People definitely do. Some people even eat fish out of the Charles... I'm not for it though... I've read about mercury levels being really high in freshwater fish these days... The bigger, the more contaminated...
On a more opinionated level, I feel like most freshwater fish always have this... algae-type taste to it which has always turned me off to eating them. I've been ok with eating salmon and a few different trout species though when camping in Maine/NH though...
On a more opinionated level, I feel like most freshwater fish always have this... algae-type taste to it which has always turned me off to eating them. I've been ok with eating salmon and a few different trout species though when camping in Maine/NH though...
Spot Pond is stocked every spring with Trout. Brookies, browns and rainbows. If you catch one of them, they are definitely good eats. In fact, most of the stocked trout are gone by mid summer. As for the rest of the fish, the yellow perch are tasty fried but you gotta catch a few. As for smallmouth and largemouth, I never eat these guys because they have, as jessekayboston said, a weedy taste. Spot Pond is a reserve water supply so the water there is pretty clean and safe.
Thanks, guys. My question was really about the health of the water. So many bodies of water (like the Ipswitch River) have Mercury levels that are unsafe. Just wanted to be sure about Spot
Spot Pond is stocked every spring with Trout. Brookies, browns and rainbows. If you catch one of them, they are definitely good eats. In fact, most of the stocked trout are gone by mid summer. As for the rest of the fish, the yellow perch are tasty fried but you gotta catch a few. As for smallmouth and largemouth, I never eat these guys because they have, as jessekayboston said, a weedy taste. Spot Pond is a reserve water supply so the water there is pretty clean and safe.
Below is the link to the Fish Consumption Advisory List for Massachusetts dated 2009:
http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/environmental/exposure/fish_consumption_advisory_list.pdf
I'm never to concerned with Trout (unless they are holdovers and even those aren't in the ponds and lakes for that long). Anything else which is of legal size to keep I steer clear of since growth rates are slow in New England and those fish took a while to get that size and thus have had enough years to really "soak" up the hazardous chemicals.
The history of where the different chemicals came to be in different bodies of water (Mercury, Chlordane (used in pesticides until 1983), DDT, Pesticides) seems to be due to unregulated companies using the different rivers and streams for plant operations/waste incineration/illegal dumping during the industrial boom dating back many decades.
This link from the EPA (http://www.epa.gov/region1/eco/mercury/) talks about mercury in new england states and has some other good links.
http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/environmental/exposure/fish_consumption_advisory_list.pdf
I'm never to concerned with Trout (unless they are holdovers and even those aren't in the ponds and lakes for that long). Anything else which is of legal size to keep I steer clear of since growth rates are slow in New England and those fish took a while to get that size and thus have had enough years to really "soak" up the hazardous chemicals.
The history of where the different chemicals came to be in different bodies of water (Mercury, Chlordane (used in pesticides until 1983), DDT, Pesticides) seems to be due to unregulated companies using the different rivers and streams for plant operations/waste incineration/illegal dumping during the industrial boom dating back many decades.
This link from the EPA (http://www.epa.gov/region1/eco/mercury/) talks about mercury in new england states and has some other good links.
Spot Pond is one of the few places I would eat fish from. It is pretty clean for sure.
2 things that I might be misinformed about though after reading through this thread.
Holdovers and eating the holdovers.
I have heard that there are some holdovers in Spot Pond multiple years old. Was I told a "fish Story"
Also, I figured holdovers from there would be good to eat, even ones that have been in there for 3 to 4 years (if there even is any that have been hold over for that long). Are they bad to eat?
2 things that I might be misinformed about though after reading through this thread.
Holdovers and eating the holdovers.
I have heard that there are some holdovers in Spot Pond multiple years old. Was I told a "fish Story"
Also, I figured holdovers from there would be good to eat, even ones that have been in there for 3 to 4 years (if there even is any that have been hold over for that long). Are they bad to eat?
in moderation i think every fish can be eaten especially trout - they need clean waters - i learned that wheres trout u can drink the water
check the gills are blood red and belly cavity has no dark strings
i would be more concerned about eating chicken with arsenic food or turkey out of massproduction or cowmeat where u have no clue where its from
check the gills are blood red and belly cavity has no dark strings
i would be more concerned about eating chicken with arsenic food or turkey out of massproduction or cowmeat where u have no clue where its from
I fished there last weekend and the fish were literally, taunting me.
They kept swimming by my line, following it, going right up to it, and then swimming away. I tried pulling my line into them a few times, and other making them chase it.
Where in Spot pond is the best place to fish? Is there any spot that, with the right bait, is almost a guaranteed success?
They kept swimming by my line, following it, going right up to it, and then swimming away. I tried pulling my line into them a few times, and other making them chase it.
Where in Spot pond is the best place to fish? Is there any spot that, with the right bait, is almost a guaranteed success?
I fished there last weekend and the fish were literally, taunting me.
They kept swimming by my line, following it, going right up to it, and then swimming away. I tried pulling my line into them a few times, and other making them chase it.
Where in Spot pond is the best place to fish? Is there any spot that, with the right bait, is almost a guaranteed success?
Well since the water is so clear the fish can be quite finicky. It can be a tough place to fish... with that said, it can be a great place to fish as well with some lunkers in there.
As far as where? really depends on the day, weather, and god knows what else. I have seen quality fish come on of Spot from basically every shoreline. Different types of days will mean different places will be better bets. Do some googling, not specifically on Spot Pond, but on clear water fish patterns in the given weather/season condition.
And the best advice I can give you... ahhhm I'll save that for a private message. And not because I don't want other MAFF members to see, but I don't want the lurkers to see... Since anyone can read these message boards with an account or not.