Winter fishing help

[Rockfish9]

Smelt are a good go to this time of year, although not as abundant as the once were, small Swedish pimple or kastmaters tipped with sea worm or grass shrimp fished off docks, and bridges over tidal creeks can provide enough for a lmeal , while providing some fresh air and exercise.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Clammer]

Guppy .I got a electric stun gun ………. it does the job .

I have a friend that use to brink grass shrimp to the Boston bait shops & then bring back a mess of smelt ………….that was many, many years ago ><>

But I do have some live mummies right now <><

[Zeal]

Originally Posted by Rockfish9

Smelt are a good go to this time of year, although not as abundant as the once were, small Swedish pimple or kastmaters tipped with sea worm or grass shrimp fished off docks, and bridges over tidal creeks can provide enough for a lmeal , while providing some fresh air and exercise.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Is there a good way to get grass shrimp to use as bait? I have a seine net and umbrella net lying around. Do you just bottom rig them?

[Got Stripers]

Back in my freshwater days, there was a guy near my home that sold grass shrimp out of his garage and man were they killer on the cape for smallmouth and perch. I'd anchor up in a spot that used to produce every year, put a handful in a paper bag with a rock, twist the top just enough to slow the release of the live chum once on the bottom. It was a fun way to kill a cold winter day and the cape usually only iced up briefly on the larger bodies, like long pond in Harwich my go to.

[Clammer]

ZEAL , here in RI its much more difficult to catch than years ago ………………….. when in my early years many bait shops sold them none do anymore . same with mummies ……. not many if any carry them anymore .
I work real had to get what I do catch & honestly I can get enough shrimp to freshwater fish .but not enough to get the saltwater going . I could probably get enough for Boston smelt fishing .
like a lot of species in the backwaters . they have seriously decline to the point most people don,t even know a few still exist..

[Got Stripers]

My winter fishing sometimes involved friends willing to break a sweat to bust ice, but the rewards sometimes were large, I certainly miss those days of plenty. Back then a slow day at the Thames was 75 fish, with a keeper or two likely thrown in for good measure, then a certain friend GB turned me on to a lesser known and almost as productive spot in southeastern mass, meaning an hour less drive time and no CT license involved. Sadly those days of plenty are long gone and my friend tells me no boating access any longer to that old spot, unless you want a ticket. I miss my old fishing buddy Drew, he fell in love with a girl from Alabama and lives south now, we had some very productive winter outings. Clammer and his sidekick joined in several times and you know Mike, always good for a laugh.

[Clammer]

yep Bob we had some times

But we had just about quit the south ……….it had gotten to the point were we got zero on a couple of trips & Denis went a couple more times after I said history & he fiannly gave it up/
even Providence has been on a steady decline in the winter .
last winter I didn,t see any peanut or aduly pogies & even the seals moved out .
did get some nice white perch But it was short lived for us ><>

[Guppy]

Couple winters back
Tried for the shrimp in a couple spots that use to be good for them and drew a blank.....
Ran the net up a creek dumping into brackish and through the grass, what little there is left... narda

Made great flounder and white perch bait....

I miss chubs.... :-(