Northborough boys share their love of fishing

By Liz Nolan, Contributing Writer

Northborough – When most teens sleep well into the late morning as often as they can, four Northborough middle school boys are already heading home after hours of early morning fishing.

Nathan Meschisen, Luke Palma, Rocco Postizzi and Johnny Meschisen really enjoy fishing. The Meschisen brothers give credit to their father for teaching them the basics and it has become an annual outing on Memorial Day weekend for them all to go to Whitehall Reservoir in Hopkinton.

“It’s mostly a hobby,” said 12-year-old Johnny. “I really like to fish and find it relaxing and fun.”

Johnny’s 10-year-old brother Nathan agreed.

“It’s an adrenaline rush when you know you have a fish biting,” he said.

Two other local spots that all the boys enjoy are Bartlett Pond and Little Chauncy Pond in Northborough, where you can find a variety of fish, including largemouth bass, black crappy, and bullhead fish.

It was at Little Chauncy Pond that Johnny caught a crappy that was so big it was close to the state record.

Although a bit more of a drive, the Cape Cod Canal is also a popular fishing spot for them and has given them experience with salt water fishing.

It’s not uncommon for the boys to be out on their kayaks and canoes before 5 a.m., spending two to three hours on the water. When school is in session, they still find the time to fish between homework and sports.

Rocco encourages beginners to learn the basics and then develop different strategies from watching the weather to learning about different lures.

“Luke went hardcore right away,” Rocco joked.

A lot of their experience and knowledge is from trial and error. Johnny said that over time he has learned about different fish and their habits by observing. Information on the eating habits and location of the fish comes in handy.

YouTube videos can provide a lot of information as well.

“You can learn about different techniques on YouTube,” said Johnny. “You can research all kinds of equipment and gear and different types of fishing.”

The techniques the boys have developed are working well and they have their catches to prove it.

The Meschisen boys said that fishing is always part of their family vacations. While in Belize, Nathan caught a 50-pound permit fish.

During a family trip to Wisconsin, Johnny and Nathan have been able to experience deep, cold water fishing for a variety of species not found at home.

“I like to fish different kind of species and try something different,” Johnny said.

For fishing license information, fishing rules and fishing regulations, visit Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife at www.mass.gov/orgs/division-of-fisheries-and-wildlife.