Western MA Reports

[Capt.Shay]

what is a conn river eye? can,t say i,ve ever heard of or seen one

Well it is hardly written in code and there is even a picture, but I'll assume your not just jerking my chain and will do it out long hand.

Conn. River = Connecticut River  A rather large body of water that forms the NH/VT boarder before entering Mass.

'Eye = Walleye A rather yummy fish

Now you've heard of one and seen one

Will be out this evening looking for more.

Tight Lines

[bassboy]

nice fish man i alway wanted to catch one
but agian awsome fish but get that 24"er and get a pic

[Capt.Shay]

Another Conn. R.  'Eye:

This one is 19" as well, but not as heafty.  He swallowed the hook big time and was bleeding a little so I kept him.



Wind was blowing like all get to out making the fishing tough.  Turned back a skinny 16" 'Eye and a 3 1/2 lb smally.
Almost five hours of standing in the blow but, it was worth it.

Bent poles,

[deerhunter]

sorry for being stupid, just never heard the term eye. never caught one myself, would like to try sometime. does the oxbow have any ? maybe ice fish for em.

[Capt.Shay]

Well, the Oxbow is the same body of water so it is certainly possible to catch one there.  Personally the place is just to crowded in the winter for me .  I find them hard to target through the ice.  I have iced them in back waters, deep waters, coves and just about everywhere but I don't usually target them, it's more a matter of luck.  I know some guys that do target them and they try to fish as close to the main current as the ice will allow them.

For top water,  try fishing shallow water just off the main current at dusk.  They come in to the shallows in search of bait fish at this time of day.  People also night fish for them.  A classic walley tactic is to fish bellow impoundments.   I have been using shiners suspended about eighteen inches off of a fairly heavy egg  sinker but I do know of one guy who uses nothing but artificials and catches a lot of fish. 

The bottom line on Wallley is to put in your time.  You don't catch a lot of them and you will get skunked but you can't catch fish if you don't keep a hook wet.  I've probably put in close to 40 hours in the last ten days for a total of three fish and one of them was small.

Best of luck and let us know if you give it a try (lord knows this board could use a few more reports).

[NEMACHUCK]

Thought I might add this in.....  I havent been out fishing for them 'Eyes lately, actually the boat was already put away.   My buddy and I have have gotten into the 'eye fishing and have had some good success.  This year got about 25 of them ranging from 16" up to 25".... about  the biggest 5 lbs...  That was mostly between May till beginning of July.....  Got them from Northfield Ma down to the Oxbow.

The previous years we have gotten some monsters... well monsters for around here not like up in the great lakes.  Biggest we have gotten was 29" about 7.5-8lbs. Two others one at 27" and the other 28".  The 29" was the third one we ever caught and we thought that was a normal sized one.... wow we were wrong.... would have won the gold pin that year.  O well still swimming around.  Got them on cranks, jigs with plastics and tipped with a crawler.

The only walleye i know of caught in the oxbow (The stretch from the manahan back to 91) was under the wires in early spring.  Other than that no news of that.  I know they get them through the Ice up at Bartons Cove but dont know about the oxbow.  I ice the 'bow alot and keep up with the locals out there and dont know of any caught.  Like Capt. Shay said probably need to be near some current which the 'bow lacks and I try to stay away from in the winter.  Its too bad the Easthampton Rod and Gun took them off their list during the all species tournaments.... figures.  Thought I could share alittle.... nice to see that other people fish for them as well.  Funny telling someone u caught a Walleye and they look at u like you have two heads....  A 24" walleye is my favorite fish to fight.....  They just keep on thumping away, digging for the bottom.... They take forever to tire out.

[jf5]

I too fish eyes in the river religiously. I fish in MA and VT. There are allot more in the river than most people think. You have to fish for them specifically. Some are caught by anglers targeting other species, but specific walleye techniques will preoduce more eyes. (Fish slow, and on the bottom)  Also, fish areas that tend to have current and rocky bottoms. Below the dams are a great place to start. 

I have not caught any monsters. Most fish run 14-22" for me, topping off close to 4lbs.

