Subzero temps forcing lakes, ponds to ice up

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Every time winter rolls around and our favorite ponds begin to freeze up, I have the same conversation with one of my closest fishing buddies (who will remain nameless here so that his wife will still allow him to fish with me).

It goes something like this:

Fishing Buddy: “Whatcha doing this weekend? Want to fish?”

Me: “Uh … It’s been a bit warm … don’t you think?”

Fishing Buddy: “Aw, come on.”

At this point in the conversation, he’ll pause … take a deep breath … and say the words I’ve come to expect.

“There’s plenty of ice.”

Fishing Buddy says these words in small part because he really, really wants to fish. He says them in larger part because he knows I’m petrified of trying to perform an extended version of the 33-degree dog-paddle I’m planning to perform during Friday’s Polar Bear Dip.

And he says these words knowing that after assuring me that I’ll be safe … we’ll still end up checking and double-checking … just in case.

Well, earlier this week, as The Boss and I chatted about this week’s columns, I mentioned that despite the rash of cold weather, there were certain places I’d visited where open water was prevalent.

“Sounds like a column,” he said.

“Sure,” I said, envisioning an ice-fishing junket or two … just to compile data, mind you.

Now, after five more days in the deep freeze, I’m happy to report that, in most places, my Fishing Buddy is right.

There’s plenty of ice.

Before we go any further, let’s remember one thing: As I write this, I’m sitting in a warm office in Bangor. Local knowledge is very important, and certain bodies of water are a bit finicky when it comes to bundling up in their winter coats. Listen to the locals. Check regularly. Be careful, no matter how many straight days you’ve had to defrost your nose hairs after walking from your car to the house.

Now, let’s go fishing.

Let’s start up north. On Long Lake in St. Agatha, Rich Rossignol checked in via e-mail on Tuesday to report that a pair of fishing hotspots are icing up nicely.

“I’ve been fishing Long Lake [smelting] since the first and there’s now 16 to 17 inches for the most part,” Rossignol wrote. “I was also over at St. Froid Lake this past Sunday and measured 16 inches over there.”

Sixteen inches of ice qualifies as plenty in my book. And since salmon fishing just opened up at Long Lake on Thursday, I’m sure St. John Valley anglers are busy drilling plenty of holes in one of the region’s most productive lakes.

From Down East, I received a dispatch from Buck Plummer, the organizer of the East Grand Lake Area Ice Fishing Derby.

Plummer said warm December temperatures are a distant memory in his neck of the woods.

“I’ll tell you what, the center of East Grand was open water on the third of January,” Plummer said. “I have not personally been out on the lake, but the least amount of ice I’ve had anybody tell me about was 10 to 12 inches.”

That bodes well for the derby, which is scheduled for next weekend on Brackett, Deering, North, and East Grand lakes.

“I’m looking at a thermometer right now and it says 10 below,” Plummer said. “It’s making ice day and night.”

A bit closer to home, Allen Nadeau of Orono called on Tuesday to report on a few popular local waters.

“We were down to Craig Pond [in Orland on Monday] and there was nine inches of good ice,” Nadeau said. “And we’ve been running snowmobiles the last few weeks out at Pushaw. As of yesterday, the holes we drilled [at Pushaw] were 17 inches.

By contrast, Nadeau said, a few jaunts late last week told a different story.

“I was down to Beech Hill [Pond] last Friday and you could have launched a boat out there.”

In most cases, however, those open spots have iced over. Ice anglers are out there. What happens out on those frozen lakes, however, is anyone’s guess.

“We didn’t catch any fish [at Craig Pond], but at least there was ice,” Nadeau joked.

Finally, Maine’s largest lake – and one of its most finicky, despite its northern location – is beginning to firm up nicely.

Game Warden Mike Favreau, who covers the Rockwood area of the Moosehead Lake region, said the recent cold snap has been welcome.

“Two weeks ago we had open water [on Moosehead],” he said. “Now, after this cold spell, it’s making ice. We haven’t got two feet of ice where we can say it’s safe to go anywhere, but people are going across [Moosehead from Rockwood] to Kineo by snowmobile.”

Favreau urges anglers and sledders to be cautious, however.

“What I suggest is to check with the ice fishermen and see what they’re seeing for ice,” Favreau said. “But don’t assume that because there’s a foot of ice [in one place], it’s like that everywhere. That’s not how Moosehead sets up.”

For example, Favreau said a particular area between Farm Island and Kineo is notorious for bad ice. And pressure ridges are beginning to form on the massive lake.

“I’ve been at this 27 years, and people call the Greenville [Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife] office and want to know what the ice thickness on Moosehead is,” Favreau said. “There’s no way to answer that. There may be 14 inches in one place and four inches elsewhere.”

Favreau’s biggest concern is putting out an ice report that’s overly optimistic.

“If we say there’s a foot of ice all over Moosehead, people are going to jump in their trucks and drive all over,” Favreau said. “We ask people to use caution and not let their guard down.”

Polar Dip Update: With less than a week left to raise funds that may (or may not) force me into a frigid midwinter swim in Passamaquoddy Bay, donations have begun to slow down a bit.

As of Friday morning, the total stood at $262.77 – a great start.

Still, the arbitrary goal I originally set was $1,000, which means that unless another $737.23 is donated to the Ronald McDonald House, I really don’t have to swim.

At least, I don’t think I really have to swim.

As I’m learning, many of the people who have donated money thus far have other ideas and have no interest in letting me weasel out of the fund-raiser organized by Washington County Community College’s Student Senate.

No matter how much (or how little) money pours in, these people assure me, I’m getting wet.

Some have gone so far as to promise to drive me to Pleasant Point and toss me in the water themselves, should that become necessary.

Let’s make those threats unnecessary. You can make out a check to the Ronald McDonald House or to the Washington County Community College Student Senate and send it to my attention at the Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor, 04402-1329.

Thanks to all of you who’ve already written. And thanks to those of you who are reaching for your checkbooks.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.