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
fishngolf: If you want to catch a pick bigger than 30", simply come with me to one of your old favorite haunts...
Saturday afternoon I put Deaffisherman (Mark) on one, and then I said, "Whatch... My laziness will cost me a 30 incher." I didn't put on a leader, casted my frog, hooked up, and lost em.
Thanks for all the info guys... I thought I'd try it. I hit another pike 'Best Bet' after learning of numerous confirmed catches in the last year. Took a skunking. I'm rethinking this unicorn hunt big time. I could drive to Canada, catch a dozen in an hour or two, and get home faster I bet.
Yes, there are a FEW trophy bass and Picks in there. They're fed loads of trout.
The boat traffic, weed kill and constant boat traffic sucks. You need to have realistic expectations going to the place. If you want to catch a bunch of smaller bass and some other species then it's good since it's so easy to access. I would personally rather fish 100 other places first.
Strange that there are so may bad comments about cotich. If you look at most of the bass clubs in the state almost all of them fish cotich. It is one of the heaviest fished lakes in the state. I personal saw a six pound bass weighted in there
the fish are there just hard to find. But if you are there to fish for any species it is the best lake in the state for that. Just my opinion
Weird to hear so many negative comments about this lake on this forum. Though I sucked it hard at last weekend's tournament, I typically do really well there. Surprised so many dislike the place.
I haven't fished there in yrs. The only thing besides rainbow trout I've ever caught was a massive pick. Had to be 5 or 6lbs.Weird to see a pick so thick. This thing was eating well.
2 weeks ago I caught 12 white perch in an hour on shiners, could not stop them from biting, however, 25% were riddled with tumors on thier stomachs.
We had a monster pickerel (prob 28-30 inch) clean slice right through 40lb braid with one violent head shake at boat side last year at Cotich…biggest set of teeth Ive ever seen on a freshwater fish…should have had a wire leader on as we were trolling for pike
more likely pike or tiger. Pikerel will take awhile to saw it off the line. while pike or tiger will cut it instantly before you able to bend the rod.
Buddy I was with yesterday missed a big pike or Tiger Muskie on a swimbait. Go figure.