It’s increasingly looking as if the ice fisher, who calls the South Shore through Greater Boston their home, no longer has to feel slighted. With a 24-7 freeze expected until well into Monday, hardwater options are increasing exponentially.
Massachusetts Fishing Report
Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate did something he hasn’t had to do a lot lately – order a lot of bait! One hint as to where that bait will be used can be found in smaller ponds where kids have been observed skating! Some of the earliest to lock up have been the no-name sloughs that dot the woods of the Norwell/Hanover area. Don’t be fooled by the small proportions of these places, big bass have been caught in some of them! More prominent hardwater prospects are Jacobs Pond, Lilly Pond, Furnace Pond and Tack Factory Pond. Finally frozen water fun is not limited to the western part of the state!
Nuno of Lunkers in Ashland said that anglers have been out on coves of some local water bodies even those which hold trout such as Ashland and Hopkinton Reservoirs. Cochituate could very much be next by this weekend. No word yet on Fairhaven Bay on the Sudbury River but safe ice on that should be imminent as well. Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics told me that the shop will be open all winter long and stocked to the rafters with bait and other ice fishing necessities. Some spots worth considering are Wrights Pond in Medford, Towners and Swains in Melrose as well as the Golden Hills gems. While tiny, Fellsmere Pond in Malden has been known to surprise! Of course there is also the twin-Concord trout honey holes of Walden Pond and White Pond.
Eddie of B&A Bait and Tackle Co. in West Boylston in West Boylston told me that up until now anglers fishing for pike in Indian Lake in Worcester had only scratched the surface since only the coves had capped over. Anglers are anticipating what they’ll find now that the rest of the lake is locking up! Comet Pond continues to produce some nice brown trout as well as rainbows with small shiners the best bait. East Waushacum is one of the better local bets for smallmouth bass as well as over-sized yellow perch. If Eddie had to pick two favorites for a buffet of warm water species he’d choose Mossy Pond and Peter Carr.
While local favorites such as Mattawa, Rohunta and North Spectacle Pond continue to produce, the great ice conditions has folks on the move! Increasingly anglers are making the trip to the setbacks or oxbows of the Connecticut River such as Barton Cove as well as The Oxbow and similar water in Hinsdale, New Hampshire. Walleye is often the big draw in these places. Patrons have been boasting about Lake Ellis, especially in the area behind the High School where the action has been good for impressive largemouth bass.
Patrick Barone of Charter The Berkshires has been fishing flat out on most weekends and said that while ice is not a problem, pressure is! Pandemic pressure is a real thing as more anglers take to the ice looking for relief. Patrick said that lively bait often makes a big difference especially when there is so much hanging bait for the fish to choose from! Bait stored in an outdoor environment will adjust to a water body a lot quicker than that which comes from indoors. Keeping it aerated on site matters as well. The captain makes it a habit of checking the shiners every 15 minutes or so to make sure they are still lively, if not he wastes no time swapping out the bait. You’ll go through more bait this way but the point isn’t to just soak shiners, it is to catch fish! Addionally, never toss a dead/dying shiner into the hole you are fishing; the goal is to tempt a bite not to feed the fish. As for a potentially prime place, Patrick suggests Greenwater Pond where warm water species, especially perch, fatten up on a smelt forage base. Regarding rainbow smelt, Onota Lake has them and anglers who fish for them at night! Jim from JCB in Cheshire said that the crowds of a few weeks ago have trailed off dramatically, With the cold snap predicted, this weekend may be a perfect time to find less pressured water at Cheshire, Pontoosuc, Buel and Onota.
David from Merrimack Sports said that he’s heard of a nice crappie catch among the slower stretches of the Shawsheen River. Photos of pike among the coves of the Merrimack remain impressive. Lake Cochichewick has been also good for crappie. Trout are the talk of those who are fishing Forest Lake and Millvale Pond. Some are fishing over the border into New Hampshire with Angle Pond, Country Pond and Rock Pond among the favorites! If you’re wondering about bait, the shop is carrying everything from pinhead shiners to suckers!
Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
You don’t need to be a master angler to realize that less pressured water has better fishing. With no ice to speak of so far this winter, as well as all of last winter, South Shore ponds should be prime once we get safe ice! Look for some luck from Lilly Pond, Jacobs Pond and Tack Factory Pond. Check out Lake Cochituate which should have solid ice by the weekend. Just north of Boston, Towners, Swains and the Golden Hills Ponds hold promise. Comet is among the best for brown trout in central Massachusetts while Indian Lake gets the nod for pike. Slower coves, setbacks and oxbows which dot the Connecticut River all the way through New Hampshire are diverse fish bowls where even walleye are not an unusual catch. If you were put off by pressured western mass water it may be time to revisit as the word from such places as Cheshire Reservoir is that interest has fallen off.
How about Jamaica Pond and Houghton’s Pond?