Ice Fishing Season 2019 (Part One)

Cusk with a baited line.

The local weather here on Cape Cod was just cold enough to hinder open water fishing on the ponds but not cold enough to produce safe ice conditions.  As a result I only had one day of local ice fishing.  

Better conditions were found to the north.  This year I made two trips to Lake Winnipesaukee.  Here’s the details.

January 15, 2019 - Lake Winnipesaukee - Long Island

Arrived at the bait shop in Meredth, NH just before noon to buy shiners and smelt. I decided to spend the afternoon at Long Island in Moultonboro.  This has been a good spot in the past for Lake Trout and big Yellow Perch.  It was quite cold and windy when I got there.  Only had one flag go up on a tip up. It was a nice size Yellow Perch (12in.).  Usually when you catch a Yellow Perch, more of the same will soon follow, but not today.  I wanted to go over to Sanders Bay in Gilford to set my Cusk lines out before it got dark.

Yellow Perch

Got to Sanders Bay as the sun was reaching the horizon.  I set out six Cusk devices to leave  in overnight. Chummed the holes with cut up fish (Yellow Perch and Mackerel) and baited the hooks with extra large live shiners.  Checked in at the Bear Tree Inn in Meredith and settled in for the night.

January 16, 2019 - Lake Winnipesaukee - Sanders Bay/ Twenty Mile Bay

Next morning I went back to Sanders to check the Cusk lines. There were two Cusk on the lines.  The Cusk is more commonly called a Burbot.  The same species is found in cold deep northern lakes in North America, Europe, and Asia. It’s a freshwater member of the Cod family. Like the Cod its a very good food fish.  

The night before two guys in the room next door said they caught Lake Trout and a bunch of White Perch in Twenty Mile Bay.  I decided to give it a try. When I got there I noticed lots of old frozen holes but nobody else was on the ice.  There had been a lot of activity here over the weekend.  I fished until after sunset but didn’t catch any Lake Trout or White Perch. Only caught two more Yellow Perch. Packed it up and went home.   The Cusk and Perch went into the Chowder Pot. 

January 22, 2019 - Santuit Pond

By the third week of January we finally had a cold snap long enough to put a good layer of ice on the local ponds.  I headed over to Santuit Pond in Mashpee where the shallow north facing coves were sure to be iced over.  I found a solid four inch layer of black ice, definitely safe enough to walk on. I had a few small killifish and some nightcrawlers for bait.  Only had three tip ups out when the flags started to pop. Caught a pickerel on a killi and a bunch of Yellow Perch on the crawlers. 

Chain Pickerel

It was fun to be ice fishing locally, but I knew it wouldn’t last.  Sure enough warm temperatures over the next few days put an end to Cape Cod’s very short 2019 ice fishing season.  It was time to plan the Annual Family Ice Fishing Trip To The North Country.