Greetings From The Northeast

[frozennortherner]

I have been reading this forum before and joined because I like talking, fishing and boating. I hail from Massachusetts, and am a student at the university of Massachusetts. This forum seems to be the place to go to discuss jon boats, so here I am. People up here are often surprised to learn my favorite eating fish is catfish. Apparently everyone is grossed out that they are bottom feeders who eat bass poo, but the same folks devour lobster who do the same thing. For sightseeing my favorite rivers are the Concord and its largest tributary the Assabet. Unfortunately no eating the fish here due to a huge mercury dumping in the 70s that makes fish unfit to eat to this day. Apparently some people dont read the warnings clearly posted on every boat ramp, and still eat out of it. For fishing the upper Merrimack is less polluted by chemicals, but is no longer beautiful due to mass development bass boats and reckless jet skiers. Many of them are under the false impression that a small, light planing hull in a crowded river with hunks of wood barely floating is just a harmless plaything and it costs lives. I am not just another rich yankee who is into conspicuous consumption, far from it both my boats are cheap craigslist finds and admittedly a bit ugly. But they are safe and get me to where I want to go and that is more important than brand names or bragging rights.

My screen name choice of frozennortherner may be imperfect as there are other members who live in colder climates than mine. I borrowed the name from my account at gator boats forum. There is some truth to my screen name because the rivers have ice from shore to shore until late march and some of the kettle hole ponds are covered until april. On the plus side we have mild summers and almost no venomous snakes.

[Mark]

Greetings - I've only made it to your part of the country once- about 30 years ago. Always wanted to return and go farther up the coast to Maine. Are the small New England streams fishable?? My bet is the landowners own the water!

[brother dave]

Hello there. Nice intro. Catfish ARE good to eat and so are quite afew other critters not on the common menu. Like coots, gar and snow geese.

[mic]

Apparently everyone is grossed out that they are bottom feeders who eat bass poo, but the same folks devour lobster who do the same thing.

I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to steal that one....LOL

Welcome to the forum.

[Phil Lilley]

Have a son in Beverly. Love your part of the country but haven't wetted a line there yet. Caleb's not an angler so he's no help.

Glad you found us.

[Quillback]

I went to high school in Mass., and after an interval in the Army, went to college at Northeastern. Used to bass fish the Charles river around Millis quite a bit, and the local ponds and lakes in that area, pretty good bass fishing can be had in Mass.