestimated forage fish. Also plentiful crawfish (fat smallies).
My best guess is that there are simply way too many lakers. Start keeping the smaller ones people!
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(https://s14.postimg.org/pm2mt1djx/67330.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/pm2mt1djx/)
We did manage this bigger one
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(https://s14.postimg.org/pm2mt1djx/67330.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/pm2mt1djx/)
We did manage this bigger one
Nice opening day laker!
Got a seven pounder last year (C&R).
I know of two eleven pounders and two 30 inches caught last year. So it is definitely possible to get a nice one.
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MA does next to nothing to improve fishing other than trout stocking. Sucks. Is planting smelt eggs an option?! why hasn’t this happened yet!!
Sounds familiar.
Planting eggs is an option along with fry.
Here's a source in Maine that can be shipped FedEx. He's listed as a baitstore, but he sells smelt fry to agencies and groups that get approval. At least he used to.
https://harmonbrookfarm.com
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Sounds familiar.
Planting eggs is an option along with fry.
Here's a source in Maine that can be shipped FedEx. He's listed as a baitstore, but he sells smelt fry to agencies and groups that get approval. At least he used to.
https://harmonbrookfarm.com
Might be something worth harassing dcr over. Thanks for the information, I will keep it for further use.
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Might be something worth harassing dcr over. Thanks for the information, I will keep it for further use.
Hope you have better than we do out here. ::). We can't even get a bag limit on bluegill that are fished to death out here. Most want it and it's proposed in a rule change protocol and it just doest happen
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Improving smelt population are not something anyone will get any traction on, as in the past they have clogged water intake screens (Quabbin) and effort was put into elimination smelt... Both Quabbin and the Chu will always be managed first for drinking water, the fish and fishermen are way down the list. Congrats on the lakers!
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Improving smelt population are not something anyone will get any traction on, as in the past they have clogged water intake screens (Quabbin) and effort was put into elimination smelt... Both Quabbin and the Chu will always be managed first for drinking water, the fish and fishermen are way down the list. Congrats on the lakers!
Then the other course of action may be to keep more of the lake trout to reduce pressure on the smelt. More smelt will mean larger fish.
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We're actually encouraged to keep them. Free dog food and my dog loves them. I do a quick filet, I dont mind the pin bones, poach it and he wolfs it down. Great for his skin and coat
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We're actually encouraged to keep them. Free dog food and my dog loves them. I do a quick filet, I dont mind the pin bones, poach it and he wolfs it down. Great for his skin and coat
Funny how that works. Out here they are considered quite good. But you need to put them on ice right away. If not they turn to mush. As a kid in Mass I used to catch brook trout in the deep water of a pond and then put them on a stringer in warm shallow water probably close to 80 F. It's a wonder I didn't make my family sick.
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Improving smelt population are not something anyone will get any traction on, as in the past they have clogged water intake screens (Quabbin) and effort was put into elimination smelt... Both Quabbin and the Chu will always be managed first for drinking water, the fish and fishermen are way down the list. Congrats on the lakers!
This. That laker looked bad like an Otsego laker. The state does like the fishermen but not over the drinking water. We help employ a lot of rangers and I was discussing this with them yesterday while getting the boat washed.
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This. That laker looked bad like an Otsego laker. The state does like the fishermen but not over the drinking water. We help employ a lot of rangers and I was discussing this with them yesterday while getting the boat washed.
O well. I did find some washed up dead smelt, either from breeding or being fed upon- so they are still in there. Part of it is definitely cyclical. Hopefully some of these rats will starve to death soon and then fewer lakers = fater lakers. 3-4 years ago the lakers were as fat as ive seen. The opposite now. I predict in 3-4 years they will be looking good again.
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They are frail :-\
that's why i/ (fish and game in the day) say throw them in the woods. 20+ years ago, anything under 5lbs was considered a dink. size has gone down steadily over the years as the lakers are over populated. i remember waaaay back when 20+lber's were caught every year
burp
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The Lakers keep getting smaller but the browns just keep getting bigger and bigger....
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wow 5lb laker considered small. i havent broken 5 at the chu. dying for my first 10 plus i really want it at the chu.
Q lakers are fat and healthy. caught a 7lbser when i went there 2 years ago.
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wow 5lb laker considered small. i havent broken 5 at the chu. dying for my first 10 plus i really want it at the chu.
Q lakers are fat and healthy. caught a 7lbser when i went there 2 years ago.
Every year they shock 20lbers at the Chu when they do the survey. Quabbin's last survey was even better. I bet there is a 30lber in the Q. They shocked a few in the high 20lb range. We usually get a couple over 30" every year.
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You need to be really strategic when targeting big ones at the chu. In the spring they could be anywhere but the key in the fall is to locate the spawning areas. that will give you the best shot at a big breeder.
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Be great to reel in a 20 lb boot ;D
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You need to be really strategic when targeting big ones at the chu. In the spring they could be anywhere but the key in the fall is to locate the spawning areas. that will give you the best shot at a big breeder.
yea i've seen the creel survey. those big lakers are so hard to catch tho. whens the last 20lb caught from the chu. i hear of a 10 plus every so often. but it seems like its the guys that live there.
wish we had lake trout fishing like they do up north when a 10lber is small!
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if i didnt live 1.5hr away down by the cape id fish it all the time. but come on its the cape. 10 plus boot would be nice but its the cape
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Even up North a 10lber is big. Only places where we get them larger than 10 somewhat consistantly is Champlain and Onatrio.
Giant deadbait on the bottom will help increase the odds of a large laker...but is awefully boring fishing!
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Got my first of the year. Only took 30 min of fishing lol. Out there now and just lost a salmon.
(https://s7.postimg.cc/xs7a3f9o7/20180411_134420.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/xs7a3f9o7/)
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I am jealous! No bites at the desk today.
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UPDATE.
Caught the salmon lol. Still in her spawning colors. Weird for april.
(https://s7.postimg.cc/ax4e0k8t3/20180411_150804.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/ax4e0k8t3/)
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Nice job
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UPDATE
Salmon #2 I love the "where's my bobber" feeling.
(https://s7.postimg.cc/rdcukaxfb/20180411_154403.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/rdcukaxfb/)
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UPDATE
Salmon #2 I love the "where's my bobber" feeling.
(https://s7.postimg.cc/rdcukaxfb/20180411_154403.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/rdcukaxfb/)
Nice work. Keep the pics coming!
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Nice looking salmon.
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Lost another salmon
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You need to be really strategic when targeting big ones at the chu. In the spring they could be anywhere but the key in the fall is to locate the spawning areas. that will give you the best shot at a big breeder.
Are you guys using big enough baits? Those 20 pounders won't be interested in chasing a 1/2 ounce kastmaster.
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I kept the first salmon because she was hooked in the gill and wasn't going to make it. I made an interesting discovery when filleting her. She had decaying eggs in her and must of been a very late spawner and never spawned. They normally have eggs from September to November with December being the latest. This fish must of tried to spawn around February which is odd. The eggs where all mushy and off colored. I wish they were still good because i would of cured them up and tie them into sacs ;)
(https://s14.postimg.cc/si1cxvdj1/20180411_173517.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/si1cxvdj1/)
(https://s14.postimg.cc/q0plqmgrx/20180411_173700.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/q0plqmgrx/)
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Are you guys using big enough baits? Those 20 pounders won't be interested in chasing a 1/2 ounce kastmaster.
This.
Try suckers, perch, pike shiners, pumpkinseed. You’ll be surprised when you catch a 2.5 pound laker on a dead six inch perch. Don’t be afraid to size up that bait in search of a big one.
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I kept the first salmon because she was hooked in the gill and wasn't going to make it. I made an interesting discovery when filleting her. She had decaying eggs in her and must of been a very late spawner and never spawned. They normally have eggs from September to November with December being the latest. This fish must of tried to spawn around February which is odd. The eggs where all mushy and off colored. I wish they were still good because i would of cured them up and tie them into sacs ;)
(https://s14.postimg.cc/si1cxvdj1/20180411_173517.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/si1cxvdj1/)
(https://s14.postimg.cc/q0plqmgrx/20180411_173700.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/q0plqmgrx/)
Most likely what we call in aquaculture circles as a fish "reabsorbing" her eggs. This happens to a lot of rainbow trout that don't find the right conditions to spawn in a lacustrine body of water. Perhaps water was low that fall and the inlet(s) were dry? Don't see why it would't happen to other salmonids. It can be stressful and can kill some fish.
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The water was high enough to spawn. Not sure why this specimen didnt.
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UPDATE
Salmon #2 I love the "where's my bobber" feeling.
(https://s7.postimg.cc/rdcukaxfb/20180411_154403.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/rdcukaxfb/)
That is great. Love it when I am fishing for pike. Giant float dissappears....no idea where it went.
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Just caught another little mudchicken
(https://s14.postimg.cc/hemsp311p/20180412_100511.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/hemsp311p/)
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Lucky you hoping to hit it Monday in the crappy weather :-\
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Sorry to hear about the weather. At least you shouldn't have a problem with crowds.
