The lights have begun to dim and soon the final chapter will be complete on yet another ice fishing season. But the stories it created will remain open as long as fishermen can locate a listening audience with which to share them. Especially when the highlights involve an overweight fish that sent the scales into a spin, such as some of the togue Sebago Lake produced this winter.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, because Sebago Lake has always carried a reputation in the heavyweight division, and rightly so. Way back in 1907, it delivered a 22.5-pound landlocked salmon that claimed first place in the record books, and still holds it today.

In the togue category, however, Sebago Lake takes a back seat and Beech Hill Pond stands tall with its 31-pound, 8-ouncer caught in 1958. But Beech Hill Pond had a head start because togue are native to these waters, and it wasn’t until May 18, 1972, that Sebago Lake received its first introduction of togue. Even then it would be many more years before those waters could threaten any records, because all 108,275 fish stocked were 6- to 8-inch spring yearlings.

But today the numbers are adding up, and according to reports from Carol Cutting, owner of Jordan’s Store in East Sebago, ice fishermen are getting a taste of the action.

“I’ve weighed six togue over 15 pounds this winter,” said Cutting.

It’s by far the largest catch of heavyweights in a single winter. It’s always been the spring and summer months that produce such a selection of hefty lakers. However, the cold weather may have been a factor in these large figures because, for most of the season, anglers had sufficient ice to fish the entire lake. The last three winters, open water restricted access to the big bay.

“Still, even with the boost from the old-fashioned winter, ice fishermen will have to work overtime to contend with lakers open-water anglers have boated,” said Cutting. It’s in these months the 20-plus-pounders seem to wake up and strike without warning, such as the 27.05-pound laker that was boated in 1996 and today still holds first place in the Sebago Lake togue category.

It’s probably only a matter of time before Sebago’s champion is replaced by an old bruiser from the lake, and possibly replaces that 43-year-old record holder from Beech Hill Pond, said Cutting.

So in the future I’d recommend Sebago Lake ice fishermen drill nothing smaller than a 10-inch hole; the next state champion may decide to fight during the winter months.

Fishing fever grips Fish River

Up in the County on the Fish River Chain, fishermen turned out in stronger-than-usual numbers for this time of year to pursue the season’s last Sunday of ice fishing on Long Lake, said assistant regional biologist Frank Frost.

“I interviewed nearly 30 fishing parties on Sunday, and found many fishermen were experiencing a slow day in the catching category,” said Frost, although the news was just the opposite for a small handful of anglers. One pair of fishermen iced a couple of handsome landlocked salmon that teetered the scales at just under 4 pounds, and released 10 more, including six legal fish.

It was no doubt another excellent winter season on Long Lake, said Frost. The average length of a landlocked salmon caught in Long Lake this winter was 17.9 inches and it weighed 2.3 pounds, said Frost.

To determine this figure, Frost said they used measurements from 190 salmon the fisheries staff checked this season. Last winter the average salmon caught was 17.9 inches in length and weighed 2.2 pounds. They used measurements from 204 salmon to determine this figure.

Pickerel perk up

There was no shortage of fishermen on Spectacle Pond in Osborn Saturday. A warm March sun kept fishermen and ATV pilots on the lake for the best part of the day. I didn’t see any brown trout iced, but there were some attractive pickerel caught and destined to hit the fry pan.

Moose hunt reminder

Here’s a gentle reminder: Don’t forget to mail in your 2001 Maine moose hunt application. It must be postmarked no later than midnight April 2.

Question of the week

What’s the third-deepest lake in the state?

Answer to last week’s question: When were muskies first introduced to Maine waters? The muskies introduced themselves into our waters via the St. John River after a Quebec biologist introduced them into Lac Frontiere in Quebec in 1970 without informing the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. Lac Frontiere is the headwater of the Northwest branch of the St. John River.

Terry Farren’s Outdoor Report is published each Friday in the News Sports section. He can be reach at 990-8067 or by e-mail; outdoor report@bangordailynews.net