Ice Fishing

With 7 inches of ice on the pond we ventured out to try for big pickerel and largemouth bass. We were using large shiners and some pike shiners hoping to lure some of the pond's giant lunker bass to the hook. No Bass today but we did pick up a nice three pound pickerel and a bunch of small white and yellow perch. Highlight of the day was the large eel that AC caught.

Once again Oldham Pond show it's reliability at producing consistently good fish. After showing her the technique by catching a white perch. Mar-E responded by icing a nice crappie and largemouth bass. These were her first ice fishing and it's loosed another fanatic. "I couldn't believe how I felt when I saw the fish coming through the ice." said Mar-E. "I really never understood just how much fun this is." "And I get to keep a close eye on Elmer"

We use mostly circle hooks. They consistently allow us to release fish unharmed. We kept the slab for an old friend but all the rest went back. Sunday Feb. 4 we will be back at Oldham Pond Pembroke Mass. Come by and share lies with us.

It was 05:10 when I cranked over the engine in the truck. The temperature was near 10 degrees and a brisk wind was blowing from the north. A beautiful morning for the pond and ice fishing. G-No was in the driveway before I had the auger in the truck and AC was right behind. A quick breakfast at Anita Marie's in Rockland center and it was off to the pond. The ice was the smoothest I have been on in years and the ice cleats sure made a difference. We had no problem negotiating the 400 or so yards to our "spot". There were plenty of other fishermen on the pond right after us, and soon the sound of augers filled the still morning air. We raised the standard and fishing was under way.

The "Bite Me Bait Co." kite had no trouble staying aloft in the steady wind. The "girls' Mar-E and Flann show off their skills while Chief looks on. There are more different types of traps than you can shake a stick at, but what you want to see is the "flag." All will catch fish for you if you use the correct sized bait and set it to the correct depth.

First fish went to Elmer, a nice 4 pound largemouth bass. G-No and AC followed with nice Calico bass or crappies as they are known. Jimdogg prays at the hole for a big crappie. Mar-E lost a nice fish on the trap on the right.

The rest of the crew showed up and everybody got into the act and we put some nice crappie in the live well. We released most fish but brought a few home to treat Hank to a feast. We made some new friends from New Hampshire and we directed them to a couple of good spots to fish. We plan to go visit them on their lake for a friendly fish off.

The grill was hot and the food was never ending. We even picked up some new members "The Duo". We always share what we have with our fellow fishermen. Breaking camp was a challenge with the wind as it was. But all the gear was packed, the ever present seagulls eating any dead bait you toss to them, and we were on our way home for the Super Bowl

Bog Ponds

Recent additions to the Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area has made a couple of bog ponds more available to fish. One marked #63 on maps lies adjacent to Burrage Pond to the NW. It is a small impoundment with an average depth of 4-5 feet. Aquatic vegetation can be an issue at times and the north end holds the deepest water. Large and medium shiners hung just below the ice brought quick results. Decent sized pickerel and crappies made for constant running. Some were lost to the weeds but I pulled out and released a half a dozen nice fish in an hour and a half. Bog ponds cover the SE corner of Massachusetts. Many are productive for "warm water species"

Lout Pond

We fish Lout Pond in Plymouth primarily to catch brown trout. There are rainbows stocked as well. As the state stocks it, go to their website to find out stocking dates and fish stocked. They will also provide you with a bottom contour map that can help you in your search for Brownies. Lout is a small kettle pond and many tube fishermen use it to fly fish in the spring and summer. During ice fishing we also take an occasional lunker largemouth. All the bass go back after the "picture"

AC shows he has the bass down pat. His hat is by "Bagonya Enterprises" Flann has her own style!

Lake Chauncy

Known for big pike and tiger muskies, Lake Chauncy in Westboro, Massachusetts should be on every ones list to ice fish. Today I watched as these two guys caught the fish. I was showing Craig Thompson how the "Fishing Buddy" works and he moved his bait up to coincide with the "echoes" and 5 minutes later pulled a nice 30 inch pike onto the ice. Poor Hegge, had a seagull near one of his traps and the trap was moving. So out he goes to chase the bird away and the trap is still moving. Well it seems he rigged his flag wrong and the fish couldn't trip the flag. So when he pulled the trap out came a 30 inch tiger muskie. He was the most shocked guy on the ice. A couple of short pike added to the day. I tried to get these guys to put the fish back but they were to happy to bring them home. And I guess I don't blame them. Find Lake Chauncy in Westborough, Massachusetts off Rte 9. Take Lyman St. north to Chauncy St and the access point. This day we fished just to the left side of the access point on the main lake. Weed edges on the west side are prime spots also. Across the lake to the right look for the road and set up along the drop off there. This may be the best bet for huge tiger muskies in Massachusetts. The Mass Division of Fisheries and Wild life have their headquarters here. And there has been a bait store on Lyman street beyond Chauncy St.

Oldham Pond

Oldham Pond is one of our fun fishing holes. Located in Pembroke, Massachusetts it's close to where we live and we can talk our wives and girlfriends to come down for the food. We catch so many fish here it's hard to keep bait. Crappies galore and they all average 13-16 inches. Lots of largemouths and an occasional lunker does get caught. Oldham pond connects to Furnace pond in the south of the lake and there is a herring run every spring. Some nice pickerel are caught here every year also. Areas around the island in the north end seem to attract the most fishermen. Yellow perch and white perch also make an appearance on a regular basis. It's a great place to take the family or friends to enjoy a day outdoors. Bring the barbie and the fixings and your in for a great time. We release all fish but a few for a rare crappie fry.

Stetson Pond

We went to Stetson Pond in Pembroke seeking largemouth bass, what we found was a lot of big pickerel. We made "Fitzy's" day. "If you get any extra pickerel will you bring me home a few" he pleaded. "You will just love my fishcakes.