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Lucky you hoping to hit it Monday in the crappy weather :-\
Huge pressure drop Monday. Could be good fishing in the rain! See ya out there
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2 more salmon and still fishing. One of them is 20.5in. Size 12 boot for scale.
(https://s14.postimg.cc/b9zvpidrh/20180412_115917_0.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/b9zvpidrh/)
(https://s14.postimg.cc/5ltkynz59/20180412_115738.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/5ltkynz59/)
(https://s14.postimg.cc/z0z97rqv1/20180412_120833_0.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/z0z97rqv1/)
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2 more salmon and still fishing. One of them is 20.5in. Size 12 boot for scale.
Nice! Getting them on metals or bait?
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All bait. Haven't had a sniff on metals the last 2 days and I have been throwing them a lot.
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All bait. Haven't had a sniff on metals the last 2 days and I have been throwing them a lot.
I was trolling for browns in South Pond one day with metals on a downrigger. Couldn't get a strike. As soon as I put a live shiner behind a dodger I started catching fish.
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I was trolling for browns in South Pond one day with metals on a downrigger Couldn't get a strike. As soon as I put a live shiner behind a dodger I started catching fish.
I NEVER go freshwater fishing without bringing bait. I don't mind the hassle carrying it and it has saved me countless times.
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Ive always done better at the Chu with live bait.
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Can you imagine the fish you miss by not being able to launch a boat? Why didn't they ever open the Chu up to controlled boat fishing like they do on Quabbin?
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I NEVER go freshwater fishing without bringing bait. I don't mind the hassle carrying it and it has saved me countless times.
They've got some pretty nice backpack bait holders now too. I got one for christmas and can't wait to be able to hike around the chu and try some new spots. The place I get bait from will put it in a plastic bag filled with oxygen and I've just stuffed that into a backpack as well. Frees the hands for walking and casting and just generally easier to haul.
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Can you imagine the fish you miss by not being able to launch a boat? Why didn't they ever open the Chu up to controlled boat fishing like they do on Quabbin?
Especially when the Q feeds into the Chu, and u can take boats on the Q lol..
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You catching the salmon on night crawlers
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Are you guys using big enough baits? Those 20 pounders won't be interested in chasing a 1/2 ounce kastmaster.
I have caught teeny tiny lakers on giant lures and bait. I have also seen a ten pounder pulled out on a panfish jig.
Generally you’re right, but not always. If it was that simple they wouldn’t sell any small lures/bait.
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I kept the first salmon because she was hooked in the gill and wasn't going to make it. I made an interesting discovery when filleting her. She had decaying eggs in her and must of been a very late spawner and never spawned. They normally have eggs from September to November with December being the latest. This fish must of tried to spawn around February which is odd. The eggs where all mushy and off colored. I wish they were still good because i would of cured them up and tie them into sacs ;)
(https://s14.postimg.cc/si1cxvdj1/20180411_173517.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/si1cxvdj1/)
(https://s14.postimg.cc/q0plqmgrx/20180411_173700.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/q0plqmgrx/)
Up on winni we see this all these time during the spring/summer. They don’t really have any good areas to spawn on winni so they end up reabsorbing them. From what I understand this can severely stunt growth, and stress the fish.
On a side note do you ever fish sacs/skeins up here? I always see people in the Great Lakes fishing them, but I’ve never seen or heard of them being used in NE.
Either way looks like a great outing!
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You catching the salmon on night crawlers
shiners
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Up on winni we see this all these time during the spring/summer. They don’t really have any good areas to spawn on winni so they end up reabsorbing them. From what I understand this can severely stunt growth, and stress the fish.
On a side note do you ever fish sacs/skeins up here? I always see people in the Great Lakes fishing them, but I’ve never seen or heard of them being used in NE.
Either way looks like a great outing!
I use sacs in a couple of rivers and they work great for salmon and rainbows.
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Especially when the Q feeds into the Chu, and u can take boats on the Q lol..
Anybody know what the diameter of the aqueduct is? I don't want to order one that's too wide in diameter and get stuck.
(https://i.imgur.com/tFF0t3B.jpg)
This model trolls slow in reverse complete with releases!
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I saw a guy floating a homemade raft down the aquaduct outflow at the chu last fall. looks like he had a gopro mounted to it. the ranger came and tore him a new one.
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Anybody know what the diameter of the aqueduct is? I don't want to order one that's too wide in diameter and get stuck.
(https://i.imgur.com/tFF0t3B.jpg)
This model trolls slow in reverse complete with releases!
it wont make it through there are turbines at both ends. will get chopped to bits. would love to try that though. looks like it costs a couple of million.
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I use sacs in a couple of rivers and they work great for salmon and rainbows.
I'd figure browns would be all over them as well.
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shiners
thanks for sharing info nice fish
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I'd figure browns would be all over them as well.
Oh man nobody told me about the turbines!
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it wont make it through there are turbines at both ends. will get chopped to bits. would love to try that though. looks like it costs a couple of million.
I'll bet it's only a few hundred thousand. That's chump change. :rotflol:
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Lakers, go to is often live bait especially the bigger ones that are just lazy and lay in the mud. I've broken off a few nice ones at the Q shredded 6lb leaders. Sewn bait is the go to for lakers at the Q I Imagine it would work really good for browns also... I pretty much fish live bait up until it gets hot then switch over to Gulp minnows for trolling... that is my secret.... at least not anymore...
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I'd figure browns would be all over them as well.
they are as well.
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congrats on all the salmon! I caught an 18" opening day that had eggs too. got that one jigging a crippled herring. love how well the salmon seem to be doing in there. not so happy about the over population of skinny rats though. caught 3 that same day one on a shiner and 2 on the crippled herring. missed 3 other hits on shiners too
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congrats on all the salmon! I caught an 18" opening day that had eggs too. got that one jigging a crippled herring. love how well the salmon seem to be doing in there. not so happy about the over population of skinny rats though. caught 3 that same day one on a shiner and 2 on the crippled herring. missed 3 other hits on shiners too
The salmon seem chunky this year the big one in my pic was really thick. couldnt get my hand around it.
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The salmon seem chunky this year the big one in my pic was really thick. couldnt get my hand around it.
More and more salmon looking better each year. It’s a good thing
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More and more salmon looking better each year. It’s a good thing
Indeed!
I wonder if salmon are better hunters than lakers. Might explain why they are thriving and the lakers are declining.
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The salmon I kept was loaded with insects in its stomach.
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The salmon I kept was loaded with insects in its stomach.
should be good eating
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The meat was mush. I ate half the fish and gave the other half to the dog. Must of been because of the stress of spawning.
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The meat was mush. I ate half the fish and gave the other half to the dog. Must of been because of the stress of spawning.
Ive had salmon in the same condition that were excellent. I ice them immediately after being caught. If you cant cool them down the meat will be mush. You dont want the fish to get warmer than 40 degrees after 40 they go south fast. Used to be a pain selling stripers because they wont buy them unless the temp is 40 or below for food safety reasons.
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Well im sure. Fido wuffed it down :P
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Ive had salmon in the same condition that were excellent. I ice them immediately after being caught. If you cant cool them down the meat will be mush. You dont want the fish to get warmer than 40 degrees after 40 they go south fast. Used to be a pain selling stripers because they wont buy them unless the temp is 40 or below for food safety reasons.
What I meant by mush was that it tasted bad. Sorry for the misinterpretation. The fish was iced well. The meat was very pale from lack of nutrients during the spawn. They feed off their body fat and are not the best table fair. It just depends on how far along they are in the spawn. Early spawning fish taste fine. I knew the fish wasn't going to live and just did not want it to go to waste. I have never heard of them checking bass temperature when selling them. I have never had a problem with the seller I go to, he would throw a tag on anything. I always ice my bass before selling but I've seen people bring in "cooked" fish from the canal and they would still take them (which I think is disgusting and wrong). Where did you sell your fish where they check the temp.
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Well im sure. Fido wuffed it down :P
Oh she loved it. I have never seen that dog eat so fast.
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If intending to eat the fish bleeding it also does wonders. I bleed all of my fish and also toss the gills when cooking them whole.
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If intending to eat the fish bleeding it also does wonders. I bleed all of my fish and also toss the gills when cooking them whole.
Bleeding does work wonders.
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Place was in beantown I cant recall the name as its been almost 10 years since I sold them due to the collapse in numbers.
Cooking bass at the canal is a plauge, I see lots of guys do that. Mostly recs riding around with some slob in their basket until 10am in a july morning....
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Indeed!
I wonder if salmon are better hunters than lakers. Might explain why they are thriving and the lakers are declining.
With the diminishment of the forage base for salmonids in the Great Lakes the states seem to be going more and more with the landlocked salmon and steelhead vs. the cohos and chinooks. Both cohos and chinnook species seem to be less formidable on the alewives and smelt. I have been told of anglers coming across large steelhead slurping up insects that that are trapped in slicks far out in the lakes. Could be the same for landlocks? Doubt you'd see chinook or coho doing that. They are more likely to stay deep like the lake trout.
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To suggest we have a handle on the overall health forage base for lakes as large as the Great Lakes to me is a stretch. Im sure they have some suggestive data but no way is it all encompassing enough to draw such a conclusion. I also see chinooks traveling way outside of "temp" to eat said forage.
