February 21, 2006 Ice Fishing Report

Region A- Southwestern Maine

Ice making temperatures over the holiday weekend could not overcome the negative influence of ice breaking winds, which precluded ice formation on Sebago's "Big Bay". Jordan Bay and Lower Bay remain ice covered and were not significantly affected by the weekend winds. There is some ice fishing being reported in both frozen basins, but we haven't heard too many fishing stories yet.

The "Sebago Lake Ice Fishing Derby" is scheduled for this coming weekend, but safety concerns regarding ice thickness and lack there of on the big bay (the largest basin) has prompted organizers to take the derby statewide. As a statewide derby, all waters open to ice fishing can be fished this year. Many anglers will still likely fish frozen areas of Sebago, which produces some of the largest lake trout caught in the state each year. Since the onset of the Sebago ice fishing derby, the Department has been supportive of this nonprofit fund raising event that supports fisheries management efforts to reduce the togue population in Sebago. In the development of a contingency plan to support a statewide derby (during those years when ice conditions are not suitable on Sebago Lake), Tom Noonan of the Windham Rotary has been very receptive to adopting this concept. In addition, some species of fish were considered to be more vulnerable to angling and were excluded from the derby. For example, landlocked salmon, brook trout, and bass may not be entered at all, while others must meet minimum length requirements, higher than those allowed under general law. Anglers can obtain additional derby information on line at: www.icefishingderby.com <http://www.icefishingderby.com.

Speaking of derbies, F.E.T. held their annual fishing derby last Sunday. This very popular nonprofit fund raising event was well attended, especially considering the chilly weather, and less than ideal ice conditions. In fact, a pressure ridge had opened up between the upper and middle bay, limiting travel on the lake. Also, the ice was not safe for vehicle traffic, which limited access for some anglers. The winners of the adult division are: a 5.9 pound togue caught by Bret Smith took first place ($3000); a 4.3 pound largemouth caught by Eric Lane took second ($1000); and 3rd place was taken by a 4.2 pound largemouth caught by Kevin Parenteau. The winners of the youth division: Ryan Lemiry, 1st place (Sony PSP) with a 2.79 pound togue; Nathan Buzybski took 2nd place (Sony PS2) with a 1.7 pound brook trout; and Nicholas Pierre took 3rd place (Gameboy) with a 1.5 pound pickerel.

Warden John Lonergan checked some nice 3 pound brook trout and Mousam Lake last weekend, and has received reports of even larger brookies being caught. Shallow coves and mouths of inlet streams have provided the best action for these retired hatchery stocked brood fish.

We've received some reports that smelt are showing up in the bellies of Great East Lake togue, a very encouraging and welcomed sign. Great East Lake borders New Hampshire and is cooperatively managed by MDIFW and NHFG. Over the years, it has been a real challenge to maintain a stable forage fish population to support coldwater fishery management efforts. Most recently, NHFG introduced ¼ million smelt eggs in 2004, and based on recent ice fishing reports, there was some survival and hopefully enough escapement to permit successful spawning. Great East supports a robust population of lake trout, which will certainly make good use of smelt. If successful in creating a stable forage fish population, there is mutual interest in managing Great East also for landlocked salmon.

-Francis Brautigam, Fisheries Biologist Specialist

Region B - Central Maine

Our wild and mild winter marches on. Luckily, cooler temperatures over the past week have kept ice conditions somewhat stationary in terms of thickness. There is still a lot of variability around the region and caution is still the byword. Our office is constantly getting reports of anglers and machinery either breaking through thin ice or having some hair-raising near misses! Lack of snow cover and the recent combination of rain and wind has created extremely slick surfaces better suited for skating on many waters. If you haven't done so yet, now might be a wise time to invest in some 'creepers'. At the very least, they'll save you from a potentially embarrassing ice dance. More than likely though, they'll prevent a potentially serious injury caused by a fall.

