Plenty of ice wishing, but still no ice fishing on Cape Cod. Despite some frigid temperatures this week, most lakes barely skimmed over, and with temperatures into the high 40s forecasted over the weekend, the likelihood of safe ice forming drops further.
Still, anglers content to fish from the bank are catching trout. Big browns continue to feed, and Christian at Falmouth Bait and Tackle said he had a 4-pound brown weighed in at his shop out of Hoxie Pond this week. Dan at the Hook Up in Orleans reported good action with 3-pound browns in Nickerson State Park last week, but a drop-off in action in recent days. The slowdown could be attributed to any number of things, but with some warmer weather on the horizon, trout activity could spike once again.
Christian at Falmouth Bait and Tackle said on warmer days, anglers are coming in to buy shiners in pursuit of largemouth bass. Mostly, it’s been pickerel that have attacked the unfortunate baitfish, but the occasional largemouth is snapping at them as well. Frankly, at this time of year, pickerel, bass or perch, action is action.
Speaking of perch, some of the biggest ones of the year can be caught now. Monster perch are an ice-fishing staple, but even though there’s no ice, the perch still have to eat. Minnows or shiners, waxworms or maggots, grass shrimp and smaller artificial lures are all worth dunking in a local pond for perch.
A couple more salmon were pulled out of Cape ponds this week. Sheep Pond in Brewster gave up a 2-foot broodstock on January 2. One canal-side bait and tackle shop reported “lots of salmon” being caught in Peter’s Pond. Well, they only stocked 12 salmon into Peters, and at least one of them has ended up on a frying pan – so take that report well salted.
The Block Island cod bite has started in earnest. Though the fish that were abundant last week have been playing a bit of hide and seek since this week’s heavy winds rolled through, the fishing is bound to pick back up. You can get in on the action by running down to Rhode Island and hop aboard one of the party boats destined for the codfish grounds.
The Helen-H is running cod trips as well, but I was unable to gather where they were fishing or their fishing schedule from their message machine. Give the Helen-H office a call during business hours to get the scoop on their winter fishing schedule.
Best Bets for the Weekend
First and foremost, don’t forget those fishing licenses, both freshwater and saltwater. Though the saltwater season may still be months away for you, getting the license now will get it out of the way when the fishing heats up. Also remember that all lead weights less than 1-ounce are no longer allowed in Massachusetts freshwater.
Grab a bucketful of shiners and hit a nearby pond. The trout, pickerel, bass and perch are all still biting well, so don’t let a lack of ice discourage you from getting on the board for the 2012 fishing season.
Also consider making a call to the Helen-H or taking road trip to Rhode Island to cash in on the winter cod bite. Just be sure to call the head boat ahead of time to make sure they are sailing and have open spots before taking the ride down.