New England - New England Freshwater Fishing Reports

Again this week Aaron at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk provided the Saugatuck Reservoir update. Water level in the impoundment continues to recede, uncovering more shoreline access. Anglers can now probe cover and structure that was unreachable in higher water. Aaron has been focusing on the north end of the impoundment where the Saugatuck River enters and doing fine with smallmouth bass on 3-inch Keitech paddletails mounted on a 3/16-ounce jighead. Among the best places to fish at this time are areas of green grass or weeds as well as rocks close to drop-offs. Try a Senko in the grassy and weedy spots, Keitechs in the rocks.

From Colin at Fishin’ Factory 3 in Middletown we heard that many more customers are trout fishing now especially at the Salmon River and Day Pond, both in Colchester. All kinds of lures and baits are being used, Roostertails and live shiners being very popular. Catfishing remains strong in the Connecticut River at Harbor Park in Middletown and Eagle Landing in Haddam. Autumn carp fishing in the river is in full swing too, excellent reports coming from carpers fishing Mainline and Carp Maxx boilies at Wethersfield Cove and Harbor Park.

Last week Jeff Sullivan in Bristol returned to Upper Melville Pond in Portsmouth for rainbow trout and Carbuncle Pond in Coventry for rainbows and crappies, all on a Spybait from shore. He added that action has been better in the morning; but if you cannot get up early, the afternoon bite has been all right too. Editor Dave Anderson took one windy night last week off from the surf to look for largemouths, the bite was slow but he said it was good to see that the bass are still crushing big wakebaits after dark, his weapon of choice was the Bull Shad Bull Wake.

AJ at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay reported increased interest in trout fishing. He has been selling lots of night crawlers to people trying for trout with Long Pond in Plymouth, Marys Pond in Rochester, and Peters Pond in Sandwich being the three most popular destinations. He also mentioned weighing in a 6.25-pound white catfish caught October 15 at Mashpee Pond.

From what Rick in Milford reported plenty of trout are being caught in the Central Wildlife District. Josh and Joe have been hitting Pratt Pond for five or six stockies every time out, most on green PowerBait/mealworm kabobs. Another fellow picked up two brookies at Pratt Pond, one on a shiner and one on a night crawler, and a third gent scored a 20-inch tiger trout on a shiner at Ashland Reservoir. Paul, the brown trout expert, has been working Quacumquasit (South) Pond for 15- to 17-inch browns on trolled shiners, and a couple of other trouters went to Round Top Pond in Burrillville, Rhode Island. and popped a bunch of trout there. Rick also passed along reports from Ron Powers who tallied lake trout at Wachusett Reservoir and from Tommy who witnessed another angler catch several 2-pound-class landlocked salmon on night crawlers in the vicinity of the Old Stone Church at The Chu. On the bass scene, Lake Maspenock (North Pond) produced largemouths on shiners-from-shore, and Brian, the kayaker, contacted largemouths and pickerel on shiners at different venues including Hopedale Pond, Louisa Lake, and Milford Pond.

Roger Aziz, Jr. in Methuen was pleased to announce that two of his favorite trout waters—Baldpate Pond and Plug’s Pond (Lake Saltonstall)—were stocked with rainbow trout October 13. Rog fished Plug’s Pond and caught a few ‘bows including a 19-incher. Not many people have been targeting trout, so plenty of stockies and holdovers are still available. The Merrimack River is producing smallmouth and largemouth bass above the dam in Lawrence and white perch and northern pike behind the Covanta plant in Haverhill. Up north in New Hampshire all the well-known big waters including Sunapee Lake, Northwood Lake, Great East Lake, and Lake Winnipesaukee continue to churn out largies and smallies.

Skip at Saunders Boat Livery, Inc. in Southwick told us that bass action at Congamond Lakes has been challenging, mainly due to chilly, breezy weather. He did not make it to Thursday evening’s big-bass event but did participate in the annual Charlie Jutras memorial tournament at Congamond Lakes another day. The bite was tough although the winner weighed-in a respectable five-fish total of 17.5 pounds. Another contestant would have had a similar creel, but one of his bass—a 5-pound largemouth—jumped out of the livewell and back into the water before he had a chance to weigh it in. Several bronzies in the 4-pound bracket were caught during the tourney. Skip did okay but his five-fish aggregate was not enough to place. Some bass were shallow, some as deep as thirty feet.