MAINELY OUTDOORS
by Bill Graves
Frequent heavy rainstorms intermixed with intermittent days of warm weather have combined to reek havoc for winter sportsmen. Snowmobilers, downhill and cross country skiers, rabbit hunters and especially ice fishermen are experiencing a difficult time traveling trails. Area anglers would be wise to select lakes and ponds less remote, and to fish with friends in case of mechanical problems or snowmobiles getting stuck in the slush and wet heavy snow. It’s not necessarily that there’s not a safe layer of ice on most waterways, but water, slush and thin layers of ice cover the thick base ice like layers of a cake. It’s bad enough when a man hits a soft spot and sinks past his knees, but bog a heavy snowsled down and the fun fishing trip turns into work. The weight of the extra water and slush also means when you drill a fishing hole, water is likely to overflow for awhile and make the area around the hole treacherous.
To make drilling and tending traps easier under these wet conditions, I carry a wide, lightweight shovel along. If there are two or three fishermen, a routine can be established. One person shovels a four-foot square of ice free of snow, the second fellow angler augers the hole and the third sport scoops the hole free of ice, then baits and sets up the tip-up. Clearing an open spot not only makes setting up easier, but also tending traps throughout the day and certainly when playing a big fish.
Like most avid hard water fishermen, I enjoy visiting secluded lakes where fishing pressure remains minimal and likelihood of hooking a bragging-size brute and hauling it though the ice hole increases. But under certain road conditions and the current snow cover situation, try lakes closer to home until the really frigid weather firms up the snow and ice.
Ice drillers from Presque Isle or nearby communities might visit Arnold Brook Lake. This manmade reservoir remains well stocked with brook trout, is only a couple of miles from town and boasts a parking area right on the shoreline. Some locals drive out before work or at lunch time for an hour, set up a couple of traps a short distance from shore, then sit in their vehicle and eat breakfast or lunch waiting for a flag to fly.
Near Houlton a handful of lakes offer shoreline parking and snowshoe or walking access with no need of a snowmobile or ATV. Drew’s Lake offers pickerel, perch, brook trout and some large brown trout, a unique and hard fighting quarry. Nearby Nickerson Lake, also simple to reach and fish, also boasts several species and only moderate pressure. Some very deep sections of Nickerson hold 5-pound plus trout well worth the visit.
A bit farther south, local anglers can visit Cochran, Spaulding, Country Road lake and Hodgdon Mill Pond for roadside access and dependable trout fishing. A set of rain pants or waterproof bib overalls assures dry knees and legs and mid-calf insulated rubber boots keep feet warm and dry. Under current conditions there can be several inches of slush and water trapped between base ice and snow cover and a wet foot or leg can end an outing. Dress smart for wet conditions and always have at least two pair of gloves.
Ashland anglers need to travel about 10 miles for easy roadside access to Machias Lake. While watching for flags, sportsmen who enjoy hands-on- action may jig a handline for a mess of smelt from the lake’s hearty population of silver slivers. Using smaller smelt caught fresh from any lake as live bait seems to produce more strikes than shiners or dace bought from stores. Try this trick on Big Machias.
Access from Birch Point Lodge onto Pleasant Pond requires only a 25-yard walk to set out traps near the long gravel bar where trout, salmon, cusk and smelt circulate. There are even smelt shacks to rent by the hour or day for those desiring comfort. Salmon remain the mainstay of this lake in Island Falls and 3- to 5- pounds silver slabs of muscle and tussle are common. The cove area seems to remain solid and a bit less wet and slushy than the large portion of the waterway.
Ice conditions have improved with the recent cold snap and all Aroostook lakes will once again offer solid and fairly dry fishing accommodations. Regardless of which waterway you decide to visit, there can be weak spots and spring hole causing thin ice, be sure to use an ice chisel to ascertain a safe thickness. Those anglers braving the wet and changing snow and ice conditions recently are experiencing very good luck, so gear up and visit a nearby lake this week.
