While anglers are waiting for ice close to the coast, there’s plenty out west and up north.
Massachusetts Report
Jim, at JCB Bait in Cheshire, described the swarms of families, friends, and solo-anglers who have been on a pilgrimage to Pontoosuc, Onota, Buel, and Cheshire, looking to spend some time outdoors. Don’t be put off by potential pressure; there is an awful lot of water out west and you can surely find your own spot away from other anglers. Jim says anglers are getting “everything and from everywhere”. Pike are the main draw and can be found among all these water bodies. For a shot at a slab largemouth bass, Cheshire Reservoir might just get the nod. Pontoosuc is a good choice for trout.
Rod, at Flagg’s Fly & Tackle in Orange, says the best current reports are coming out of Lake Ellis for big bluegills, Lake Moore for rainbows, and Lake Rohunta for largemouth bass. Some anglers have been out on The Oxbow with a wide variety of possibilities ranging from pike to bowfin. Rod had not heard of anything doing in the Barton Cove/Turner Falls area, but with the predicted chill ready to hit that area, it should freeze over soon. Regarding pike-filled Quaboag Pond, Rod says the annual ice fishing derby will not take place. While he couldn’t comment on ice conditions, he did feel that it should be sufficiently frozen by next weekend.
Eddie, at B&A Bait and Tackle Co. in West Boylston, says that it didn’t take long for guys to find hot pike fishing from Indian Lake in Worcester with the bite happening in only 2-to-3 feet of water. This is causing the shop to double down on pike bait to meet the demand. Comet Lake is capped over and there are reports of 3-to-4 pound brown trout. Don’t go small when targeting these insatiable salmonoids as a trophy of that size has no problem engulfing a medium to large shiner.
Donny, at Merrimac Sport Bait and Tackle, says he found a treasure trove of pike shiners for the shop. Many anglers have been content with catching stocked trout at Round, Plugs, Forest, and Pleasant lakes.
Eric, at Lunkers Outfitters in Ashland, says open water anglers were still recently catching corker brown trout from Ashland Reservoir. In fact, one angler caught and then released a massive spring-stocked broodstock estimated to have been between 7-to-8 pounds. He’s expecting to hear of foot traffic on safe ice on most of the local ponds, lakes, and reservoirs by next weekend.
Massachusetts Forecast
If you’re looking for more ice fishing options, consider taking a trip north of the border. While there have been no reports of safe ice from Maine’s smelt camps as of yet, with one eye on the weather forecast the folks from such camps as Leightons and Worthings are expected to haul their shacks out quite possibly by next weekend. Anglers are fishing on some of the coves of Winnipesaukee as well as Southern Maine lakes like Thompson Lake and Lake Auburn. However, if you’d like to stick to your home state, the best ice remains out west with pike the word from Indian Lake in Worcester out to Cheshire Reservoir.