Lake Cochituate is a tragic example of poor resource management....
I hit the lake at 5:30 AM. Caught a few tiny pumpkin seeds before launching. Quickly paddled around to find the 'steak and lobster (yellow and white perch)'. I located some schools in about 20' and jigged up a couple perch.
In a rush, I took the rubber worm off a pole with 12 pound mono and hooked a live yellow perch, maybe 4.5", with a 3/0 rubber worm hook. Casted him out, and continued jigging perch.
I had a gruesome hit on the perch... It pulled like hell... Pole was buckling over...It sawed me off... If I only took the time to put on a steel leader.
Could have been one of the following:
- Pike
- Musky
- Salmon
- Huge pickerel (Which would have been the disappointment of the century)
This was right near deep water, in 15 or so feet.
I wanted white perch and bass fish while live lining... The lake is lousy. Just a couple crummy little bass... no white perch...
I spent the next 7/8 hours without squat for big toothy fish.
I did a lil homework afterwards. No pike in over a decade, and they aren't established there (even though the MA state site sells it as a Pike Best Bet). If it was a salmon, I sure wouldn't want it... I found out the state stocks full grown, 8-18 pound fish... That's like hunting at a zoo...
That lake could be awesome (no more trout or salmon). Smallmouth, forage fish, channel cats, pike... they'll get a foothold.
Probably never fish there again.
*I was fishing the SouthPond
