Lakes on Cape Cod iced up nicely last weekend with the frigid weather Sunday into Monday. A number of fishermen got on the ice and found good fishing throughout the Cape.

On The Water’s Andy Nabreski was looking for his first “good” ice fishing trip after a few disappointing days fishing smaller, shallow ponds. He switched up and tried a deeper pond, setting baits from 10 to 25 feet of water. The change-up paid off big time with a few big bass and a surprise catch of a monster white catfish.

Dan and Rich from The Hook Up in Orleans hit the ice on Presidents Day and found a pair 4-pound bass, some perch  and nice-sized pickerel.

Jill at Red Top in Buzzards Bay said shiners are selling like hotcakes lately, and that many of her customers have been hitting the ice, though she had no specific reports of where the best action was taking place.

As nice as the ice has been, rain on Friday and temperatures in the 40s on Saturday and Sunday will likely put the Cape fishing scene back in limbo. The best we can hope for now is a sustained warm-up that will get the ice off the ponds and let the real fishing season begin.

Something to look forward to when the ice lets out is the 40 broodstock Atlantic salmon swimming around Long Pond in Plymouth. At least that’s how many were stocked through the ice this winter. I haven’t heard any reports of any salmon being caught through the ice, so there should be plenty around when the ice finally gives way.

Best Bets for the Weekend

There’s a couple show options for the weekend. The Big Game Bash in Boston, the Boston Boat Show and Plum Island Surf Fishing Club’s Fundraiser. If the ice is too thin to fish on the Cape, hitting one of these shows is a fine alternative. If the ice is sturdy enough to support fishing, try dropping a bait in deeper water. The ice will be thinning this weekend, so make absolutely sure it can support your weight before trying any fishing.