Massachusetts Fishing Report - February 16, 2017

If you’re looking for a “pick-me-up” after the non-stop snow storms, your tonic may be as close as a trip out west. Whether you’re in Orange or on Onota Lake, you’ll find plenty of ice and willing quarry.

Eastern Mass Fishing Report

When you own a bait shop in the shadows of the mighty Wachusett, you tend to have one eye focused on the reservoir at all times. Eddie of B&A in West Boylston had been saying that the only bright spot regarding one of the warmer Januaries on record (and the resultant spotty ice) was that the scheduled opening day (first Saturday in April) would not be in jeopardy. And then came the cold and now the ‘Chu has been locked up for the better part of a week! Long term Wachusett watchers however are hardly panicking knowing full-well that the March sun should make short work of what is out there. Some, however, are not content with waiting until opening day and seek wild brookies, brown trout and the occasional rainbow trout among sections of the Stillwater and Quinapoxet which are open to fishing all year round. Eddie suggests bouncing a dilly worm in pools upstream of the Oakdale Pumphouse regarding the Quinnie or try runs and pools upstream of Singing Bridge in the Stillwater. Some of the brown trout which have been caught in these offseason tributaries of Wachusett have been very impressive.

Connecticut Valley Fishing Report

Shop reports indicate that for many the snow has stifled ice fishing interest, meaning that water bodies are now less crowded. Rod from Flagg’s said that ice thickness in the Connecticut Valley Region is not an issue and the gang still hitting the ponds and lakes are having no problem catching. He’s heard of a recent 5 1/2-pound largemouth that was caught in a derby held at Lake Ellis. Rod’s also hearing of trout being taken out of Mattawa with no problem. Right up there with plenty of ice in that region is plenty of eye-catching wilderness. Two gems in the area are North Spectacle Pond and South Spectacle Pond. South “Spec” holds the unique position of being the only water body in the Quabbin Reservoir watershed where ice fishing is allowed. It’s long on aesthetics, crappie and bass but short on access, in fact the obvious entry (off Route 122 in Orange) has been plagued with open water, so next to no one has been fishing it. But there’s good news, Rod knows another route and it is totally legit! I have a hunch that if you have him top off your bucket with shiners, he’ll clue you in on “insider” directions! For a solid open-water option, there’s Miller River which has been known to hold trophy brown trout! Through the years, Rod has taken some up to 23 inches long on flies. His favorite stretches are by Wendell Depot and Folly Flats, the latter which is just off Route 2 in Erving. A few Flagg fly favorites are the Moby Dick and the Miller River Special, the latter was also a favorite of none other than the “Splendid Splinter” himself, Bosox legend Ted Williams. In fact Rod told me that Ted, along with another fly fisherman, conceived the Miller River Special!

Western Massachusetts Fishing Report

It may be the middle of February but things are popping out west according to Jim from JCB Bait. There was a “pike” derby held on Lake Onota recently that was crashed by a brown trout which apparently didn’t get the memo. The 7 pound plus brownie came in first place leaving the biggest pike to occupy runner-up status! Big brown trout are hardly an anomaly, this Pittsfield lake is listed by Masswildlife as one of the best bets for trophy trout in the state! With all the safe ice, Cheshire Reservoir is getting to be a family affair and more! In fact there have been a number of derbies, one of which had so many trucks it looked like a tail gate party on the ice. Jim’s word to the wise is to make sure you have a hold of your trap whereabouts. One guy lost track and because of that lost the derby. He was using one of the flat, round traps and misplaced it. By the time he finally found it, the derby had ended and naturally he had what would have been the derby winning 12 pound pike on the line! And to think the top prize was a one-of-a-kind, Stihl powered auger – ouch!

Berkshires Report From Paul K Tawczynski of chartertheberkshires.com:

Ice is holding up well, but as you can imagine over a foot of snow on top and 40 plus degree days are making a lot of slush on the surface. Edges are remaining solid, if not drenched, and areas around holes are getting flooded over the course of the day. Now is the time of year that you find out just how water proof your boots really are!

The snow has made it very dark under the ice surface. Low light penetration brings fish in a bit shallower than normal. As long as you have enough room under the ice to stick a bait, don’t be afraid to set up ultra shallow for big marauding females right now. This past week I pulled a high teen pike out of less than 1 foot of water! This is also the time of year that these fish start to shy away from heavy leaders. Remember they have been under intense pressure for nearly two months. All my pike type are run with a hand crimped 130# test Flouro leader and a smaller 3/0 hook to imbed deeper into the bait without spooking. Catch a fish…replace a leader…it’s a small price to pay.

The trout bite seems to have slowed quite a bit of late. That being said, there have been some very good quality fish taken. several 3-6 pound browns were taken and rainbows in the 17-19″ class as well. Many of the fish I have taken have been closer to the bottom than the top, and most have been feeding on Crawfish. A great jig right now for big browns is a Kamooki Smart Craw. I have had great success with it, mostly over 20 feet deep.

The Panfish bite has been steady, despite the snow and heavy pressure. Although I have not been catching numbers like a few weeks ago, bluegill over 10″ long have been coming out to play with regularity. Just like earlier in the season, my go-to bait of late has been the Nils Hand Poured Tungsten jig in Firetiger color when fishing weedbeds. Big yellow perch are feeding aggressively as they get ready for the ice-out spawn. The bite seems to have pushed considerable deeper however as the feeding fish that I have been finding have been in the 17-22 foot range on many deeper lakes.

Also, I would be remiss if I failed to mention SAFETY. this past week several tragedies regarding snowmobiles and atv’s have been headlining the news. there is still plenty of safe ice out there, but NEVER take someone else’s word for the quality or quantity of ice. If you are travelling to the Berkshires for ice fishing, we welcome you, but please, leave the sled or atv at home unless you have a detailed knowledge of the lake structure, ice quality, and contour depths.

Fishing Forecast

If you’re looking to catch some sweeping views as well as some slab crappie than check out the “Specs” in the Quabbin area. For those looking to swap out the shovel for your favorite 5-weight, then the trophy trout swimming in the Miller River may be just the ticket! There’s enough ice on Cheshire Reservoir to support trucks and family fun; just keep track of your traps!