It’s tough to be a baitfish…
January 20, 2024
Location and Access to Charles Pond
Where is Charles Pond Located?
This 14-acre water body is found next to Route 127 (Five Island Road) in Georgetown, Sagadahoc County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 7 D1). My goal this morning is fishing through the ice on Charles Pond to catch brook trout.
Access and Boat Launch
Access is super easy because the pond sits immediately next to the road. Anglers can park their vehicles along the wide shoulder. However, beware that parking may be a challenge following a snowstorm after the plows have pushed piles of snow on that shoulder.
Be ready to sift through these toothy critters to find the brook trout.
Charles Pond Features, Stocking, Depth Profile, and Angling Rules
General Characteristics
Charles Pond is an entirely undeveloped and pretty lake surrounded by woods. I choose this location because it offers seclusion and quietness. As a bonus, the drive passes by numerous beautiful coastal coves and inlets on winding roads.
Annual Stocking
The state stocked this pond in the fall of 2023 with 150 7-inch brookies, 75 13-inch brookies, and 20 20-inch brookies. What’s with the 7 inchers?? They are too small to be caught using baitfish on traps and serve as naïve feed for the hordes of hungry pickerel and yellow perch that live in these waters… My secret target today is one of those lunker trout!
Charles Pond represents a typical winter “put-and-take” fishery so common in southern Maine. These kinds of ponds support stocked trout between October and June when the water temperatures are acceptable. However, any fish that survive the anglers’ onslaught succumb during the next summer when the water becomes too hot.
Hence, the action is typically fast early in the ice-fishing season but then slows down as more and more of the stocked trout are harvested over time. The trick to success, therefore, is to fish this pond early in the winter when the picking is still good.
Depth Profile
A depth map is not available. But based on personal sounding during ice fishing, much of the pond is shallow (< 7 ft deep).
Fishing Regulations
Ice fishing occurs under the general fishing laws applicable to the South Zone. No additional restrictions apply.
This “tiny” lunker trout did not measure the expected 20 inches but that is alright with me!
Fishing Through the Ice on Charles Pond for Brook Trout
Arrival and Conditions
My grandson Geovani and I reach our destination at 7:15 am. We are the first ones on the ice. We therefore get to pick our spot, which is about half-way down the pond in its narrow “waist”.
I am glad that we arrived early because another half-a-dozen anglers amble on the ice over the next hour. OMG, this place has been discovered since I last fished it in 2017!
The temperature is a brisk 14°F but it feels much colder due to a harsh northwest wind which generates a serious windchill. The forecast calls for overcast skies and temperatures in the low 20’s by late morning. We are dressed accordingly.
Technique for Fishing Through the Ice on Charles Pond
The ice is a ridiculously thin, but safe, 3 to 4 inches thick. G begins drilling holes with my auger, and I start the process of deploying eight tip-ups with small shiners placed halfway down the water column.
I make sure to provide an additional olfactory and visual enhancement by pinning a scented salmon egg on each hook before attaching the bait fish.
We get our first flag 15 minutes later when I am setting up the third trap. Great, the fish are feeding! Unfortunately, it is the first of half-a-dozen pickerel that will be pestering us all morning…
And G did not get skunked either!
Results of Fishing Through the Ice on Charles Pond
We are an hour into our fishing, and have had four flags, two pickerel, and a yellow perch, but no brookies. Mmm, this pattern is not looking good…
A flag goes up and it is my turn to tend it (G and I alternate). The spool is turning at full speed when I look down the hole. I love that sight!
A Lunker Trout!
I set the hook and feel serious heft at the other end. Oh boy, this sure ain’t no yellow perch! The fish does not want to come near me. For a long moment, I fear that I have hooked a large pickerel (click here and here for previous examples) but am relieved to see a big brookie zipping by. Yes, I caught one of the lunker trout!
The fish fights vigorously but ultimately tires out after taking multiple runs. I carefully coax it through the hole and on to the ice. Surprisingly, it only measures 17 inches, which makes it a “tiny” lunker fish but that is alright with me. I photograph the fish and release it so the next lucky angler can catch it.
And G Catches a Trout too!
Another hour goes by with several more perch and pickerel flags, but no trout. The next flag that goes up is G’s. But when he reaches the hole, the line hangs limp and the fish has stolen the bait
He immediately sends down a small jigging lure using his jigging pole to see if the fish below is still lurking around the hole. Within 15 seconds, he gets a hit, and to my great relief, hooks and lands a 13-inch brookie. Wonderful, he is not going home skunked either.
By now, it is past 9:30 am and the flag action has drastically slowed down. I want to keep jigging for a lunker trout, but G is bored, cold, and ready to leave.
I suggest that he start a fire on the ice which he enthusiastically accepts. It keeps him busy and entertained for the next hour. However, the brookies are not at their post and I fail to get another bite on the jig. I call it good by 10:45 am.
The trout action was slow but I succeeded in my quest to catch one of the big fish and put G on trout too. So, I consider this morning a success! 😊
G keeps himself entertained and warm by building a fire. Unfortunately, the extra jigging time it afforded me did not yield another trout…
The outcome of fishing through the ice on Charles Pond: We only landed 2 brook trout (largest = 17 inches) in 3 hours of cold fishing.
Was the information in this blog useful? I invite you to share your thoughts and opinions. Also, feel free to discuss your fishing experiences at this location.
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