Da Boyz Catchin' Da Cats

Here is a 27 inch white cat that one of our
members landed this week. Big cats like this
exist in many places in RI. Nighttime is often
the right time to target them.

 I'll bet most RI freshwater fishermen have no idea we have large catfish swimming around RI waters.  I'm not talking horned pout or brown bullhead.  I'm talking big white catfish like you'd see in many of the rivers and lakes down south.

Years ago back in the 1960's the RIDEM actually stocked white catfish in several places as an experimental program.  It was only for one year, but the white cats took in these places and they still exist today. I catch good numbers of them every year in different spots.  You can tell the difference between a horned pout and a white cat in a number of ways.  The white cats have a big head and a big mouth, and they have a forked tail.  Brown bullhead or horned pout have a square tail.  The white cats are also much larger and bulkier on average.

Right now we have our RICAG fall combo tournament in progress. The guys in the club have been on a tear catching large carp, but the kicker in this tournament is the bonus fish.  Catfish are a bonus fish and if you can get a large one, you are almost assured of a medal provided you also land two decent carp.

 I landed this hefty white cat in the middle
of the daytime yesterday. It was the fattest
ones I ever landed in RI.

In the last week, our guys have made some very impressive catches of catfish banking a number of them that range from 20 to 28 inches. Some of the larger ones have been in the 7 to 9 lb. range. While that's big, I actually saw two landed last year that went 16 and 24 lbs. (yikes, in RI waters!!!). Some of our guys have been experimenting with baits such as chicken livers and hot dog pieces.  Others have stuck with carp baits such as boilies with a method ball (which the cats really key on). These big cats have been caught in multiple spots, and over the years I have found them in at least 6 different RI waters. 

So, they are around.  You just have to put in the time finding them.

Sept./Oct. Results for RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament

Tom entered this
impressive 37 inch
common for the biggest
fish landed in Oct.

 We have completed the second leg of our RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament. The race has really tightened up, and it looks like anyone can pull ahead in the next month and win this thing. 

In this event, CAG members enter their biggest common, their biggest mirror and their biggest bonus fish (catfish, horned pout or white sucker).  The fish are measured in inches.  Add up the inches and that's the score. All fish must be caught in RI waters following RI fishing rules and regulations. The tournament runs till the end of November.

So, here are the combined scores for Sept. and Oct. :

(Common + Mirror + Bonus)

1. Dave- 38 + 30 +17 = 85

2. Evan- 35 +25 + 19 = 79

3. Tom- 37 + 28 + 0 = 65

4. Westin- 33 + 0 + 28 1/2 = 61 1/2

5. Scott- 35 + 0 + 15 = 50

6. Brian- 0 + 28 + 18 1/2 = 46 1/2

Yes, They Hit After Dark

 

This mirror grabbed my bait just as it got dark.
Nighttime fishing can be very productive 
on fall nights.

As it gets dark earlier and earlier in the fall, I find myself fishing more and more after dark. The after dark fishing in the fall is just as productive as the daytime fishing at times. You do everything the same.  Just make sure to have a quality headlight with you and fish in safe locations.

I got out this evening and stayed till dark.  As often happens, the alarm sounded right when it turned dark. I ended up landing a nice mirror.  I was using a combo bait of maize and an artificial on a hair rig. I'm still not using method mix due to active turtles. 

Some of our RI CAG guys spend a lot of time fishing at night.  They do real well with numbers and sizes of fish.

September Results for RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament

 
The first leg of our RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament is in the books.  In this tournament, our members enter their biggest common, their biggest mirror and their biggest bonus fish (catfish or white sucker).  The fish are measured to the nearest inch and we add up those inches and that becomes the point total.  All fish entered must be caught in RI water and RI rules and regulations must be followed. The tournament runs from September to the end of November.  Here are the results so far:

(common + mirror + bonus)

Dave- 38 + 30 +17

Evan- 30 + 25 + 19

Scott- 29 + 0 +15

Westin- 32+ 0 + 28 1/2

Brian- 0 + 0 +18 1/2

Tom- 0 +28 +0

It's still early in the tournament and anyone can take that gold medal.  In the past the bonus fish has figured big in this tournament! Good luck to all.  Two months to go!

The biggest fish landed in the tournament so far
is this 38 inch common carp.

The Birthday Carp- 31 lbs., 6 oz.