The other thing is fishermen tend to be the kings of blanket statements. Catch one skinny chu laker and then all of a sudden there is an issue with the fishery. Yet if one was to search or ask for the survey data they'd understand the current state ofthe laker fishery in greater detail.
For all anyone knows that laker could have an obstruction in its stomach or is just sickly.
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Place was in beantown I cant recall the name as its been almost 10 years since I sold them due to the collapse in numbers.
Cooking bass at the canal is a plauge, I see lots of guys do that. Mostly recs riding around with some slob in their basket until 10am in a july morning....
Saw one sitting on the fish pier for like 10 hours. It was a gentleman who is always down there fishing so I was surprised he was letting it bake on the wood of the fish pier in August heat.
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Saw one sitting on the fish pier for like 10 hours. It was a gentleman who is always down there fishing so I was surprised he was letting it bake on the wood of the fish pier in August heat.
Thus why the regulars nickname that the "googan pier"
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Thus why the regulars nickname that the "googan pier"
How the he'll does someone even land a fish there lol.
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To suggest we have a handle on the overall health forage base for lakes as large as the Great Lakes to me is a stretch. Im sure they have some suggestive data but no way is it all encompassing enough to draw such a conclusion. I also see chinooks traveling way outside of "temp" to eat said forage.
Are you referring to me? There is lots of evidence the smelt and alewives, at least over here here in Lake Michigan, took a nose dive several years back and all the surrounding states have reduced their stocking rates of coho and chinnook in accordance with that. I was taking in adult king salmon to mount that were built like steelhead. There's also evidence of natural reproducing pacific salmon which includes pink*, coho, and chinnook, which also was used as an argument to reduce stocking rates of cohos and chinooks. * Pinks do fine without any stocking over here and are a nuisance at they can be too small to trip a downriver release.
""Chinooks traveling way outside of temp to eat said forage"" can mean they have to work to find said forage as it's in short supply. I have taken in lake trout to mount with yellow perch in their bellies.
As a fisheries degree grad that has some experience working in my DNR I'm well aware of anglers using blanket statements. I hear some of them in my taxidermy shop every day.
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(https://s14.postimg.cc/s1hixf74d/20180413_102858.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/s1hixf74d/)
This smallie was all I caught today. 17". I decided to stay on the move and cast, I never did that at gate 22. Doesn't get deep there.
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To suggest we have a handle on the overall health forage base for lakes as large as the Great Lakes to me is a stretch. Im sure they have some suggestive data but no way is it all encompassing enough to draw such a conclusion. I also see chinooks traveling way outside of "temp" to eat said forage.
The other thing is fishermen tend to be the kings of blanket statements. Catch one skinny chu laker and then all of a sudden there is an issue with the fishery. Yet if one was to search or ask for the survey data they'd understand the current state ofthe laker fishery in greater detail.
For all anyone knows that laker could have an obstruction in its stomach or is just sickly.
10+ pounder caught at the chu a few days ago. Picture was on Facebook, since taken down. Fat fish. Beautiful red colored tail fin. Submitted for C&R pin. Wish I caught it.
Point being, that was a very healthy laker.
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Nice there in there that's the beauty of the chu you never know when your going to hook the big one :tipup:
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10+ pounder caught at the chu a few days ago. Picture was on Facebook, since taken down. Fat fish. Beautiful red colored tail fin. Submitted for C&R pin. Wish I caught it.
Point being, that was a very healthy laker.
Maybe a cannibal that is eating the smaller runty lake trout? I have seen this with the fish I raise in tanks. Sometimes you get a few fish that get a jump on their cohorts by cannibalizing them.
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Maybe a cannibal that is eating the smaller runty lake trout? I have seen this with the fish I raise in tanks. Sometimes you get a few fish that get a jump on their cohorts by cannibalizing them.
More likely that there are healthy larger lake trout who can outcompete the runts for available forage. Just a matter of culling through runts to get the more seclusive large ones.
Honestly, the four lakers I’ve gotten so far really looked fine. Largest at 23.5 inches.
Not doubting that there are a lot of rats - there are - but the “forage problem” may be greatly overblown (fat salmon/smallies/perch).
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Another 8 pounder registered at b&a.
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Another 8 pounder registered at b&a.
nice !
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i personally havent seen a smelt in 4 years and i fish there at least 3 times a week.
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i personally havent seen a smelt in 4 years and i fish there at least 3 times a week.
(https://s14.postimg.cc/6am6mnvwt/549233_E4-2_A48-4_D15-9_D48-_FD2619_D44648.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/6am6mnvwt/)
(https://s14.postimg.cc/odf9dvzh9/5_E577_EAA-_B348-474_F-_B340-_F2_E6_D03_C0_FCC.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/odf9dvzh9/)
Just gotta look hard enough
They wash up every March/April. Almost always along the same shoreline. I assume a breeding location.
This was recently
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Also a bottomless supply of these: banded killifish. You can see them everywhere in the shallows in massive schools when they breed in the fall.
(https://s14.postimg.cc/ljc40tn4t/F74_E476_B-07_D1-4_D92-_BF11-8407548_A2_C35.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/ljc40tn4t/)
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(https://s14.postimg.cc/6am6mnvwt/549233_E4-2_A48-4_D15-9_D48-_FD2619_D44648.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/6am6mnvwt/)
(https://s14.postimg.cc/odf9dvzh9/5_E577_EAA-_B348-474_F-_B340-_F2_E6_D03_C0_FCC.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/odf9dvzh9/)
Just gotta look hard enough
They wash up every March/April. Almost always along the same shoreline. I assume a breeding location.
This was recently
what shoreline is that 70 140 or 110.
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Also a bottomless supply of these: banded killifish. You can see them everywhere in the shallows in massive schools when they breed in the fall.
(https://s14.postimg.cc/ljc40tn4t/F74_E476_B-07_D1-4_D92-_BF11-8407548_A2_C35.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/ljc40tn4t/)
I catch them in my cast net down the cape at the kettle ponds and use them for big browns. they work amazing.
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what shoreline is that 70 140 or 110.
Pm’d with specifics
Don’t want to broadcast it too much.
:tipup:
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I catch them in my cast net down the cape at the kettle ponds and use them for big browns. they work amazing.
Great and legal bait
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I need some for Monday ;D
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I need some for Monday ;D
You can catch killies on really small flies and really small hooks with little bits of worms
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Do you catch them at the chu
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Do you catch them at the chu
In the fall they are all over in shallow water. Easy to catch on xtra light tackle with a small bit of worm. You can def get them at the chu - though I don’t see them this time of year usually.
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I have seen them in the spring look along the shoreline in Sandy areas where the sun is. They like to warm up in the sand. Could probably net them with a dip net.
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Thanks for your input fellas im hoping. To get up there tomorrow weather permitting :-\
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I may go fish one of the tribs tommorow. I just caught 5 browns today in one of the tributary rivers.
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Anyone fish today in the rain. I got skunked in the rivers. Moving too fast with the rain.
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Never made it there didn't want to battle the winds I hit the creeks locally before the rains came caught alot dink trout.
(https://s7.postimg.cc/r8q4v44hz/IMG_20180416_084014846.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/r8q4v44hz/)
(https://s7.postimg.cc/a878mfc13/IMG_20180416_085209774.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/a878mfc13/)
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Is it as cold out there as it is here in the midwest? It's been snowing all day here today with 20 to 30 mph. Brrrrr! I give the dog a dirty look when she wants to go outside. (I take her out on a lease as we are close to a busy highway).
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We had a wintery mix we ended up with like 2in of slush
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Same out this way. Cold yesterday wadding. 38 and cloudy. Windy. Bad day for breathables.
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My guides were freezing up yesterday. Tough to cast a trout magnet with frozen guides. Did catch my first brown on the fly rod though. Have only caught rainbows on the fly up till then. Fly fishing is a fun different change of pace then chucking hardware or 2 out with bait.
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At the speedway for the opener and a sore shoulder and arm after that until today. Going in the morning before work for a couple hours .
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Fly fishing is a fun different change of pace then chucking hardware or 2 out with bait.
Fly fishing is a fun change of pace. Its crazy how you can fish a section of river with a spinning outfit and not get a hit, then try it with a fly rod and pull two or three out of that same stretch. I have seen it work the other way around as well. Often times when Allan and I go out, one will use the fly rod and the other will use a spinning outfit to see which is more productive.
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My guides were freezing up yesterday. Tough to cast a trout magnet with frozen guides. Did catch my first brown on the fly rod though. Have only caught rainbows on the fly up till then. Fly fishing is a fun different change of pace then chucking hardware or 2 out with bait.
I follow a couple of guys on insta that hammer smallies from shore on the fly rod at the chu. I bet its one heck of a fight on a 6wt. I'd bet small marabou jigs during the spawn would be deadly.
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I follow a couple of guys on insta that hammer smallies from shore on the fly rod at the chu. I bet its one heck of a fight on a 6wt. I'd bet small marabou jigs during the spawn would be deadly.
That would be a sight! Not much shoreline to work with down there.
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That would be a sight! Not much shoreline to work with down there.
Go in the gate across from the horse farm on RT110. Plenty of shore down there to fly fish for Sallies. That section of the Chu is loaded with them
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Ive seen lakers caught on the fly in the tribs.
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That would be a sight! Not much shoreline to work with down there.
I'd guess that you could roll cast to spawning smallies. You usually don't need to back cast with weighted flies unless you are really trying to chuck it out there. And then I usually end up with the fly in my head or back.
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I'd guess that you could roll cast to spawning smallies. You usually don't need to back cast with weighted flies unless you are really trying to chuck it out there. And then I usually end up with the fly in my head or back.
This. With a 9'er you can get a pretty long roll cast out with some practice. Never thought to bring the long rod there. Quite the idea. May have to try.
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I love catching smallies on my 5wt on the big lakes. They love wooly buggers and san juan worms and there is nothing like a 4lb smallie jumping 5 feet in the air on 2lb test.
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4lb smallie on a fly rod would be a heck of a battle
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i never tried fishing for smallies there. ive caught one at the dikee by mistake that was a hair under 6lbs. dont even know where to start or what to throw.
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i never tried fishing for smallies there. ive caught one at the dikee by mistake that was a hair under 6lbs. dont even know where to start or what to throw.
Right now Id be fishing all suspending jerkbaits until the water temp is above 55. Peak jerkbait bite is usually right around 55 degrees right before they begin spawning.
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any good jerkbait recommendations
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i never tried fishing for smallies there. ive caught one at the dikee by mistake that was a hair under 6lbs. dont even know where to start or what to throw.
Gate 35. The 1st set of Cellar holes is a good smallie spot. Also the Kendell Cove area espescially when they move into spawn.
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Throw 5 inch black senkos from midmay to mid June and you will catch a bunch
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Never fished the celars or have never fished 35. Where are the celars on the shoreline facing the dam? I always fish 140 or 70 side.
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any good jerkbait recommendations
rapala xraps all the way for me..they suspend, and cast a mile
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Right now Id be fishing all suspending jerkbaits until the water temp is above 55. Peak jerkbait bite is usually right around 55 degrees right before they begin spawning.
I agree with you on this
all I fish in cold water. LM or SM I dont touch plastics until just before mother's day
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Never fished the celars or have never fished 35. Where are the celars on the shoreline facing the dam? I always fish 140 or 70 side.
1st set of cellars is on your left walking in. You can see the old cellar foundations in the woods by the shore. 2nd set is farther in. You'll cross a brook main road stays to the right. Bear left down to the water and you'll see the old foundations in the woods. Also a good laker spot. My PB came from there a few years back. If you stay right at the fork on the main road go all the way out that takes you to the Rook.Another nice area.
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1st set of cellars is on your left walking in. You can see the old cellar foundations in the woods by the shore. 2nd set is farther in. You'll cross a brook main road stays to the right. Bear left down to the water and you'll see the old foundations in the woods. Also a good laker spot. My PB came from there a few years back. If you stay right at the fork on the main road go all the way out that takes you to the Rook.Another nice area.
thanks so much for the info. was looking at maps and thought i would get lost lol. now i have a good idea. i may try walking up that way tommorow and chuck lures for a hour just to get a feel for the place. need to get supplies and work on the boat tommorow for this weekend. we have a trout tournament we are fishing down the cape on the 28 and we are going to prefish with the boat this weekend. need to pick up a driftsock to slow my troll speed a little and pick up a couple of auto inflating pfds.
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Good luck. Love driftsocks. Have 2 and use them all the time!
Jeff that sounds like a cool spot.
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Troll at 2.3mpg with my 20 horse just need to tone it down to like 1.5 to 1.9 I like to keep it just under 2. That makes the lures I troll swim percectly.
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Yup! We use them on the big lake when we are trolling down current. I tend to use mine more when im jigging or drop shotting.
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thanks so much for the info. was looking at maps and thought i would get lost lol. now i have a good idea. i may try walking up that way tommorow and chuck lures for a hour just to get a feel for the place. need to get supplies and work on the boat tommorow for this weekend. we have a trout tournament we are fishing down the cape on the 28 and we are going to prefish with the boat this weekend. need to pick up a driftsock to slow my troll speed a little and pick up a couple of auto inflating pfds.
No problem. Place is in my back yard. I know every inch of that shoreline. Well worth taking the time for a good walk.
I think Cabelas has the auto inflating pfds on sale.
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No problem. Place is in my back yard. I know every inch of that shoreline. Well worth taking the time for a good walk.
I think Cabelas has the auto inflating pfds on sale.
They do and that's where I plan on getting them.
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They do and that's where I plan on getting them.
Word of caution. I own a cabelas auto inflator. It needed to be serviced 1 month after I purchased it. Made me frustrated.
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Huh maybe the manual might be okay instead.
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Huh maybe the manual might be okay instead.
Perhaps. I think the model I grabbed was 150...going to see about a recharge kit for it after work.
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need to pick up a driftsock to slow my troll speed a little and pick up a couple of auto inflating pfds.
I tried the drift sock route and didnt care for it. If you can, just get 2 5gal buckets or 2 of the large square kitty litter buckets and drag one off each side. That slows mt 25hp down to under 2mph.
The drift sock will pull your boat to the side it is tied off on. Also gotta worry about where it is all the time to the prop doesnt get tangled.
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I tried the drift sock route and didnt care for it. If you can, just get 2 5gal buckets or 2 of the large square kitty litter buckets and drag one off each side. That slows mt 25hp down to under 2mph.
The drift sock will pull your boat to the side it is tied off on. Also gotta worry about where it is all the time to the prop doesnt get tangled.
Sounds like you are doing it the hard way. I drop one off my bow cleat. And it stays under the boat in the center. I would not advise dropping bags of the stern. Only time I have is to grab current behind the stern to keep the boat straight fishing current.
When we troll q with the 25 we switched props and also make the prop slip by trimming up.
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was going to put it off the bow cleat
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was going to put it off the bow cleat
Both you and Will could consider trolling plates too! I dont mind the bag myself but again use them drifting.
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Sounds like you are doing it the hard way. I drop one off my bow cleat. And it stays under the boat in the center.
I tired off the bow cleat, but with the deep v shape of my hull the line simply slides to one side or the other. No way to keep it perfectly centered.
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was looking at trolling plates and that may be my next option if the sock doesnt work. dont really want to drill into the engine just to slow it down 0.5mph. tried trimming the engine and i still cant get it where i want it
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dont really want to drill into the engine just to slow it down 0.5mph.
Same here... The buckets have done the job for me when i need to use the main motor.
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got a 30in drift sock. i think that would slow a 14ft v hull while trolling
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was looking at trolling plates and that may be my next option if the sock doesnt work. dont really want to drill into the engine just to slow it down 0.5mph. tried trimming the engine and i still cant get it where i want it
30" sock is fine and it will work. I use up to two 36"ers for my 20'er and 1 36 would get me from 4mph at idle (140hp) to 1.8 to 2. Granted I stopped trolling with the main because cleaning/rebuilding 4 carbs can be costly.
Will if you had run a 12v minn kota with 2 group 34 batteries that have a decent amp hour rating youd never need the main. Ive done 10 hours at 1.8-2mph and haven't drained them yet.
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looking at a ulterra..... may bite the bullet next year. if i get one of the black ulterras with footpedal would it be okay to use in saltwater. was looking at the ulterra riptides but they dont support a foot pedal. really want a foot pedal.
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Will if you had run a 12v minn kota with 2 group 34 batteries that have a decent amp hour rating youd never need the main. Ive done 10 hours at 1.8-2mph and haven't drained them yet.
The last 2 seasons ive been using my 70lb 24v Minn Kota with ipilot link so i can set it to follow tracks on my GPS and i dont have to steer. I run it off 2 12v Deep Cycle marine batteries in series. I have another pair of the same batteries set up the same way that i can switch to should the fist bank of batteries run low. This easily gets me through an 8 hour day of trolling.
My concern is that my Minn Kota some how burned up last season. That was with about 6months worth of use and about 30 total trips at say 6hrs avg. So it had about 180-200hrs of total use on it. Its not like i beat on it either. Trolling speeds are typically under 2mph. At full blast it can pull my boat at 4mph. I unplug it when not in use during the season, and it sits in my heated basement during the winter. It was still under the 1 year warranty so it was repaired for free. But it had left me a bit timid about its reliability. Im hoping that it was just a defect and that the repair will be trouble free.
If it gets real snotty out, i use the main motor to push and use the trolling motor to steer since it keeps the bow nice and straight and doesnt get pushed around by the wind/waves.
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Make sure you are running an appropritely sized breaker off your batteries. For my setup its 60amp. Without it I was melting the minn kota barrel plug that I use to connect the troller to the batteries. Without one you can fry those motors easily. Minnkota should have a recommended size for yours. They make the resettable breaker as well.
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Make sure you are running an appropritely sized breaker off your batteries. For my setup its 60amp. Without it I was melting the minn kota barrel plug that I use to connect the troller to the batteries. Without one you can fry those motors easily. Minnkota should have a recommended size for yours. They make the resettable breaker as well.
