While turkey hunting last week, we were especially amazed at the amount of tree damage we came across while walking in the woods. In some areas it looked like a tornado touched down, leaving a swath of massive pines, oaks and maples on the ground.

By Randy Julius Enterprise Corrspondent

On Saturday morning I woke up a little before 3 a.m. to the sound of strong wind gusts blowing through the trees and my thoughts flashed back to this winter’s nor’easters. One was dubbed a bomb cyclone and the sound of the wind during that storm sounded like a freight train.

 The wind damage can still be seen everywhere and there is still an incredible amount of trees and branches stacked up on lawns and along the edges of roads waiting to be sawed. While turkey hunting last week, we were especially amazed at the amount of tree damage we came across while walking in the woods. In some areas it looked like a tornado touched down, leaving a swath of massive pines, oaks and maples on the ground.

 Looking at the devastation is one thing; trying to walk through it is another. Big trees knocked down smaller ones, leaving a tangled mess of branches. Many of the old tote roads that we follow for easy walking had numerous trees across them and in some areas it was easier to leave the path and fight our way through briars and brush to get to our destination.

 Turkey hunting was a little slow for me last week, but on Tuesday I came across a talkative group of toms that sounded like they would be a sure bet. The birds answered my hen calls enthusiastically and were coming in my direction quickly. The only problem was I had just worked my way through a tangle of wind damage and had to set up quickly in a small open area completely surrounded by blown-over pine trees.

 It seemed like the excited toms would work their way through the mess of tangled limbs still green with needles, but they would only come to the edge. Three times they walked to about 50 yards gobbling wildly and I couldn’t catch a glimpse of them through the branches. Finally they tired of the game and headed away from me. They gobbled a few more times, and then went silent.

 Turkeys have good eyes and rely on their sight for safety and my guess was they didn’t want to take the chance of approaching through an area with poor visibility. I could also say what really did me in was last winter’s bomb cyclone.

 Fishing heating up: Canal Bait and Tackle in Sagamore reports small bass have started to trickle into the Canal. Herring are in the run and mackerel are moving out of Cape Cod Bay, so it won't be too much longer before bigger fish show up. May 5 last year is when most of the keeper-size bass moved into the Canal.

 Last year on May 10 is when all the 40-inch bass came into the Canal. It was an early start last year, but another big school of bass could move in any day now and it’s time to get ready.

 Tsunami Shads, Stick Shads, SP Minnow and Magic Swimmers have been working on the smaller bass right now. For colors mostly white, black-silver and blue-silver combinations have been the most effective.

 Mackerel are just starting to set up down on the East End. You need to be out in a boat to catch them right now, but in about a week the schools should be moving inside the Canal.

 On another note, flounder fishing is picking up in Boston Harbor and Capt. Jason Colby of Little Sister Charters in Quincy started fishing for them on the first of May. He explained what he really likes to see at this time of year is steady improvement. May 3 was a good example when three guys on the boat caught six flounder and all were keepers measuring 13 to 14 inches.

 Colby pointed out that although he was fishing he didn't catch any flounder, which just shows how hit or miss it can be right now. They made three stops with chum and had exactly two fish in each spot.

 The water temperatures were up to 48.5, but he said he expects to see better water temps and better fishing within a few days. After Friday’s "Old Guy Trip" Colby will be starting his trips at 6 a.m. for the rest of the flounder season and there are still a couple of spots open for Tuesday. To contact Capt. Colby visit fishinglsister@aol.com.

 On the freshwater scene, trout are still hitting well in cold-water ponds and the action for bass, pickerel and panfish is heating up in warm-water ponds, lakes and rivers. The Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife announced they will be continuing to stock trout throughout the month of May. Visit the MassWildlife website for daily stocking reports.

 Enterprise correspondent Randy Julius’ Outdoors appears on Sunday in The Enterprise.