Cape Cod Fishing Report - January 17, 2018

Cape fishermen are back on thin ice, with the recent rains and mild temps eating away at the lids on many ponds, and opening up the edges on most of them. I saw a surprising amount of open water on my way to work in the snow on Wednesday morning.

There wasn’t much in the way of fishing reports this week, as ice-fishermen are hopeful for some more cold to lock up the ponds once again. If you still plan on fishing, and have a pond with a minimum of 4-inches on it, be extremely careful. Rain and snow can create uneven thickness on ponds, so while your sample drillings may show adequate ice, some areas could be dangerously thin. Always carry a pair of spikes, a rope, and always ice fish with a friend.

Fishing Forecast for Cape Cod

The temperatures aren’t looking great for ice building, with highs above freezing forecast every day for the next week and nighttime lows ranging from 22 to 37 degrees.

Going on the hunt for open water may be the best bet for this weekend. A determined angler can find fish even in small openings in the ice. In fact, trout cruise the edges of ice, making them a great place to cast or troll (if you can get a boat on the water).

Next Tuesday’s rain may help open up some more water on deep trout ponds and maybe even some small bog ponds.  For trout, I’ve had the most success with small jigs and stickbaits in the middle of winter when water temperatures were at their lowest. For the bass and picks, a live shiner struggling under a bobber never goes out of style.

The other option is to head north and west, where the ice is thicker and more likely to be fishable. Check out Ron Powers’ Massachusetts Fishing Forecast for the latest intel on the ice-capades happening in the colder parts of the state.