Last weekend’s cold weather thickened the ice enough for anglers to get out on smaller, protected Cape Cod ponds, where ice thicknesses up to 5 inches—and excellent fishing—were reported. Several anglers reported good catches of bass and pickerel on shiners fished under tip-ups. Trout-stocked ponds gave up good catches of rainbow trout.
A rainy week degraded the ice, but cold weather heading into the weekend has ice-anglers hopeful for Saturday. Above all else, be safe. Don’t go alone, wear a pair of ice picks around your neck, and leave a length of safety rope close by in case you need to perform a rescue.
Kevin from Falmouth Bait and Tackle had a good weekend catching perch trout and smallmouth bass on shiners. He’s looking forward to getting back out this weekend. The shop is open 8 to 5.
Danny at Goose Hummock in Orleans has been busy getting the shop stocked with loads of gear, including everything needed for ice-fishing: tip-ups, scoops, sounders, and a fresh shipment of bait. Dan got out fishing on Monday before the rain moved in and had excellent action on largemouth bass. He’s looking forward to hitting the ice again this weekend. Dan also mentioned that as of Thursday, Cliff and Sheeps ponds were still wide open and a few anglers who prefer casting to fishing through the ice were targeting the trout. The Goose Hummock’s Bluewater Bash is scheduled for February 13-14 in Quincy. Contact the shop for details.
Red Top in Buzzards Bay opens at 7am on Saturday and Sunday for all your ice-fishing needs, or if you need to get any gear in order for the upcoming season.
Sports Port in Hyannis is open 9:30 – 5:30 M, W, Th, F and 8 to 4 on the weekend.
Fishing Forecast for Cape Cod
A cold night Friday and temperatures below-freezing all day Saturday should lock up a few local ponds. Saturday might be fishable, but Sunday morning looks for the moment like the pick of the weekend (before the rain moves in). Good luck, be safe, and send your photos and reports to photos@onthewater.com !