June 28, 2008

 

Hi Smitty,
Just a simple weekend story to pass on this time.
The shrimping story about me in last years Massachusetts Wildlife Magazine prompted a reader from Harwich to E-Mail me with her shrimping episodes. Janet Griffin, back in the 40's used to shrimp fish Long Pond in Harwich with her father. They would catch perch, bass sunnies and what ever else found a tiny grass shrimp with a hook through the tail.
When not out shrimping, Janet would dig out a bunch worms from the compost pile next to their garden, put them in her mouth and with a hand line swim out to the family's floating dock. There she would catch and bring back mostly yellow perch for dinner. In those days a plate full of perch were welcomed as times were tight.
I drove down to visit Janet several months ago Her place was beautiful, over looking Long Pond at it's mid point along the western shoreline. We chatted for a couple hours and agreed on a date in mid summer to shrimp fish for white perch and smallmouth bass.
Janets niece and nephew were scheduled for a weekend visit on the 21st and 22nd of June. Nephew Phil is a salmon fisherman and flyrod nut from New Hampshire niece Brett doesn't fish but supports Phil and goes often just to watch.
Both Phil and Brett were waiting for me at the Griffin beach as I motored the short way from the Harwich launching ramp. Janet came down as I jumped out and we all got introduced and planned out strategy. The water depth from the beach is shallow, 8 foot depths out to about 75 yards then it drops off to 20 and 30 feet. I checked my depth fonder and chose a sloping area at the 22 foot area to anchor. In the boat were Phil, Janet and myself, Brett was on shore with a pair of binoculars
Within minutes of the first chum can drop we had out first white perch. Then came several more, almost an hour passed when the action slowed down. I told everyone to be ready for some smallmouth action. The words were hardly out of my mouth when a huge three pound smallie was two foot above the water out in front of us.
Janet couldn't get used to the spincast rod she brought or the fly rod Phil let her use so she stripped off line from the fly rod and wrapped it around one of her sandals and used it as a handline as she did back in the 40's. Janet's first bass was a nice 2.5 pounder, she was all smiles from ear to ear.
The fishing ended with a total of nine smallies to three and a half pounds, 40 plus white perch to a pound, a couple yellow perch and one hornpout. A great day.
The trip ended with a lobster roll lunch and a planned trip for next year. Shrimp fishing is a deadly way to fish for bass, trout, and perch. any questions E-Mail me at bdhlbdl@aol.com
 

June 22, 2008

Capt. Tom DePersia of Bigfish Charters, Marshfield MA reports great fishing on Stellwagen Bank and Cape Cod waters this week. 
Both school and giant were taken here this week by boats tolling squid rigs or using live bait.
Bigfish II boats caught school tuna up to around 200 lbs. this week. The Alan Zang party of Avon Lake, OH had the largest tuna of the week. The John LaVallee party of Northboro, MA and the Ken White party of Concord, PA both had nice school bluefins and lots of cod, haddock, and giant pollack on their trips.
Cod/haddock trips continue to be excellent on Stellwagen Bank this week with cod to 35 lbs., pollack to around 20 lbs., wolffish over 30 lbs. and lots of haddock.
Striped bass and bluefish were also hot this week with mostly limits of bass 15 to 20 lbs. and some bigger fish. Plenty of bluefish were found on Stellwagen Bank and off the Cape.
For more information call Capt. Tom DePersia at 781-834-7504 or check out our website at www.bigfishcharters.com.

 

