icefishingreportmar7



Region A- Southwestern Maine

The last week of cold weather seems to have had opposite effects on 
either
end of the region when it comes to ice thickness.  While interviewing
anglers on Norway Lake in Norway this past Sunday afternoon, I was 
seeing
between 15 and 20 inches of ice in the holes which is enough ice to 
make
almost anyone feel secure.  My colleague Jim Pellerin however, reports 
that
Kennebunk Pond in Alfred has lost as much as three inches of ice in the 
last
week or two.   He also reports two snowmobiles and one four wheeler 
breaking
through thin ice on Kennebunk Pond.  Experienced anglers know that the 
month
of March is the time to target those warm water fish species for fast 
action
that has hooked more than one kid on fishing.  This March, as the 
weather
warms and the days lengthen, more caution is needed as you proceed onto 
the
ice.  Unfortunately, some ponds in southern Maine may not be fishable 
for
much longer due to rapidly deteriorating ice conditions.

The fishing that is being done is as variable as the ice conditions.  
The
anglers that Jim and I spoke with this past Sunday reported great 
fishing on
Saturday but poor results as of Sunday afternoon.  Several Saturday 
morning
brook trout and rainbow trout on Kennebunk Pond and brown trout on 
Norway
Lake turned into a full day skunk session on Sunday.  Best I can tell 
you is
to keep trying, don't forget to hit your favorite pickerel and bass 
pond,
and teach a kid how to ice fish!  Stay safe.  

-Brian Lewis, Fisheries Biologist Specialist

Region B - Central Maine


Part of our jobs as fisheries biologists is to make recommendations to 
the
Maine DOT for the replacement or retrofitting of road crossings where 
there
is fishery habitat. Commonly, this means bridges and culverts in our 
region.

Within the last month we've made recommendations for a small stream 
crossing
under Route 1 that has a self-sustaining brook trout population. My
contributions to achieve ourneeds for maintenance of the brook trout
population were simple. Return the brook to what it looked like before 
human
and cultural changes were made. Of course, it was not that easy, 
because
Route 1 is a major route for all sorts of transportation activity.
Consultation between DOT and IF&W professionals have come up with a
resolution that will require new techniques and processes that will 
insure
both fish passage and traffic flow. 

Ice fishing is winding down and those who are still going out on the 
hard
water need to use caution, as the sun is high and ice conditions will
deteriorate and become treacherous. Some tips for those still in 
pursuit of
fish -get out and set up early as fish tend to be active early, and 
also be
patient, a good virtue of a persistent angler. 

With spring not too far off, we in the region will again be preparing 
to
trap net pike on the spawning run. We will place nets in the shallow
ice-free areas of Long Pond to help in the analysis of the effects of 
the
ice fishing harvest of pike at Long Pond. The three experimental ice 
fishing
seasons running through this season may be having an effect on reducing 
the
predation of pike on the salmonid population and more specifically on 
the
once famous landlocked salmon fishery that has been decimated by the 
pike
population. The future for ice fishing at Long Pond will be determined 
after
all input from the public and professionals have been aired.

-William Woodward, Assistant Regional Fisheries Biologist

Region C - Downeast 

 	There were safe ice conditions Saturday at Long Pond on MDI where I
checked anglers.  Most of the pond sported 6-9 inches of ice, and 
fishing
was pretty good. I weighed and measured two salmon and two pickerel. 
With
any luck, anglers hoping to get in a final trip or
two within the next several weeks should have that opportunity.

I'm retiring next month after a 35-year career, so this will be the 
last
weekly fishing report I write for the Department.  I'm going to retire 
to
the Vermont countryside.  Although I'm leaving the Pine Tree State for 
the
Green Mountain State, I'll take with me many good memories
of times spent talking with Downeast fishermen.
       

        I want to devote the rest of my space to making several
observations, making 3 wishes, and saying THANKS.  Although those who 
follow
in my footsteps over the next 35 years will face numerous challenges, I 
wish
to highlight three of them:

(1) Increasing threats to public access to our lakes from selfish 
campowner
associations.

(2) Continuing large scale loss of wild brook trout rearing habitat in
rivers/streams due to beaver.

(3) Discourage the onslaught of illegal fish introductions with major
negative implications for our native sport fisheries.

        Due to the loss of public access, we have had to terminate our
landlocked salmon stocking program at Branch Lake and our brown trout
stocking program at Bog Lake.  Stocking programs at some other 
important
regional waters are threatened by the loss of traditional access spots. 
I
have watched this disturbing trend march up the coast from Regions A 
and B,
and rear its ugly head in this region.  

Campowners need to remember that the lake their camp is on is owned, 
not by
them, but by all the people of the State of Maine. Maine and 
non-resident
anglers, canoeists, kayakers, snowmobilers,etc. have the right to 
recreate
on these "great ponds", and from my perspective, most such users still 
do so
responsibly.  "They" do not threaten the future well-being of our 
extremely
valuable lakes/ponds.  A request to campowners/lake associations: those
handful of southern/central Maine lakes with milfoil are a long ways 
from
ours.  Accordingly, be vigilant in keeping a watchful eye out for 
milfoil,
and implement common-sense precautions.  WISH #1: rather than 
begrudgingly
paying lip service to the fact that all Mainers own our lakes, more
campowners need to have the courage to speak out against any and all
tactics/actions which restrict public access.