This week, we confirmed the presence of northern pike in Mosher Pond in Fayette. This is the latest in what appears to be a continuing story of disappointing news where pike are being caught in waters where they formerly weren't found. In the Belgrade chain of Lakes, pike have moved throughout adjoining waters with great success. Mosher Pond is connected to a number of area waters in similar fashion. While this may have far-reaching implications, there does appear to be some hope. I've spoken with a few anglers who are targeting Mosher for pike and I wish them all the best of luck.

Over the past few years, the frequency of new reports of the presence of pike is on the increase. Once they have found their way into a body of water, eradication is almost impossible. And, they are what is called an 'opportunistic carnivore', meaning that it will eat virtually anything that will fit into its mouth. Some biologists have calculated that optimum food size is one third to one half of the size of the pike in question! That means that any other fish, bird, amphibian or mammal in that size range could be a menu item.

From a fisheries perspective, when pike invade a water, there are negative consequences to any other fish species. Angling most likely may help in controlling a particular pike population but probably won't eliminate the fish in any water that has suitable breeding areas, and most of our area waters have that sort of habitat in abundance. Regional staff is completing an evaluation of the effects of winter angling on pike at Long and Ingham Ponds in the Belgrade's.

So, you ask, how do these pike manage to get into a lake or pond? There are two basic ways, either by natural movement or by human intervention. Natural movements are those where the fish move on their own, or are relocated by birds of prey. The latter is extremely rare, but I bring it up because it has been documented. We have to remember that pike are not native to Maine. The nearest natural range close to Maine is in the Lake Champlain drainage of New York and Vermont and in the St. Lawrence River. In terms of natural movements, they would have a pretty long swim. The bottom line is that chances are slim that they got here on their own.

The movement of pike by humans comes in several forms. One is by the dumping of baitfish in waters other than those they were caught in. There are a number of regulations in Maine law that are meant to stop the spread of not just pike, but any fish not occurring in a given water. It is illegal to release unused baitfish in any water without a permit. A person may not import baitfish from outside of Maine. Additionally, only certain species of fish can be used as bait. Pike and its relative species, the pickerel and musky, are not on the list. There is up to a $10,000 fine for such an offense. Obviously, the department doesn't take bait dumping lightly.

The other, and more insidious way that our fellow humans move pike is by what we refer too as 'bucket biology'. The misguided individual who utilizes this method is selfish in that he/she is making a one person minority decision to enhance their personal fishing desires at the cost of the fishery as a whole. These are not sportsmen and women; they could care less about the fishing of others. It too is against the law. It is illegal to transport live fish without a permit; it is also illegal to stock fish without a permit. And, it also carries a $10,000 fine if caught.

Our wardens and biologists are constantly on the watch for illegal introductions of fish. But, we need more eyes. You can help us all by keeping your eyes (and ears) open for suspicious activity. If you do have information, call 1-800-253-7887 (1-800-ALERT-US).

-Robert Van-Riper, Regional Fisheries Biologist

Region C - Downeast

School vacation week is here, complete with President's Day, ice fishing, and high school basketball tournaments! What a great week to pack full of family activities and sweep out the cabin fever cobwebs that strike at this time of year.

Along the coastal part of Hancock and Washington Counties, anglers still need to exercise caution, selecting lakes and ponds where ice conditions are safe. Further north in the Downeast Region, ice conditions are better, but caution is still advised - we all want to be around to fish next spring!

If you are fishing with kids and family, the best action can come from chain pickerel and white perch. Pickerel feed actively all winter, so head to ponds like Rocky Lake in T 22 MD, Spectacle Pond in Osborn, Great Pond in Great Pond Twp, Eddington Pond in Eddington, Hancock Pond in Bucksport, Somes Pond in Mt. Desert Island, Georges Pond in Franklin, Boyden Lake in Perry, Pocomoonshine Lake in Alexander. Take plenty of bait, as pickerel feed heavily on baitfish, and the action could be fast.

If you are targeting white perch, remember that the best action comes from daylight through 9-10 a.m. or in the last 2 hours of afternoon daylight. Generally, the best action is found in the pond's deeper water, and once an active school of perch starts tripping flags, you may want to move more traps into that area. Other times, however, the action can be so fast, that you can't even keep one or two traps baited before another perch bites! As with pickerel fishing, you'll want to take lots of bait. If you run out, just put a small jig on your line and keep it moving close to the bottom for continued good action.

