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Ice fishing for this season starts off this week with anxious anglers heading out loaded down with all necessary gear to be successful. Plans have been made gear loaded and bait buckets full of fresh bait. Fishermen are determined to score. Practice caution as this is the first trip out. Check the ice carefully, a swim could ruin a fishing trip. Lets know how you make out. We will be open New year's Day from 7 to 1 and Sunday 7 to 12. Tight lines.
With only one week left in this year's website drive, donations have fallen short with only 17 users of the site out of over 4,000 making a donation. Based on past donations and expenses our goal for this year is 100 donations. Expenses continue to rise as hosting, storage, maintainance, publishing, security and other fees have steadily ben on the rise. The adition of new articles and features quickly eat up budgets. To those users that have donated to the site, we thank you for your help ad salute your support. Without your devotion to the site, we would not be able to continue our work to make fishing a sport to be enjoyed by all. To all those that have not made a donation as yet, please take a moment to send t off now. You show your support and apreciation for www.petesbait.com by supporting our efforts and making a donation. If you have ever used to site or been helped by it please support us by helping out with a donation. We thank you in advance.
Finally, ice fishing is about to start. Bitter cold has blanketed the areas and has local ice fishermen ready to drill holes, set traps, bait hooks and chase flags from one of their favorite pond to the other. The new year is bound to see plenty of action throughout the North Shore. With a slight glitch in the plans raised by a short spell of warm weather, fishermen must be cautious. The foot of snow that is now on the ice will insulate the ice covering to some degree but will not completely protect it. Those anglers that will make their way onto the ice will have to practice extreme caution. This is the first ice and it is much too cold for taking a dip in the friged water. Test the ice for safe conditions and don't fish alone. This should be a very busy ice fishing weekend. Make sure you have your gear checked over and ready to go. Look for perch and panfish to be active and hungry supplying anglers with their first winter fried fish meal of the winter. For the best ice conditions stick with the low lying and sheltered bodies of water. Sheltered areas on the largest bodies of water should be the safest. Fish safe and enjoy the first ice of the season. Let's here some good ice fishing stories to start off the new year.
Fishing activity along the coast has just about come to a complete shut down. No longer are the private fishing boats congregated along the hills and ledges but rather can be located under cover waiting out a bitter and snow filled Mew England winter. With the exception of a very limited number of private vessels and an occasional party boat, local waters are currently under a deep freeze. Those brave and dedicated winter fishermen that suffer frozen hands and feet and feel stinging ice pellets against their faces instead of a cooling mist have been rewarded with good numbers of whale cod. Anxious fishermen dressed in multiple layers of artic clothing wail patiently in line to board the American Classic, with their hero Captain Jimmy Walsh at the helm and ready to bring them to some of the most productive winter cod fishing grounds in the area. Fairs return to home port with coolers full of cod fillets, aching bones and a mind full of fish stories to last until their next trip. Make sure you call the shop and make reservations for your trip because each of Capt. Jimmy's snowball trips leaves the docks with fishing room only.
The following ice thickness numbers have been report to the shop and are by NO means meant to be totally accurate. They are presented to give you an idea of local ice cover as has been presented to us by others. Local fishermen have been checking ice conditions from New Hampshire to the Charles River in Waltham. It appears the ice cover has been running between four to six inches at most locations. Some open water has been reported at large bodies of water and along running water. Sheltered and low lying waters can have slightly more ice. Sic inches of ice has been reported behind Brandeis University in Waltham by pike fishermen. Six plus inches has been reported in some of the smaller waters in Georgetown and Haverhill. Gloucester fishermen reported four to six inches A strong six plus inches of ice has been reported west of here. Remember, this is only first ice and extreme caution is mandatory.
We would like to wish all of our readers and heir families a Happy Holiday Season and a New Year filled with health and happiness and an overflowing fish box. I hope your New Year Resolutions will include introducing a child to this fabulous sport we all enjoy.
