Where the Otter and Ravens Do Play

[bogtrotter]

My younger son and I ice fished Burnett's Pond in Savoy from 10:30 AM to 2 PM today.

The weather was mostly cloudy, with of-and-on flurries, and temps around 35 degrees.

There was about 12" to 14" on the trail down the hill from the parking lot, but once we got to the pond itself, the snow cover diminished  considerably. 

Although conditions varied from one part to the other, generally speaking there was about 3" or 4" of snow on top of a 2" crust of ice sitting on top of 4 or 5" of slush above another 8" or 9" of poor quality ice.

While not exactly pretty, at least it beat the miserably slushy conditions that I had to put up with on Plainfield Pond last Sunday.

But while the snow and ice conditions were certainly a big improvement, I'm afraid the fishing wasn't.

The entire time we were there, we only had a single flag, on which my son landed a decent (17") pickerel.

The jigging was even slower, without any action at all.

On the plus side, we did see an otter scampering around the periphery of the pond, as well as the usual conspiracy (or unkindness) of ravens flying about.

I also got in a couple loops around the pond on my cross-country skiis.

Then we picked up our gear and hiked back up the hill to our car and drove home.

[BASSQUATCH]

Do you think Plainfield has improved at all since the last trip there?  Meaning deep slush.

Probably won't matter with this next storm coming. Just mess it all up again.

[bogtrotter]

Do you think Plainfield has improved at all since the last trip there?  Meaning deep slush.
Probably won't matter with this next storm coming. Just mess it all up again.

I don't know now - - but I may be going that way today, and if I do, I'll try to check and let you know,

[lowaccord66]

Do you think Plainfield has improved at all since the last trip there?  Meaning deep slush.

Probably won't matter with this next storm coming. Just mess it all up again.

1 to 1.5ft of snow is going to slow things down for sure.

[bogtrotter]

Keith:

I checked Plainfield just a little while ago and the slush problem is gone - - at least for now

Jim

[BASSQUATCH]

Keith:

I checked Plainfield just a little while ago and the slush problem is gone - - at least for now

Jim

Thanks Jim , looks like the problem is coming back 👎. Supposed to get the jackpot snow up there.

[bogtrotter]

Thanks Jim , looks like the problem is coming back 👎. Supposed to get the jackpot snow up there.

So far, it's just been raining, lightly but steadily, where I live in "the valley" down the road from Plainfield.

[Phishing.Hacker]

So far, it's just been raining, lightly but steadily, where I live in "the valley" down the road from Plainfield.

After the storm its gonna be a little warmer, my seasons done.

[bogtrotter]

So far, it's just been raining, lightly but steadily, where I live in "the valley" down the road from Plainfield.

As of 6:30 AM, there was about 6 inches of snow on the ground in my neck of the woods, and it's still coming down hard.

[bogtrotter]

About a foot of snow now (12 noon), although it seems to be slowing down as I did my ski around Town.

[bogtrotter]

I spoke too soon . . . it's picked up again.

And my neighbor tells me his brother in Windsor reported over 2 feet of snow.

[lowaccord66]

Ended up with about a foot here.  Thank god for snowblowers.

[Jschumacher]

I've been fishing the Rindge Keene NH area. 30+ in some areas up that way. I'm all set  with that. Maybe another trip to Champlain is in order

[BASSQUATCH]

Hoping the snow settles , makes some slush then refreezes adding more white ice. There are some cold nights coming for Plainfield. Not super cold but low 20's .

[bogtrotter]

Final (?) tally for the NW corner of the State as of 2 PM today, there is about 2 feet of snow in "the valley" (e.g., North Adams) and about 3 feet in the "hill towns" (e.g., Plainfield).

[BASSQUATCH]

Final (?) tally for the NW corner of the State as of 2 PM today, there is about 2 feet of snow in "the valley" (e.g., North Adams) and about 3 feet in the "hill towns" (e.g., Plainfield).

Holy $%^&*&^%#@ !!!!
DAMN that kind of sucks. I saw a report that said 32" in Plainfield. Hoped it was wrong lol. A friend was on Ashfield Sunday and said there was 15" of ice.  Assuming Plainfield had the same if not a touch more.  Hard to say what 30+" of snow will do to that ice. Certainly push it down and allow water to mix with the snow making horrendous slushy conditions. 

Million dollar question
Will it get cold enough during the nights to freeze up that wet snow and slush making more ice?  Or will it just melt away the ice slowly and kill the entire season?

Not to mention the unseen hazards under all that snow. Old holes opening up to man swallowers .

[PikeKing23]

Yes, the old holes are what scare me.  I was trying to bring out a friends grandson (8yrs old), but not when I can't see the surface of the ice.  Not this year.

[Ryan51993]

A lot of 40s and near 50s in the forecast and the days being longer/sun stronger in mid march conditions are going to be a little scary. Hope everyone that ventures out is careful. I went out in conditions like this a couple years ago and we were falling through on the way back to shore, luckily only in about 1-2 feet of water.  Couldn't believe how fast 12+ inches of ice became dangerous.

[REDGIANT]

Just got back from digging the camp out up in Plainfield.  We got 34"of new snow this past storm.  What a [email protected]%$×* mess.  Unfortunately I didnt have a chance to make it to the pond to check it out, I need a nap

[BASSQUATCH]

Just got back from digging the camp out up in Plainfield.  We got 34"of new snow this past storm.  What a [email protected]%$×* mess.  Unfortunately I didnt have a chance to make it to the pond to check it out, I need a nap

I was gonna try and see about maybe going there Monday with a cold & windy weekend .
Thinking, hoping , some snow blows off and slush freezes up . A lot of wishful dreaming I think. 
Now I'm hearing another huge storm potential for Monday night and Tuesday! 

Can't believe how much 1 storm screwed us for March ice fishing!  Now a potential season ender coming!

[lowaccord66]

We got about a 12" at my house.  3 miles down the road 2".  Weird storm.

[bogtrotter]

I checked two ponds in the "hilltowns" straddling northern Berkshire and western Hampshire Counties today.

The first was K of C (Hallockville) Pond in Hawley and the second was Burnett's Pond in Savoy.

The results were not encouraging.

In both cases, I had to walk thru knee deep snow to get to the pond.

And, once on it, there was several inches of snow on top of about a foot of slush over an indeterminate amount of ice.

My younger son also checked out Cheshire (2nd) Lake for me and reported the edges were totally shot, with no safe way to get out there.

[BASSQUATCH]

I had a feeling it was bad!  Friend checked Ashfield & Plainfield. He said Ashfield wasn't plowed out so he went to Plainfield . It was plowed but he said you had to climb over MT Everest to just get to the ice. Crotch deep snow down to the ice. He said f that and went to check lower elevation like pontoosuc and onota .