I just got back from checking the ice (and doing some half-hearted jigging) on three ponds in the "hilltowns" that straddle western Hampshire and northern Berkshire Counties this morning:
(1) Dukes (a/k/a Windsor) Pond in Windsor
(2) Plainfield Pond in Plainfield
(3) Burnett's Pond in Savoy
The weather was overcast and chilly (about 30 degrees), and toward the end it started snowing.
I was pleasantly surprised by the ice conditions on all three ponds.
The edges were solid, and the top "crust" was strong enough to hold my weight above the watery/slushy layer below.
All together, there seemed to be 15+ inches of ice at all three ponds.
Burnett's had some surprisingly large partially frozen-over holes that were a bit concerning - - although when I chopped through at least some of them, I found the hole didn't "go all the way through," but had another layer of ice under the watery slush.
For the record, my brief attempts at jigging produced a small (11") brown at Dukes Pond and a tiny (5") perch - - plus one solid strike and a couple lighter taps that did not yield any fish - - at Plainfield.
Now I'm off to quaff some beers and schmooze with the hoi polloi at Thunderfest. Cheers!