        Over the past 20 years, I have witnessed an explosion in beaver
populations Downeast.  Compared to the 1970's when trappers kept 
sufficient
pressure on beaver populations to keep them in balance, reduced 
trapping
pressure due to low pelt prices have resulted in "beaver everywhere".  
I see
their dams on the smallest of brooks.  Far too much of the best wild 
brook
trout producing areas on numerous streams have been substantially 
degraded
by beaver. Formerly highly productive riffle and run habitat has been 
lost
as countless beaver impoundments have flooded them out, turning them 
into
pools.  Sure, some of the best trout fishing trout occurs upstream of 
new
beaver dams. But, after the first 3-4 years, it's all downhill as these 
dams
remain in place for many years.  The beaver activity causes gravel 
spawning
areas
to be covered with a layer of silt/sediment, stream temperature 
increases,
and trout can no longer move freely to key coldwater springy areas.  My
study on Black Brook, an important brook trout
spawning/nursery tributary to Mopang Stream, showed that relative 
abundance
of young of the year trout increased markedly in response to an active
beaver removal program, and dramatically declined once the program was
terminated.  There are dozens of "Black Brooks" scattered
throughout Washington and Hancock county, and the decline in the 
ability of
these streams to produce small brook trout because of beaver 
depradations is
alarming.  WISH #2: We need more beaver trappers to harvest more beaver 
from
our brooks, thereby returning streams to their
natural, free-flowing conditions of the 1970's.

        The single most troublesome occurrence is the continuing 
epidemic of
illegal fish introductions.  These irresponsible acts have directly 
resulted
in numerous declines in fishing quality for our native species. Some 
have
caused me much anguish.  When I arrived on the scene
in 1971, the Tunk Stream drainage was pristine....just salmon, togue, 
and
trout for sportfish...no bass, perch, or pickerel.  Now, as a result of
illegal fish introductions, smallmouth bass have been put in two 
waters(Long
Pond and Round Pond) at the lower end of the drainage.  Further,
smallmouths have been put into Little Tunk, Molasses, and Donnell 
Ponds,
thereby surrounding Tunk Lake. Tunk is the third deepest lake in Maine, 
a
true "gem" lake with crystal-clear water supporting popular salmon and 
togue
fisheries. For generations, Tunk Lake has been one of Maine's crown
jewels...this noteworthy status is jeopardized by the neighboring 
smallmouth
bass populations.  Some bass have moved down from Donnell Pond into the
outlet where they prey upon small wild juvenile landlocked salmon, 
thereby
substantially reducing the numbers of wild salmon caught in the pond.
Downeast Maine has long been known for its number and diversity of
landlocked salmon lakes, its premier smallmouth bass fisheries, and its 
wild
brook trout fishing in rivers/streams.  Good togue, white perch, and
pickerel fisheries round out the plate.  WE DON'T WANT OR NEED any 
pike,
crappies, or more largemouth bass.  Anglers
can catch these species to their heart's content in southern and 
central
Maine.  WISH #3: We need lots more fishermen to step up BIG-TIME and 
help us
reduce the number of illegal fish introductions by convincing their
friends/buddies to not move undesirable new species around.

        Finally, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to the 
hundreds of
fishermen I have had the pleasure of getting to know during my career.  
Some
of the happiest times I've spent have been chatting with anglers at 
Hopkins
Pond, Tunk Lake, Donnell Pond, West Grand Lake, etc. during winter and
spring creel surveys.  Whether it was food and drink, hand tied special
flies, valuable information which led to better fishing, lending a hand 
with
a broken-down snowmobile, etc., etc., your generosity was appreciated.  
For
all those who have kept fishing record booklets for us over the years, 
your
excellent cooperation has been helpful.  I take considerable pride in
knowing that many of you, while by no means always agreeing with me, 
have at
least respected my efforts
to maintain/improve the Downeast sport fisheries. I'll always fondly
remember the considerable support many of you gave me during the
Department's 1984 financial crisis. This support was a major factor in
convincing the Legislature that jobs like mine needed to be 
re-instated. I
have learned a lot about various Downeast waters from my conversations 
with
you over the years.  While there is no shortage of current/future 
problems
facing fishery managers...as alluded to above...I depart secure in the
knowledge that much good can and will be accomplished in
combating the "bad stuff" through the outstanding cooperation of many 
of you
true Maine sportsmen. I've seen it over and over, and I'm counting on 
you to
keep it up in the years ahead.  THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!

-Ron Brokaw, Regional Fisheries Biologist 

Region D - Western Mountains

Dave Boucher and I attended the Wyman Lake fishing derby the weekend of
March 4 and 5.  The derby is sponsored annually by the Upper Kennebec 
Valley
Chamber of Commerce.  We saw more salmon registered than in previous 
years,
including a number of marked ones (with fins missing) indicating that 
they
were hatchery-raised fish.  We don't stock salmon in Wyman Lake, and it
seems likely that these fish migrated from Pierce Pond, the outlet of 
which
drains into Wyman.  We also saw a number of splake, which we do stock 
at
Wyman.  Splake have provided a nice fishery where other stockings have
failed, presumably due to the unusual water quality at Wyman.  The lake 
is
essentially a reservoir created by the construction of Wyman Dam many 
years
ago.  What makes the lake unusual is that cold water is continually 
drawn
from the bottom, creating a very deep layer of warm water during summer
months.  In the past, we have stocked lake trout and salmon there, but
neither thrived in the lake. Splake are a sterile hybrid created in the
hatchery by crossing brook trout and lake trout, so they will not 
reproduce
in the wild.  We are attempting to minimize their tendency to migrate 
from
the lake by stocking fewer fish, and we are also stocking larger fish 
that
will likely be caught before they have the opportunity to migrate too 
far.
By varying the number stocked and the age at stocking, we hope to 
continue
to provide a splake fishery at Wyman Lake while minimizing their 
presence in
the Kennebec River.

Here is a picture of Shelley Hovey who caught this nice splake in Wyman 
Lake
on March 4, 2006 during the tournament: