{"id":146,"date":"2008-06-13T23:59:28","date_gmt":"2008-06-14T04:59:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jackgartside.com\/wordpress\/?p=146"},"modified":"2008-11-20T01:11:00","modified_gmt":"2008-11-20T06:11:00","slug":"from-my-fishing-log-may-17-june-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.jackgartside.com\/wordpress\/?p=146","title":{"rendered":"From my fishing log: May 17 – June 8"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"diary\"Despite my best intentions, I’ve been a bit remiss in my blog entries lately. May was an exceptionally busy month for fly orders and I spent a lot of my days tying up a storm and rewarding myself at the end of the day with a few hours of fishing whenever the weather allowed it (it was a very windy, cold month of May and early June wasn’t much better). And at the end of each day I was often much too tired to sit down at the computer and think of something interesting to write about. I did, however, take the time to keep my fishing log up-to-date and tonight–after a great day of striper fishing in the inner harbor–the thought occurred to me that this fishing log might be of interest to some of my readers.\u00a0 And here it is: my log (somewhat abbreviated) for the past three weeks. Hope you find it interesting.<\/p>\n

Saturday, May 17<\/p>\n

Sunny but very windy and cool.\u00a0 Decided not to fish for stripers but to fish for largemouth bass.
\nAs part of my plan to add to my range of fishing knowledge one new fishing spot a week I drove to Brooks Pond in Medford, located on the Brooks Estate.\u00a0 A very pretty pond with lots of trees lining the banks and scattered lily pads here and there. Very bassy. It was lots of fun but difficult\u00a0 to wade; much of the shoreline is littered with deadfall which makes for slow going.\u00a0 I caught numerous bluegills and some bass, mostly small, around half a pound. Made a note to return here with a belly boat some day.\u00a0 Around 7.30 pm went to Mystic Lake (middle).\u00a0 Saw fish rising offshore but only caught one small bass before dark. Saw one larger fish break near shore but couldn\u2019t get to it. I\u2019ll have to return someday soon and explore these lakes further.<\/p>\n

Sunday, May 18
\nAir temp: 65<\/p>\n

Still windy on the coast with a lot of discolored water so in the late afternoon I went freshwater fishing instead. Went to Griswold Pond in Saugus.\u00a0 I’d never been there before but had read that they\u2019d stocked it with trout.\u00a0 In any case I wanted to find out where it was. Got there around five and fished till dark. Wind died some around six and the light rain got lighter and then stopped. A pleasant place to fish, despite the largely suburban setting, and easily accessible. Lots of bluegills and about 7 largemouth bass (mostly small). All on a Gurgler or Hoverbugger.\u00a0 One crappie and one pickerel as well. Great fun. No trout, although I did see fish rising out in the middle that looked like they might be trout.<\/p>\n

Monday, May 19<\/p>\n

Low tide: 5.41 pm
\nWind WSW 15-20
\nAir temp: 62<\/p>\n

Since it was windy most of the day, I tied flies until about 3 pm.\u00a0 Had thought I might go to Horn Pond in Woburn but couldn\u2019t raise Katie on the phone and decided to go for stripers instead, despite the wind. Went to the upper Belle Isle Creek around 4, which was out of the wind, and caught one, about 24\u201d on a chart\/white BMG.\u00a0 Action was slow so here so I got in the car and parked downstream on the edge of the marsh.\u00a0 Had very good fishing for about an hour until the tide went relatively slack. Caught 6\/8 (meaning I landed 6 fish out of a total of 8 hits), the largest about 28\u201d, all on a chartreuse BeastMaster General (BMG), including one while skittering.\u00a0 Made a mental note to fish this spot again on the low falling tide.<\/p>\n

Wednesday, May 21
\nLow tide: 6.20 pm
\nWind WSW 15-20
\nAir temp: 62<\/p>\n

Fished with Mel on Belle Isle Creek.\u00a0 About three hours before low. No action until about 1 1\/2 hours before low.\u00a0 Caught 3\/6, nothing big.\u00a0 One about 21\u201d the others about 16\u201d. Had to quit just as the fishing was picking up because of rain and wind.<\/p>\n

Friday, May 23
\nFished a trout pond with Mel and Katie.\u00a0 Caught about fifteen trout, mostly rainbows and mostly on Hoverbuggers, some on White Soft Hackle Streamers.\u00a0 Most of the fish were between 12″-14″. Lots of fun.<\/p>\n