Waters where white perch may keep you running include: sections of Green Lake in Ellsworth, Lower Patten Pond in Surry, Georges Pond in Franklin, 2d and 3d Chain Lakes in Twp 27 ED, Second Gardner Lake in Marion, Pocomoonshine Lake in Alexander, and Big Lake in T 26 ED.

Have a good week as you enjoy "the winter that wasn't".

-Rick Jordan, Assistant Regional Fisheries Biologist

Region D - Western Mountains

Areas in southern Maine this year have had poor ice conditions, which is not entirely unusual. Here in northwestern Maine, the ice is always solid at this time of year. That's not the case this winter. Normally, there would be somewhere between two and three feet of ice on the lakes and ponds in Franklin, northern Oxford, and southern Somerset counties. This year, two feet of ice is rare and some waters still only have 12 to 14 inches. While that is plenty of ice to get around on, anglers need to be aware of potential thin spots and open water. Shallow areas and areas near inlets and outlets will be particularly dangerous throughout the rest of the season. Just last week, while I was making my creel survey rounds on Webb Lake in Weld, I found about 3-acres of open water in a shallow area near an inlet. Overall, the lakes up here are safe for ice travel, but people need to be alert for the bad spots. If you're thinking of traveling a little further north to find enough snow to get around on, you will find it. However, there still isn't very much snow, even in the mountains.

Fishing over the last couple of weeks has not changed much. Anglers after trout and salmon are still catching a few, but the action is slow. Brook trout and lake trout are the main producers at Porter Lake in Strong and Clearwater Pond in Industry. Salmon are caught regularly at Wilson Pond in Wilton and Umbagog Lake in Upton. Brown trout, smallmouth bass, and pickerel are keeping anglers happy at Webb Lake. Anglers looking for better action while fishing might try a warmwater pond with perch and pickerel. All of the small ponds in the Chesterville area provide these types of opportunity. While fishing Horseshoe Pond in Chesterville last week, my wife Kathy caught two fish on one flag at the same time. A 7-inch yellow perch took the bait and an 18-inch pickerel took the perch. In thirty years of icefishing that's the first time I'd ever seen that happen!

-David Howatt, Biology Specialist

Region E - Moosehead Region

The extreme highs and lows of the mercury in the thermometer continued this past week. The warm temperatures of 40 to 50 degrees we had earlier in the week were soon forgotten as strong Arctic winds and cold temperatures moved into the state by the weekend.

Despite the Statewide Free Fishing Weekend, it seemed that the cold weather kept many anglers at home. On Saturday we encountered very few anglers on the lakes we surveyed and even fewer on Sunday. On Saturday, regional staff conducted creel censuses on Chesuncook Lake, Moosehead Lake, and Sebec Lake. The small patches of snow, which allowed travel on the lakes and ponds last weekend were virtually non-existent by Saturday, making travel on the ice by snowmobile nearly impossible. In order to get around on the ice we improvised and used lots of dish soap to keep tracks and sliders on the snowmobiles lubricated. The dish soap seemed to do the trick as no damage was incurred to any of the sleds. However, we now have four sleds that have a "lemony fresh scent" to them. On Sunday, we conducted surveys from access points to Moosehead Lake in Rockwood, Greenville Junction and in the Lily Bay area. Our staff interviewed anglers coming off the ice at these locations and recorded information of their fishing trip as well as lengths and weights of any fish they may have caught.

On Saturday, I was scheduled to meet with the Scout Troop 61 in Parkman at Harlow Pond as part of their annual winter outing. I intended on talking to these young men about some of the basics of fishery management and regulations. However, due to the very cold conditions with subzero wind chills this outing was canceled. I know they had a great time last year and I hope they plan on having their outing again next year and that Mother Nature is a bit kinder.

