The ice man giveth, then he took it away, but it takes all but one minute of outdoor exposure to realize that it looks as if he’s giving it back to us for the long run! That is just the ticket for those who prefer celebrating their New Year with ice under their feet as opposed to it clinking around in a glass.
I asked my angling associates to cherry-pick a few favorites that are already locked up or should be soon enough after the expected early-January freeze. On a side note, the holidays are a time of giving, and along those lines consider patronizing your that local small business owner who puts shiners in your bucket and points you in the right direction toward where the fish are biting. A lot of these folks are hurting big time due to no fault of their own. With the tragic loss of off-season saltwater possibilities – no cod and not many smelt – some are considering closing up shop for good! Solid ice soon will be a bit of a savior, but business on larger-ticket items other than bait will go a long way also. I think we can all agree that we’d be the worse for wear without those bait and tackle shops.
Massachusetts Fishing Reports
Pete from Belsan’s Bait in Scituate suggested the cranberry bog off Old Oaken Bucket Road as place of good prospects for panfish, pickerel and largemouth bass in January, as it is usually a first freeze. Jacob Pond is a little gem not far from Pete’s shop and has been a warm-water species winner in winters past. Little Pond in Plymouth is heavily stocked with a mix of salmonids and has habitually been a hardwater favorite.
Eric from Lunkers in Ashland recommended the multi-species Lake Cochituate as a good bet for a freeze-over soon. Heard Pond in Wayland is a favorite and has white perch as well as pike, which migrate between it and the Sudbury River. Regarding the Sudbury River the watch is on for some of the placid pike-producing coves and bays to harden up and that could be days away!
Eddie of B&A in West Boylston told me that they were still catching lakers in the Wachusett area as of a few days ago. Hold off on the indignant emails – we all know the ‘Chu is closed for the season, but the forktails were taken in the Stillwater River, most of which remains legal to fish all year long. Of course, that might be a moot point with the mercury plummeting! While the open-water door is closing, hardwater in Hubbardston is opening as Comet, with its host of trout varieties, and Moosehorn, which has a pretty eclectic mix also, both look promising for imminent ice fishing. Eddie also recommended pretty little East Waushacum where some of the smallies are far from little. Then there’s Fort Pond in Lancaster, which is stocked with trout and locks up early. For a mixture of warm water species with the occasional bucketmouth largemouth check out South Meadow Pond in Clinton.
Rod from Flagg’s in Orange is touting the first ice bite for a fish that could take a bite out of you if you’re not careful – namely pike. The Oxbow or Oxbow Pond off the Connecticut River is a perennial favorite for most every warm-water species which swims in these parts even the occasional odd bowfin. Quabog Pond has no shortage of pike fans and while it’s sister pond, Quacumquasit which sits just across the road is managed as the only trophy brown trout water in the Bay State it gave up the state record toothy which was a whopping 35-pounder! Anglers should be out and about among the Barton Cove/Turner Falls area which should be frozen soon and this is water where you could catch a walleye or a pike big enough to make a meal out of one. Some were already out looking for trout from Sheomet Pond and look for some to be suspending shiners for largemouth bass from Lake Rohunta soon.
Jim from JCB B&T in Cheshire said that the reservoir had lost the ice with the previous thaw but was locking up again. Cheshire Reservoir is proven pike water as are Pontoosuc, Lake Buel and Onota and all of those should be on their way toward hardening up. Meanwhile there has been no letup among the Berkshires with plenty of ice fishing taking place at Plainfield Pond as well as Windsor Pond although the action has been slow.
New Hampshire and Southern Maine Fishing Report
Tim Moore from Moore Outdoors and team Clam, when not entertaining with seminars. is one of New Hampshire’s most sought-after outdoor guides. One of his specialties is tackling lake trout, white perch, and for that matter most of what swims under the ice of Lake Winnipesauke during winter. He’s a light tackle jig-master for fish that aren’t so light, and he’s betting that some of the coves of the lake known to the indigenous Abenaki tribe as the “Smile of the Great Spirit” will have sufficient ice soon…and if you know anything about ice fishing, the first ice bite is often magic. 19 Mile Bay is worth keeping an eye on as are Center Harbor and the Moultonborough Bay areas. Tim gave a special nod to the state landing section. Grab an auger, hit Suds ‘N Soda for a smattering of Clam drop jigs and Maki teasers and catch them up. For smaller water ice take a look at Turkey Pond in Concord for ‘gills and crappie.
AJ from AJ’s B&T in Meredith N.H. said that while cold-water species water bodies are poised to set up there’s plenty of warm-water species places which are shallower, lock up earlier and have potential. Hawkins Pond has a wide variety of willing fish from pickerel to perch to black bass and it should be primed for this weekend. If you’d rather best a bronzeback check out Pemigewasset Lake, which fortunately is easier to fish than spell.
Brady from Dag’s in Auburn told me that some who have set their sights on northerns are setting up their traps among the northern section of Sabattus Pond. This is the timber-laden shallow section of the water body most noted for producing pike. Additionally the coves of the Androscoggin have solid ice as well the occasional yard-stick long pike looking for a meal. Best bets for brookies and brown trout are Halls Pond, Little Pennesseewasee Pond and Worthley Pond. The latter has the added bonus of the occasional big bronzeback.
Fishing Forecast
Wishing all a Happy New year takes on a far different meaning for ice junkie than it does the shivering masses, but I’m hoping that the dipping temperatures find us with ice aplenty until April! Although we can do without all that much snow! Best bets in the Bay State remain out west with North Pond in Florida a safe bet for solid ice as well as Plainfield Pond and Windsor. Reports are spotty but with a front planned for the latter half of the weekend, the bite could turn on. The Connecticut River coves and Oxbows in the Connecticut River Valley Region are multispecies producers; look for lock-ups soon at Oxbow Pond as well as Turner Falls. Beyond the border Turkey Pond should be steady for panfish as should be the higher elevation and more northern Hawkins Pond. It should be imminent for quieter bays and coves in Lake Winnipesauke to have sufficient ice along with willing white perch and lake trout. Check with AJs B&T in Meredith for the latest news and for a bucket full of smelt. Meanwhile there are pike being pulled out of the wood of Sabattus Pond as well as brookies and browns from Hall Pond, Worthley Pond and Little Pennesseewassee Pond in Norway.
The small lakes and ponds in Sullivan County, New Hampshire are frozen well. A young man that goes ocean fishing with me (Jeffrey’s Ledge) was fishing at Hoyts Landing , a setback on the Connecticut River across from Charlestown, NH, Dec.27th and caught a 43″ pike that weighted 21 pounds. He is a great fisherman and he often catches the biggest fish. I can’t wait to get a picture of that Pike.
That’s good to know, thanks Ben! And I’m betting that when your friend was duking it out with that big pike Jeffrey’s Ledge and groundfish were the farthest thing from his mind. That’s what I tell the non-afflicted, thanks to the ice there is no offseason!
Still waiting for ice here on the South Shore in Plymouth. Most ponds have ice on them just not safe enough yet. However, by the looks of the forecast it could be worth scouting this weekend.
Tight Lines, H.T
PS- Played some pond hockey on a swamp before the 55 degree and rainy Sunday. It felt pretty good to just be walking on ice!!!!