Saturday, May 24<\/p>\n

Windy most of day. And rain on and off.\u00a0 Again!\u00a0 Wind died and rain stopped in late afternoon so decided to fish for a few hours.\u00a0 Fished Belle Isle Creek area about two hours before low and\u00a0 caught 7\/10, one about 29\u201d, all on Chart\/white BMG. Most of fair size, averaging about 21″. Dave joined me for a bit\u00a0 and took some photos in the\u00a0 lovely sunset.<\/p>\n

Sunday, May 25<\/p>\n

Went freshwater fishing with Peter Grover.\u00a0 We belly-boated\u00a0 Griswold Pond in Saugus for about an hour and a half in the late afternoon.\u00a0 Bright sun. Caught one rainbow (c.12\u201d) and many small bass and bluegills, some pickerel also.\u00a0\u00a0 At\u00a0 6pm we drove back to Revere, met friend Dave, and canoed over to the opposite bank of the Pines River.\u00a0 Action slow until about two hours before low.\u00a0 Caught 8\/10, largest about 26\u201d. Most around 16\u201d-17\u201d.\u00a0 All on Chart\/white BM or BMG.\u00a0 Wind picking up again.<\/p>\n

Monday, Memorial Day<\/p>\n

Didn\u2019t fish.\u00a0 Shoulder too sore. Very windy anyway. Stayed home and tied flies.<\/p>\n

Tuesday, May 27<\/p>\n

Fished with Iain for a while today, around 6 pm.\u00a0 Stormy on and off. And windy.\u00a0 Fished Belle Isle Creek.\u00a0 Very murky.\u00a0 Nothing.\u00a0 Went outside to fish the gravel bar for about half an hour. Had only one hit. Small.\u00a0 Had dinner at Royal then went to the Pines for some late fishing.\u00a0 Not many fish around and no bait. Did catch five, though, in the hour I fished; nothing big, mostly 17″ or so.<\/p>\n

Wednesday, May 28<\/p>\n

Didn\u2019t fish. Stayed in and tied flies, filled orders. Still windy.<\/p>\n

Thursday, May 29<\/p>\n

Planned to go striper fishing but it was too windy, lots of whitecaps inside and outside. Thought I\u2019d take a break from tying and go trout fishing in Saugus for an hour or two but there was a big fire up in Peabody and the traffic was backed up 12 miles along Route 1. Decided to stay home and finish up some orders and then fish the Pines with Mike around ten pm.\u00a0 Caught 10\/12 in a little over an hour.\u00a0 Lot of small fish showing up.<\/p>\n

Friday, May 30<\/p>\n

Had best fishing yet at Griswold Pond.\u00a0 Surface calm. Fish rising.\u00a0 Caught a two-pound bass and had a much larger one on for quite awhile; towed me around a bit in my belly boat.\u00a0 Broke off as I was about to land it.\u00a0 A VERY large bass. Looked to be about five or six pounds. Also broke off another larger fish just at dark; think, though, that it was a pickerel. Caught many bluegills and crappies as well. All fish caught on Bass Gurglers.
\nSaturday, May 31<\/p>\n

Fished Griswold Lake again.\u00a0 Very different from last night.\u00a0 Windy and cooler. Mid-60’s. Water seemed about ten degrees cooler than yesterday.\u00a0 Little surface action. Caught 1 pickerel, several small bass, and some bluegills and crappies.\u00a0 Got off the water just before it the sky opened up and the rain began to fall.<\/p>\n

Sunday, June 1
\nBright and Sunny<\/p>\n

Wind:\u00a0 NNW 15-25<\/p>\n

Had a large Striper Strategies class today. 5 guys.\u00a0 Fishing very slow everywhere we went.\u00a0 Muddy up in Belle Isle.\u00a0 Windy everywhere along the\u00a0 Inner Harbor shore. Eventually went to the mouth of the Pines, where the wind was at our backs. I caught three and one fellow caught another.\u00a0 Tough fishing.\u00a0 Had to leave Pines just when fishing was picking up. Tried gravel bar at the end of the class. No fish, just one hit. Outside water still very cold. Still and all, it was a good class, with five very keen “students”.<\/p>\n