Reports have come into the office of some good fishing at Allagash Lake. Brook trout and lake trout seem to be showing up in good numbers and nice sizes. A report from Lobster Lake mentioned that fishing was slow despite the nice weather we had mid-week but that a few togue in the 5 to 7 pound range were showing up. Lobster Lake continues to draw the angler in search of that "Big Togue". The party I spoke too had released about a 28-inch togue in hopes of a larger fish but to no avail.

-Jeff Bagley, Regional Fisheries Biologist

Region F, Penobscot Region

Fishing activity across the region remains at a very low level. The cold snap helped to make thicker ice but also kept a lot of anglers off the ice. There are still many reports of thin ice and open water on a lot of lakes, especially those in the south eastern part of the region. Despite the somewhat harsh weather conditions and questionable ice conditions in some areas, the annual Schoodic Lake Ice Fishing Derby went on without a hitch. The derby is held on Schoodic Lake and a few other local lakes in the area. In the two days the derby was held, a total of 479 fish were registered. The first place fish in each category were: Togue 27", 6.54 lbs; Salmon 22", 4.1 lbs; Trout 15.5", 1.75 lbs; Cusk 28", 5.7 lbs; and Bass 19", 3.4 lbs.

Elsewhere, those who did venture out had some good fishing. Pleasant Pond in Island Falls continues to produce some large salmon and brook trout as does East Grand Lake that also has a good population of lake trout. Cold Stream Pond fishing has been very slow but the fish are in very good shape. A Cold Stream angler brought a salmon in to the office which registered 5.5 lbs. on our scale.

In an attempt to learn about Northern pike movements in Pushaw Lake and the surrounding waters, Department personnel assisted by Atlantic Salmon Commission personnel, captured two Northern pike in Pushaw Lake. The pike were tagged with radio transmitters and released back into the lake. Biologists are able to track the movements of the fish using a radio reciever and directional antenna which may enable biologists to locate a Northern pike spawning area in the spring.

-Michael Smith, Regional Fisheries Biologist

Region G - Aroostook County

Weather conditions this weekend were brutally cold making for difficult fishing at best. I experienced anglers with auger problems, temporary shelters that were being blown apart and bait freezing in the bait bucket. In traveling around on a snowsled on the various trails and lakes, I realized how fortunate we are as Department employees to have essentially the very best of equipment for working in these extreme conditions. My face was kept from being frost bitten by having a snowmobile helmet that blocked the wind but had the ventilation to keep the windshield clear - not a problem seeing all weekend . The snowmobile suit effectively blocked the wind from my neck to my feet, leather mitts kept my hands warm from the cold wind and my insulated boots made for warm feet. The snowmobile was air cooled and ran great with the very cold condidtions. I could feel the wind slamming against me but I was totally unfazed by the extremely cold temperature. It was, in fact, rather enjoyable to be out riding but fishing was down on all of the lakes this weekend.

In reading the fishing report from the Moosehead Region last week where they are encouraging anglers to kill salmon at Chesuncook Lake, we also have a lake in this region where we have liberalized regulations to help thin out a wild togue population that is of concern to salmon growth and smelt numbers. Anglers fishing Eagle Lake, in the Fish River Chain, are encouraged to harvest their legal daily bag limit of togue which may be five fish if they have kept no other salmon or brook trout. The length limit on togue has also been reduced to 14 inches to allow the removal of juvenile togue from the system. Angler cooperation to remove these togue from Eagle Lake is greatly appreciated. I can personally vouch that Regional fishery biologist Ron Brokaw at our Jonesboro office has a great recipe for cooking togue. I am sure that he would be glad to answer any requests for this recipe.

-David Basley, Regional Fisheries Biologist

From the Maine Warden Service...The Colonel's Tip

As we near the end of the ice fishing season and approach open water fishing - only a little more than a month away - its a good time to start thinking about inspecting and replacing your monofilament fishing line on your reels. Not only is this a good activity to help cure cabin fever, it also eliminates the need to change your line in the field, thereby reducing the cahnce of old line being discarded in the field or in the water. Discarded monofilament is not only unsightly, it also can entangle and injure or kill fish and wildlife.

-Colonel Tom Santaguida, Maine Warden Service

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