One glance outside the window on Thursday served notice that winter was not over just yet. Anglers in New Hampshire and Maine are proving that point in another way – they’re still ice fishing! In the western part of the Bay State, the ice may be getting thinner but the fish are getting bigger. Open water options do abound including a bruiser largemouth bass bite in Metrowest and some terrific trout action as well.
Massachusetts Fishing Report
The Connecticut Valley area is like a tale of two types of fishing with one common denominator – big fish. According to Rod from Flagg’s in Orange, Barton Cove on the Connecticut River most likely ended its ice-fishing season with a bang, all 15 pounds of it. Guys were using two planks to access the ice but the pre-spawn pike were insatiable. A 15-pounder and 11-pounder were taken, word got out and before long there were about 50 anglers out there!
Most likely the ice is no longer safe but it should be prime pike time for those launching a pram or other craft. I’m certain that there are pike prowling there that are far bigger.
An 18” holdover brown trout was taken from Lake Mattawa on a shiner under a float. The fish was hooked by the inlet near the boat ramp. Comet Pond in Hubbardson has been giving up survivor rainbows that are nearly as big as that brownie. Some did very well just before the storm on Wednesday as the pressure was dropping. Eddie of B&A in West Boylston told me that he is getting a lot of interest and queries regarding the upcoming season of Wachusett Reservoir and recommends you shop for essential gear while the racks are full. With the surge in smelt numbers last year resulting in fatter lake trout, more salmon and a more fecund salmon spawning run there is little wonder why interest is up. And opening day is little more then one month away!
Eric from Lunkers in Ashland told me that it didn’t take long for the ice to go before the pike brigade hit Fairhaven Bay in earnest and while numerous pike were spotted they were lure shy for the most part. However, all was not lost because the largemouth bass bite more than made up for it as numerous, nice examples of ol’ bucketyap fell for jerk baits. Those Carolina-rigging soft plastics have been doing quite well at Hager Pond in Marlborough for largemouth bass. There’s a rumor that I’m trying to pin down of a double-digit brown trout taken from White Pond in Concord; with brownies on the brain I asked Eric for a best brown trout bet in his bailiwick and without hesitation he said: Ashland Reservoir which has numerous pockets of deep water.
Doubtless you’ve heard of the recent striper bite on the Cape. We too have holdover stripers closer to the Hub. You can almost pick a river system, estuary or marsh and chances are there is a resident striper population that calls it home even in the middle of winter. My friend Captain Russ Burgess told me that earlier in the week he saw two anglers plying a section of Lynn Marsh. I did a quick tabulation, they were fishing the outgoing tide on a sun-lit afternoon in a narrow section where the current is “squeezed” and any prey/predators must come through – they knew what they were doing. Do your homework and put in the time, they’re out there!
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Apparently my writing off ice fishing prospects in New Hampshire was premature. According to Jamie from Dover Marine, while southern ice was sketchy, many areas up north were sporting about a foot! Jamie’s stomping ground of Wakefield had some water bodies with 14” of the hard stuff. A recent outing on 19 Mile Bay in Winnipesauke resulted in a 22”, 4 ½-pound rainbow and an enormous salmon to the hole that was estimated at about 8-pounds! Regulations are such that landlocked salmon cannot be removed from the ice in Lake Winnipesauke. There’s much cusk love coming out of Lovell’s lake as the fish have moved shallow and can now be taken on baitfish or worms in water as little as 10 feet. I’ve been hearing good things from Lake Sunapee where there’s plenty of ice, salmonoids and the ever-present possibility of running into the occasional rock band front man (Steven Tyler)!