Monday, June 2<\/p>\n

Didn\u2019t fish. Weather lousy.\u00a0 Again ! Stayed in and worked on orders.<\/p>\n

Tuesday, June 3<\/p>\n

Still very windy along shore. Went to Griswold Lake for a couple of hours.\u00a0 Fishing just ok.\u00a0 Caught a few 1\/2 pound bass and lots of crappie and bluegills.\u00a0 A real joy, though, to be out on the water in a belly boat. I had almost forgotten how much fun floating can be. Good exercise for my legs, too.
\nThursday June 5
\nDay overcast,\u00a0 cool, and windy. In late afternoon fished Sluice Pond and Floating Bridge Ponds in Lynn with Dale.\u00a0 Caught numerous small 1\/2 pound bass and bluegills.\u00a0 No trout or salmon, which we’d hoped for in Sluice Pond.\u00a0 Fished only an hour in each place, towards dark. I hadn’t fished Sluice in fifty years; had forgotten how built up along the shore it was. A bit disappointing, really.<\/p>\n

Friday, June 6<\/p>\n

Fished for an hour with Dave and Phil near Short Beach in Beachmont. Dave has been taking some large fish there in the past two days but there were few around tonight on the falling tide.\u00a0 Lots of bait though. Left early because I was cold and my shoulder was aching.\u00a0\u00a0 Dave only caught one about 20\u201d.<\/p>\n

Sunday, June 8<\/p>\n

Fished Putnamville Reservoir with Dale in late afternoon. Sun bright. Couldn\u2019t remember the way in to P\u2019ville from Route 1 so we launched our belly boats off Rte 38.\u00a0 Lots of people out fishing today. Most of the best coves for bass had anglers fishing in them when we arrived.\u00a0 Had to paddle quite a distance up the shoreline to get away from them.\u00a0 Flipped our way almost up to the island and picked up fish all along the way.\u00a0 Caught one three pound bass in the shallows on a Bass Gurgler and several large bluegills.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been using a larger Gurgler (size 4, long shank) to discourage the smaller bluegills.\u00a0 Fishing was best on the way back, when the sun had set a bit and the other fishermen had gone.\u00a0 Picked up eight more bass, though none was larger than a pound.\u00a0 Still, lots of fun. Must find the way in to P\u2019ville from Rte 1 someday; am really interested in fishing around the island and the opposite shore.<\/p>\n

Monday, June 9<\/p>\n

Hot\u201496 inland.\u00a0 Next few days are supposed to be scorchers. It wasn\u2019t so hot up on the north shore however; towards sunset the temp was only about 70.<\/p>\n

Fished with Peter Grover at Crystal Lake, W Peabody and Devil\u2019s Dishfull in Lynnfield.Fishing was good for big bluegills at CL but most of the best bass water was covered with pollen.\u00a0 Caught only one small bass\u2014two large crappies.\u00a0 Water lilies are starting to bloom and there were many yellow jonquil-like flowers along the shore that I hadn’t noticed last time I was there.\u00a0 Around 7 Peter and I went to Devil’s Dishfull and fished it from a belly boat for the first time. Hadn\u2019t fished DD in almost fifty years and was pleasantly surprised. Really quite a pretty pond.\u00a0 Caught 9 bass, largest about 2 pounds, most about 1\/2 pound.\u00a0 Some large bluegills.\u00a0 All on Bass Gurglers. Pete caught a nice fat pickerel.<\/p>\n

Can’t believe how much I’m enjoying belly-boating these days.\u00a0 I used to do it more frequently but got away from it a bit when I got more heavily into striper and salt water fishing. I now look forward to “shoving off” almost as much as I do the fishing.\u00a0 A welcome and relaxing contrast to slogging through mud and fighting the wind and waves along the ocean shorefront.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Despite my best intentions, I’ve been a bit remiss in my blog entries lately. May was an exceptionally busy month for fly orders and I spent a lot of my days tying up a storm and rewarding myself at the end of the day with a few hours of fishing whenever the weather allowed it … Continue reading “From my fishing log: May 17 – June 8”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fishing-reports","category-largemouth-bass"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jackgartside.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jackgartside.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jackgartside.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jackgartside.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jackgartside.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=146"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.jackgartside.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":222,"href":"http:\/\/www.jackgartside.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146\/revisions\/222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jackgartside.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jackgartside.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jackgartside.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}