A buddy and I got out early on a secluded pond in northeast CT on Sunday, 2/20. It has been in familial lore for years that this pond holds the Chain Pickerel state record and we had success here in the past with good sized bass so we made the decision to fish the ice. In a quest for a Pickerel somehow bigger than 8 lbs 6 oz we used large shiners.
We caught lots of big swamp darts (10 over 20”, 3 over 25”) but, as you could have guessed, none bigger than the enormous record out of West Twin Lake.
We also fished for the big bass that reside in this pond and I hooked into one on a tip up right off the shore in about 3 fow. He grabbed it and ran with it for over 100 ft before I could get there and once I did the fight was on. When I finally got him to hole he surfaced easily and spit the hook and shiner on to the ice. His mouth was a good bit larger than the 8” hole so, naturally without thinking, my buddy and I plunge our hands into the hole to grab him but he escaped. I think we actually pushed him back down since neither of us could get a grip. If it were only one of us plunging our hand into the hole we would’ve landed him. I suspect it may have been my PB largemouth. Oh well.
We also caught lots of Perch jigging.
Fished on ice ranging from 5.5” to 9.5”. Big range that I suspect had something to do with a weedy bottom in the lower ice amount areas.