Thx for the tip, it looks like i should be using 50amp breakers. At 10$ ea, that seems like pretty cheap insurance. Especially for a 1500$ trolling motor =/
(https://s31.postimg.cc/85ir03o8r/breaker.jpg)
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No problem...I had to learn by breaking as well...granted it was just the barrel plugs thankfully.
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Just double checking here - The regulations for the Chu are as follows...
Lake trout - 3 fish per person no size limit.
Salmon - 2 fish per person, must be 15"
Is this correct?
I read about the dinks being tossed into the woods, I have no issue taking a few dinks home for the smoker.
Also, does anyone take more than 2 rods with them? I understand only 2 can be used but say I want 3 different set ups (laker, salmon, and lure). Does anyone see an issue with with this with the DCR land?
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You can carry as many rods as you want. But only two can be in the water at any given time. Most do 1 with bait and cast lures with the other.
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I bring 6 rods with me. You can bring as many as you want but only 2 can be in the water at the same time.
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Fishing now and am getting skunked at a new spot. Saw 8 deer on the walk in. There is a bald eagle perched in a tree above me and 2 loons calling to each other to my left. Got to love the scenery of wachusett even if getting skunked.
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Fishing now and am getting skunked at a new spot. Saw 8 deer on the walk in. There is a bald eagle perched in a tree above me and 2 loons calling to each other to my left. Got to love the scenery of wachusett even if getting skunked.
And the ticks =/
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Haven't gotten a tick or seen a tick this whole year. I have never gotten a tick at wachusett. I have gotten them in the rivers but not the main reservoir.
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Thanks guys. Planning my first trip there this weekend. I still need some metals but the live bait gig is good to go. I have small /med shiners and night crawlers and will try both on the bottom as well as under a float. Would like to get a salmon as well.
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Small shiners under float for salmon. Not always a guarantee to catch bu t in some places they are more common than lakers.
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Haven't gotten a tick or seen a tick this whole year. I have never gotten a tick at wachusett. I have gotten them in the rivers but not the main reservoir.
Any time i fish the cellar holes i pick up a few.
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3 trips out and already broke my record of ticks from last year. Funny thing is I have only gone through brush once out of those trips have always gotten more on me there walking the roads out to spots then cutting a new trail
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tup last weeke after leaving I went to look at my cellphone and a tick was crawling across it! be on the look out
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They are brutal this year. I've had them on me just walking around in my yard. I've already taken at least ten off of my gf's dog just from my yard. Anyone ever spray their yards? I'd obviously want something pet friendly but since I've got a wooded lot on two sides of me I think it is the smart thing to do.
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Get a few guini hens they will take care of the ticks.
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Get a few guini hens they will take care of the ticks.
Its not the worst idea. I recently moved to Southwick and the zoning regulations allow you to have animals like that since there is still a good sized farming community. I'm not sure I want to listen to them though.
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Got the big skunk today.
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I'd obviously want something pet friendly but since I've got a wooded lot on two sides of me I think it is the smart thing to do.
Get some 36.8% Pemethrin concentrate and a 1 gal pump sprayer. Its about 2oz of pemethrin to a gal of water in the sprayer. Treat the entire perimeter of your yard, around tress, and any "ticky" looking areas. I also spray around my foundation and any trees and bushes. Give it a day to dry and its good. you can use this same mixture on clothes you wear outside as well. Just lay them out, spray them good, and net it dry. The longer you can go without washing the better.
Also save your toilet paper roles. Buy a giant bag of cotton balls off amazon and spray them with the permethrin and let them dry. Then lightly pack the toilet paper tubes with the cotton balls and place them around the perimeter of your yard in "dryish" places every 10ft. Ticks breed on rodents (mice, chipmunks, etc,), they take the cotton balls and build nests out of them, killing the ticks before they even leave the nest..
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Pemethrin is great as long as you don't have cats....
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Fishing now and am getting skunked at a new spot. Saw 8 deer on the walk in. There is a bald eagle perched in a tree above me and 2 loons calling to each other to my left. Got to love the scenery of wachusett even if getting skunked.
That’s why I keep heading there skunking after skunking!
Almost no where else in the state you can stand on a water body that size and see no signs of humanity. Love it.
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Small shiners under float for salmon. Not always a guarantee to catch bu t in some places they are more common than lakers.
Just need to get lucky and find a school and you can pick up a bunch quickly. But Wachusett is always a crapshoot.
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Thanks guys. Planning my first trip there this weekend. I still need some metals but the live bait gig is good to go. I have small /med shiners and night crawlers and will try both on the bottom as well as under a float. Would like to get a salmon as well.
Good luck. I agree with shiner under bobber for best shot at salmon, no guarantee, but always a possibility...
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certain areas hold salmon consistantly others a crap shoot. just need to know where to look.
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Speaking of bobbers do you guys ever use slip bobbers when the fish go deeper? I showed this to a friend in Mass years ago and he caught 6 lb. plus brown suspended in 25 feet of water over 50 feet of water in Mirror Lake at Devens the first time he tried it. He wasn't familiar with them before I showed him. These rigs are killer when fish are suspended in deep water and even very effective if you suspend you bait just off the bottom. With the latter you keep moving your stop up the line util your line goes slack. The move the stop down until it tightens up. Then bring in up a few more inches.
(https://i.imgur.com/KQEumjJm.jpg)
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I tried slip bobbers but they don't seem to cast very far. Does anyone know of any good casting slip bobbers.
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I tried slip bobbers but they don't seem to cast very far. Does anyone know of any good casting slip bobbers.
Really? I've never had any issues with them not casting as far as any other bobber. What bobber are you using?
Maybe you just have to use a larger bobber with more weight below it if you need to get out farther?
I will say if you are not fishing above them as in over the side of a boat it can be tough to get a good hook set.
We use them a lot at night here for night fishing for trout right over the side of the boat. Actually used to. The state is managing what inland coldwater lakes we have left that could produce holdover trout as put and take so I won't even bother to buy a trout stamp anymore.
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they were thill but i think i need larger ones. i cant find any big ones at stores so i may have to order them.
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Speaking of bobbers do you guys ever use slip bobbers when the fish go deeper? I showed this to a friend in Mass years ago and he caught 6 lb. plus brown suspended in 25 feet of water over 50 feet of water in Mirror Lake at Devens the first time he tried it. He wasn't familiar with them before I showed him. These rigs are killer when fish are suspended in deep water and even very effective if you suspend you bait just off the bottom. With the latter you keep moving your stop up the line util your line goes slack. The move the stop down until it tightens up. Then bring in up a few more inches.
We used them for walleyes.
(https://i.imgur.com/KQEumjJm.jpg)
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We use them for walleyes.
Yep they are dynamite for walleyes. But any fish that suspends they will work well on. I like to use them for night fishing crappies. Was really nailing 13 inch plus black crappies on a Massachusetts lake one summer night.
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They make weighted slip bobbers as well. I try to use the smallest i can get away with as it will produce the least resistance to submerge when a fish takes your bait. If a salmon feels that pull, they may spit the bait.
I saw a guy in his boat anchored by the barrels at gate 8 at quabbin fishing with 3 other people. They had 8 rods out all with slip bobbers at various depths over 100ft of water. He was up to 8 or 10 salmon by the time i left.
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Slide sinker under the float before the leader works really well for longer casts.
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This thread has been going really well. I'll keep posting trips untill November 30th. ;D
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It has. One day Ill have to get down there for some slide bobber action. Or fly rod smallies...
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So last weekend, at the chu, I tried casting with live shiners and had a question. I was hooking a size 2 or 1 hook on the shiner, just below the spine ? and a little behind the dorsal fin. I was losing about 30% of them during the cast. Maybe I am casting wrong but I also saw others lose shiners. There was a big group next to us and one dude there also was losing them.
Is there any trick to not losing them as frequently as I did. I assume I am doing something wrong and was wondering if anyone had suggestions on the same.
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So last weekend, at the chu, I tried casting with live shiners and had a question. I was hooking a size 2 or 1 hook on the shiner, just below the spine ? and a little behind the dorsal fin. I was losing about 30% of them during the cast. Maybe I am casting wrong but I also saw others lose shiners. There was a big group next to us and one dude there also was losing them.
Is there any trick to not losing them as frequently as I did. I assume I am doing something wrong and was wondering if anyone had suggestions on the same.
U cant put much force into a cast using live bait. It more of a lob cast. Longer rods help with this type of casting.
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Losing them is part of the game LOL. If you can get into some small perch fry they stay on better. I usually hook mine through the eyes or the mouth. Don't lose many.
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Good to know. I am looking into getting a rod just for the chu. Hoping to get it before my next trip out there. Thanks!
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Hook one clean from the bottom of the mouth up through a nostril and you will be hard pressed to cast it off.
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I seem to catch more Lakers hooking the shiners in the back than in the nose. I blow mine up with air and when they are hooked in the back they lay horizontal but when they are hooked in the mouth they are vertical . A horizontal laying fish is morenatural looking. I just lob mine out there you don't have to cast that far. Most of the Lakers are by the "lip" anyway.
