Ok, I know this is not an angling forum. I also know there is not a lot of tolerence for introduced exotics here. Problem is, with ponds all frozen and sub freezing air temps making river wading too risky, if not for icefishing, I wouldn't have anything fishy to post here. And when we're talking freshwater sportfishing in Ma, we're pretty much talking about introduced species. Hopefully you'll indulge me this time. If these types of posts aren't appreciated, I'll refrain in the future. If there's an interest, there's plenty more where these came from!

Today I finally got out on the ice for the first time this season. I like December ice because it allows me to wring the last drop of value from my '07 Ma fishing license which expires tomorrow night at midnight.
The location was a small kettle pond near my house which is on the site of a former army base. As a glacier kettle with no inlet or outlet, probably very few fish species were present when Europeans first saw it. Flood waters from a nearby river may have spilled over in the distant past when water levels were high after the glaciers melted. To my knowledge, banded killifish are the only species present which might date back to that time.
In the modern age, the pond has been "managed" for sport fishing. The Army stocked it with trout from the Federal fish hatchery and the state has taken over and added it to its list of stocked trout water. Somewhere along the line largemouth and bluegill found their way in as they have in virtually every body of water in the state.
Although the trout can't reproduce, they holdover well and the fishing is consistent year round. Largemouth used to be abundant and large, but seem to be declining in numbers and size. Bluegills are the real secret here. I don't know any pond where they are bigger.
Anyway, today the bluegills didn't cooperate and only one small bass turned up.

The browns were more cooperative.



My buddy Tom is a panfish fanatic. He drilled numerous holes in search of the elusive giant bluegills. It wasn't meant to be so he had to settle for this trout.

All fish were released. Health advisories discourage eating the fish and the state really frowns on the practice of squashing introduced exotics, especially the ones paid for by the taxpayers.
Hope you enjoyed. If not, speak up or I might do it again.

Hope you enjoyed. If not, speak up or I might do it again.

Nice Trout photos.

What is that thing he is wearing around his neck?

Sounds and looks a lot like Jamaica Pond in Jamaica Plain, MA. We were never able to do ice fishing there because the MDC police would chase us away, but we caught the reg'lar exotics like brown trout by standard fishing methods. I admit that I don't miss sitting out on ice, or hand boring holes.

Doing some scuba diving in icy fresh waters, I've observed bluegills at 5'-15' depth, close to the bottom and near plants. They weren't shoaling per se but they were staying near conspecifics. They tended to stay closer to steep changes in the lake bed (I don't want to say "drop offs" because it wasn't that steep)

They are ice picks in case you fall in the drink.

Anyone see the irony in a put and take fishery where the fish cannot be exploited (i.e. eaten)?

They are ice picks in case you fall in the drink.

Anyone see the irony in a put and take fishery where the fish cannot be exploited (i.e. eaten)?

You are correct about the ice picks, Tom also wears a floatation vest when he first ventures out, even when he sees me [@~40 lbs heavier] standing there safe. I tell him the vest will make it easier for the fire department to retrieve his body.
I just keep my life insurence current and learn to judge safe ice. Haven't gotten wet yet in 30+ years.

There's lots of irony in taxpayer sponsered exotic introductions. Bsides the money and effort to raise and stock them, the exotics represent the vast majority of the enforcement efforts of the E police. You could fill barrels full of, say, banded sunnies and never see a warden your whole life. God forbid you keep one too many brown trout though!
To be fair, you can eat the trout, just not more than once a month.
Also, there are thousands of guys like me and Tom who release 99% of what we catch regardless of health advisories. To us the sport is worth the money we spend on a license.

that does look like jamaica pond.

I've caught yellow perch and a largemouth bass fingerling there.

Jamaica Pond is the cleanest body of water in the Emerald Necklace. I took the perch home and ate them. They were pretty good.

Why would the MDC police chase you away? Is icefishing not allowed at that pond?

I live in Boston, MA. We should go fishing/collecting together sometime.