So far, Bay State ice has shown resiliency rivaling the protagonist in a slasher movie! While even the South Shore survived last week’s thaw, the million-dollar question with yet another imminent warm spell is what’s next? From the South Shore through Greater Boston with the one-two punch of significant rain, a relentless thaw, and even humidity – it’s not looking very good.
There’s no substitute for experience, and if you know a water body well, then you may be good as far south as Scituate. If not, then now is not the time for experimentation. A better bet, even if you live near Boston, is to once again travel westward or north of the border for safe ice.
Massachusetts Fishing Report
For most, any interest in the salt has been shelved at least until early April. My buddy Dave Flaherty saw something interesting along the shoreline of his neighborhood in Nahant. Birds were observed scooping up small whiting, and while it didn’t quite trigger an all-out run-for-the-rod sprint to the house from my friend, the curious caster in him piqued his interest. That got me wondering if maybe cod, which this time of year cruise in close, were herding in their little cousins into the shoreline rocks? Regardless, it’s nice to know that something is stirring in the salt!
If ice at the coast has given up the ghost, it went out with a bang! Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate nearly got writer’s cramp from filling out so many Masswildlife Sportfishing Award affidavits! Most of the state pins-in-the-making have been for yellow perch with one of the honey holes Jacobs Pond. Some had also had luck at Lilly Pond for crappie and bass. Oldham Pond and Furnace Pond had been other warm-water species options.
If by some miracle ice holds, consider that anglers such as my buddy Billy “Bass” Eicher caught impressive brown trout from Walden Pond in 30’ of water! Another friend, Steve Langton found Greater Boston bronze, and 5-year-old Nicco Paone showed a hawg-largemouth who was boss as the flakes flew on Sunday! The little guy pulled the trap himself, deftly maneuvered for the right angle to engage the fish, and then slid it onto the ice himself! Next week we could very likely be discussing open water options but if it is the swan song the season was a short but sweet one!
There is no such concern whatsoever from customers of Rod of Flagg’s Fly and Tackle in the Connecticut Valley Region. Anglers out there have been sweating through 12”-14” of ice! One of the more unusual options in the Quabbin area is the horn pout fishing on South Spectacle Pond. Their efforts are belied by the twinkling of kerosene lanterns as they target brown bullheads at night. Ordinarily, those fish are given scant attention as far as a food fish but out of clean water such as South Spectacle, they are delectable! A sidebar under the cover of darkness is the swell crappie fishing that takes place there.
When asked about ice out west Jim from JCB Bait in Cheshire felt that other than the usual live wire spots – inlets, springs, sunny shorelines – the main body of big water such as Cheshire Reservoir, Lake Buel, Onota Lake, and Pontoosuc should be good. The same can be said for Hilltown trout spots in Savoy and Florida. A recent derby on Cheshire resulted in a couple of 12-pound plus pike as well as a 5-pound largemouth bass!
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As for the Merrimack Valley Region, David from Merrimac Sports expects ice to be ok especially since the cold locker is supposed to be opened back up again Friday night into Saturday. There are reasons to be hopeful for one last waltz on the ice since last ice is habitually the best! Lake Cochichewick in North Andover had been good for crappie, smallmouth bass, and purportedly even pike! For variety and volume of water, it’s hard to top the sprawling, multi-pond Harold Parker Reservation in Middleton/North Andover where everything from brook trout to smallmouth bass swim!
Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
Winter’s sure ain’t what they used to be! Bookended between the current thaw and next week’s, is a good old-fashioned chill. Cold temperatures from Friday evening until Sunday should salvage what could be hardwater’s last hurrah. I hope I’m totally wrong, and we’re chasing flags into March, but prospects of that are looking dim. Stick to water you know this weekend and play it safe. It won’t be long and the topic will be open water and stocked trout!