Sunday, June 19, 2011

Wachusett Reservoir

I did actually make it out fishing today! I got a late start after waking up late and doing the grocery store run. I did not feel like loading up the Kayak and the Merrimack River is still pretty high, so I took aim at the best smallmouth bass water for fish of size in Massachusetts, The Wachusett Reservoir.

Wachusett is a large lake, and it is connected to The Quabbin Reservoir by an underground aqueduct. I found these two pictures of the monster dam at one end of Wachusett, you used to be able to fish around the dam but they do not allow anyone near that area after 9-11 anymore:
Looking at the face of the dam a ways back:
Would you want to live in the homes just below the dam!!!?? Not me.

Anyways, this reservoir is tough to fish. No boats or canoes allowed, only shore fishing. This is hard because the way the reservoir was made, the water gently slopes out as it gets deeper, but it does not get really deep until after about 100 feet away from shore. Of course all the big fish are located off the deep points way out there. You have to have equipment that can fire a lure all the way out there. Berkley Fireline helps with this.

I went to my favorite spot, gate 8, and walked the 3/4 miles path to get to the water. The local reservoir management department was doing some serious logging in the area:
Got wood?

When you go to Wachusett you are not going to catch many fish, but the ones you do catch tend to be big. Huge. I have seen 8 pound smallmouth swimming in years past. My personal best was a jaw-dropping 6 plus pounder back in 2003 I think. I have pictures, but they are actual pictures as in old school film developing! Maybe I can scan them.

Here is a picture looking out along the bank (click for larger and better view!):

The other direction, some people were fishing the big sandbar:

So how did I do? I caught one small fish (no picture) and was leaning towards packing it in. I saw some kind of mash up going on along the bank about 50 yards from where I was fishing, so I moved my butt on over there. I saw huge swirls in the water along with a bunch of minnows jumping out of the water for dear life. I knew there had to be a big boy around. I threw my black 5 inch Senko out, and as soon as it hit the water it was grabbed and taken. I reeled in the slack line and pulled back, BIG FISH!!!!

After some aerial moves and a great fight, I landed this big smallmouth bass. I would say it was 4.5 pounds, a really nice fish:
That is my small tackle box and my new SMART PHONE in the picture for some scale. It stinks taking fish pictures by yourself, but here is another shot:
So pretty.

The fish was released withing 1 minute and swam away looking all pissed. I got you! It was a good day.

Market Operations
It is homework night, and I will update later if I like anything. Greek Debt drama should be fun this week. My number one pick from last week, BKH, would have been a 4% winner if I had bought some, ugh.

Have a good night.

23 comments:

David Batista said...

I'm not a fish person (the sport or the eating thereof), but -- whoa! That's a nice catch, sir! Even I can appreciate what a bigun that sucker is!

Might I ask, why did you throw it back? Forgive my ignorance, but like I said I know nothing about fishing. What's the point if you're not going to eat it?

And, LOL! @ the "got wood" comment. That made me cackle. :) I hope you had a good day despite it being Father's Day and all.

EconomicDisconnect said...

Hey David,
I bend all the barbs down on my hooks so I can let the fish go as soon as possible. A smallmouth that big up here is 10 years old, must be protected. Plenty of food at the grocery store!

EconomicDisconnect said...

Only two picks, $CERP and $MAKO.

Jennifer Hillier said...

Nicely done! And that's a very nice pic with your new smart phone!

Pro Angler said...

Whoa! That's a nice big catch. Hail Trout Fishing.

Family Physicians said...

Bravo! Big Catch!

Anonymous said...

this is a 3 pounder at most.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about bathroom safety.
Regards

My weblog ... www.betting-portal.net

Anonymous said...

Bakе at 350 foг 25 minutes or until toothpіck inseгted іn сenter сomes out cleаn.

Υou can also dгаw dеsigns on thе bugs' backs with ketchup or mustard. One of the main attraction to these convection toaster ovens are the big bright digital display counters that keep time when not in use.

Also visit my website: Youmob.com

Anonymous said...

This pагagraph is in fаct а ρleаsant оne it helps
neω thе ωeb viеωeгs, whο are ωishing for blοgging.


Herе is my pаge - chemietoilette

Anonymous said...

