Massachusetts Fishing Report - February 5, 2015

It might be a bit of a stretch, but maybe the best way to look at all the snow is to view it as a hardwater version of a day at the beach. Because once in, many are finding the “water” just fine! Blustery winds have blown much of the white stuff off water bodies often making the ice the most comfortable place to be.

Some shop owners can’t help but bend over backwards to be accommodating. The poster child for this just may be Jim from JCB from Cheshire. The incessant snow storms are making access to hardwater holes comparable to an Iditarod course, so Jim has taken to plowing access paths to prime pike spots on the reservoir – I kid you not! While he can take credit for ease of entry, he’ll readily admit that he has no influence on the pike factory Cheshire has become. In fact I was talking to a metrowest shop owner who has a young patron who showed him a shot of a 42” toothy which he recently caught from Cheshire. According to the shop owner, the coloration and huskiness of the fish were even more impressive than the length. If you’d rather not tangle with a toothy, it seems that the recent full moon woke up local largemouths from their lethargy as bass are binge feeding. For trout the nod goes to North Pond and honorable mention to Onota.

Rod from Flagg’s in Orange told me that Lake Mattawa has been putting up trophies at an impressive rate. A 1 ¾-pound pig of a yellow perch was taken there as well as an ornate 4-pound brown trout. That nice brown trout is hardly alone, in fact Masswildlife several months ago stocked 15 broodstock brown trout in Mattawa and according to Rod his hunch is that most have not been caught! Additionally a 3 ¼-pound pickerel which took 4th place at the popular Quabog Pond derby which was held over the weekend. For largemouth bass and crappie a good choice is Lake Rohunta with North Spectacle Pond better still if crappie are the exclusive quarry. Eddie from B&A in West Boylston weighed in a “pin” perch of 1 ½ pounds taken on a shiner from Glen Echo Lake in Charlton.

Eric from Lunkers in Ashland said that the customers who are forging the drifts to get on the ice feel as if they are onto a secret – once out there, the going is a lot easier! The gusts have removed big swaths of snow and sections are often relatively clear. This bit of wisdom may prove handy if you yearn to fish Winthrop Pond where a regular of the shop got into a big time bass bite. A sleeper just might be Hopkinton Reservoir which is heavily stocked and has had scant attention due to a slow start. Sometimes fish take a while to adjust to the darkened world of snow-covered ice, and by now I’d say that those fish are well-adjusted indeed!

Dave from Merrimack Sports said that the biggest fish he knows of recently are swimming in the bait tanks in the shop! The blizzard and subsequent storm have not exactly been a boom to business. The shop is gearing up for its annual derby on Lake Attitash on February 15th. If last season’s results are any indication than this place is packed with big bass. In fact around fifty 5-pound and up largemouth were caught and released in last season’s derby! Results like that should be all the motivation you need to do a little pre-derby fish-finding.
Pete from Belsan’s in Scituate said that while access can be challenging, hardcore hardwater fans are finding much of the ice just fine! The top layer may consist of 2” of slop but most places have a hardpacked 8” to 10” of solid base ice. Tack Factory Pond has been terrific for perch and pickerel. Eagle Nest Pond is the pick for bass and bull gills, the latter of which are a blast on a light jigging stick.

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

Rewarding yourself with a few hours of fun on a frozen water body is the perfect antidote for the shovelers blues. Catch your “yellows” at Glen Echo Lake in Charlton. Two-pound line, a jigging stick and a Clam blade jig tipped with waxworms are just the ticket for these panfish. Bass seem to have adjusted to their now darker world and look for them at Lake Rohunta as well as Cheshire Reservoir. Go big in your bait choice in Cheshire and you may ice a 42” pike such as the one which was recently caught. Webster Lake and Lake Singletary are choice spots for smallies while Lake Attitash can be hot for largemouth bass. If crappie are a consideration check out North Spectacle Pond in the Connecticut Valley Region or on the North Shore Lake Chebacco.