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It looks like this years Ice Season is finally about to start. With a week full of sub freezing temperatures, reports are filtering into the shop of suitable ice conditions for ic3e fishing. Just a reminder to check ice conditions before you go on the ice. This is not the time of year to be going for a swim. It is also a good idea to make sure you have a pair of ice grippers in case you go through the ice. They will allow you to grip the ica and pull yourselp up and o nto the ice. They are lifesavers.
Winter hours for the coming season will be as follows: Monday through Saturday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Sunday 7:00 to 12:00 p.m., Holidays 7:0 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Hours may increase if demand increases or decrease if demand decreases.
We have the folowing baits in stock now; Smal, medium and large shiners, night crawlers, dillies, trout worms and meal worms.
The following Ice Derbies are slated to take place in the coming weeks:
The Georgetown Fish & Game will hold their contest on January 30. 2005 from 7 a.m. till 3 p.m. at Pentucket Pnd in Georgetown. Headquarters will be at their clubhouse on Lake Ave. You can register at the clubhouse the day of the derby, starting at 5:30. The cost of registration is $12.00. The kitchen and the clubhouse will be open all day for snacks and a place to warm up. The promise of a roaring fire has been made. For additional information call Bob at 978-927-6003 or email GFANDGPRES@AOL.COM
The Lynn Fish and Game will be holding their Ice Derby at Sluice Pond on Saturday, February 5 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ther will be four rizes awarded to the heaviest fish in each of the following categories; Bass, Trout, Salmon and Pickerel. Prizes are based on total entry fees collected with 25% of the take going to each winner. Foe registration and further information contact Yom's Bait and Tackle, Ballard St. in Saugus. Registration is $20.00 cash. Call George at 978-531-6713.
Good luck to all participants.
The ice season still is waiting for a hard freeze so that fishermen can take their place along holes drilled in the ice. They are anxious to drill holes, set traps, bait hooks and fight fish. Generally speaking, the first couple of weeks of ice fishing is an exciting time as anglers greet fishermen that they have not seen since last ice season. Ice anglers have plotted a strategy for weeks now and are anxious to impliment their initial plans for the season. With the freezing conditions of the past week, it appears that the ice fishing season will get started, in ernest, this weekend. Anglers will be burdened down with all sorts of equipment ranging from jigging sticks and tip-ups to spuds and augers, along with terminal tackle and grills. Many fishermen have commented that they want to be on the ice early with holes drilled, traps set and grills fired up so they are ready for an ananxiously awaited day of renewed friendships, great eating and fabulous fishing.
Salt water anglers have found it somewhat difficult getting out to search for groundfish. Numerous nusience snowstorms have kept most anglers grounded and boats tied secuely to their moorings. For those boats that have made it to the fishing grounds have found the fishing to be good but no where as productive as the fall fishing season. Plenty of twenty pound cod have been landed but the fifty and sixty pound cod that were so common during the fall seemed to have completelt vanished. Haddock catches continue to please party boat anglers and private boat fishermen. Numbers of haddock have been strong and the size of the haddock caught have pleased all anglers. Most anglers agree that a little modification in weather and temperatures would be welcomed. Remember, when you freeze your catch make sure you freeze your fillets, freeze them in a container of water or in a vacumn sealed plastic bag. This process will keep your fillets from being ruined by freezer burn and preserve the high quality of a fresh catch.
This year, the ice season is of to a slow start due to a lack of ice. This should change shortly. Are you ready? Reports indicate we may have ice shortly. Let's hope so!
We have the following baits in stock now. Small, medium and large shiners, night crawlers, dillies, trout worms and meal worms. Shiners need to be carried in an aireated bucket and in order to keep night crawlers for an extended period of time dirt must be changed frequently.
Shop hours for the winter months are as follows; Monday thru Friday, 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. Saturday, 7:00 am. to 4:00 pm. and Sunday, 7:00 am. to 12:00pm. Holidays, 7:00 am to 12:00 pm.
January 30 The Georgetown Fish and Game at Pentucket Pond in Georgetown from 7 am. Kitchen will be open and limited bait available. Registration is $12.00. Contact Bob for more info at 978-927-6003.
February 5. The Lynn Fish and Game at Sluice Pond in Lynn from 8 am. Registrations at boat ramp before derby or at Tom's Bait, Ballard St in Saugus. . Contact Lynn Fish & Game - George at 978-531-6713.
Both derbies are presenting cash prizes to all winners. God Luck to all
Here we are halfway through the month of January and we are still waiting for ice to form so that ice fishing can start. It looks like fishing may start this weekend. After summerlike weather, weathermen promise sub freezing conditions thru the weekend and into next week. Maybe weekend fishermen will finally be able to drill holes, bait hooks and set traps in the hopes of some winter fishing action. If an ice cover settles in over the area, make sure you exercise caution as the first ice is always dangerous. Early ice fishermen are always willing to take unnecessary chances in order to score a few fish. For this old gaffer, I would much rather stay dry. Early ice fishermen should stick to the smaller, shallow and well protected local ponds. One of the first local ponds to freeze over is generally Pleasant Pond in Wenham.