 I celebrated my 76th birthday today as I usually do- by going fishing.  In the past I have mostly gone striper fishing on my birthday, and I landed some memorable stripers on Sept. 27th. But, today's severe northeaster and monstrous waves put a crimp in that plan.  So, I figured I would pack my heavy duty rain gear and head out carp fishing in the hopes of catching a memorable carp to celebrate. How does 31 lbs., 6 ounces sound!!!

I got the big hog in some on and off heavy rain and wind, something carp just love (check out previous post).  The fish hit a combo bait of maize and a white artificial corn fished on a hair rig, my best bait this year. I also had three other carp between 8 and 15 lbs.

Thirty pounders are very tough to catch here in RI, and I know this is the biggest carp I have ever landed on my birthday. What a way to celebrate!

My birthday carp- 31 lbs., 6 oz.!

Carp Hitting in the Northeaster!

 It's taken a stormy northeaster to end the late summer doldrums and get the carp feeding. Carp love stormy weather; carp fishermen for the most part avoid it.  Yet, there are lots of opportunities to make some great catches in storms like northeasters, tropical storms and even hurricanes. Storms get the carp into a high energy mood and they can feed with reckless abandon in the lousiest of days.

I was out fishing the last three days in these big winds and heavy rain. I had been doing very little the previous week of beautiful weather averaging one fish an outing. Yet, the catches have piled up in this stormy weather. In the last three days I've banked 11 carp up to 28 lbs. and lost a few more. That's quality fishing for this time of year which would not have been possible without the nasty weather.

So, if you don't mind the wind and rain, put on some quality rain gear and head out to your favorite carp fishing venue. Northeasters offer some of the best opportunities to catch good numbers of carp as well as big ones. We've got another few days of this weather.

Big CAG Tournaments Highlight September

 

I'm on the board on the CAG Big 4 Tournament
with this 25 lb., 8 oz. common caught on Sept. 1.

September starts the calendar of fall tournaments for CAG.  We have one big tournament day called the CCC, and we start two other tournaments, the CAG Fall Big 4 and the RI CAG Fall Combo.  Here are the details:

CCC- This tournament called the CAG Carp Classic will be a big one day event held on the Seneca River in Baldwinsville, NY.  This is the Super Bowl of CAG Tournaments and a North American Carp Champion will be crowned in this event. At least one of our RI CAG members has entered.  Expect expert carp anglers from all over the US to converge on this popular event.

CAG Big 4-  This national carp tournament runs from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30 and features carp fishermen from all over the country competing.  They will enter their biggest 4 carp by weight.  It awards well over a thousand dollars in prizes and gift certificates to the top ten finishers as well as regional winners.  In the past our RI CAG guys and gals have done very well in this event.

RI CAG Fall Combo- This tournament, open to all CAG members runs from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30.  The idea here is to enter your biggest common, your biggest mirror and a bonus fish (catfish or sucker).  Fish are entered by length.  Total up the inches and that's how we get the winners. All fish entered must be caught in RI waters.  Medals donated by CAG go the the first, second and third place finishers.

Winner- Essence of Carp Fishing Photo Contest for August

 I was recently informed that my entry into CAG's monthly photo contest has won the first prize for August.  That was a $100 gift certificate to Big Carp Tackle.  CAG runs this monthly event, called Essence of Carp Fishing, for members.  Members can enter two photos per month. The winner gets the gift certificate while the 2nd and 3rd place finishers win engraved medals.

My winning entry was a black and white photo of me releasing a carp.  It was taken with my iphone 13 Pro using voice activation while the the camera sat in a holder on a bankstick!

Our RI CAG members have done very well in this event as RI CAGers have won first place for the last three months. It's just another perk that's out there for CAG members.

First Place- CAG Essence of Carp Fishing Photo Contest

UNEVENTFUL

 

While I wrote that July carp fishing turned out to be better than expected for me, I have to say that August fishing, so far, has been uneventful.  The small ones continue to hit but not in big numbers.  I still manage to get a decent one every once in a while. Earlier in the week I had a 20, but for every fish over twenty pounds, I probably land 15 small ones under ten pounds.  Still, the skunks have been rare as I have been able to catch 1,2, or 3 carp on just about every outing in August. 

This is August fishing in some real hot weather. It's not great but not poor either.  Just simply uneventf

August fishing has been uneventful with fair 
numbers of small ones.

ul! Things will change as we begin to see the cooler days and nights in September.