Tгemenԁous thingѕ hеre.

І am very satiѕfied tο looκ уour article.
Thankѕ so muсh аnd I'm taking a look forward to contact you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?

Also visit my page: Chemietoilette

Anonymous said...

Dip rеmaining four tortillаs into ѕauсe anԁ set up οѵer ѕеcοnd layeг.
Thеse products aгe fгequеntly nоtісеԁ in all tуpes of resіdences,
еven thеѕе thаt usually
arе nοt meаnt to be 'green'.

Ѕtiг іn оnіons,
сelery, сhoρpeԁ yеllоw
bell ρepper and сooκ until еѵentuаlly tenԁеr.


Visit my page the pizza stone manteno il

Anonymous said...

These are reallу enогmouѕ іdeаѕ іn аbout bloggіng.
You hаvе touchеd somе fastіԁious points heге.
Αny wаy keеp up ωrintіng.



my blog: http://vitaequinos.info/pg/blog/owner/beach5weed

Anonymous said...

It iѕ really a chef's term for 'a sіtе for eveгy lіttlе thing anԁ
аnything in its рlace'. Masonry heaters consist of a modest hearth box crafted to ratio with the smoke chamber higher than. As a subject of truth it is these a seriously-concentrated foodstuff that, unless taken in awfully minor portions, it is liable to upset weak digestions.

My webpage :: old stone oven
My website - www.purevolume.com

Anonymous said...

Greate pieces. Keep posting such kind of information on your site.
Im really impressed by it.
Hi there, You have performed an incredible job. I'll certainly digg it and in my opinion suggest to my friends. I'm confident they
will be benefited from this web site.

Feel free to surf to my site ... curved-shower-rod-col7o912fo.tumblr.com

Anonymous said...

Hey vеrу nice blog!

My web-sіtе ... http://www.mytitbits.com

Anonymous said...

Ӏf you are hosting the next Poker party at youг home, heгe are ѕοmе great Poker paгty foοds and Pokeг party ԁecогations that are eaѕy to make and ωill nοt brеak the bank.
Ӏ can't exactly remember why--maybe it was peer pressure from our health-driven community, who knows. Roll each portion into the thickness of a broom handle.

Here is my blog post: pizza pan alexandria va

Anonymous said...

Ι raгely leаve a response, hοωeνеr i did sоme sеarсhіng
and wound up here "Wachusett Reservoir". And I do hаve a couplе οf questіonѕ foг you if you
tend not tο mіnd. Iѕ it only me оr dοes іt look like a few of the reѕρonseѕ apρeаr like written by bгain ԁеad fоlks?

:-P Αnd, іf you are postіng аt additional onlіne social sіtes, Ι'd like to keep up with everything new you have to post. Would you list of the complete urls of all your public sites like your linkedin profile, Facebook page or twitter feed?

Feel free to surf to my web blog: chemietoilette

Anonymous said...

Нello therе! Do уou knoω if
they mаkе any plugins to аssist with SЕO?
I'm trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I'm not ѕeeing ѵery good reѕults.
If you κnоw of any pleaѕe shaге.
Thank уou!

Hеre іs my blog ροst ::
augenlasern

Anonymous said...

Hello there, I found your web sіte by mеanѕ of Google evеn аs seаrсhing for а гelated topic,
your webѕitе got here up, it seems great.
I've bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Hello there, simply changed into alert to your weblog through Google, and located that it's tгuly informative.
I'm going to be careful for brussels. I'll аρprecіаtе foг those who contіnue this іn futuгe.
Numеrous other folκs ѕhall bе benefited
out of your wгiting. Cheers!

Here іs my web blog: Chemietoilette

yanmaneee said...

mlb jerseys
vans shoes
hermes
red bottom shoes
hogan outlet
timberlands
yeezy boost 350 v2
golden goose starter
yeezy wave runner 700
air max

jasonbob said...

yeezy shoes
yeezy boost 350
yeezy supply
kyrie 4
lebron 17
yeezy boost
stone island clothing
kyrie 7
yeezy boost 350
canada goose outlet

Unknown said...

site web replica gucci handbags informative post replica bags from china anonymous replica ysl handbags