With winter storms hitting our area at the rate of what seems to be every three days or so, fishermen have been passing up the chance to wet a line. Recreational anglers have remained dockside preferring to tell fish stories of seasons past and perform maintenance duties on their fishing tackle. Once in a while a fisherman might tackle a chance and cast a line to the cold,grey waters of the pounding surf in the hopes of hooking up with solitary cod searching for a meal. By all reports that have come into the shop, there have been no cod caught by surf fishermen. Fishermen are now waiting for calmer waters so they can get out by boats. Limited numbers of boats remain in the water in case a springlike period blesses the area. Until that time arrives or spring takes hold fishermen will have to be satisfied with wishing for calmer water and better weather.
The big question has been "Where is the ice?". The lack of ice has frustrated ice fishermen all over the area. Let's hope ice builds fast so we can get out the ice traps. At least we can talk about ice fishing on the logbook.
This is the time of the year that you should have your reels cleaned. Don't let your reels continue to corrode as last years salt sits and destroys you reel. The longer you wait to get you reels serviced, the longer the wait will be to get your reels done. When the fishing starts you want to be fishing not waiting for your reels to be serviced. Every year fishermen bring in their reels to be serviced just before they want to usen them. Most fishermen do this every year and yet they can't understand why they can't get their reel serviced right away. Avoid the rush and bring in your reels now.
As part of our efforts to constantly improve the content of our site, we've added a new feature - 'Wreck Locator'. When you enter the page, simply enter in the coordinates of the area you'll be fishing (NE Atlantic) and the program will search through the database and display the wrecks, obstructions etc nearby. There's also a pop-up tool to convert the coordinates into different formats.
As always, thank you for your generosity in supporting this site.
This year's fund raiser to keep the website up and running was a disappointment. Only 17 out of the 4000 users of the site thought it was worth a donation. We will continue to accept donations through the year. I am sorry to report that the lack of needed funds may effect the content of the site. We will try to keep the site up as best we can but will not be able to guarantee that the site will not see some changes. Thank you for your past donations. We hope you all will enjoy a new year full of happiness and good health with tight lines always
We have the following baits in stock right now: small, medium and large shiners, trout worms, dillies, night crawlers, and meal worms. Once we start to get calls, we will start carrying pike sized shiners. Just a reminder to all ice fishermen, our bait deliveries come in on Thursday afternoon.
The first notice for a coming Ice Derby is the popular derby y sponsored by the Georgetown Fish and Game. This popular derby will be held on Sunday January 30 from 7 to 3 at Pentucket Pond in Georgetown. There will be 6 cash prizes forte largest fish caught. The registration fee for this popular event is only $12 on the day of the event and registrations will start at 5:30 am at the Clubhouse. The kitchen will be open as well as the clubhouse with a roaring fire. This is a great event for the family and the wives and kids can take a break and get warm in the clubhouse. Limited bait will be available. For further information contact the club at 978-927-6003 or e-mail at GFANDGPRES@AOL.COM. This is a fantastic family event and is highly recommended.
Fresh water anglers have been in a constant state of frustration throughout the month of December as the constsnt fluctuation of temperatures prevented open water fishing yet never let the ice freeze solid enough to support any on ice activity. Fishermen have kept a constant watch over ice conditions hoping to get out on the ice. The watch continues and hopes run high for this weekend. Caution is advised for an early winter swim is not worth the chance to wet a line. The first waters to be ready for ice fishing will be the smaller and sheltered bodies of water. Stay away from the larger lakes and ponds for they are the last to become safe. Also stay clear of running water. Some of the first ponds to support ice fishing might be Pleasant Pond, Beck's Pond and Berry Pond. The last bodies of water to become safe are usually Chebacco Lake, Horn Pond and Sluice Pond.
The cod action this fall has been nothing short of fantastic. For the first time in over a decade, we have weighed in fifty and sixty pound fish. Partyboats as well as private boat fishermen have scored big. Although there have been good sized fish caught on generous offerings of sea clams, the largest numbers of extreme cod have been caught on jigs. Norwegian jigs have ben the favorites with Herring and Diamond jigs a close favorite. Small boat fishermen have been working the inshore hills, banks and ledges. Favorite locations for the small boat anglers have been Tinker's Ledge, Newcomb's Ledge, Cole Ridge and Saturday Night Ledge. Party boats have made the trip to the offshore Ledges with favorite spots being Stellwagen and Jefferies Ledges. Private boat fishermen have made the use of teasers a mandatory addition to the jig. Often times, the teasers will actually catch the cod. Reports filter into the shop about an occassional cod being caught from shore. Spots that have reported a cod or two caught from shore have been the Castle Island Pier and Plum Island. Catches have been made on the night tides and the fish have ben market sized. It's been a long time since we have seen this!
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