Long time fanatics of frozen-water fishing are feeling a good deal of frustration right now. After all February is supposed to be about making ice, not losing it!
South Shore through North Shore
Often during the winter when Jimmy Fee writes the cape portion of the forecast, he points forlorn anglers our way for ice-fishing options. With February continuing to behave more like March or even April, the South Shore through Boston is providing no relief for those looking for a hardwater fix. Ordinarily February builds or at least maintains what transitions from late January – but not in 2018! A friend of mine was on 7” to 10” of solid Greater Boston ice on Tuesday, by Thursday he would have needed a plank to access safe ice since the shoreline was totally shot. Strange days indeed! When plank length takes precedence over leader length, I think it’s best to call it quits.
Pete from Belsan’s did say that the Scituate and Cohasset Reservoirs were wide open and now is prime time to float a big shiner in front of a bucket-mouthed bass with bad intentions. The deep, frequently stocked Long Pond in Plymouth grows some impressive trout and during the winter months those holdovers come close to shore. Save the micro-lures and flies for the stockies of next month, now is the time to strip in a big streamer or twitch a stickbait in the shallows. Pete said that every year around this time big browns are caught there.
Closer to Boston, Jamaica Pond is an interesting option worth considering. Because it is the only Boston water body that is stocked with trout, Jamaica Pond receives more than it’s share in variety, quantity and quality of trout. Brown trout are known to survive and thrive in this urban, kettle pond. The other option is to look for ponds and lakes which were stocked in the fall and are opening up. Look for inlets which serve the dual purpose of creating open water and staging trout in the current. My friend Dave Panarello has been pounding ponds with Power Bait and finding fall stockies up to 15” long with his secret consisting of moving water. North Shore ponds and lakes for the most part feature good ice beyond the shoreline but much of the shorelines have eroded.
Central to Western Mass
And then there’s the flip side – the Western part of the state where anglers aren’t worried about ice in the least. Patrick Barone of Charter The Berkshires Outfitters said that in spite of the thaw, those higher elevation ponds and lakes in the Berkshires have been locking right back up at night and he’s been sitting on about 12” of ice. It’s amazing what a difference a few thousand feet above sea level makes. In fact Patrick suggests anglers scout for small ponds, such as Goose Pond, tucked away high in the Berkshires where the only boat traffic possible is with a car-top. Those places obviously aren’t as pressured and the payoff can be high.
Jim from JCB echoed what other’s have been saying, namely that there’s plenty of ice on Cheshire Reservoir and other surrounding ponds and lakes. Shorelines have become sketchy so play it safe by attempting access from sheltered, north-facing areas which will be the last to lose the ice.
Eddie of B&A said he’s still doing a bang-up bait business as anglers get out even during the week. Indian Lake has had a lot of buzz recently because of a high-profile pike which was caught there. In spite of the spotlight, anglers continue to catch pike! For a trout and warm water species spot, check out Fort Pond in Lancaster. For brown trout as well as rainbows consider Comet Pond in Hubbardston.
Fishing Forecast
While the incessant warm weather and rain has been a death sentence to ice fishing near the coast, out west they are reveling in 12” of the hard stuff! Indian Lake is still producing pike as is Cheshire Reservoir while for a trout best bet you can’t beat the Berkshires.