By the way, the turtles (both sun turtles and snappers) continue to be a big problem as they are super active in this warm weather.  Just can't seem to get away from them. I have to reel in often and check to see if the bait is still on the hair as they will steal it without as much as a twitch on the rod tip.

Small Ones in Abundance

Here's a "hand size" carp that I landed today.
Small ones tend to dominate the summer fishing.
They are feisty and tend to zip around on the fight.

 I'm fishing many of the same places that I landed big carp in the spring. Yet, lately it has been mostly small ones.  In the heat of summer smaller carp generally dominate the daytime fishing.  I was out today for a few hours in the morning.  I landed 4 commons.  They were all under ten pounds with the smallest going about four pounds.

I will say that those small five or six pounders are really feisty and put on a show on the fight.  They will generally run off the alarm on the hit and zip around as you battle them to shore. They are incredibly fast for their size unlike the big ones that can be heavy and slow while digging the bottom on the fight.

I continue to catch my fish on hair rigged maize and a white artificial corn.  If you are going to fish for carp at this time of year, avoid a lot of bait like using a method ball.  Turtles key on these big bait offerings and will not leave you alone.

Hot Weather /Hot Fishing- July Turning out to be a Decent Month

 

Here's a good size mirror resting in some 
shallow water before release. July fishing
has been as hot as the weather!

As past Julys go, they are usually slow carp fishing months. Not this year.  I am working on a good July numbers-wise and size-wise. The weather has been generally hot and the water has been super warm, but the carp continue to hit well. So far I've landed 64 carp in July with still a week to go. I've also had some decent ones.  I've had 8 fish over 20 lbs. with the biggest going 27 lbs. July is not regarded as a big fish month but this July has produced some good size fish.

I have to admit that the turtles has been a Royal pain in the you know what! Both snappers and sun turtles have been messing with my bait. I'm generally using a combo bait of real maize and a white pop-up plastic corn on a hair rig.  They will take off the real maize and will not touch the plastic artificial.  Yet, the carp will not hit my bait unless I have that kernel of the real stuff on the hair rig.  So, I'm reeling in more often than usual just to check that I have my bait.

Note that I have been fishing mostly the coolest parts of the day- mornings and evenings.  I also keep an eye on the weather and have fished a lot in the rain or the day after it rains.  It seems like the cooling rain drops the water temperature and the carp feed well afterwards. That's always been the pattern in the dead of summer. 

Photo of the Day- "Good Size Summer Carp"

 

I landed this 20 lb. carp this morning. Yes, large carp
can be caught in the dead of summer.  Cooler times of the
day like morning, evening and after dark are best on
hot summer days.

Dropping Water Temps Perk up Fishing

 

Here's a carp in the net that I landed today.
Fishing has perked up in the cooler water.

When I walked in the water today in my waders, I felt that the water was noticeably cooler. That northeast wind, cold temperatures and rain in the last few days was responsible for dropping the water temperature. It was just enough to perk up the carp fishing, which had been poor in the heat wave.

Today I found good numbers of actively feeding fish, something I haven't seen in the last two weeks. I landed 6 carp today in a few hours of trying. These fish ranged from small five pounders up to fish in the 20's.  All the fish were landed on a combo bait of a kernel of maize and a white artificial corn fished on a hair rig.

I also noticed the turtles were not active today maybe due to the cooler water. They have been real pests in the last couple of weeks in the hot weather.

Results- RI CAG SPRING BIG 3

Evan- silver medal

 

Dave- gold medal

We recently completed our Spring Big 3 Tournament. This event began back in April and finished at the end of June. The members who chose to take part entered their biggest carp by weight for the months of April, May and June.  The final point total was the weights added up.  The first, second and third place finishers will get medals donated by CAG.  Here are the results below for each month and the totals.

1. Dave- 25/14 + 33+ 31/4 = 90/2

2. Evan- 23 + 25/4 + 26/12 = 75/0

3. Tom- 23/5 + 19/9 + 22/9 = 65/7

4. Brian- 16/12 + 17/8 + 14/9 =48/13

5. Scott- 0 + 26/2 + 20/4 = 46/6

Tom- bronze medal

Highlight of the Day- A Ghost Carp

 

A ghost carp comes to the net. Notice the dark 
and light blotches all over this fish.

Yesterday I landed my first ghost carp of the year.  A ghost carp is usually a common carp that has very light, whitish, ghostlike pigments in its scales.  When coming to the net, they almost look like a small white sheet at the end of your line.

