By Tim Moore:
Wow! What big ice you have! That’s right, I just wrote that. We have the best ice in New Hampshire that we have had in several years. Most lakes and ponds have at least a foot of good clear ice. This means that as the temperatures begin to rise this month, the ice will hold—unlike the last few years where we have lost the edges on most southern ponds in late February. March is an exciting month and a month not to be missed by ice anglers.
The white perch bite on Lake Winnipesaukee has been outstanding. So good, in fact, that many of our clients are booking their return trips on their way off the ice. Nineteen Mile Bay, Suissevale and Spindle Point have been producing regular catches of whites in the two-pound range and some huge crappie as well. White perch, cousins to the striped bass, are excellent table fare. Deep fried or pan fried fillets have a rich flavor that, not surprisingly, resembles striper. A size three Swedish pimple tipped with dillies or the Epoxy Drop from Clam Pro Tackle tipped with spikes is almost irresistible to feeding perch and crappie. Look out for both species in 30 feet to 40 feet of water. The whites will be on the bottom, while the crappie will usually be suspended midway in the water column.
Good ice and little snow also equal access to prime lake trout grounds on Winnipesaukee. Humps, shoals and breaks are my favorite places to look for lake trout. Start in 40 feet of water and adjust your depth according to the amount of daylight. Once the sun gets high in the sky, go deeper. On overcast days, head for 30 feet of water. Bounce a one-half ounce to one ounce bucktail jig tipped with a strip of sucker belly-meat on the bottom a few times to raise a little silt and then jig 4 feet to 6 feet off the bottom. White tube jigs, Oozzie Jigs and Berkley Gulp Smelt also work well for lake trout.
We will be plenty busy guiding ice fishing clients this month. March is my favorite month to ice fish because panfish will form larger schools in preparation for the spring spawn. These schooled-up fish have one thing on their minds…food. When a school is located, the fishing is almost always fast and furious. Look for some very exciting pictures and videos from us this month!
Tim Moore, (603) 842-3572. Tim is owner of Tim Moore Outdoors, LLC, offering NH kayak and ice fishing charters and turkey hunting. He is also a member of Clam, Ice Team, Vexilar, Maki Plastic, Release Reels and Oozie Jig Pro Staff. Visit www.TimMooreOutdoors.com for more information.