June 17, 2008

Hi Smitty,
Sunday my son Brett and his pal John Kingsley were on their way to P. Town at dawn when I got a call at 5.00 AM. Flat tire on the trailer. John Davis, Doug Gray and I were about to leave for Coonamessett Pond in Falmouth. After a few phone calls we locate a spare, a jack and some wrenches. We met Brett and John just before the Sagamore Bridge, changed his tire and were on our way to Falmouth. Brett turned North to West Marine to buy two new tires.
We arrived at Coonamessett close to 7.00 and broke out the cooking gear. While we were cooking up some hash and eggs Brett and John were heading for Duxbury Bay with new rubber on the trailer.
After a great breakfast we headed for the Eastern end of the pond with high anticipation of white perch for dinner. After anchoring over 22 foot of water only 20 yards from shore I discovered 90 per cent of my shrimp were dead. We were going to chum up some perch and smallies but that never happened. Dead shrimp don't work. I managed one white perch and two huge, at least a pound plus each, bluegill before moving to the calico hole.
We were fishing in a slight drizzle all morning, once we hit the calico hole the heavens opened up and we cranked up the gas motor and headed for the landing. Once loaded up and gear under cover we drove down the half mile dirt road to the Hatchville Road just as the rain stopped and the sun came out. Funny how that always happens.
In the mean time Brett and John, fishing Duxbury Bay had managed only one small schoolie and called it quits just minutes before the rain soaked the Bay.
Monday was another day and Brett with fresh tires on his trailer along with Kingsley headed South on #3 & #6 to P. Town. They put in at the Public Launching area In P.Town, charges are 1$ per hour, and headed out to Race Point. Using black jigs and trolling Umbrella rigs they managed a dozen stripers. Four keepers at 32, 32, 37, and 39. A fun day. We both arrived home at the same time, about four P.M. There were striper guts, blood and sand eels all over my front lawn. Brett saved one for Hunan's in Kingston where he traded it for a Buffet and a couple cocktails.
The trip from Duxbury to P. Town was just under two hours one way. Brett figured that gas both truck and boat along with bait and food was about $150 to $160 bucks. Another trip is already in the planning.
Weekend fisherman bdhlbdl@aol.com

 

June 8, 2008

Capt. Tom DePersia of Bigfish Charters, Marshfield MA reports continued excellent fishing for cod and haddock this week on Stellwagen Bank. Most cod were 7 - 20 lbs. and haddock 7 - 12 lbs. Some pollack were taken to 15 lbs. and wolffish to 25 lbs.
Lots of mackerel were taken also. A handful of boats fished briefly for school tuna on Saturday but no confirmed reports of a catch. Several 90 degree days should spark a good bite by the end of this week. Last year school tuna fishing was red hot by June 15th.

Good catches of keeper striped bass are reported off Provincetown and in Cape Cod Bay. Most anglers caught limits of fish 10 to 25 lbs. For more information, call Capt. Tom at 781-834-7504 or visit his website at www.bigfishcharters.com.
 

May 27, 2008

Hi Smitty,
I had the family with me and actually went to Scarlet's Ledge to see if the macks were moving around. Then we went to the North River and put out some live macks, but it was even blowing too hard in there. Saturday was another family day, we went to the bank on the S.W. corner and loaded up on macks. There were haddock on the bank west side, but I took the opportunity to take a ride over to the east side a little off the bank, I had no clams so I cut up macks and caught some big haddock, then jigged up small cod on the bank, just having fun and checking out spots for a real trip.
Thanks,
Jayco

 

May 27, 2008

Hi Smitty,
For those diehard anglers wishing to catch a trout or two before the summer, if it ever gets here, weather warms up and sends the trout deep give Hamblin's Pond in Barnstable a try. Best choice for action is right off Rt.#149 at the boat launching site. Best bait is Power Bait with a worm added as an appetizer.
If boat fishing the trout, for the most part, are suspended around the 10 to 15 foot level as the sun comes up, however, some are up on top feeding on emerging flies during the early bite at sun up. Be aware that sun up this time of year is about 5.00 AM. Fish have been active throughout the morning until 9 or 10 A.M. depending on cloud cover or rain.
The Smallmouth have already spawned out. My friend Tony managed a dozen or so from sight fishing the beds three weeks ago. Two weeks ago in the rain he nailed four smallies and a nice brown trout. Last week I circled the pond and only got pick-ups and drops. No bass but several hits.
My Guess is the trout should still be active in the upper water column for another couple weeks. Early and late for those wishing to sling flies or streamers along the shoreline.
Largemouth bass have been active over the past few weeks. Some of the smaller shallow ponds in Plymouth have been giving up a few modest catches. There are still some active beds guarded buy small buck males. Try fishing just outside the beds where the larger female bass hang out. Plastic worms hooked wacky style works for me.
Fished Dunham's Pond in Plymouth on Monday, holiday, Got some LMB, nice pickerel but what made the trip a success was the size and numbers of calico we caught. All were over a foot long, next to white perch, and maybe even tied, they are the best eating fresh water fish in our local waters. Am heading back there this weekend with a cooler full of ice.

Good Luck, Lindy @ bdhlbdl@aol.com

 

May 25, 2008

Capt. Tom DePersia of Bigfish II Charters, Marshfield, MA. reports excellent Cod/Haddock fishing on Stellwagen Bank this week. Most Cod were 10-20 lbs., Haddock went 6-12 lbs., while Pollack scaled 15-20 lbs. Some large Wolffish and Cusk were also caught.