The one I landed yesterday was about 15 lbs. and had a lot of white blotchy spots on its head and along its sides. I caught it on a combo bait of maize and a white artificial corn fished on a hair rig.

While rare, I usually will  get one or two "ghosties" a year.

RI CAGers Score in National Big 4 Tournament

Evan Aziz- 15th place-
102 lbs., 14 oz.

 CAG just completed one of their signature tournaments, the Spring Big 4.  In this event more than 50 top notch carp fishermen, all CAG members, from all over the country squared off in this three month event.  The idea was to enter their 4 biggest carp by weight and that was their total. This year produced some of the biggest catches ever entered with some of the top guys averaging over 40 lbs. a carp.

We had great representation from RI.  Two of our members, myself and Evan Aziz, scored in the top 15.  The top 15 are the prize categories in which gift certificates were awarded.

Evan came in 15th place and won a gift certificate to Bottom Feeder Baits. He landed carp weighing 26/12, 25/4, 25/2 and 24/12 for a total of 102/14.  It's amazing that Evan has been only fishing a few years but already is posting numbers like a seasoned veteran. 

I came in 8th place and won a gift certificate to Big Carp Tackle. I landed carp weighing 33, 31/4, 31/2 and 27/2 for a total of 122/8. Fortunately, I landed a carp of 31 lbs. on the last day of the tournament and that moved me from 10th to 8th place. Every year I enter this event, and every year I am shooting for a top 10 finish.

Note that all of my carp and Evan's fish were all caught in RI waters. Yes, we have some big carp here in RI!

Dave Pickering- 8th place- 122 lbs., 8 oz.

Carp Fishing Slows in the Heat

 

Carp fishing has slowed in the recent heat wave.
But, they can still be caught by targeting the 
coolest times of the day.

I just wrote a post about how striper fishing slows in the heat.  Well, the same can be applied to carp fishing. In the last week since this latest heat wave arrived the carp fishing has slowed considerably.  In addition, the best fishing has occurred in early morning and late evening, the coolest parts of the day.

Carp are naturally creatures of comfort.  On these searing hot days, they might be found in the shade of overhanging trees.  They might venture out into deeper and cooler water. I've also seen some this week hanging out under lily pads.  The pads are like beach umbrellas to carp.  So, consider all these examples when deciding where to prebait and where to toss your lines.

They are still hitting but you might have to work a little harder to catch them.  You might also need to be more clever in your approach.

May Results for RI CAG Spring Big 3 Tournament

 

Scott checks in with a hefty 26 lb., 2 oz. common.

The May results are in for our Spring Big 3 tournament.  Once again, some very good size fish were entered. The results below show the April and May results with the totals.  We have one more month, June, to go to determine the winners. Note that all these fish were caught in RI waters.

Dave- 25/14 + 33/0 = 58/14

Evan- 23/0 + 25/4 = 48/4

Tom- 23/5 + 19/9 = 42/14

Brian- 16/12 + 17/8 = 34/4

Scott- 0 + 26/2 = 26/2

Evan landed this 25 lb., 4 oz. carp for his May entry

Photo of the Week....."Now, that's a HOG!"

 

An unnamed member of the RI CAG holds a hog
of a carp that was landed in the Lady Ginger
Carp Fishing Tournament on the CT River this
weekend.  A good number of RI carpers are fishing
this three night/four day event.

Action Slows with the Spawn

The alarms have been silent for several
outings as the carp spawn.  Rarely
do they feed when spawning.

 This warm weather has set off the spawn.  When carp are spawning, they have little interest in feeding. I saw carp spawning in multiple places this week.  When they spawn, you will see groups of them following one another and thrashing in the shallows. I haven't landed a carp, or even gotten a hit, in the last three outings.

It's interesting to note that carp spawn at different times in different spots.  This usually happens when the water turns 65 degrees. So, in a shallow lake that warms up quickly, they are likely to spawn earlier than in a deep lake which is cold.

With cooler weather forecasted for the next week, I am hoping the fishing returns
to normal.  Sometimes the carp can really go on a feed post spawn.  I hope it turns out that way.

April Results for RI CAG Big 3 Tournament

Tom Perron had the
biggest mirror at
23 lbs., 5 oz.

 

Biggest fish so far is this 25 lb., 14 oz.
common.

The first leg of our Spring Big 3 tournament has ended.  Our members entered their biggest fish for April. We now move onto May and June.  I will say it has been a tough April with all this cold weather, especially at night.  The big ones have been hard to get, and some of our members have even been shut out in April. Still, some nice fish were caught. So, here are the results below:

1. Dave- 25 lbs., 14 oz.

2. Tom- 23 lbs., 5 oz.

3. Evan- 23 lbs., 4 oz.

4. Brian- 16 lbs., 12 oz.

It Was Going Great Until........

 

I've had some excellent carp fishing
in April when the weather was warm.
When the cold returned, it all went
downhill.

April was going great for me until the cold snap hit several days ago.  I was rolling with 60 carp in the first 18 days of April.  While the fish were generally in the 5 to 10 lb. range, I also had a few brutes in the high teens and even twenties.  That warm spell that we had with temperatures in the 80's really had them active with lots of fish jumping and feeding. It was like a spring coming out party.

Then, it all came crashing down.  The weather of the last couple of days went back to winter, especially at night. Those cold nights around freezing sent the carp back into hibernation.  I've caught one 10 lber. in the last two days.  I put in a good amount of time today and got skunked.  I did not even see a single jump in a place where I've seen a lot this month.

But, hey, that's April carp fishing in RI.  It's an up and down affair.  It will get better when the weather warms.  Just have to wait.

A Little Warm Weather Perks it Up

 

I landed this mirror carp yesterday. The bite has 
really picked up with this warmer weather.

Warming temperatures in the last couple of days have really perked up the carp fishing. Maybe spring has finally arrived.  For instance I got out today and picked up very good numbers of commons and one mirror from 5 to 10 lbs. Not real big but lots of action.  Also some of our other RI CAG members report getting out and getting their first decent carp of the year. So, it's all trending in the right direction.

With a big warm-up coming in the next week, I'm guessing the carp fishing will get even better. I'm also hoping the real big ones will start hitting since I have yet to break 25 lbs. in 2026, but I'm guessing that is coming soon. If you have the time to get out and fish for carp, now is the time.

Ups and Downs of April

 

I landed this common a few days ago.  Typical of
April carp fishing, it has been inconsistent.

We are only in the beginning of April but it's already showing its cards.  The month is all over the place weather- wise and that tends to mirror the fishing. Warm one day, cold the next, rainy, sunny, snowing, windy one day, calm the next. This changeable weather really affects the carp fishing, and it's hard to find any consistency.

In the last week, I have had some good days, but I've also had some complete blanks.  I've been fishing multiple spots but they have all fished the same- INCONSISTENT.  And, the weather hasn't mattered.  I had one day of hot fishing, banking 9 fish in a few hours, when the temperature struggled to hit 40 degrees.  A few days later, I hit a beautiful day when the temperature flirted with 70 degrees, and I came up empty. Admittedly, any day I had rain, whether warm or cold, the fishing has been decent.  Rainy days always tend to be best for carp fishing at any time of the year.

So, with little to no consistency in April, you have to just get out and try.  Some days you are rewarded, some days are bummers. That's April carp fishing! 

Two Big CAG Tournaments Underway

Winners in the RI CAG Spring Big 3 
tournament will receive medals donated by CAG.

 It's spring and that means two big tournaments are underway for CAG members. Here's a summary:

RI CAG Spring Big 3- This is strictly a RI tournament for CAG members.  You must enter your biggest carp (by weight) for the month of April, your biggest for May and your biggest for June. All fish entered must be caught in RI waters.  Add up the weights and that's the total.  Medals donated by CAG will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places.  In the past, this tournament has been very competitive as we have mostly experienced carpers in the club, and any one of them could win this!

CAG Spring Big 4-  This is a national event open to all CAG members in all the states.  You can fish anywhere in the US! You must enter your 4 biggest carp for the time period from March 15 to June 15. There are a lot of heavy hitters in this one, and it's very difficult to score in the top 10 (prize categories). There's well over a thousand dollars in gift certificates to the winners. In the past we have had many RI CAGers who have scored in the top 10 so our RI carpers are very competitive in this event.

 I got on the CAG Spring Big 4 leaderboard yesterday with
this beautiful common carp that weight 23 lbs., 4 oz.

Finally, the Carp are Hitting!

 

This 18 lber., landed today, is about
to be released from the net. Finally,
the carp are starting to hit!

