TRY THESE SPOTS: FROM PERCH TO PIKE, ICE FISHING BONANZA

Ice fishing has become a very popular pastime and a great way to spend a weekend afternoon. This was once only for the hearty but today, local lakes and ponds are crowded with families drilling holes, setting traps and hauling in fish.

The North Shore of Boston offers anglers numerous bodies of water that yield magnificent numbers of fish through the ice. Although coastal areas sometimes suffer from the influence of the warmer ocean waters by freezing later or not fully a short trip inland will generally translate into solid ice conditions.

Chebacco Lake is a popular winter destination that yields good numbers of fish. This popular body of water is located in the towns of Essex and Hamilton. Despite being heavily populated, Chebacco offers fishermen the opportunity to catch impressive numbers of quality fish.

Access to Chebacco Lake is gained off Chebacco Road located in the town of Hamilton. There is a boat ramp and parking lot just off the road and can be utilized if there is no snow. A word of caution is in order when heading out onto the ice. Chebacco is a lake that seldom freezes in a uniform manner. Ice thickness can vary substantially within a short distance.

Fishermen on Chebacco search for bass, pickerel, crappie, yellow perch and white perch. Bass topping the five pound mark are often times hauled through the ice. Impressive numbers of perch and crappie are caught each year and keep the younger fishermen racing from tip-up to tip-up. Pickerel fishing is considered steady and at times bragging size fish are fought and wrestled to the hole.

The point on the southern side of the lake and near the beach is a popular spot where anglers set traps and jig for crappie. Perch are also found there in fair to good numbers. Bass fishermen like to work the coves on the eastern shore and at time find the drop-offs somewhat irresistible. Echo Cove on the western side of the lake is generally popular among the early ice fishermen. Later in the season this area seems to quiet down. Quite often fishermen will find the best action taking place close to the shore. Don’t overlook the ponds that you pass on the way into Chebacco.

The choice of baits used in Chebacco can sometimes be as varied as the fishermen that fish her waters. Bass and pickerel fishermen generally like to use the larger shiners and will seldom pass over the select size. Often times fishermen will comment how a 2 lb. Bass with jump all over a six inch shiner.

Crappie fishermen will use the widest selection of baits. The majority of fishermen seem to prefer small and medium sized shiners. Other popular baits include meal worms, night crawlers, dillies and a wide assortment of artificial baits. Some of these artificials include jigs, plastic grubs, shad darts and numerous tear drop jigs. Perch fishermen use the same baits as crappie fishermen.

Lake Quannapowitt is the next body of water we will look at and is located just off Rt. 128 in Wakefield. Public access to the lake is good with limited parking in the area. Even though the area is highly developed, the actual shoreline is only moderately so.

Quannapowitt is a shallow body of water with a maximum depth of only 11 feet. Most vegetation is limited to the northern and western shores and a marshy area is located at this end of the lake.

Ice fishermen search the lake for bass, pickerel, white and yellow perch and if a fisherman hooks into a musky, it’s an added bonus. An abundance of perch makes this a very popular destination for a family fishing trip. Most of the fishing is done along the perimeter of the lake as the main body is usually crowded with ice skaters and ice boats.

The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife has periodically stocked the lake with tiger muskies. There is a minimum length limit on these fish in order to keep them.

Bass, pickerel and musky fishermen find the submerged weed beds at the western end of the pond to be the most productive. Most fishermen prefer using shiners and the bigger the better. By using the largest shiners that are available most fishermen feel that they eliminate the smaller fish.

Perch fishermen generally find the action to be good and catches into the dozens are fairly common. Small shiners attract the greatest numbers of perch with jigs gaining in popularity all the time. The most productive area seems to be the northern shore and the cove at the northeast corner of the lake just off Main Street.

Sluice Pond in Lynn is another celebrated ice fishing pond. Better known for it’s excellent spring trout fishery, Sluice Pond has good populations of bass, pickerel and perch. Many fishermen are also surprised at the numbers of trout that are caught through the ice.

Ice fishermen will generally find trout through the ice in the same locations that they catch them during spring. Winter trout seem to show a preference for small shiners, dillies, night crawlers and meal worms. At time they will go after mini jigs.

Bass and pickerel fishermen prefer the shallow water and coves. Medium and larger shiners are the preferred bait for bass and pickerel.

Perch fishermen like to use crawlers, dillies and meal worms. Small jigs, sometimes tipped with a bait strip, are also very productive. Overall, the most popular bait for perch are small shiners and pins. Pins are the smallest shiners.

Charles River: The last location we will look at is the Charles River in Waltham. Even though this location is not along the North Shore, many fishermen from this area will make the trip. The possibility of hooking into a good sized pike is more than many fishermen can ignore.

Some of the most worthwhile pike waters along the Charles River are located in Waltham just behind Brandeis University. Places like Maple Cove, Twin Coves and Purgatory all ring a familiar bell as the lure of an oversized pike is hard to resist.

One thing that must be mentioned is that a permit is required from the MDC to fish the Charles. A fishing license is also required. Permits can be obtained from the MDC or many of the tackle shops in the area.

Tip-ups are set less than ten feet from the shoreline. Once the traps are set, the fishermen leave the ice and watch from shore. Pike are very sensitive to any movement on the ice. The biggest shiner you can find are the best. Six to twelve inch suckers are also productive.

During the past few years, it appears that the best pike catches have been made during the late afternoon, although this observation is subject to change.

The next time you find yourself changing into a couch potato, call a couple of friends, stop by the local bait shop for a supply of shiners and start drilling holes in the ice. The fresh air cleanses the mind, the company is outstanding and the fishing will probably be very good.