Best catches this week were from the Jim Collins party of West Bridgewater, MA, the Charles Fagan party of Fall River, MA and the Brian Dodge party of N. Branford, CT.

There has been several unconfirmed sightings of school tuna in our area but no catches yet. Last year our biggest school tuna were caught during the last 2 weeks of June and all of July. Some tuna went 200-250 lbs. Striped Bass are being taken in Rivers and in Plymouth Harbor.

For more information call Capt. Tom at 781-834-7504 or checkout our website at www.bigfishcharters.com.

 

May 11, 2008

Capt. Tom DePersia of Bigfish II Charters, Marshfield, MA reports continued excellent cod and haddock fishing on Stellwagen Bank this week. Fast action jigging produced limits of cod from 7 lbs. to 20 lbs. on most trips and haddock fell prey to fresh clams. Some trips also had wolffish and pollack. Large schools of sand eels and herring are keeping the fish in shallow water from 80 ft. to 120 ft. Humpback whales and white bellied dolphin also put on a show while customers reeled in fish.

 

May 8, 2008

Hi Smitty,
With the price of gas costing more then beer, a lot more, per gallon, lets discover a few local fishing holes in your back yard. Trips to both Chandler pond and Island Creek in Duxbury should hardly move the needle on your gas gage.
Both ponds are within the 15 to 20 acre surface area, both are three to eight feet deep and both have wooded shoreline cover with structure along the shore and throughout the pond. The differences between the two water bodies are, Chandlers has been treated with Sonar the kill off the massive infiltration of milfoil and hydrilla, leaving the pond clear of all weeds including lily pads. Island Creek has weeds, weeds, weeds that come to the surface making it almost impossible to use any kind of motor for population. Let's examine both ponds for their fishing value.
Chandlers Pond has a car top or small trailer boat launching area off Lake Shore Drive. You could also launch off Lake Shore Drive at the Pembroke Duxbury line next to the out let dam. Pickerel, perch, calico, sunfish, catfish and largemouth bass all swim in these waters. Forage is golden shiner, minnows and crawfish. Best fishing is for bass and pickerel. Bass to four and five pounds are available with a monster to six or seven pounds just waiting to be caught. Pickerel average under 20 inches but are everywhere. Perch are not huge but fun to catch. Most are under a pound, however, the pound plus are there but far and few between. Fly fishermen can have a ball catching both blue gill and pumpkinseed sunfish along with lots of calico on poppers or streamers.
Island Creek has a good access launching area for trailer or car topper boats. Same list of fish call Island Creek home. The big difference is Island Creek now has a river herring population that produces thousands of little baitfish throughout the summer. For the past two years more then a thousand adult river herring have been released into Island Creek hoping to establish a returning population of herring as it used to be many years ago. The fish ladder along Tremont Street has been reconstructed allowing both adult and young herring to enter and leave Island Creek Pond.
The bass population is a tad bit better then Chandlers, both larger and more. Bass here may reach seven pounds, nine pounders have left the pond. Pickerel like Chandlers are average at 16 to 20 inches but also like Chandlers a four plus pounder is possible on any cast. Perch, calico and sunnies are the same.
Fishing Island Creek requires top water baits for the most part. Weeds to the surface prevent the use of spinner baits or jerk baits leaving only surface baits except for early spring. Last year I caught several bass on the Scum Frog surface lure. It is a surface lure with hooks pointing up not connecting with the weeds. The other way to fish the weeds is to use a half oz. weight Texas style with a plastic worm of look-a-like bait fish and with 65 pound test line plunge through the weed mat and hope for the best. Forage for game fish is the same except the young herring in Island Creek are a bonus that should put a few more pounds on the game fish making Island Creek a big fish pond.
Both ponds are easily accessible, shoreline fishing is limited, Canoes or small boats recommended. Chandlers has a dog leg shape allowing calm shore line navigation in most any wind, Island Creek is tough to fish in most windy situations. Good Luck.

May 4, 2008

Capt. Tom DePersia of Bigfish II Charters, Marshfield, MA reports continued excellent Cod and Haddock fishing this week on Stellwagen Bank. Most Cod were 7-20 lbs. and there were plenty of keeper Haddock on most trips. Some Wolffish, Cusk and Pollack added to the variety of most catches.

Best catches this week came from the Peter Norris party of Hinesburg, VT and the Rob Felpault party of Suffield, CT.  For more information call 781-834-7504 or checkout our website at www.bigfishcharters.com