Ice fishing season heats up on Bantam Lake
Robert Nelson, Outdoors Columnist
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
The cold days and extremely cold nights have tempted many ice fishing fanatics to head out on the water this past week. The ice was an early Christmas gift to anglers who look forward to "hard water" every winter.
This past week's wind has kept most of the state's lakes from "locking up," making most lakes unsafe for ice fishing.
Bantam Lake, often thought of as Connecticut's premier pike lake, lived up to its reputation the weekend before last, when there were no less than 75 anglers out on the lake. Many anglers reported catching pike of up to 38 inches. The majority of these fish were caught using tip-ups and bait. Many anglers used live bait, while some used dead bait suspended just off the bottom of the lake. Pike, being opportunistic feeders, do not usually pass up an easy meal, whether it is live or dead.
Bob Pennell, recent president of The Danbury Fish and Game Club and avid ice fisherman, has been on a few local waters since last Thursday. He and several members of Danbury Fish and Game had success on West Lake Reservoir, catching a mixed bag of pickerel, bass and white perch.
Pennell reported that the cove on West Lake had four inches of "black ice." The fish that Pennell and the other anglers caught there were taken by a mix of jigging and with tip-ups.
John Cumisky of The Valley Angler in Danbury said that the lakes that are not yet frozen should begin to freeze once the wind calms down. Cumisky said "that the cold nights of temperatures, well below freezing and daytime temperatures hovering around the freezing mark, are just what local anglers need to help get them out on the ice."
Coming Events
Wild Game Dinner -- The New Fairfield /Sherman Sportsmen's Association will hold its annual Gourmet Wild Game Dinner on Jan. 22. The dinner will take place at the Squantz Pond Fire Department at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults, with children (under 13) $12.50. The menu includes venison, pheasant, duck, wild turkey, moose, wild boar and red stag. For tickets, contact Ed Fantin at (203) 740-8898 or Dale Halas at (203) 628-7492.
Annual Pig and Jig Ice Fishing Derby -- The Valley Angler will hold its annual Pig and Jig Ice Fishing derby on Jan. 29. This is one of the largest and most well-known ice fishing derbies in New England. For more information, contact The Valley Angler at (203) 792-8324.
Please send your fishing reports and story ideas to largemouth77@yahoo.com.
Robert Nelson, Outdoors Columnist
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
The cold days and extremely cold nights have tempted many ice fishing fanatics to head out on the water this past week. The ice was an early Christmas gift to anglers who look forward to "hard water" every winter.
This past week's wind has kept most of the state's lakes from "locking up," making most lakes unsafe for ice fishing.
Bantam Lake, often thought of as Connecticut's premier pike lake, lived up to its reputation the weekend before last, when there were no less than 75 anglers out on the lake. Many anglers reported catching pike of up to 38 inches. The majority of these fish were caught using tip-ups and bait. Many anglers used live bait, while some used dead bait suspended just off the bottom of the lake. Pike, being opportunistic feeders, do not usually pass up an easy meal, whether it is live or dead.
Bob Pennell, recent president of The Danbury Fish and Game Club and avid ice fisherman, has been on a few local waters since last Thursday. He and several members of Danbury Fish and Game had success on West Lake Reservoir, catching a mixed bag of pickerel, bass and white perch.
Pennell reported that the cove on West Lake had four inches of "black ice." The fish that Pennell and the other anglers caught there were taken by a mix of jigging and with tip-ups.
John Cumisky of The Valley Angler in Danbury said that the lakes that are not yet frozen should begin to freeze once the wind calms down. Cumisky said "that the cold nights of temperatures, well below freezing and daytime temperatures hovering around the freezing mark, are just what local anglers need to help get them out on the ice."
Coming Events
Wild Game Dinner -- The New Fairfield /Sherman Sportsmen's Association will hold its annual Gourmet Wild Game Dinner on Jan. 22. The dinner will take place at the Squantz Pond Fire Department at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults, with children (under 13) $12.50. The menu includes venison, pheasant, duck, wild turkey, moose, wild boar and red stag. For tickets, contact Ed Fantin at (203) 740-8898 or Dale Halas at (203) 628-7492.
Annual Pig and Jig Ice Fishing Derby -- The Valley Angler will hold its annual Pig and Jig Ice Fishing derby on Jan. 29. This is one of the largest and most well-known ice fishing derbies in New England. For more information, contact The Valley Angler at (203) 792-8324.
Please send your fishing reports and story ideas to largemouth77@yahoo.com.