Massachusetts Fishing Report - January 14, 2015

The current state of ice fishing affairs could be summed up by the phrase, “Go west young man, go west…”! While “manifest destiny” is no longer the rage, currently that is where safe ice is in the Bay State. Of course, if you’re fanatical about frozen water, you are probably hoping that next week’s frigid forecast evens the playing field.

So how does Rodney of Flagg’s in Orange know that there is 6” of ice in the Quabbin area? Easy, a customer brought him in a chunk from a recent fishing excursion. The “show and tell” came from Lake Moore, but folks are also out on Clubhouse Pond, Laurel Lake, Tully Lake and South Athol Pond. Lake Mattawa has skimmed over but Rod recommends anglers wait for what should be a slam-dunk lock-up of next week’s deep freeze for that place. In anticipation of angling interest, Flagg’s is expecting a plentiful delivery of bait on Friday.

The guy that will be delivering that bait to Flagg’s – Brandon of Granby’s – told me that he has been selling pike bait which they’re putting to good use among the coves of Quabog Pond. Recent rains have The Oxbow running high and strong but it should freeze up sometime next week. The higher water should draw pike in closer into feeding zones which could not hold them before the rain. Fishermen are taking trout from Goose Pond and Upper Highland Lakes.

Jim from JCB Bait in Cheshire said that he recently viewed a gang of about 6 out on the first lake/northern basin on Cheshire Reservoir. Get those pike while you can since Jim’s sons are hatching plans for their first trip of the year and the pike are in for a whopping. Common sense must apply first and foremost to all ice fishing excursions but Jim’s even heard of a guy wheeling around among sheltered coves of Pontoosuc on a 4-wheeler, so there should be good ice there as well. The higher elevation trout ponds such as Plainfield, Windsor and North are all good!

According to Eddie of B&A, before the torrent of last weekend, anglers were out on a few solid inches at Indian Lake, Moosehorn and Maple Spring Pond (Peter Carr). Of those last three Eddie recommends Indian Lake which is a veritable warm water species “box of chocolates” which has even been stocked with tiger muskies in the past.

Don from Merrimack Sports said that a nearby border pond – Tewksbury Pond – which straddles New Hampshire also is one of the first to lock up locally. He’s even anticipating good ice on Lake Attitash once the big chill kicks in next week.

Fishing Forecast

While the Southern and Eastern parts of Massachusetts await their turn for a prolonged visit from Old Man Winter, there is plenty of ice in the western portion of the state. If you’d like to tug in a toothy, you’ll find you’re quarry in Quabog or Cheshire Reservoir. For some trout fun give Lake Moore, Goose Pond or the Upper Highland Lake a shot. If you’re just dying to work your jig-stick magic on some panfish than the nod has to go to the North and South Spectacle Ponds which after the freezer opens up next week should be all ready to go!