01/02/2009
enlarge
Photo by Jeff Poulandfrom the Kennebec Journal
Sport of Kings
New Medicaid billing system inspires doubts among some
Christmas spirit
Guidance counselor: Dismiss complaint based on criticism of same-sex marriage
CHELSEA: 'Practice burn' provides thrill for 9-year-old
Trust eyes orchard purchase
GOLFER OF THE YEAR: Bonenfant rises up Cony ranks
YOUTH SOCCER: Local team gives 'care package' to children in Afghanistan
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Kennebec Journal
from the Morning Sentinel
YES ON 1 BACKER REBUTS CLAIM
New system for Medicaid payments worries providers
After petition drive, Clinton police force budget will go a third time before voters
A rock musician makes trip home via Black Taxi
MADISON: After revaluation, abatement requests reviewed
Parks to have facelift
GOLFER OF THE YEAR: Sweet does job for Madison
YOUTH SOCCER: Local team gives 'care package' to children in Afghanistan
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Morning Sentinel
Outdoors Writer
Dale Bouchard didn't head to Wyman Lake for the first day of ice fishing season.
For the first time in 15 years, the Oakland angler didn't dare make a road trip to the north. Bitter cold and high winds kept him closer to home for an abbreviated day of fishing.
Bouchard headed out around noontime to fish for a few hours in the afternoon on Messalonskee Lake.
Under more normal conditions, Bouchard said, he would have planned on taking a couple of full days on Wyman, heading out before daybreak to fish all morning.
Not so on Thursday, the traditional first day of the ice fishing season for trout and salmon species. Some area waters, however, are open as soon as there is ice for warm-water panfish species.
"I saw that it was supposed to be zero (degrees) out and windy, and I said, 'No, I don't think so,'" Bouchard said shortly before tending to his traps. "It's been kind of slow, but I got here about noon. It's just too cold."
Bouchard wasn't alone in changing his plans.
"The hard-cores were all out there, but I think it was a no-family-affairs type of thing, for sure," said Steve Staples, who owns the Bait Store in East Winthrop.
The lakes were virtually devoid of snow, which has been obliterated by recent warm wind and rain.
But that soaking froze solid over the last few days, creating anywhere from 6 to 10 inches of ice in most places across central Maine.
Staples said he's seen several inches of black ice formed under the crusty base created by the melted snow. An open hole of his, used for netting baitfish, made 4 inches of black ice on Wednesday night alone.
For a lot of casual anglers, the extreme cold kept them home.
"There don't seem to be as many people out," Bouchard observed.
Tangible signs of lack of activity existed. The only shacks to be found on Messalonskee's north end were portable ones. The same was true of China Lake. No snowmobiles or all-terrain vehicles were around.
Those who did brave the cold weren't necessarily rewarded, either.
Doug Morton of Oakland said it had been slow going in his four hours on Messalonskee. "The fishing's been slow. No flags at all," said Morton, who was hoping to catch brook trout by using nightcrawlers as bait.
"There's one guy over there who had one flag and a group of two over there that haven't had anything either. No fish."
According to the National Weather Service forecast, temperatures are supposed to rise into the mid-20s for most of the remainder of the holiday weekend, with much calmer winds than those that greeted ice fishermen on opening day.
Travis Barrett -- 621-5648
tbarrett@centralmaine.com
Reader comments
Click here to view or add reader comments