Tough Day of Ice Fishing on Bantam Lake Derby

Conditions were rough -- windy and cold. The weatherman called for sunny and in the 40's, but we never saw anything near that, and the wind was cold and steady. The fish were not active. One guy in our group caught a 1.5 pound pickerel that was in 4th place when I left. He caught that within the first hour on a medium to large shiner. Besides that, our group of about 6 guys had one other bite all morning. According to the game warden, it was slow across the whole lake. When I left I took a look at the top fish. The first place fish was a bass probably between 2 to 3 pounds. The number of participants was down from last year. Rumor had it that the Morris Fire Department did not collect enough money to pay out the $500 dollars, and the first place prize would be reduced.
Our lack of fish was off set by some good Italian sausage and venison steaks on the grill, as well as plenty of beer for all. Depending on my schedule, I might give it a go again next week.

Bantam Lake Ice Fishing Derby

On February 15th the Morris Volunteer Fire Department will be holding an ice fishing derby on Bantam Lake south bay from 7:30 AM to 1 PM. Registration starts at 6:30 at the Morris town beach. Address below. Entry fee is $20.

I went to this derby last year, and I plan on going again this year.

Morris Town Beach at State Boat Launch
Route 109 to East Shore Road
Morris, CT

Ice Fishing Tip

Quick tip: Keep your live bait in an insulated container. An uninsulated bucket will surely freeze on a cold day and kill your bait.

Sanzeri's Bait Shop, Store

I have recently been asked where I get my bait for ice fishing. I get my bait on the way to the pond or lake at a small bait shop in Thomaston called Sanzeri's. I used to have to drive out of my way before I found Sanzeri's.

Sanzeri's carries fishing and outdoor equipment. They have all kinds of live bait. You can also buy your fishing/hunting license there.

Their contact information is below:
Sanzeri's 288 S Main Street Thomaston, CT (860) 283-8654

Ice Fishing -- West Side Pond, Goshen, CT

This past weekend we had a family ice fishing adventure. We went to West Side Pond in Goshen, CT. There was well over 15 inches of ice.

We fished from about 10 AM until 1 PM using medium-sized shiners. The weather was brisk (about 25 degrees) with a tough breeze. Unfortunately, we did not catch any fish. Nobody around us seemed to be having too much luck either. However, we all had fun getting out onto the pond. Several of our group were ice fishing novices, so it was fun introducing them to the activity.