Spring Freshwater Frenzy

On Cape Cod it’s a good strategy to try and pack in as much freshwater fishing as possible during the Spring season.  That’s simply because we’re surrounded by ocean and by the middle of May the saltwater bite is on strong for a wide variety of species.  This leaves little time to visit the Cape’s multitude of freshwater “kettle hole” ponds many of them generously stocked with trout.  

So with that strategy in mind I made over thirty visits to freshwater fishing sites this Spring.  Species hunting was the name of the game.  Overall I caught fourteen species (Listed below with photos).   

It was a slow start from March to mid April.  Cold temperatures and a few northeasters made fish and fishermen alike less active.  Once the Forsythias showed their yellow blossoms things started to pick up.  For warmwater species Santuit pond in Mashpee was the top producer.  John’s Pond was tops for Rainbow Trout while Mashpee-Wakeby Pond was good for Brown Trout.  Hathaway Pond in Barnstable yielded a Brook and a Tiger Trout.

Most of the trout were caught on metal lures.  Top lures were a bright yellow Thomas Buoyant and a Gold Kastmaster.   Bass and Pickerel were caught on floating Rapalas and live Killifish.  Other species were caught using earthworms or nightcrawlers. 

All species are listed by a common name followed by the scientific name.  The number indicates how many were caught during the period March 20 - May 17, 2018. 

American Eel, Anguilla rostrata (1) 

Location(s): Santuit Pond Maspee MA

Bluegill Sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus (2) 

Location(s): Beaver Pond Franklin MA

Brook Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis  (1) IF, 

Location(s): Hathaway Pond Barnstable MA

Brown Bullhead, Ameiurus nebulosus (2) 

Location(s): Santuit Pond Mashie MA

Brown Trout, Salmo truth (22) 

Location(s): Pimlico Pond Sandwich MA, Mashpee-Wakeby Pond Mashpee MA, Hamblin Pond Barnstable MA

Chain Pickerel, Esox niger (13) 

Location(s): Santuit Pond Mashpee, Long Pond Lakeville MA, Lake Nipennicket Bridgewatewr MA, Beaver Pond Franklin MA

Golden Shiner, Notemigonus crysoleucas (10) 

Location(s): Santuit Pond Mashie Ma

Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides (4) 

Location(s): Flax Pond Bourne MA, Scargo Lake Dennis MA

Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Lepomis gibbous (3)  

Location(s): Santuit Pond Mashie MA

Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus my kiss (26) 

Location(s): Johns Pond Mashie MA, Long Pond Yarmouth MA, Hamblin Pond Barnstable MA

Smallmouth Bass, Micropterus dolomieu (1) 

Location(s): Scargo Lake Dennis MA

Tiger Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis X Salmo trutta Hybrid (1) 

Location(s): Hathaway Pond Barnstable MA

White Sucker, Catostomus commersonii (9) 

Location(s): Mashpee-Wakeby Pond Mashie MA

Yellow Perch, Perca flavescent (23) 

Location(s): Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA, Santuit Pond Mashpee, Hathaway Pond Barnstable MA, Pimlico Pond Sandwich MA, Flax Pond Bourne MA, Little Cliff Pond Brewster MA