Not surprisingly, shoveling effort and fishing effort are usually mutually exclusive. With angling dropping off dramatically for some it’s like a brand new season with a lack of crowds and less-pressured fish. And if you haven’t been out you might find the conditions better than you would think.
New Hampshire
According to AJ’s in Meredith, New Hampshire, Lake Winnipesauke just might be the answer for ice fishing fans who are suffering from a bad case of lack-of-access blues. Snowmobiles, ATVs, and a plethora of assorted four wheel vehicles have made this massive water body look like a giant multi-lane highway. Albeit one dappled with Bob-Houses that just happens to sit on prime ice fishing water. AJ was fresh from jigging up some of the ubiquitous 18- to 21-inch lake trout when we spoke. He said that the bite is best in 36 to 40 feet of water at The Broads. AJ’s sought-after signature jigs in perch pattern are a hot laker taker, with ½ ounce to 1 ounce being the preferred sizes. Recent reports have white perch staging at the Cattle Landing. Tim from Tim Moore Outdoors was filming an episode for his network when we spoke. They had already tallied some impressive white perch in Meredith Bay and were looking for lakers. Aggressive 2- to 3-pound smallmouth bass made the search for lakers difficult as they were inhaling PK Minnow Flutter Fish as well as Daddy Mac/Tim Moore Whisperers. It’s not too late to jump aboard Tim’s white perch class/field training. Instruction takes place this Thursday at Bass Pro Shops in Hooksett and the field session happens this Saturday at Lake Winnipesauke.
Not all is lost among “little water” according to Joe from Granite State Rod and Reel Repair in Nashua. His shop has no shortage of bait and the same can be said for warm water species at Mill Pond. Flints Pond is also a local favorite where the pickerel, perch, largemouth bass and crappie can provide crazy action.
Southern Maine
It’s been a good run for Brady! No not THAT Brady, but rather Brady of Dag’s in Auburn Maine who tallied the winning togue from the Sebago Lake Derby this past weekend! His monstrous 14.88 pounder inhaled an oversized baitfish suspended from a trap. While most everyone else was jigging he and a couple of comrades set up traps over a hump that rose to 12 feet among deeper water and they were the only ones who caught within sight. It’s not often that you hear of a Brady “catching” but his catch netted him a cool $1500.00 Cabela’s Prize Package. Two tips from Brady: add scent to the baitfish such as BioEdge Wands and for a sure hook-set, check out the new TroKar Octopus Hook. I actually have been using the TroKar Big Nasty with eels for stripers last year and the sharpness of that hook is sinister! Dylan from Dag’s in Auburn said that conditions are much better than most realize. Even though it’s been cold, that late February sun is strong enough to cause some melting and compacting. He suggests you look at it as the dawning of a new season since angling effort has dropped off, access is better and the fish are less skittish than the first part of the year when most places were pounded. The pick of the week is Crystal Lake in Gray where brookies, brown trout and rainbows all thrive. Kenny from Saco Bay said that the hot ticket is the smelt camps of the southern Maine estuaries. Night time is the right time with both tides producing. Fish counts are averaging 70 fish for a few anglers during a tide. Not quite the stuff of legend but better than the previous 2 years.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Some are looking at it as the dawning of a new season! Incessant snows have turned away all but the most intrepid resulting in crowd-free fishing. Winnipesauke continues to get a lot of attention with 18- to 21-inch lake trout belting jigs in The Broads and smallies smacking spoons in Meredith Bay. Now that the derby is past history, look for less pressure and better fishing on Sebago Lake for the foreseeable future. The fisheries of Winnipesauke and Sebago are healthy because of the smelt and if you’re looking to consume a few smelt of your own book a shanty soon at the Southern Maine smelt camps.