Website donations for this year have been way off signalling possible changes for this year. We rely on your generousity to be able to keep up the site as well as add to its content. With a goal of 100 donations, you can keep track of our progress by checking the donation thermometer on each page of the site. To those sixteen users of the site that have made a donation we thank you and appreciate your generousity greatly.
The winds and bitter cold of the past week has limited the number of anglers willing to challenge Mother Nature along the coastal waters. Most of the fishermen that have taken to the ocean have done so by booking a spot on a party boat. The comfort of a heated party boat is well worth he fare especially during this time of year. Party boat fishermen have scored very well so far this fall season. Good numbers of big cod have been landed by numerous anglers. Many fishermen have scored cod up to sixty pounds. It should be very interresting to see what the weights will be for cod in this year's Massachusetts Fishing Contest. For anyone hat is interrested in a fishing trip, it is a must to make reservations on one of the boats that are still fishing. Captain Jimmy Wash runs weekends and has been one of the most sucessful Party boat skippers in the area. He routinely finds big fish that challenges his fares. Make sure that you make reservations. By reports that have come into the shop, jigs have been the most productive for attracting big cod. Teasers add to the effectivness of the jig. Water temperatures are dropping steadily with temps now around 43 degrees. Smelt activity has been very disappointing with numbers of smelt caught way down.
Freshwater anglers have been reporting sporadic activity from the south shore to the New Hampshire boarder. The biggest problem with the sporadic action has been the lack of fishermen casting lines to local bodies of water. Wi/th the holidays upon us, angler's families are out searching for the perfect Christmas gift for their special fisherman. A great gift that would be appreciated by any fisherman is a gift certificate. It can be used for a weekly supply of bait as well as terminal tackle or towards a new rod and eel combination. Ice is getting closer as a skim coating of ice has been observed each morning for the past few days. With the bitter cold we have had, a more substantial covering of ice should be noticed. The smaller ponds throughout the area should be ready for fishing within a week or so. The first excursion on to the ice requires a great deal of caution. As anxious as we all are to get on the ice, a rush to get out could be dangerous. It is not a great thing to experience a late season swim in order to get en early start on the ice season. Now is the time to get a jump start on preparing your ice gear. Lines should be changed, hocks sharpened, auger blades sharpened and gear checked over. Make sure you ice sled is in good shape with compartments set up to stow your gear. Air pumps and bait buckets should be checked out. Small grills and fuel should be stored properly so they are ready to be put into action during your first ice fishing outing. Nothing tastes better than a hot cup of coffee and a hot dog on he ice. We are getting closer are you ready?
First of all we want to take a moment to thank those anglers that have taken the time to send in your donation. It is greatly appreciated not only by us but all those that use the site. Your donations are important to help keep this site alive and online. With 4,000 regular users of this site, it is hard to believe that only nine donations have been made. We do not want to be forced into converting this site to a membership site. We are working hard to prevent this and rely upon your generosity to help out. Your donations are needed to keep the site fresh and add new features. Check out the new ice fishing article. You can donate by clicking onto the donation button on the left hand side of the page. Please show your support by making your donation now.
Not sure about a gift for your special fisherman? How about a tackle box? It should be large enought to store all his tackle without creating a "ball of tackle" in the box. How about an assortment of rigs for the bait fisherman? Rigs are always welcomed as many are lost during the season. Norwegian jiga are a great gift for cod fishermen. Jigs of all sizes would be welcomed. If your favorite angler likes to fish the party boats give him hevier jigs. Seventeen to twenty-two ounces are popular sizes. Teasers to go with the jigs are also good. My advice is to stay away from rods and reels. These items are generally picked out by the fishermen as they know what they are looking for. If your special fisherman is looking for a rod and reel, give him a gift certificate. Speaking of gift certificates, these are welcomed by all fishermen. When you purchase a gift certificate from us there are no restrictions for its use. There are no time limits for use, there are no fees and above all if you use the certificate a week after Cheistmas or five years from now it is worth its written value. Most fishermen like to use their gift certificates every week during the summer to purchase their bait. We like to make it easy.