In the last week, I have landed 4 carp here in RI.  I got three of those in today's 70 degree weather. While the water is still freezing cold to the touch, that little shot of warm air in the last couple of days has gotten the carp moving into the shallows and feeding.  I also landed one horned pout, a sure sign that spring is here.  I also saw a large sun turtle sunning itself on a log, another sure sign that spring is here.

I got all today's fish on a combo bait of maize and a white pop-up plastic corn on the hair rig, the same general rig I always use.  I did try method mix but that seemed to elicit almost instant bangs, a sure sign that catfish and horned pout are hitting the method.  Without method, the cats seem to leave the bait alone.

This is the start of it- FINALLY.  It's been a long winter. I've put away the skis and I'm ready for carp and stripers. April is the month when everything comes alive!

This is the rig that does the trick.  A kernel of maize
and a white, pop up artificial corn on the hair rig.

Off to a Poor Start

 The ice has been off most of the ponds and lakes here in RI for a couple of weeks now, but NOTHING is going on. I have tried carp fishing multiple times in multiple places with no success. I prebaited these spots before fishing but that did not help.  I saw no indication that any fish were active- no jumps, no bubble trails, no fish visible near shore. I know other RI CAG guys who have been trying with no success.

So far the alarms have been silent as we are off
to a poor start this year.

While we have had some warm weather, it has been brief.  I suspect the cold nights are throwing a monkey wrench into the early fishing.  In addition, there's been a lot of rain that has caused rivers to flood making river fishing impossible. Water levels in ponds and lakes are also high.

So, it's a matter of waiting for an extended warm spell to get the action moving. It's only March whcih can often be a fickle month when it comes to carp fishing- some years good, some years poor.  It's been poor so far.

Note: if you plan to get out carp fishing, you will need a new 2026 RI freshwater fishing license.  Trout stocked waters are also closed to any type of fishing until after Opening Day which is April 11.

Ice Fishing Remains Hot

 

I landed this good size crappie today.  We landed a
a number of different species of fish as this ice
fishing has been hot lately.

With carp fishing remaining shut down in this cold due to icing, I've turned to jigging for multi species of fish. The weather has been cold, really cold, but the ice fishing remains hot.  I've gotten out several times in the last week jigging several different ponds, and I've gotten good numbers of fish.  It's been a lot of variety with perch, pickerel, crappie, largemouth bass and bluegills all hitting. 

Today I got out on the ice with my son Ben. I was amazed that there was almost 10 inches of ice in the pond we fished.  For the most part, we were jigging small Kastmasters tipped with Berkley Gulp maggots. That seemed to do the trick, but the biggest fish caught today actually hit a Kastmaster with a plastic maggot.

My son, Jon, hit a first yesterday as he jigged up a pike, the first we ever caught while jigging. It was a small one, about 3 to 4 lbs. A day earlier he got a bigger one on a tilt. He's been scouting around in a number of places and doing quite well jigging after his work day is done.

Carp Fishing Shut Down, But Other Opportunities Exist!

 

Here's a nice size largemouth bass that I jigged
up today on a small Kastmeaster tipped with
a fake, plastic meal worm

With carp fishing in a deep freeze, I have turned my attention to ice fishing, specifically ice jigging for multi- species.

With all these cold temperatures we've been having lately the ice is thickening all across southern New England.  I got out in the last couple of days and found safe ice in northern RI and nearby MA. The ice seems to be running a solid 3 to 6 inches thick with higher amounts the further north you explore.

Today I got out with my two youngest sons, Ben and Jon.  Jon is an avid ice fisherman and fishes extensively in the three state area of RI, MA and NH. He's already been steadily hitting the ice for the last couple of weeks, mostly in NH. Ben is on "maturnity" leave and has some time on his hands. He also lives on lakeside property along a very productive shoreline so that makes things easy.

We mostly jig when we ice fish and that usually leads to a lot of fish and a lot of variety.  Today we landed perch, pickerel, largemouth bass and yellow perch in good numbers.  Ben and I were jigging small, 1/12 oz. Kastmasters tipped with fake, plastic meal worms.  Jon, who landed the most fish, was using a 1/12 oz. grub jig. We cut a lot of holes looking for fish using my power auger, a real valuable tool when ice jigging. It's a trial and error game and we hit the jackpot after about a half hour of fishing.

Jon landed this good size pickerel on a grub jig.

If you are looking for some wintertime action, think about jigging freshwater ponds in southern New England.  If you are fishing in RI, CT, or NH, you will need a new 2026 freshwater fishing license.  In RI, your old 2025 license is good until the end of Feb.