Right up there with “Just do your job”, is the other famed phrase assigned to Mr. Belichick, specifically “In Bill we trust”. If I may apply something similar to upping your odds considerably in the hardwater game, it might be “In guides we trust”! Sometimes reports from these pros sounds like they are playing chess, while others are playing checkers. Fortunately we have two guides from both states weighing in this week.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
The word on the ice from one of New Hampshire’s best all-around fishing guides Tim Moore of timmooreoutdoors.com, is that while thin areas of Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam didn’t fare well from the recent thaw, the thick stuff shrugged it off. The good news doesn’t stop there: the lake trout bite has been awesome! If you’re like most of the runny nose brigade, you have one eye on next week’s weather forecast. The incoming temperatures look cold enough to enhance the ice like a giant Zamboni machine. Tim’s observations are that recent “core checks” had 19 Mile Bay at over 15″, Melvin Village at 11″ (pre-rain) and States Landing at 16″.
If you don’t mind having a “crappie day”, then you’ll find black crappie cooperating at Turkey Pond in Concord and Bellamy Reservoir in Madbury. While Tim did not say exactly where, he and colleague/friend Chuck Fritz lit into a school of slabs the average size was 14-inches!
Chad from Dover Marine told me that his brother Nate has been targeting trout in the shallows of 19 Mile Bay and Wolfeboro Bay and catching brilliant colored rainbows some of which were north of 4 pounds on small shiners! The crew has been seeing quite the show in the shallows as various salmonids cruise by their auger holes in hot pursuit of smelt.
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Scottie Bragdon of Dag’s guiding debut went so well that his clients signed up for an immediate repeat! The target was togue out of Thompson and they found plenty in 50-feet of water right on the bottom willing to inhale fresh dead bait!
The building winter is expanding possibilities in Maine and many are heading northward in search of big water with it the hope that the fish will be exponentially bigger. Moosehead, East Grand Lake and West Grand Lake have caught to some degree and the catching of a variety of salmonids has been good!
Locally the pike fishing remains steady at Sabattus, the Andro and there has been promising reports from other pike water bodies among the Belgrade Lakes Region including North Pond, Great Pond, Long Pond, Ingham Pond and Messalonskee Lake. Tripp Lake has a reputation for terrific smallmouth bass fishing.
Wayne from Sebago Bait was less optimistic that the upcoming spate of “normal” New England weather was going to lock up Sebago Lake. The hand-wringing is causing no small degree of consternation from those who are stocked to sample all this hardwater Mecca has to offer! Meanwhile a local consolation prize has been Moose Pond, which is a relatively underdeveloped gem in Mt. Vernon which is known for good black bass fishing. The word from the Smelt Camps is sweet! That aptly describes both the fishing and the delicacy once those critters are all fried up!
Maine, New Hampshire And Vermont Fishing Forecast
If you prefer your ice fishing on a grand scale then the big water and big rainbows awaiting you at Wolfeboro Bay will punch your ticket. The best part is that you don’t have to venture far from the shore to find the fish. More big water awaits you in Maine as solid reports trickle in on togue and other salmonids from Moosehead, East Grand and West Grand lakes. For the fishing version of “good things come in small packages”, heed the call of the smelt camps in the Merrymeeting Bay/Kennebec River area, where the catching has been impressive.