Cod fishermen continue to head out to inshore hills and bumps as well as offshore banks and ledges. The lure of a big cod is too strong to keep fishermen home and out of the cold. Anglers armed with a variety of jigs in numerous sizes head offshore every weekend with the hopes of bringing a trophy cod over the rails. With the way big fish have been caught one fish could very well provide enough meat to make fish chowder a Friday night meal for the winters. Fishermen weighing in forty, fifty and sixty pound fish this fall have outnumbered the numbers of fishermen that have weighed in big fish for many years. This fall has been more like the good old days. Just a reminder to party boat fishermen, if you plan a trip make sure you call your favorite boat and make your reservations early as most boats leave the docks with limit fares.
Flounder fishermen have been reporting numerous flounder along the shores of Beverly and Manchester. Although most fishermen drift along the shorelines in shallow water, some anglers have been fishing from points. Sea worms, the preferred bait for flounder are difficult to find unless you dig your own have been replaced by dillies and crawlers. Both these substituted work well but because they "go soft" quickly in salt water, baits must be changed often. Most fishermen have reported catching a few flounder but no one has reported a limit catch.
As the saying goes, "The early bird gets the worm", trout fishermen declare that "The early fisherman gets the trout". Trout fishermen realize that trout feed early and if you are not presenting at first light, you are likely to leave with an empty kreel. Some fishermen have been using small minnows while others prefer bits of night crawlers and dillies. Meal worms still attract hungry trout. Artificial baits still attract trout but more often than not trout will overlook artificial baits in favor of live baits. Once the sun rises and casts it's bright light over the shimmering waters, trout head to deeper water and shut down for the day. Periods of activity will surface during the day but these periods tend to show up late in the day.
Largemouth Bass have been teasing many anglers and have convinced fishermen that they are in their Hide n' Seek mode. One trip fishermen would score nicely and the next they would go home without scoring even a strike. Anglers have quickly picked up on the best time of the day to present a bait has been during the mid to late afternoon. The shallows are more likely to produce fish than the main lake body despite the amount of structure that is present. This is largely because of the difference in water temperature. During this time of the year, the shallows can be as much as a few degrees warmer than the rest of the lake. The sun and currents produce the condition. As difficult as it seems anglers report more success when they cast baits and lures to waters as they face the wind. This is because the wind is pushing the warmer surface water towards you where it piles up and establishes a warm water zone that is preferred by bass during this time of year. Steer clear of surface baits as they lose their effectiveness as water temperatures start to drop. If you prefer artificial baits stick with mid depth swimmers and spinnerbaits.
For the past week, pickerel have continued their aggressive behavior. Although grass patches have started to die off, pickerel have remained in the same areas where these patches have grown. Pickerel have been most active in the shallows during the mid day periods and into afternoon. Live shiners and killifish remained the preferred baits for the best pickerel action. Those fishermen that prefer to use artificial baits. spoons have been best. Of all the spoons that are on the market, Dare Devils and Johnson hold the reputation of being the best. Lake Attatash and Johnson's Pond hold top honors for pickerel activity. Some of the pickerel that have been brought to net have tipped the scales at as much as 4 1/2 to 5 pounds.
The numbers of fishermen out looking for perch and crappie have declined with the pressures of Christmas upon us. For those anglers that have managed to sneak in a moment to cast a line, there have been good numbers of perch and crappie for the taking. Drifting a piece of night crawler or dillie will almost guarantee a strike. Catches in the dozens have not been uncommon. Some of the better bodies of water have been Brown's Pond in Peabody, Sluice Pond in Lynn and Chebacco Lake in Hamilton. Panfried fillets served with a fresh crock of Boston Baked Beans makes an unbeatable Saturday night supper during the winter when comfort foods make it easier to get through the cold months.
We would take a moment to thank our visitors for the support of this site. To date we have received six donations. We are rying to prevent conversion of this site to a membershipm site. We have determined that our goal is one hundred donations. This figure is based on the average donation made last year and the cost to keep the site up and running last year. With four thousand regular visitors this goal should be met without too much trouble. If you have used this site, please make your donation now. In order to provide you with the information you need to be successful we need your help. Look for the next article to be published within the next week or so. It is on ice fishing.
