IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Massachusetts => Ice Fishing Massachusetts => Topic started by: Sam Gee on Mar 04, 2021, 07:22 AM
-
I was out jigging for panfish yesterday and out of nowhere WAM a beauty of a rainbow slams my tungsten and this thing was going crazing zig zagging back and forth, luckily it was hooked pretty good. She was pregnant so back in the hole she went.
(https://i.postimg.cc/9DWCDgvM/20210303-144649.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9DWCDgvM)
-
Nice going!
It sounds like your rainbow put up a pretty good fight - - which is a little unusual because a lot of trout tend to be lethargic this time of year.
-
Trout are cold water species but I have seen years like this year they fight like hell. Last year they were a little sluggish. NEPA anyway.
-
This time of year the trout rend to cruise the shallows looking for food prior to the spawn.
many places I fish that I know have trout, I will have that possibility as something I might catch while jigging.
They are fun to catch when they are on the hunt.
-
This time of year the trout rend to cruise the shallows looking for food prior to the spawn.
many places I fish that I know have trout, I will have that possibility as something I might catch while jigging.
They are fun to catch when they are on the hunt.
Nice bow Sam.
-
Trout spawn in the fall. Pass me what you are burning please....
Nice bow Sam.
So those weren't eggs that came out of the fish?
-
Bows that aren't anadromous like steelhead spawn in the spring. All other trout it is pretty much the fall. Its why smelt season is over already. Last bunch I caught were already loaded with eggs.
-
If a fish doesn't find a suitable breeding area, they may not drop their eggs. The fish may then reabsorb the eggs. Very common in trout to have eggs in the winter that weren't dropped in the fall.
-
Don't you just hate that? Nice fish!
-
Great fish, Sam!
-
Nice looking bow and they are fantastic to catch on very lite jigging rod.
-
Nice bonus catch.
-
The fish the state stock don’t reproduce so harvest away if you eat them, they also make great dog food off the grill
-
The fish the state stock don’t reproduce so harvest away if you eat them, they also make great dog food off the grill
I don't disagree, but consider, many of the better lakes have excellent holdover potential. At the least, a released trout is likely to provide another Angler with a catch. At best, a released trout may grown into a trophy.
That is a hell of a better use of our license revenue than killing a fish to use as dog food.
-
My dogs prefer bluefin over farm raised trout so those rainbows are safe for now
-
I don't disagree, but consider, many of the better lakes have excellent holdover potential. At the least, a released trout is likely to provide another Angler with a catch. At best, a released trout may grown into a trophy.
That is a hell of a better use of our license revenue than killing a fish to use as dog food.
We are talking about a State that stocked trout into lakes with many pike. Creating a real fun spring pattern for me. I have literally watched pike destroying stockers repeatedly.
There's no secret where the license money goes. Look at the states balance sheet. Look up how much insane overtime gets paid to EPO's on split shifts....meanwhile hardly anyone gets checked....
-
We are talking about a State that stocked trout into lakes with many pike. Creating a real fun spring pattern for me. I have literally watched pike destroying stockers repeatedly.
There's no secret where the license money goes. Look at the states balance sheet. Look up how much insane overtime gets paid to EPO's on split shifts....meanwhile hardly anyone gets checked....
I basically agree with all that. I'm just trying to say, holdover trout are much more valuable than dog food.
I see guys complaining about "put and take". I'm just saying if people didn't "take" them, more would survive.
If people like to eat them, fine, just don't waste them.
-
I guess it depends on perspective. My only beef with stocked trout is they stock over wild fish in spots....making the wild trout compete. Quite stupid. If they want to feed pike I'm all for that!
-
I guess it depends on perspective. My only beef with stocked trout is they stock over wild fish in spots....making the wild trout compete. Quite stupid. If they want to feed pike I'm all for that!
I totally agree about stocking over native brook trout (I don't mind with "wild" browns). The state does almost nothing to protect native brook trout. Stocking native streams is bad practice in my opinion.
I hear you about feeding the pike. The same is true about largemouth. Stocking trout to feed non-native pike and bass seems a waste. The same could be said for feeding osprey and cormorants. It is what it is. It's that, or not stock trout at all. That ain't happening.
-
We are talking about a State that stocked trout into lakes with many pike. Creating a real fun spring pattern for me. I have literally watched pike destroying stockers repeatedly.
There's no secret where the license money goes. Look at the states balance sheet. Look up how much insane overtime gets paid to EPO's on split shifts....meanwhile hardly anyone gets checked....
I FINALLY got checked last weekend in my favorite pike hole. The guy actually busted a couple people. Was good to shoot the **** with him for a few minutes too. First time I’ve been checked in my 5 years of ice fishing.
-
I FINALLY got checked last weekend in my favorite pike hole. The guy actually busted a couple people. Was good to shoot the **** with him for a few minutes too. First time I’ve been checked in my 5 years of ice fishing.
There's definitely a lack of balance in how the enforcement is applied. I fish a few of the eastern trout ponds and get checked almost every season. I got checked a few weeks ago at Walden by two wardens working together. It seemed one was in training.
I also ran into a pair of wardens during the summer at a WMA. It also seemed one was in training. They didn't check or question me. I was just hiking, so I don't know why they were there. It actually seemed like one was showing the other guy around.
I also ran into one last week in Ayer, sitting at a boat ramp on a totally obscure little pond that's rarely fished. He was just eating lunch when I saw him but he waited around in his truck for like an hour. No clue what he was up to.
So that's 5 wardens in 6 months, 3 just this season, although only checked once.
On the other hand, I have fished and hiked for 40 years away from trout ponds and hunting areas and never seen one.
-
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wcvb.com/amp/article/massachusetts-audit-environmental-police-failed-to-track-officers-whereabouts/32227796 (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wcvb.com/amp/article/massachusetts-audit-environmental-police-failed-to-track-officers-whereabouts/32227796)
-
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wcvb.com/amp/article/massachusetts-audit-environmental-police-failed-to-track-officers-whereabouts/32227796 (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wcvb.com/amp/article/massachusetts-audit-environmental-police-failed-to-track-officers-whereabouts/32227796)
Wow! That's interesting.
Sounds like they work off the same business practices as the state police.
-
It's been a problem for that group for a while. I think that outfit first started tracking this story back in 2016. Makes me wonder if someone on staff is a fisherman.
-
Often when they are throwing stocked rainbows into the Quabbin the Lakers come up and eat them as fast as they are thrown in...