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Hook one clean from the bottom of the mouth up through a nostril and you will be hard pressed to cast it off.
You hook eels like that? I never know how to really hook them. That way or right thru the eye sockets and I rarely lose them.
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You hook eels like that? I never know how to really hook them. That way or right thru the eye sockets and I rarely lose them.
Yup same way, bottom of the mouth up, then out an eye socket. Or dead and strapped to a jighead in a proprietary fashion.
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Thanks guys. Planning my first trip there this weekend. I still need some metals but the live bait gig is good to go. I have small /med shiners and night crawlers and will try both on the bottom as well as under a float. Would like to get a salmon as well.
Good luck sharps !
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Hit the chu this morning casting metal got the skunk.
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That stinks. i was going to go myself but i figured it would be packed. i will go tommorow instead to avoid the weekend crowds.
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That stinks. i was going to go myself but i figured it would be packed. i will go tommorow instead to avoid the weekend crowds.
Woah boy was it packed...
Decided to sleeep in instead. My weekend is Sunday/Monday. Rest today - fish all day tomorrow.
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It was packed :-\ the nice weather brought the fair weather fisherman out
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weird I fished scar hill 6-10 and only a few cars at the gate and not many guys on the bank...
3 healthy lakers, then a 4th which was the longest was a bit skinny. missed a few as well. all on shiners
(https://s17.postimg.cc/cqwzv0yvf/IMG_20180422_065529_332.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/cqwzv0yvf/)
(https://s17.postimg.cc/vj8uym2zf/IMG_20180422_083435_519.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/vj8uym2zf/)
(https://s17.postimg.cc/850vmnxwr/IMG_20180422_093344_174.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/850vmnxwr/)
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Nice job I was going to hit scar hill to .
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Is the Chu still planted with brown or rainbow trout? Or is it just lake trout and salmon?
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They just recently stocked it with rainbow trout
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They just recently stocked it with rainbow trout
How do the rainbows do in there? In my state they are raised and planted because they are economical to raise but they are mostly a put and take fish unless there is a significant coldwater forage base. Most last a couple of years after planting and that's it.
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Good question I haven't heard of any big ones being caught the ones I caught where just stockiest.
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Maybe the big lakers feed on the stockers? ;D
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Wachusett Res has yielded gold pin brown, rainbow, and brook trout. Browns/brooks stocked in tribs. All trout have the potential to do well, great cold water habitat.
For what it’s worth, at a presentation by DCR, there were biologists there, the issue of removing the quinapoxet dam Was brought up. The biologists said that there was a chance a natural population of steel head could become established if the dam was ever removed. They were more or less speculating - but I would guess rainbow trout do quite well in the Res.
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Wachusett Res has yielded gold pin brown, rainbow, and brook trout. Browns/brooks stocked in tribs. All trout have the potential to do well, great cold water habitat.
For what it’s worth, at a presentation by DCR, there were biologists there, the issue of removing the quinapoxet dam Was brought up. The biologists said that there was a chance a natural population of steel head could become established if the dam was ever removed. They were more or less speculating - but I would guess rainbow trout do quite well in the Res.
Talked to a guy last trip out there he walked the streams coming in to the chu with the dcr said they are putting a lot of time and effort in to cleaning up and setting up the streams to try and get the land locks some more water to get in and spawn. I’d love to see them remove the d**n it would open up some more great fishing over the years
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A few salmon make it pass the dam. I have caught a couple upstream of the dam in the fall. I catch giant rainbows up to 5lbs every year in the tribs. So they may not be joking about steelhead. I have won gold pin for salmon and rainbow out of wachusett. It has amazing trophy trout potential.
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Nice pics Matt! Glad to see you got into them this weekend. I tried to go after some brookies with no luck!
I have seen some salmon in the rivers while hiking, but went back and could not locate them. Maybe the next time!
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Anybody else out here on this beautiful day.
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Working :'(
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Will post pics if I get anything.
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Went Saturday and it was pretty packed from what I could see. Tossed a few types of metal from sunrise - 9 with no luck. Switched over to 2 shiner rigs and never even got a bite. My old man had one bite and we fished from sunrise until 12. I can tell you that there were people every 20 yards or so along the shore line and all i saw was 1 small laker caught. Beautiful place with a slow bite, pretty much exactly what I predicted. I will definitely be back for revenge.
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Nice pics Matt! Glad to see you got into them this weekend. I tried to go after some brookies with no luck!
I have seen some salmon in the rivers while hiking, but went back and could not locate them. Maybe the next time!
Better to leave salmon in the rivers alone. Especially if it was the fall. Let them do their thing. If your looking for some native brookies send me a Pm
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Went Saturday and it was pretty packed from what I could see. Tossed a few types of metal from sunrise - 9 with no luck. Switched over to 2 shiner rigs and never even got a bite. My old man had one bite and we fished from sunrise until 12. I can tell you that there were people every 20 yards or so along the shore line and all i saw was 1 small laker caught. Beautiful place with a slow bite, pretty much exactly what I predicted. I will definitely be back for revenge.
Fished Saturday sunrise until 10am. Had a decent one on the shore with in 5 minutes. That was it. Not another bite between 3 of us. Also very shocked that we were the only 3 there. From what I have read it was packed most places. Will be back at it after work Tuesday
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Salmon #1 on a slip bobber at 10ft. 20in long and the skinniest salmon I have ever seen. It wad 4.5in from top to bottom. Looked like a pencil.
(https://s17.postimg.cc/52x8aaby3/20180423_131655.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/52x8aaby3/)
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Salmon 2 and 3
(https://s17.postimg.cc/fi3eiv917/20180423_133433.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/fi3eiv917/)
(https://s17.postimg.cc/5ksdptwaj/20180423_134358_0.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/5ksdptwaj/)
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Nice!
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Nice fish your definitely on them 8)
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Salmon 2 and 3
Nice! You getting them all at about 10ft down?
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8 to 10ft. I just missed 3 more. One broke off my hook. Should of retied.
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Salmon #4
(https://s17.postimg.cc/3muwjg0ln/20180423_154918.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/3muwjg0ln/)
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Was thinking of trying for smallies. Never fished for them at wachusett before. Any baits or gate suggestions? Not sure if it's worth targeting smallies on my next trip or return to my consistent salmon action.
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8 to 10ft. I just missed 3 more. One broke off my hook. Should of retied.
Good deal? How deep was the water you were getting them in? I want to try similar areas at Quabbin to see if its the same.
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tough to say but guessing 25 to 35 ft
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Living up to your forum name LOL. Nice job.
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Living up to your forum name LOL. Nice job.
Trying to lol. got half of the name down so far this year.
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Trying to lol. got half of the name down so far this year.
12 days until my earliest canal keepers in the log book. Schoolies in RI.
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i got a 20lber the first week of may back in 2016. they will be here in a week or 2
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i got a 20lber the first week of may back in 2016. they will be here in a week or 2
No they wont ;)
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i got a 20lber the first week of may back in 2016. they will be here in a week or 2
Ten years of logging and fishing the red top thing I've found it to be hit or miss when the decent fish show up. Ive had enough with 20s...need 40's and up! ;)
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My buddies got into some 50lb fish early last year on live pogies in the West end. They caught 4 in the high 40s and 3 over 50 in a time span of around 3 weeks. The same area the 60lb fish was caught. We are getting bigger fish earlier it seems.
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Just got a rat laker.
(https://s14.postimg.cc/ntrvx53nh/20180426_145739.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/ntrvx53nh/)
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Nothing wrong with that . Congrats. Anything the chu will give up take it ;)
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I know I'll take anything. It's so slow I was trying to catch small perch to kill time.
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I know I'll take anything. It's so slow I was trying to catch small perch to kill time.
If it makes you feel better im still at work!
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got 2 more small ones not even picture worthy. i measured one for fun and it was 8in :w00t: :w00t:
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got 2 more small ones not even picture worthy. i measured one for fun and it was 8in :w00t: :w00t:
Didn’t know they made them that small.
Bait?
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That one was on a lure surprisingly. I casted out a 3/4oz crippled herring and threw it in a row holder to pick up stuff and tend to my other rod. It sat on the bottom for like 10 minutes then I went to pick it up and there was a fish on it. Must of been sitting on it lol.
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Trying to lol. got half of the name down so far this year.
Won't be long for the 2nd half.
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Going to try and fix that next weekend
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Going to try and fix that next weekend
Nice goodluck. Hudson cows for me soon!
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Nice goodluck. Hudson cows for me soon!
Buddy was out there a couple of days ago. I'll have to see how he did.
***Update*** They did not do well in the Hudson. You may want to give it a few more weeks.
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Buddy was out there a couple of days ago. I'll have to see how he did.
***Update*** They did not do well in the Hudson. You may want to give it a few more weeks.
I have friends catching fish in the 30" range already. In a couple weeks, especially with next weeks temps in the 80's, the run will start tailing off and the bass will head out of the hudson.
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anyone fish wachusett this weekend?