[Capt.Shay]

Hey, there are some fishermen in W. Mass that still own computers    And some of you even target them 'Eyes.  The falling leaves just make me itch to get out at dusk and hunt them.  There seems to be a fall "bite" when the eyes get to feeding.  Don't let the fact that you are shore bound stop you 'Chuck.  This is probably the best time of year to get yourself on some keepers.  I have certainly caught them on crawlers but I have found that live shiners out fish the terrestrials (Anyone else have a thought on this?).

More thoughts:

Dawn or Dusk? Dusk works better for me.

Other bait presentations?  Artificials?

Can you realistically target them on Ice? Where?

Nice hearing from both of you.  I am limited to a canoe so if either of you need a deck hand/fishing partner, let me know.  I grew up on The River and am always looking for an excuse not to work, 'er, I mean fish.

Tight lines, Bent poles, and many Flags,



P.S.  DH, are you familiar with how search engines work?  If you type in Wallleye and specify the Mass. boards, you wont find any of my post.  Using an abbreviation like 'Eye makes internet "fishing" a little more difficult.  I just feel that it makes someone actually read the different threads and discern the information from them rather than just do "fly by" searches.  (Hint to others)

[jf5]

I too fish eyes in the river religiously. I fish in MA and VT. There are allot more in the river than most people think. You have to fish for them specifically. Some are caught by anglers targeting other species, but specific walleye techniques will preoduce more eyes. (Fish slow, and on the bottom)  Also, fish areas that tend to have current and rocky bottoms. Below the dams are a great place to start. 

I have not caught any monsters. Most fish run 14-22" for me, topping off close to 4lbs.

PS    ALL of my walleye fishing on the CT is from shore!

[Perchfry]

Can anyone tell me if they're jigging up any Redfin Shiners at the oxbow anymore? I remember doing this back about 30yrs ago. A great pike bait. Haven't done it since. I remember we would fish just in front of the marina.

[Capt.Shay]

Hit some back waters of the Conn. R. this morning for my
first top water outing of the year.  Looking for some
toothy criters.  Fished one pole heave and leave with a
big shiner and worked large spoons, spinners, Etc. with
the other.

Two guys for four hours and not a single fish.

Still better than the best day working.

[Capt.Shay]

Hit The River last night for some 'Eye action. 

My buddy had what he called a "pretty nice" feeling
fish on but then lost it only a few feet from shore.

Right at dark I had a nibble and tried to set the hook
but missed it.  We decided we might as well pick up and
as I was breaking down the rod that I had just reeled in
I says to my bud "do you hear a bell" (we use them for
strike indicators).  My buddy says "It's just the one in your
pocket".  I finished packing up my first rod and head
over to my second and the minute I picked it up I felt a
wiggle.  Landed a fat  20 inch 3 Lb'er.  It was obviously
a female full of eggs but it had swallowed it "hook line and
sinker so to the fillet board it went.  Unfortunately, the digi-
cam is on the fritz so no pictures this time.

We were fishing medium shiners suspended about 18 inches
off of a fairly heavy egg sinker on the inside of a bend in about
eight feet of water.  Fished from four to six thirty.

Any one else out here in W. Mass having any luck?

Tight Lines,

[Crazy Joe]

If anyone is interested Forest Lake in palmer was stocked Wed .Lake Metacomet stocked Tues.They put some beauty's in .I caught and released about 20 or so.14-16" fat fish.fun to catch on the micro lite
Also caught some BIG bluegills 8-10".
Good luck

[Crestliner]

Fished the Oxbow in Easthampton this morning for a few hours.  Targeting mainly crappie, but I always have a back-up Senko rig to test some known largemouth haunts.  Released 2 nice bass, 2.4 & 3.1 lbs..  Lost count on the crappie after releasing about 2 doz..  1/16 oz. curly tails got the most action on the crappie.  Cold start this morning, but with slow, steadily rising water temps (low 50's today) looks like we are actually going to have a "spring" this year! 

[fishercat]

Fished the Ct. River from the Deerfield River south.  Nothing from Deerfield River to Montague.  Fished topwater, senkos, tube jigs, and crankbaits.  We ended up with 3 SM - wife caught lunker 3.5 lbs ~ 17".  Water temp was 49.   kiss and realease