Massachusetts Fishing Report – February 2, 2023

You know what they say about lemons? While there are many versions of the phrase, the gist is that it if you are stuck with them you might as well make lemonade. With an ice fishing season which is increasingly looking like a lost cause for much of the state, it might be time to consider another sort of “yellow” as in yellow perch. A couple buddies and I did recently and now we’re obsessing about the next time we can get out there.

Maybe it’s an indicator of how good we have it in these parts but there’s not all that much love for yellow perch out there. The viewpoint throughout the rest of the “ice belt” is that they are a cherished staple of the hardwater game. New England’s only native panfish are usually eager to take a lure or bait and in the winter the breeders look like little butterballs of blazing color. Ice fishermen dig it, but those who stick solely to open water usually don’t.

By the time open water fishers encounter yellow perch they are done with spawning and lose their bulk and their ornate colors: Superman changes back to Clark Kent again! Increasingly with non-winters the norm it might be time to revisit this fish. Two weeks ago I, along with my buddy Steve Langton, hit a favorite Greater Boston water body I know intimately that I was sure held one pound plus jumbo perch. The quandary for our quarry was how to extract them from the 30’ depths where we had a hunch they were hanging.

For me out came the metal as I threw Krocodiles, Swedish Pimples, Kastmasters, and Panther Martin spinners. Knowing that big perch keep their noses to the bottom, I tried my best to make sure that the hardware was occasionally tickling bedrock. When the lure occasionally came up draped with a strand of salad my intentions were affirmed. Steve worked a tiny jig/soft plastic. Despite out best efforts we came up with nothing.

It was time to retool with a new plan. Ok, maybe there have been times I’ve had too much time on my hands but in the past I’ve sat and observed big perch and smallies going about their business and it’s fascinating how differently they behave. “Sally” and her kin kind of just hang loose, slowly swimming around all the while looking indifferent and not particularly interested in much. However, throw a crayfish in the mix and they turn on the jets and immediately engulf it – it’s pretty obvious small jaws is one efficient predator. Yellow perch on the other hand lack the physical tools of smallies and when observed always seem to be on the hunt as they grovel along the bottom peering at the edge of every rock or blowdown or clump of weed looking for a lobster dinner (crayfish!).

So, out came the Ned Rigs! Being unfamiliar with the rig I listened to my friend Joe, who owns Granite State Rod and Reel Repair in Nashua New Hampshire, who advised me to pick up the ready-made Z-Man kit, in this case the one with “coppertreuse” coloration. We were soon back on the scene with fellow night shift kayaking buddy Billy Eicher and we found jumbo perch close to 1 1/2 pounds more than willing. That Ned Rig jig head positions the worm, tube or craw so that it stands up nearly vertical in the water – looking as if it’s a crayfish trying to defend itself against a predator. It’s a finesse presentation with 2” baits, light jigs and light line negating the need to set up on the bite as the light wire hook tends to gain purchase on the hit.

Massachusetts Fishing Report

When asked about big perch potential in his bailiwick, Eric from Lunkers in Ashland without hesitation coughed up Dug Pond in Natick! A few other open water possibilities came to mind such as Jamaica Pond, Walden Pond, White Pond and Singletary. And yes, Eric has the mighty Ned Rig in stock. Farther up the coast, there are a few big perch possibilities in the vicinity of Bridge Road Bait in Salisbury. Rennie and I talked about Lake Attitash as well as Artichoke Resevoir, Forest Lake. Plugs Pond and Sluice Pond down the dial in Lynn.

This cold snap just might do it for the Central Mass area according to Eddie of B&A Bait and Tackle Co. in West Boylston. Just this Thursday reports of 5” of good ice were coming in from Moosehorn Pond. While I haven’t heard, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was good hardwater among the Coachlace Lakes as well. No word on Comet yet, but the most prized trout water in these parts should “ice in” next. Things are much more promising once you cross into the Connecticut Valley Region according to Rod of Flagg’s Fly and Tackle in Orange. Anglers have been fishing hardwater on Lake Mattawa, Rohunta and Barton Cove but be careful because this feckless winter has left ice nothing if not inconsistent. There’s been no word on The Oxbow or its setback counterparts in Hinsdale New Hampshire, but I would not be surprised if they are frozen. Those sloughs off the Connecticut River teem with diversity with everything from walleye to bowfin to pike there for the offing!

The western part of the state continues to win the ice fishing lottery according to Martin of B&R Bait and Tackle in Cheshire. The money depth for big pike whether targeted in Cheshire Reservoir, Pontoosuc Lake, Lake Onota or Buel seems to be around 6 feet with the fish lurking in the sauerkraut. Obviously weeds can be a problem when tangled on the hook so some sharpies will bring along an underwater camera and sink it down next to the bait to make sure it’s swimming free. Regarding Buel, that has been slow to freeze and because of that less pressured. It’s expected that this Arctic blast should lock up significant stretches of this lake. Should you need another reason to patronize this place the bet among locals is that the next state record pike will come out of here! For bass, Cheshire has been giving up 5 pound largemouth while Richmond Pond and Windsor Pond are the winners for trout.

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

The brief flurry of the forecasted deep freeze is not likely to do much for ice east of Worcester but from Central Mass through the western part of the state things are looking frosty! Water which only recently locked up such as Lake Mattawa, Lake Rohunta or Barton Cove should be tops on your list for a potentially fast bite. I’d also keep one eye on Quabog Pond as well as The Oxbow and the Setbacks of Hinsdale New Hampshire. Farther out west is where the real ice exists with plenty of pike opportunities waiting among very large lakes such as Cheshire, Pontoosuc, Onota and Buel. If you’d rather tempt a trout consider Windsor Pond and Richmond for rainbows. For those closer to the coast, the Arctic blast is not likely to lock things up significantly so you might as well continue to make lemonade out of lemons and enjoy open water options which don’t come along every year!