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Parked 1 truck at gate 30 and the other truck at 35 this morning. Fished the shoreline from 30 to 35 throwing metals. 2 of us not even a hit. Saw 1 guy by the rook fighting 1 on bait but he lost it. Chu has been a tough fish for me so far this year. Boat should be ready this week. Time for some flounder.
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Parked 1 truck at gate 30 and the other truck at 35 this morning. Fished the shoreline from 30 to 35 throwing metals. 2 of us not even a hit. Saw 1 guy by the rook fighting 1 on bait but he lost it. Chu has been a tough fish for me so far this year. Boat should be ready this week. Time for some flounder.
anyone fish wachusett this weekend?
Manny and I hit it Sunday morning in the rain and we did very well... I ended up fishing until about noon and i landed about 7 lakers, and lost a couple more.. Manny also landed about 5 or so on the day...Nobody else seemed to be as busy. Shiners on the bottom
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im going to hit a trib for some trout and suckers tommorow. fun catching 25in suckers on a 4wt.
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Parked 1 truck at gate 30 and the other truck at 35 this morning. Fished the shoreline from 30 to 35 throwing metals. 2 of us not even a hit. Saw 1 guy by the rook fighting 1 on bait but he lost it. Chu has been a tough fish for me so far this year. Boat should be ready this week. Time for some flounder.
Jeff,I told Matt not to be surprised if you wandered by.Metal has not produced numbers this year but my biggest so far was on a Croc.
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20 pages let's keep it up :thumbup_smilie: :thumbup_smilie:
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Jeff,I told Matt not to be surprised if you wandered by.Metal has not produced numbers this year but my biggest so far was on a Croc.
Way to get out Manny.
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The fishing was slow forsure Sunday. I thought I would share this picture Frank took of an awesome Chu sunrise. One of the beautiful areas on the Chu I think. Well off the beaten path.
(https://s6.postimg.cc/slb0eae71/Attach2762_20180429_190837.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/slb0eae71/)
Click on the picture to enlarge it.
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The fishing was slow forsure Sunday. I thought I would share this picture Frank took of an awesome Chu sunrise. One of the beautiful areas on the Chu I think. Well off the beaten path.
(https://s6.postimg.cc/slb0eae71/Attach2762_20180429_190837.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/slb0eae71/)
Click on the picture to enlarge it.
I know that spot and it is a hike. It is beautiful.
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The fishing was slow forsure Sunday. I thought I would share this picture Frank took of an awesome Chu sunrise. One of the beautiful areas on the Chu I think. Well off the beaten path.
(https://s6.postimg.cc/slb0eae71/Attach2762_20180429_190837.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/slb0eae71/)
Click on the picture to enlarge it.
Is that solid rock sticking up out of the the water?
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Awesome picture
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Nice picture Jeff.
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Great picture for sure!
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Walked the still today and lost a rainbow and that was it. no suckers to be seen which was odd.
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Saw a massive school of baitfish jumping at the surface beneath the power lines two evenings ago. The entire stretch of water beneath the power lines was teeming with jumping baitfish. Easily 100 yards across or much more. I don’t know what these baitfish would have been other than smelt. They were approximately the right size/shape/color from what I could see with binoculars. Also - I don’t know of any other baitfish jumping at the surface in 50+ feet of water in such huge numbers at the chu. I am fairly confident it was a large school of smelt. Haven’t really seen anything like it before - have fished Wachusett regularly for years. Makes me think there is a chance the smelt are doing okay and it’s just impossible to tell since no boats are allowed and no fishing is allowed the time of year you might see smelt in the shallows. Just passing along the info. Definitely made me think.
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i saw something similar at scar hill a few years ago. they were finning on the surface like a trout but they were right off the shore and were so small i couldnt see them.
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i saw something similar at scar hill a few years ago. they were finning on the surface like a trout but they were right off the shore and were so small i couldnt see them.
Crappie?
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Saw a massive school of baitfish jumping at the surface beneath the power lines two evenings ago. The entire stretch of water beneath the power lines was teeming with jumping baitfish. Easily 100 yards across or much more. I don’t know what these baitfish would have been other than smelt. They were approximately the right size/shape/color from what I could see with binoculars. Also - I don’t know of any other baitfish jumping at the surface in 50+ feet of water in such huge numbers at the chu. I am fairly confident it was a large school of smelt. Haven’t really seen anything like it before - have fished Wachusett regularly for years. Makes me think there is a chance the smelt are doing okay and it’s just impossible to tell since no boats are allowed and no fishing is allowed the time of year you might see smelt in the shallows. Just passing along the info. Definitely made me think.
I don’t know what is in that lake, but what you described sounds a lot like the white perch schools I have seen finning/boiling water in the middle of a lake. We would often see alewives jumping out of the water as you described as well on on lakes that had them.
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I don’t know what is in that lake, but what you described sounds a lot like the white perch schools I have seen finning/boiling water in the middle of a lake. We would often see alewives jumping out of the water as you described as well on on lakes that had them.
Plenty of White Perch in there and big ones too. I saw the news last night on the tick problem. 26 to 30 on him in that short of a time :o :o Yikes. Make sure you check good. Iv'e only gotten 2 so far this year. Feel lucky after seeing that story.
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I don’t know what is in that lake, but what you described sounds a lot like the white perch schools I have seen finning/boiling water in the middle of a lake. We would often see alewives jumping out of the water as you described as well on on lakes that had them.
They were jumping - easily seen - no more than 3-5 inches long, slender, and silver. And literally hundreds of thousands or more of them. I’m pretty convinced right now they were smelt. Looked somewhat like alewives jumping on Chauncey - but no alewives in the chu - the prominent baitfish is supposedly smelt.
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Plenty of White Perch in there and big ones too. I saw the news last night on the tick problem. 26 to 30 on him in that short of a time :o :o Yikes. Make sure you check good. Iv'e only gotten 2 so far this year. Feel lucky after seeing that story.
I’ve only gotten one.
He almost certainly walked through a nest - you can end up with dozens when that happens! One of my worst nightmares! Gives me the willies!
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Plenty of White Perch in there and big ones too. I saw the news last night on the tick problem. 26 to 30 on him in that short of a time :o :o Yikes. Make sure you check good. Iv'e only gotten 2 so far this year. Feel lucky after seeing that story.
I have been getting 5-10 ticks each night I go for a walk in the field/woods behind my house in the seacoast of NH. I always have gotten a few, but I pulled 15 off of me after one walk when I went looking for lady slippers. They’re brutal this year. Can’t be good for the moose or the deer, and I know I hate em!
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They were jumping - easily seen - no more than 3-5 inches long, slender, and silver. And literally hundreds of thousands or more of them. I’m pretty convinced right now they were smelt. Looked somewhat like alewives jumping on Chauncey - but no alewives in the chu - the prominent baitfish is supposedly smelt.
That’s cool. Never seen the smelt jump out of the water, but I don’t doubt your instincts.
Maybe some bigger fish were swooping in and causing the aerial evasion maneuvers you saw.
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Crappie?
not crappie. they were only in 3 ft of water and i couldnt see them so they had to be small and slender or something. it was getting dark too so that didnt help. they were dimpling all over and the school would get scared from side to side when i threw really small jigs at them to investigate.
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i pulled around 50 ticks off me a couple weeks ago in one of the basins at wachusett. they were crawling all over me. none of them latched on though they were just crawling on my clothes and arms. i only seem to get them in the rivers and the basins. as soon as im past the causeway and on the main rez i dont get any.
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never heard of so many ticks. must be a huge collonie locked in around the chu.
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never heard of so many ticks. must be a huge collonie locked in around the chu.
i was also trudging through knee high brush so it was kinda expected i would get a few but i never had any clue it would be that many
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Do you guys tuck your pant legs in your socks and spray permethrin from your shoes up your pant legs? Permethrin is supposed to kill ticks within 5 to 30 seconds.
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Do you guys tuck your pant legs in your socks and spray permethrin from your shoes up your pant legs? Permethrin is supposed to kill ticks within 5 to 30 seconds.
I have ever since Will suggested that years ago.It really does work.
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I would but I hear it's harmful to cats and we have 2 cats
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I would but I hear it's harmful to cats and we have 2 cats
Change your socks and pants when you come in the house?
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i could try that
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15.3 lb laker - confirmed - caught and released yesterday - wish I caught it
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I thought it was caught last week. I saw the post on Facebook. Looked no where near 15lbs imo
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Nice fish either way :tipup:
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Looked big enough to be 15 to me. Nice fish either way. The water is unseasonably cool and keeping them shallow. It was caught in ten feet of water while bass fishing.
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i think the main reason more big ones are not caught is we are not using big enough baits. im going to try a 3oz savage on my canal rod. look at people up north they are using 12in plus baits and still catching 5lb lakers.
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i think the main reason more big ones are not caught is we are not using big enough baits. im going to try a 3oz savage on my canal rod. look at people up north they are using 12in plus baits and still catching 5lb lakers.
I caught a 14lber, 37" on a small spoon. All of the 30"ers ive landed have been on baits shorter than 4". Location and timing are more important I believe. You have to get in big fish territory first, otherwise bait size is moot.