Cod fishermen have enjoyed one of the best fall cod fishing season we have seen in years. There have been numerous thirty, forty, fifty and sixty pound cod caught from private as well as party boats. We have weighed in more fifty and sixty pound cod trhis season than in the last ten years combined. It is good to see the big cod hanging from the shop scales and even better to se the smiles standing beside the hanging fish. This past week we had a fifty and three forty pound fish weighed in. Party boat fishermen have been busy filling fish oxes and have not spent a lot of time traveling to the fish. There are plenty of cod fillets and containers full of chowder in home freezers this week. There have even been a couple of reports of cod caught from Plum Island and Winthrop. Boat fishermen have caught the greatest number of cod on all kinds of jigs including home made selections. Bait continues to draw dogs and is generally passed over.
Flounder fishermen are reporting continued activity along Manchester and Magnolia. Quite a few Fishermen that are still on the water have been reporting near limit catches before they give up for warmed and more comfortable conditions. Sea worms are now a hard commodity to find so fishermen have been using night crawlers and trout worms. Although these choices do not stay on the hook as long as sea worms, they are an acceptable substitute if you do not mind changing bait more frequently.
By most anglers actions, trout fishing is over for the season. For some reason most fishermen stop fishing for trout within a few weeks of the last stocking. You only see the diehard trout anglers flogging the water or presenting worms. If anglers are persistent, they will be rewarded with a couple of nice trout. During the past week successful anglers have caught trout at Pleasant Pond, Sluice Pond and Horn Pond. Many of the tout that were caught measured out at between 12 and 15 inches. A wide assortment of baits have proven to be successful for the late season trout fisherman. These baits have included power bait, meal worms, trout worms and salmon eggs. Morning continues to be the most active period.
Pickerel fishermen have been reporting some pretty good action. With local bait shops either closed for the season or on restricted hours for e season, fishermen have had to do without live bait which is a favorite of pickerel. Most fishermen have switched over to hardware. The favorite spoons offered by anglers reporting the best success have been Dare Devils and Johnson spoons. The cheap imitations that are on the market have been overlooked by hungry pickerel. These imitations are lighter than the originals and do not impart the same action. In order to be successful stick to the originals and vary our retrieve sped and direction.
Largemouth bass fishing has been reported as holding up well despite the drop in water temperatures. Lately, water temps have been dropping at the rate of a couple degrees a week and has started fishermen on an ice watch. Most fishermen have hung up the rods until ice settles in. For those anglers that are still on the water reports have been pretty god. There have been good numbers of bass caught during the past week but there seems to be a lack of larger fish swimming local waters. The largest bass that was reported was slightly over two pounds. Once ice fishing starts we should see many more large fish with some weighing five pounds and over. Why? This is largely due to the ice allowing fishermen to work area's that are generally overlooked during the summer. The ice cover also restrict the areas that can support fish because of oxygen levels.
fish activity has been up and down like a roller coaster and has been confusing and frustrating anglers from Boston to Gloucester. At times perch and crappie have been a bit more than a little difficult to locate and trigger a feeding response. But by executing a few tricks, fishermen were able to initiate some activity. One trick tat proved to by a turn on for the fish was to use a small jig, sweetened with a tiny strip of bait. A slow jigging technique is imparted while covering the full water column usually put the fish in a feeding mode. Once a school is located fishermen will generally score enough fish to enjoy a good fish feed. Water temperatures are steadily dropping making it harder to locate fish.
We've just completed moving the website to new servers, giving us additional capacity and database storage (hopefully it was relatively unnoticed to everyone!). This will enable us to add additional features, information, and capabilities over the next few months - more info to follow!
As part of the move though, we had to temporarily suspend the polls due to security issues discovered with the current software - once we resolve these problems, the polls will return to normal.
Suggestions are always welcome for site improvements and enhancements - simply send us an email via the 'send feedback' link on the side.
As always, thanks to everyone for the tremendous support in building this site.
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