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I stopped by the Middleboro herring run recently to check out how many fish were in the river and migrating up the ladders toward the Assawompset to spawn. I was pleasantly surprised. There appeared to be a decent number of herring in the river.
There are two species of river herring that migrate from the ocean, make their way up to the Nemasket River and eventually spawn in the Assawompset Ponds in Lakeville. The alewife is the first to arrive here in late March throughout May, while the blueback migrates here in late April through June.
Once the eggs are laid and fertilized, the adult herring swim back downstream and return to the ocean. The incubation for the fertilized eggs is approximately three to seven days. The hatchlings eventually work their way back to the ocean. It is somewhere around 3 to 6 years before the juvenile herring return to their native spawning grounds in the Assawompset Ponds.
The herring run in Middleboro is one of the largest in the state of Massachusetts. It used to be a place where my husband and I would stop and net herring to use as live bait on our fishing expeditions. However, for the past three years, the run has been closed to the taking of herring. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and South Carolina have all placed a moratorium for catching river herring. The moratorium was put in place back in 2006 and was to last for three years. When I visited the New England Boat Show this past February, and stopped by the MA Division of Fish & Wildlife booth, I learned that the moratorium was being extended for three more years. It will be in effect through 2010.
Although I was selfishly disappointed to hear this news, I understand the importance of protecting healthy stock levels of the species. Over the past several years, I personally observed that the number of river herring had diminished. Seven years ago, you could yield a net full of these lively fish with one scoop that was almost too heavy to lift. Each subsequent year, you would catch less and have to work harder to catch your quota.
I guess we will have to rely on other methods for catching striped bass for the next three years. We have developed other techniques that have been very productive using both live and artificial bait. This year, my captain is hooked on landing a tuna. That ought to be interesting.
Meanwhile, the fishing reports are coming in that the bass have arrived and some of those caught are in the the 25 lb range. This is a good sign that the season has begun. Massachusetts offers some prime recreational fishing grounds throughout Cape Cod Bay, and Buzzards Bay.
Follow the link to the Massachusetts Salt Water Fishing Guide it is a 64 page report full of information pertaining to fishing, including boating access ramps throughout the state.
