Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine Fishing Report 3-21-2013

Trout Stocking Continues

Ice Keeps Its Grip

Water-cooler scuttlebutt has been fraught with tales of the balmy March of last year with most stories sounding something like: “…and to think I was wearing little more than a t-shirt and shorts at this time last year!” But what a difference a year makes. With March’s lion of 2013 unwilling to give ground to the lamb, we are not lacking in ice-fishing possibilities, but the conundrum is that those same frigid temperatures are keeping most away from exploring open-water options.

The nasty weather hasn’t provided much incentive for those looking to work on their casting chops, but that hasn’t kept the hatchery trucks from keeping to their appointed rounds. With water bodies reloaded with rainbows and brookies in the Southeast District and numerous ponds and lakes full of rainbows in the Northeast, there may be no better time to take advantage of some fast and furious trout fishing this week since so few anglers have even attempted as of yet. It shouldn’t take much snooping on Masswildlife’s website to determine exactly where.

Nary has a day gone by when Rod from Flagg’s in Orange isn’t dolling out shiners to hardwater junkies from other parts of New England seeking relief in the ice belt of the Connecticut Valley. Ice fishermen have been out and about on Clubhouse Pond, which has trout along with warm water species and is sporting about a foot of ice. An alternative for trout, bass and panfish is Lake Moore. Elsewhere they are catching calicos from Tully Lake and there is still foot traffic on Lake Mattawa. With snow-melt, Barton Cove has become unsafe in some spots.

Jim from J.C.B. Bait and Tackle in Cheshire told me that the toothy bite has dropped off, most likely because pre-spawn pike now have other pike on their minds. However, juvenile fish, which are less inclined to have amorous intentions, are cooperating in the southern weedy basin of Cheshire Reservoir. On average there is still about one foot of ice on the reservoir. For largemouth bass, drop a big shiner by the Big Island in Cheshire. Crappie are getting active, and the catching has been fairly good at Lake Onota and Woods Pond, even if they are actively fished there. If you are hoping for a holdover brown trout, seek out Sherman Reservoir where some brightly colored 16” fish have been caught; just make sure your auger blade is sharp, this water body is on the border of Vermont and has 2 feet of ice!

Chad from Dover Marine told me of a tip some customers who are crappie sharpies employ for these subtle biters. He said anglers will place their traps (with cross frames opened) on their sides, with the trap flag extended over the auger hole. After setting the bait at the intended depth, they will loop the line over the flag wire. The malleable wire will usually not spook the crappie as it takes the bait; however, the dipping flag/wire will signal a bite and anglers are less likely to be plagued with stolen bait as they are with conventional trap fishing. You can practice this method at Pine River, Willand Pond and Bellamy Reservoir, where they have been getting some real slabs. For Largemouth bass, Swains Lake is probably a better bet.

Pumpkinseeds are not exactly tops on most anglers’ ice-fishing list, but if more folks got into the slabs that Tim from Suds ’N Soda recently caught, they might change their minds. While whipping Winnipesauke into a froth looking for white perch, he tore into a school of palm-sized pumpkinseeds. The action was in Moultonborough Bay, the bait was jigs/Maki plastics, and the strike zone 24 feet of water. Tim never did wind up with any white perch but soon switched targets once he began picking off those gaudy pumkinseeds. A nearby option is rainbows in Winnisquam Lake, where anglers will downsize to ultralight line and a single salmon egg covering a salmon egg hook, letting it lie directly on the bottom. For all the development of highly-hyped artificial baits, you usually cannot beat a salmon egg.

Dylan of Dag’s was fresh from a Moosehead sojourn when we spoke, and he told tales of a burgeoning brook trout fishery. Apparently hopes were buoyed by nice brookie returns last year, and the tale of the tape this year shows some fish to be 20-inch corkers. The brookies were caught practically in the mud, they were so shallow. The salmon bite was within the top 10 feet of the water column, and those looking to tackle a togue found the target zone to be between 20 and 40 feet of water. Closer to the shop in Auburn, the pike are expected to go on a tear next week once snow-melt spurs them to move into the weed beds pre-spawn. The weedy coves of the Andro still have solid ice and are a solid bet. There’s a medley at Middle Range as rainbows, smallies and togue are all cooperating.

And in case you’ve totally forgotten about groundfish, there are some options worth considering. There have been some keeper-sized cod caught off the ledges of Hull recently, and party-boat ace Willy Goldsmith tipped me off that the Yankee Fleet will be setting sail next Thursday (weather permitting) with the hope of hauling in some haddock, redfish and maybe some hake and pollock.

Fishing Forecast

With ponds and lakes all along the eastern portion of the Bay State bubbling with stocked trout and with such little pressure so far, this could be your best bet. From Hanover to Haverhill, you shouldn’t have to travel far to catch some rainbows or maybe even a brookie. If your traps are still talking to you, then answer their call at Clubhouse Pond, Cheshire Reservoir or Sherman Reservoir in the Bay State. All is good in the Granite State for crappie from Bellamy Reservoir and rainbows from Lake Winnisquam. Pike should be on the prowl among the coves of the Androscoggin River should we get a thaw next week. And for something less sweet and more salty, check in with the Yankee Fleet out of Gloucester.