Bigger baits may help but only if you can determine where and when those larger lakers feed.
Just like the canal. Regulars know the holes the big bass frequent year after year.
If it were me stalker id trade the jig for a 12" dace. Dead and on the bottom.
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not saying smaller baits wont catch big fish because they do but a majority of the time a bigger fish will take a bigger bait. i used to talk to a dcr ranger who used to assist on the laker surveys and he told me that the large lakers they netted (20lbs or so) showed signs of cannibalizing smaller foot long lakers. some of the big fish are just accustomed to big bait. a fresh dead 12 in sucker sounds like a morsal though. location is a huge part of it though and there is a lot of luck as well but there are variables that can be altered to put more of a chance on your side.
I wonder if they would frown on using those rat lakers for bait.
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If you were allowed to use a boat it would get you to some unexploited areas don't you think? And trolling would cover more water more efficiently.
So what is the logic behind not allowing boats when they are allowed on Quabbin?
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not saying smaller baits wont catch big fish because they do but a majority of the time a bigger fish will take a bigger bait. i used to talk to a dcr ranger who used to assist on the laker surveys and he told me that the large lakers they netted (20lbs or so) showed signs of cannibalizing smaller foot long lakers. some of the big fish are just accustomed to big bait. a fresh dead 12 in sucker sounds like a morsal though. location is a huge part of it though and there is a lot of luck as well but there are variables that can be altered to put more of a chance on your side.
I wonder if they would frown on using those rat lakers for bait.
Hmm thats intetesting info on them eating each other. I agree about considering all the variables and then planning an approach. It definetly helps.
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If you were allowed to use a boat it would get you to some unexploited areas don't you think? And trolling would cover more water more efficiently.
So what is the logic behind not allowing boats when they are allowed on Quabbin?
The logic is that it’s closer to the consumer. Thus tighter restrictions. I’m not defending the logic - but that’s what I’ve been told. Even if that is the case - I personally see no reason it couldn’t at least be open to kayak/cartop boat/electric motors.
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funny this topic came up. last week I seen the small river down the street from me get stocked with trout. mixed in with the trout I caught a half dozen dace that I kept. rigged up my rods to sling them out at the chu. regrettably didn't make it out last weekend. hopefully this weekend I will. going to try and catch some big goldens as well this week...always wanted to try big baits at the chu and told myself this is the year I have to give it a few tries! we'll see what happens...
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Good luck. I know the guy who nails all the giant lakers at quabbin and that is exactly what he does. Big baits dead on the bottom.
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Big baits at the chu is slow but that's fishing. You get a run though on a dead 12in bait you will be s****** yourself. ;D
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The logic is that it’s closer to the consumer. Thus tighter restrictions. I’m not defending the logic - but that’s what I’ve been told. Even if that is the case - I personally see no reason it couldn’t at least be open to kayak/cartop boat/electric motors.
Thanks for the response but isn't the Chu the back up and Quabbin the main water supply? And if something happened to the water at Quabbin it would still be just as bad would't it?
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Quabin feeds into wachusett. Then water from wachusett is used to drink
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Thanks for the response but isn't the Chu the back up and Quabbin the main water supply? And if something happened to the water at Quabbin it would still be just as bad would't it?
Quabbin feeds into chu - chu feeds into Sudbury - and distributed further from there. And yes, if something were to happen in quabbin it would theoretically affect the whole water system - though they can close down the pipeline in several spots
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Quabin feeds into wachusett. Then water from wachusett is used to drink
I see. Still don't buy the state's logic. If Quabbin allows boats than the others should too.
There are many other water supply reservoirs in the country that don't consider it an issue. I'm sure the water is treated before consumption anyway.
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Quabbin feeds into chu - chu feeds into Sudbury - and distributed further from there. And yes, if something were to happen in quabbin it would theoretically affect the whole water system - though they can close down the pipeline in several spots
What kind of problem do they anticipate? I was fishing area three once on Quabbin and there was a rotting deer corpse in the water. Probably slipped on the ice and broke it's pelvis. No one seemed concerned about it.
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What kind of problem do they anticipate? I was fishing area three once on Quabbin and there was a rotting deer corpse in the water. Probably slipped on the ice and broke it's pelvis. No one seemed concerned about it.
Who knows here? Question is better posed to the powers that be.
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It may have to do with its size and being located near larger cities.
I recall a few years back when they found a 40yr old car in the Chu lol
http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2013/10/car_from_1970s_found_at_bottom.html (http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2013/10/car_from_1970s_found_at_bottom.html)
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http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2013/10/car_from_1970s_found_at_bottom.html (http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2013/10/car_from_1970s_found_at_bottom.html)
[/quote]What kind of problem do they anticipate? I was fishing area three once on Quabbin and there was a rotting deer corpse in the water. Probably slipped on the ice and broke it's pelvis. No one seemed concerned about it.
Laws of the land for 60+ years now. Don’t ask me. I’d love to take my yak out. There have been several pushes to increase access at Wachusett but they never get anywhere. State is going to be overprotective of the water supply - which part of me gets - but more could easily be done for fishermen (kayaks/canoes g d it!)
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It may have to do with its size and being located near larger cities.
I recall a few years back when they found a 40yr old car in the Chu lol
http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2013/10/car_from_1970s_found_at_bottom.html (http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2013/10/car_from_1970s_found_at_bottom.html)
Also this - 15 mins from downtown Worcester - Wachusett would be a madhouse compared to the quabbin, and obviously much smaller.
The powers that be will also talk about safety concerns. basically they are worrying about someone pouring smallpox or anthrax into the water supply. Or trying to blow up the dam.
Just playing devils advocate... like I said, sign me up to take my yak out on the chu asap.
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That can easily be dealt with by limiting access via creative ways. California does it on their reservoirs. I think they have a even odd number rule on boat numbers or something. Only even numbers on even numbered days and vice versa.
I see NYC reservoirs require a permit and only yaks and oar powered boats. Also have to either leave your boat there are get it steam cleaned before launching.
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Also this - 15 mins from downtown Worcester - Wachusett would be a madhouse compared to the quabbin, and obviously much smaller.
The powers that be will also talk about safety concerns. basically they are worrying about someone pouring smallpox or anthrax into the water supply. Or trying to blow up the dam.
Just playing devils advocate... like I said, sign me up to take my yak out on the chu asap.
Oh I get it. I've dealt with the powers to be out here and been given some responses that are so stupid they insult your intelligence. One situation is our Fish & Wildlife planted lake trout in a small deep lake system and they wiped out the smelt and native cisco. A group I belonged to wanted to reestablish the smelt for a coldwater forage base for the brown and rainbow trout that are planted annually. The reason given for not planting the smelt was they are an exotic (and brown and rainbow trout are not?) and they would prey on the spawn of the native fish. However they indicate in their own surveys the lake system will never support a viable warm water native fish population. This is due to very little littoral habitat and the sterile marl bottom of the lake system. Average depth in two of the lakes is 40 feet with a maximum of 93 feet. Too much coldwater habitat for warm water fish.
Anyway, I pointed out to them when largemouth bass and bluegill are spawning the water temperature is too warm for the smelt to be in the vicinity. Just makes no sense that smelt would be in the shallow water with water temps in the upper 60's to upper 70's.
We also badly want a bag limit on bluegill out here as the exploitation rates by anglers is incredible. Ever time we have a rules change proposal it comes up and there is a lot of support for it. But nohting happens. Not even so much as an explanation.
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It may have to do with its size and being located near larger cities.
I recall a few years back when they found a 40yr old car in the Chu lol
http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2013/10/car_from_1970s_found_at_bottom.html (http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2013/10/car_from_1970s_found_at_bottom.html)
But what does that have to do with launching a boat?
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Oh I get it. I've dealt with the powers to be out here and been given some responses that are so stupid they insult your intelligence. One situation is our Fish & Wildlife planted lake trout in a small deep lake system and they wiped out the smelt and native cisco. A group I belonged to wanted to reestablish the smelt for a coldwater forage base for the brown and rainbow trout that are planted annually. The reason given for not planting the smelt was they are an exotic (and brown and rainbow trout are not?) and they would prey on the spawn of the native fish. However they indicate in their own surveys the lake system will never support a viable warm water native fish population. This is due to very little littoral habitat and the sterile marl bottom of the lake system. Average depth in two of the lakes is 40 feet with a maximum of 93 feet. Too much coldwater habitat for warm water fish.
Anyway, I pointed out to them when largemouth bass and bluegill are spawning the water temperature is too warm for the smelt to be in the vicinity. Just makes no sense that smelt would be in the shallow water with water temps in the upper 60's to upper 70's.
We also badly want a bag limit on bluegill out here as the exploitation rates by anglers is incredible. Ever time we have a rules change proposal it comes up and there is a lot of support for it. But nohting happens. Not even so much as an explanation.
But what does this have to do with the chu?
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But what does this have to do with the chu?
Well... it has to do with the powers to be not giving in to reason. ;D
Got it? :o
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soaked the dace for 4 hours this morning. had a run on a 6 inch dead dace but spit it. was encouraging to see some action on a bigger than normal bait though.