Massachusetts Fishing Report – January 19, 2017

It’s rare that late January offers up more open-water opportunities than hardwater ones, but that appears to be the new normal of 2017. Rather than recoil from our reality it might be better to embrace what’s available.

Massachusetts Fishing Report

It could be said that my friend Russ Eastman, who manages the extensive tackle department of Monahan Marine, wears his passion on his sleeve or more accurately on his shin – in the form of an “inked” brown trout. While quite content to be rolling among the seas of Stellwagen while bouncing a jig for haddock or lying in wait for a whitetail in his tree stand, if cornered he’s tell you he prefers matching wits with the wily brown trout above all. His attitude lately has been, “no ice, no problem”. Along with shop-mate CJ Engren, he seized the falling pressure potential of the last storm and took a trip to the Deerfield River. Ordinarily, when spinners think of trout they think small, as in tiny offerings. Russ however was looking for a 3D version of the one he wears on his leg, so he eschewed the micro stuff and selected one of Yo-Zuri’s famed big trout slayers – a Pins Minnow. And not just any version but a black and gold mid-size, what some might call a bass plug. He was having luck with stocked “truck trout” and while that was okay with him in light of the calendar and conditions combination, he aspired for bigger. It all came together when a holdover in the Hoosac stretch whacked the plug and gave Russ all he could handle until the 4-pound-plus brownie finally came to net and after a quick picture was promptly released. Russ felt fortunate that he upsized to the industrial grade Yo-Zuri, figuring that the big fish combined with a strong current would have straightened out the hooks on lesser wares. In addition to the Hoosac stretch, Russ recommends the Fife Brook and Cold Stream effluences.

In the past Rod from Flagg’s in Orange has told me of pike up to 30 pounds that were taken through the ice from the Miller River; this is most definitely not one of those years! If you’re of the glass-half-full mindset, you could take advantage of un-pressured open rivers which harbor big brown trout. Unbeknownst to many is that a big chunk of the Miller River is catch and release/artificial lures only but NOT fly fishing only. In fact, Rod knew of a persnickety fly-fisher who tore into a young guy tossing lures, even though the latter had every right to do so. So, for some, the word is not out which means less pressure. You might fare well as Russ Eastman did on the Deerfield if you work some unconventional offerings such as the heretofore mentioned Pins Minnow. Rod recommends the stretches between the Wendell Depot and Erving Center and then again Route 2 and South Roylston.

That’s not to suggest that there aren’t any ice-fishing prospects out west. There certainly are and folks from “away” looking for a frozen fix are finding relief. Flagg’s weighed in a 3 ½-pound rainbow that was only 20″ long, which took a shiner from Lake Wyola. While anglers generally target trout in Mattawa the ones which drop a big shiner in the depths are at times rewarded with a big perch, bass or pickerel. In fact, just last year, a 6-pound pig of a pickerel was taken here! Some of the biggest warm-water specimens imaginable swim, largely unmolested in designated trout water making these places an untapped treasure trove for trophies.

A funny phenomenon is happening out west according to Jim from JCB Bait in Cheshire, anglers form other parts are looking at their soggy, sorry, sad excuses for local ice and fearing the worst elsewhere. When I spoke to Jim on Thursday, he and his son Connor were on the field sampling the goods and his son said that there was about a foot of ice! With the long-range weather forecast looking sketchy, who knows how long the frozen stuff is going to last past this weekend. Along with good ice, the shop has plenty of mixed sizes of bait and there are no shortage of pike which prowl the likes of Cheshire, Pontoosuc, Onota and Buel. Another consideration is the Hilltown trout ponds in the Berkshires, which are among the first in the Bay State to catch good ice and the last to lose it. Many anglers look at those spots as the last course of the season and wait until other options are shot. The result is you may find less harried hardwater and willing trout!

Berkshires Report From Paul K Tawczynski of chartertheberkshires.com:

Warm and rain over the last week eroded the shore lines along pretty much everywhere. Safe ice exists if you know where to get on, but you’ve got to be careful. The heavy snow and warm on the coast and cape mean that if you’re an ice angler, you’re heading west and the increased pressure on the lakes is noticeable. This is also the time when local knowledge can help you to catch fish, as well as stay safe.
The big fatty pickerel are starting to hit aggressively. This weekend severel were weighed in over five pounds. Most that I have seen are caught with either yellow perch or stock trout inside them. When you target pickerel remember to bring lots of bait as you typically have to catch dozens of small ones in order to get that one over 2 foot! For those wanting to jig for Pickerel (and Pike) I have had good success with a Kamooki Smartfish with an aggressive retrieve…They just cant seem to lay off it!

The perch and bluegill bite remains terrific throughout the Berkshires and the first dense schools of crappie are showing up on the vexilar at night. Anything that glows will do better than anything that doesn’t when night fishing. Mostly smaller crappie in the 9-12″ range right now, but a few in excess of 14″ are coming in.

Pike fishing remains good, despite the increased number of anglers on the ice. Patience, and an early set will be your key to catching pike during increased fishing pressure. Once again the difference between catching pike and catching BIG pike remains the bait size. A shortage of jumbo bait at tackle shops means that most of the biggest pike are coming to those either trapping bait, or jigging it themselves.

Stock trout are still plentiful, despite a slower weekend than most. They are still just up under the ice, however this weekend seemed to produce more runners-and -droppers, than actual catches. Big Browns are being caught both on the jig and on live bait, but the key to the bite is locating suspended baitfish such as smelt and then setting up at various depths to target them. Your Navionics app and Vexilar will be invaluable in locating both the forage and the Browns.

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

At the moment, there’s plenty of ice from the Connecticut Valley Region out to the western border of the Commonwealth, but who knows for how long? Strike while the berg is still solid at Lake Wyola for trout and Mattawa for potentially under-appreciated warm water species. If you’re reluctant to make the haul because you’re unsure about the health of hardwater, then point your ride to the Hilltown ponds such as North Pond. For more of a sure bet, it might be time to reconsider rivers. Check out blue-ribbon winners such as the Miller and Deerfield and don’t limit your sight to just stockies either. Aim large and go large and you may catch a late January trophy.