Massachusetts Fishing Report – February 9, 2017

If snowfall correlated to ice depth, then the Bay State would be resembling a mini-ice age after this storm. It’s quite the contrary, however, as we all know that a blanket of insulating snow over skim ice and other sketchy conditions is hardly helpful.

If ever there was a Jekyl/Hyde winter, this one is it. My friend Russ Eastman of Monahans Marine and I last week tentatively hatched plans to try and troll up a few brown trout from what was at the time a wide open South Pond in E. Brookfield/Sturbridge. In the midst of the obvious euphoria of Sunday night, Russ texted me with a bit of bad news – South locked up again! Such has been life among the fishy-obsessed during this past winter.

While hopes of hooking a hook-jawed trophy brown out of South were dashed, it was not a total waste for Russ the next day at his job as tackle guru of Monahan as he was able to stock the shelves with some very exciting gear for this year. When asked what really stood out, he said he was very impressed with the new line of Shimano Coltsniper Jerkbaits, which are rugged swimmers that feature coloration in line with local striped bass forage!

I did place a phone call to our friends in the trout-rearing business at Masswildlife to get a hint as to what the particulars would be when the stocking begins, and they said that the drought made things very challenging this past summer. However, the warmer than usual winter resulted in some cases superior growth rates for the trout. The best news of all, however, is that because there is so much open water, the hatchery trucks should be making their appointed rounds earlier than usual! I expect to have the full scoop in a few weeks and I’ll be sure to pass that along.

It remains “Groundhog Day” for hardwater junkies who, in order to find relief, must make the trek out west or up north. North, however, may be your best bet. New Hampshire and Maine are supposed to get less snow than the Bay State and, considering there’s a little old derby taking place – the 38th Annual Great Rotary Ice Fishing Derby – in New Hampshire this weekend, a road trip may serve you well. If you need further incentive to make the journey, then the prospects of a lake full of prizes may be just what you need, including the grand prize of $15,000.00. If you haven’t paid attention in recent years to the derby then you may not be aware of the liberalization of the rules. No longer is it limited to Lake Winnipesaukee and a few surrounding water bodies but it is a state-wide tournament now, even though the weigh-ins, hoopla and festivities take place in Meredith. And the winnings are no longer skewed towards rainbow trout as 7 different species all figure into the standings equally. Additionally, there are daily prizes for the top 5 heaviest of each species along with stub cash drawings.

There’s a lot to appreciate about this event based on Lake Winnipesaukee. In addition to the camaraderie and potential prizes, the fishing this year – thanks to surging smelt populations – from all accounts has been fantastic. I’ve seen a steady stream of pictures of the rainbows with one word aptly describing them – pigs!

The other north of the border option is the Maine Smelt Camps. From all accounts, this has been a solid season for Shantytown in the Kennebec River/Merrymeeting Bay Area. For a link to the camps, click here: http://www.maine.gov/dmr/recreational-fishing/smeltcamps/index.html.

Of course, we know full well what the prerequisite to the remainder of the weekend is – shoveling! Doesn’t it make that back-breaking chore a lot more bearable when you have some fishing lined up after it’s done?

Berkshires Report From Paul K Tawczynski of chartertheberkshires.com:
The cold weather has held up and ice built well over the past week. Most lakes are supporting atv’s and snowmobiles at this point but you should still exercise extreme caution as always.

Before going into details about the fishing, I need to address a very serious epidemic that has been occurring too often in The Berkshires this winter. It is LEGAL to have a fire on the ice, however, you should keep it contained the same as if you were camping. The number of burn pits that are being left on the ice this year is disgusting. Furthermore, burning of trash, beer cans, and other garbage is not only ILLEGAL, but it is downright shameful. SHAME ON YOU if you cannot make an effort to at least carry out what you brought onto the ice. Every day, our rights and ability to enjoy the outdoors is being lessened and restricted, and I cannot write this and not feel upset for the homeowners on the lakes who have to pick up OUR mess. Having ice fishermen venture onto private property and knock down trees for their fire, and then burning trash in it…. you do not deserve your fishing license!

That being said, the bite slowed a bit last week, mostly due to the increase of pressure from anglers flocking to the Berkshires in droves. Big bass and pickerel seemed to be the star of the show, with more male and juvenile pike being plentiful, just not the pigs we were seeing over the past few weeks.

The middle of the month means smelt fishing should peak. That being said, I would imagine numbers to be way down this year due to the lake drawdowns on the popular smelt lakes, as well as the extraordinarily dry spring/summer affecting the spawn. Make sure your lures glow and remember the LED headlamp to keep them charged throughout the night. the key to the super finicky bite for me has been the use of a Polar Fire Extreme Ice Super Ultra Light rod. The Super Ultralight allows even my 1/32nd-ounce jig to bend the rod enough to see the tip flex when dragging the schools up from the deep.