I finally had the opportunity to fish the Waschusset Reservoir for the first time. Wow! What an amazing fishery. Unlike other freshwater fisheries, there is overwhelming shoreline access.
The 7 square miles of the reservoir is home to a multitude of species:
- Lake trout
- Rainbow trout
- Landlocked salmon
- Smallmouth bass
- Largemouth bass
- Sunfish
- Yellow perch
I brought a wide range of presentations. My strategy was to cover as much water as possible and fish the entire water column.
The first lure out of Plano boxes was a 3/8 oz blue/silver Acme Kastmaster with a blue/white Lefty Deceiver pattern that I tied on a 3/0 Owner Aki hook. Why?
I fished this presentation though the entire water column by adjusting the speed of my retrieve, the position of my rod tip, and the frequency and length of pauses during my retrieve. A long cast with a steady retrieve while pointing the tip of my rod toward my feed with periodic jerks and pauses produced the best result.
While dragging my Kastmaster along the bottom, I hooked something. It did not pull, but it had some resistance to it. It was someone’s fishing line. But, there was no one near me! I eventually pulled the entire line in. I kept the old fishing line in my AquaSkinz Cobra bag until I got back to the gate.
I am already planning my next trip to the Wachusset Reservior. If you have not fished it yet, I hope this article inspires you to go fish it! Just keep in mind that this is a shore only fishery: no boats and no ice fishing. Fishing is only allowed during daylight hours at the designated areas. Dogs are also not allowed. When you go, practice C.P.R.; leave only foot prints behind; and post your fishy pics to Wachussets Addicts, a great online community.