Southern Maine Fishing Report
The temperature keeps the ice put and the catches keep the crowds coming is the mantra of Maine. Dylan of Dag’s told me that there are still solid coves on the Androscoggin River and when the record pike is broken it is always broken in March! They are out and about among the Turner boat ramp cove as well as the East Waterville Road cove. When we spoke, the bait delivery guy had just dropped off a batch of premium baits; it really is a different world “down” there. Some believe that the odds are good that the biggest toothies of the season will come from the Belgrade Lakes over the next few weeks. If a more traditional Maine resident is more to your liking, you’ll find a terrific togue bite in shallow water from Lake Thompson. Stinger jigs, Crippled Herrings, Acme Trophy Spoons, Aeroplane Jigs and Swedish Pimples will all take togue and cusk.
Best Bets
Let that snow on your windshield serve as a reminder that Maine and New Hampshire still have hardwater game. While much of Winnepesauke is open, 19 Mile Bay has ice and nice bows. Down Maine you’ll find deepwater denizens such a togue and cusk in shallow water in Thompson Lake. And speaking of shallows, the biggest northerns of the season are lurking in weedbeds less than six feet deep; check out the coves of the “Andro” and bring big bait and sharp hooks to the Belgrade Lakes. All is not lost for Bay State residents that want to stay put, there’s pike at Barton Cove, bass in Fairhaven Bay and just maybe a holdover striper or two in a river system near Boston.
When going for Browns this time of year is it best to use shiners near the top or off the bottom? And there was an 11lb 11oz brownie taken from Whites Pond. It’s listed as one of the gold pin leaders on masswildlife.org
What about the South River in Marshfield? Anybody ever hit any holdover stripers in there? How about good winter lures?
Hey Ryan, I would be surprised if the South River did not holdover stripers! Try that bend in the river by the Rexhame Beach parking lot, outgoing, afternoon tide; I believe there’s a path next to the basketball court. For baits, no brainer, slim profiled soft plasics such as Slug-Gos, Hogys and Zoom Flukes – pearl, white colors – with jig heads. Work them slowly near the bottom, the bait this time of the year is tiny so these lures are a match. Good luck!
Thanks Ron! I figured there might be. I know just spot your talking. I’ve got some schoolies there last spring. I’ll keep posted!
That’s a good question Jason. I’m thinking of my last attempt at brown trout which was in December at South Pond with similiar water temps, the fish were hunkered down deep (35 feet plus) where the water temperature was at its warmest. When the ponds “turn over” at about 39 degrees – pretty soon – they should head shallow. I’d pick a sunny afternoon into evening along the northeastern side of a pond where you might have hatches/baitfish/brown trout. Shiners will work but don’t discount a small offering such as a meal worm and thnk stealthy, clear bubbles, 6 or even 4 pound fluoro. Thanks for the heads up on that trophy brownie – go get a bigger one!
I am thinking about trying Nut Island for a stray cod. I have never done this before, my surfcaster can reach the deep water out there. How should i set the bait. Sinker on bottom with a hook 6 inches up the line, or should i use a fishfinder rig? It would be cool catch a cod from a pier!
Hey Chris, I’m thinking your timing might be right with the sweet temps predicted later in the week, late night outgoing tides coupled with the full moon should move alot of water and hopefully a few cod. If you can, late night Wed/Thursday (again on the ebb) look promising. All those smelt by Nut Island should be a magnet along with the reality that the neighborhood “mud” is simply more fertile now and has more to offer cod than a few years ago. A weighted orange or onion sack with a few punched cans of cat food on an outgoing tide should send out an alluring scent trail. For rigs, skip fish finders, cod are not spooky, a store-bought Scotchman rig will do or as you suggested a dropper loop and 6/0 J-hook just above the 4/5-ounce bank sinker should do. It wouldn’t hurt to have a smelt like teaser a bit higher up – Slug-Gos or their ilk – and as an option if the crabs are tearing your bait apart, slide a small oval float onto the leader to the hook eye to keep it away from those pests. I saw a guy one time kill the cod with this rig off Castle Island. Although cod relish crabs also. Send in a picture if you catch one!
heard tale of some cod being caught off plum island.