First time out this season

[bogtrotter]

Took my younger son and a buddy of his icefishing on Burnett's Pond in Savoy today.

It was good to get out again after so long.

Somewhat to my surprise, we had the Pond to ourselves the whole time. 

(Although we chopped out and "recycled" some of the holes that someone who smokes Swisher Sweets used yesterday or the day before).

The sky was overcast (and foggy at times), with temps in the upper 30's, and no wind.  The ice was 6" thick.

We caught the typical mix for Burnett's - - a myriad of perch (but only four of which were worth keeping) and a fair number of pickerel in the 14" to 21" range.

On the way home, we did a quick stop at the private pond that was so productive for trout last winter, but both the ice (only about 3") and fishing action (no strikes at all) were disappointing .

Closed out our expedition with a stop at Dunkin Donutes (sorry, no cooking-on-the-ice report) and called it a day.

[BASSQUATCH]

I wish there were bass in that pond. Manny was telling me about it. Great to be out on the ice for sure.

[bogtrotter]

Well, there's always the "wild card" factor.

I've fished Burnetts for 3 or 4 years now, and my compadres and I have collectively caught a sum total of one "big" (by my low standards) bass (landed and released by my youngest son last winter).

I was talking to some old timers about it, and they claimed to know the guys who dropped the bass into Burnett's after catching it at some other pond.

(I know that's a no-no, but who am I to complain?)

So, while (as far as I know) there are no "resident populations" of bass in Burnett's, you never know what someone might have "stocked" there on the QT.

(In the same vein, this past fall the nephew of another acquaintance caught a 30+" pike in the Gazebo Pond at Greylock Glen in Adams, and I can assure you there are no wild pike in that Pond).

[craiger]

Bogtrotter running on Dunkin' ?!?!  Blasphemy! 

Glad you got out there with the kids and found some fish.