Fitts Pond is a 106-acre body of water located in Clifton, Penobscot County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 23 B5). To reach this location, drive on Route 46 (Javis Gore Drive) and turn into Blackcap Road. Then turn right on Camp Roosevelt Road after a quarter mile. The pond is located about 1 mile down this plowed and well-maintained private gravel road owned by the Boy Scouts of America. This organization manages Camp Roosevelt situated along the eastern shore of the pond. Beware that this road has a gate which is closed during mud season in the spring but is typically open during winter to allow ice anglers direct access to the pond. Unfortunately, for some reason, that gate is closed this morning which requires walking that last mile… I huff and puff pulling my sled on the way in because much of Camp Roosevelt Road is on an incline going up to the pond. Fortunately, it is much easier walking back to the car after ice fishing is done.
This gate is typically open during the ice-fishing season, but not this morning… Fitts Pond is about a mile down this gravel road.
Fitts Pond is quite a find! The place is gorgeous with crystal-clear water and is – except for Camp Roosevelt – totally undeveloped. This situation is surprising given its close proximity (< 15 miles) to the Banger-Brewer metro area. The reason is that the surrounding land is part of the Katahdin Scout Reservation which is owned by the Katahdin Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The pond sits at the base of Blackcap Mountain and is surrounded by several low wooded hills. The state manages Fitts Pond as a destination splake fishery and stocks it annually with 400 yearlings, resulting in a stocking density of 4 splake per acre. The pond is open to ice fishing under the general laws applicable to the South Zone except that: a) it is open to fishing between October 1 and December 31 using artificial lures only and with release of all trout, b) angling is restricted to two lines/traps per person, and c) the daily bag limit is one trout with a minimum length limit of 18 inches. These restrictive rules ensure a quality fishery yielding larger than normal splake. I like this whole idea, which is why I selected to come for a visit even though I have no expectations for quick action. The pond has a maximum and mean depth of 64 ft. and 34 ft., respectively, and is therefore relatively deep. Click here for a depth map and (dated) fisheries information.
This Rapala jigging rap lure is the ticket to success this morning. Notice the two salmon eggs to stimulate the visual and olfactory senses.
I park my truck by the locked gate at 7:15 am, get my gear ready, and reach the ice 25 minutes later. I talk to a fellow angler at the gate who confirms that people ice fished Fitts Pond last week. That puts me at ease. The weather is to my liking: full cloud cover with temps rising into the high 30’s and rain forecast for later today. However, a nasty wind blows in from the southeast and generates a surprising windchill. I am glad that I placed a disposable hand warmer in each coat pocket so I can keep my cold fingers toasty! My goal is to target the deepest section of the pond over 50+ ft. of water. I start walking along the western shoreline but notice that the ice is largely clear of snow as I proceed. Mmm, I am suspicious because it suggests that the deeper sections of the pond may have been ice free until recently. I use my trusted spud to check the ice thickness and find no more than 3 inches along the shore. Damn! Who knows how much thinner the ice is away from shore. I am not about to find out and retrace my steps backwards. I return closer to the access point and check an area covered with snow: the ice is 6 inches thick. That is much better. This is a key safety lesson: beware of the crucial importance of “ice awareness” to avoid accidents, and be prepared to check the ice thickness with a spud… I use my auger to drill several sounding holes and find water 18 to 22 ft. deep. That is shallower than what I was aiming for, but it will have to do given the circumstances. I deploy one trap with a small bait fish placed halfway down the water column. I enhance the visual and olfactory appeal of my offering by adding a scented egg on the needle-sharp hook before pinning the shiner. I then drill seven jigging holes in the vicinity.
It’s really nice when all the efforts needed to get out and ice fish are crowned with success!!
It is now 8:10 am and I’m all set up. I begin jigging with a shad-imitating Rapala jigging rap enhanced with two scented eggs to increase appeal. Nothing happens for 2 slooow and windy hours. I spend 10-15 minutes jigging a hole at various depths before proceeding to the next hole. I also move the one trap from hole to hole at the same time and change the depth of the bait fish trying to find the “strike zone”. During one of those movements, I notice that the bait fish is mangled but the flag was not triggered. Darn, I missed an opportunity but obtain an important signal: that bait fish was swimming halfway down the water column in that hole. I make sure to place the jig at the same depth when moving from hole to hole. And that approach pays off because I soon get a tremendous hit and hookup on the jig. Hole mackerel, that is one hard-fighting fish!! It constantly rips line of my small reel as I slowly bring the trout closer to the surface. The splake refuses to come to the hole and I spend several anxious minutes trying to coax it through the opening. I finally succeed and plunge my right hand into the ice-cold water to scoop up the creature. Woow, the fish measures a respectable 21 inches and makes my morning. I take several bragging pictures and release it unharmed back into its watery world. I am pumped and continue my rotation. I get another strong hit on the jig 15 minutes later at mid-depth but fail to connect with the fish. And then the action stops… It is now 11 am and time to head back home. On the way out, I talk to two guys who are each using two traps. They are not jigging (because it’s boring…) and have not had a single flag. My one fish is holding up good and re-affirms the need to always jig when ice fishing: sometimes fish are attracted more by a flashy, dancing lure than live bait…
The results: I caught one hard fighting splake (21 inches) in 3 hours of slow 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.
Tight Lines, y’all.
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