Thursday’s beautiful weather almost made me believe that Mother Nature had flipped the switch for the first day of spring, and finally winter was behind us. Though there aren’t any more 50-degree days in the 10-Day Forecast, at least the daytime temperatures are staying above freezing.

Ice out is in full swing on the Cape. Most small ponds are open for business, and many of the larger ones too. Peters Pond, I was surprised to see, still had a significant sheet of ice cover the pond. The edges were open, and allowed enough space to wade and cast. I threw spoons and stickbaits for an hour on Tuesday without a single tap from the trout of Peter’s Pond. I didn’t see any fish rising either. Perhaps they are all lurking under the remaining ice. The only life I did see was a beat-up looking bald eagle zig-zagging across the frozen pond.

I switched gears Wednesday night and dunked some shiners in a small pond. It was cold and windy, but the largemouths were out in force. Most casts were rewarded with an 8- to 12-inch bass, and just as the sunlight was dying, a 4-pounder pulled the bobber under.

Other reports of open water fishing came in from around the Cape. Fishermen working shallow ponds for largemouths had luck with suspending jerkbaits, fished with long pauses. Shallow-diving crankbaits are another popular option this time of year. Bass will be seeking the shallow waters that will be warmed quickly on sunny days, and crawling a shallow-diving crankbait past their noses is a great way to get a bite.

The trout have not yet been stocked, but odds are good that the stocking trucks will be rolling around the Cape next week.

In the brackish waters and deep inside the bays, white perch and the occasional holdover striper have been biting small jigs or lures. White perch, caught in brackish water, are excellent eating for anglers looking for a good fish to fry up.

Best Bets for the Weekend

Put largemouth bass and pickerel in your crosshairs. Jerkbaits and shallow crankbaits will catch, but shiners will be an automatic.

On most trout ponds, fishermen will be better off waiting another week to give the stocking trucks a chance to make their rounds. The exception are large ponds like Cliffs, which have a big population of holdover fish, and as of last week, was open. Peters has plenty of holdover trout as well, and if the ice at the center of the pond melts away, angler’s just might be able to access them this weekend. Spoons, spinners and stickbaits will work for the trout. So will small tube jigs, hair jigs and small curly tail grubs. Keep retrieve speeds slow to tempt the coldwater trout.

Bait is another option, and spring rains often wash earthworms into the ponds, making an easy meal for the trout. Shiners will work too, but if you have a choice, go with smaller baitfish.

Big holdover brown trout between 4 and 8 pounds are caught every March on the Cape, and just after ice out is the best time to hook them!