A Week Into Maine’s 2009 Ice Fishing Season: Beech Hill Pond is Hopping
Reports from Beech Hill Pond in Otis, Maine for the opening week of the 2009 ice fishing season.
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Beech Hill Pond, a 1300+ acre pond nestled in the tiny town of Otis, was the site of the State Record togue (lake trout) record back in the 1950’s. A man named Hollis Grindle landed the monster togue, which weighed in at 31 lbs. 8 oz. in 1958. The pond, with a deep trench running through the middle of the pond and its deepest point being 104 feet, definitely offers ice fishermen the opportunity to land another monster lake trout, and even some very impressive salmon.
A little more than a week, the few anglers who have braved the ice and elements have reported good catches. One party reported catching six togue, mostly in the 15″-18″ range, with one approaching twenty four inches with a very large girth. Another party has reported on two separate outings that they had caught two togue and a very nice 22″ salmon. This party reported at least eight flags in the waning hour of their final day, but never landed a fish in the entire flurry.
Cove fishing and staying near the shore seemed to be the order of the day on Beech Hill, as most anglers will wait for thicker ice before venturing too far from shore to fish the trench which will likely yield the largest togue.
All in all, however, it seems to be a nice start for one of the best known lake trout ponds in the Bangor/Ellsworth region. With limited fishing action in open water season due to few shore fishing opportunities and only a small public access point, the fishing always “heats up” once the ice is in on Beech Hill Pond.
Remember, keep a copy of your 2009 Maine Ice Fishing Regulations on hand. Beech Hill is an S-6 and S-13 Pond. The S-6 Code means that there is a 6 fish limit on togue with a minimum length of 14″ and only one fish may exceed 23″. The S-13 code states that there is no length or limit on bass, which likely means the Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife would like to see you keep every bass you catch. Consult your Regulations for other species, as they will fall under the general state guidelines.
Good luck and enjoy your day on the ice!
2 Comments
A different kind of fishing I am used to but sounds like fun
There are few things in the fishing world more fun that chasing down flags on a sunny January or February morning. Plus many anglers can target fish they seldom have a chance at during the warmer months. You should try it sometime!