Last week on Wednesday March 5th, I found myself caught in that familiar angler’s dilemma: too many responsibilities, too little daylight, and the persistent question of “is it even worth going?” With the New England Saltwater Fishing Show looming on the horizon, I knew my window for getting on the water was closing fast.
What followed was a lesson in persistence, the reward of showing up, and more quiet medicine that Cape Cod’s freshwater gems provide before the summer crowds arrive.
When Preparation Threatens Participation
We’ve all been there. The plan was simple: be out the door by 1 PM with plenty of daylight ahead. But as the afternoon wore on, my two meetings ran long, dad duties called, and the ritual of preparing gear consumed precious minutes. Before I knew it, the clock read 3:30, and the early March sunset wouldn’t wait beyond 5:30.
This is the silent battle many anglers face – sometimes the preparation prevents us from actually wetting a line. With each passing minute, the internal debate grows louder: Is it even worth it for just an hour on the water?
Standing in my driveway with kayak loaded and rods finally rigged, I made the decision that has rarely disappointed me in all my years of fishing: yes, it was worth it.
The Medicine of Cape Cod's Kettle Ponds
As I headed down the Mid-Cape Highway with no clear destination, my mind inventoried the possibilities. Nickerson State Park’s pristine waters – Flax and Cliff Pond in particular – called to me with their undeveloped shorelines and crystal-clear depths.
On bright winter and spring days, these glacial kettle ponds reveal sandy bottoms that almost feel tropical, a hidden Cape Cod many tourists never discover.
But time wasn’t on my side, so I found myself exiting the highway and setting course for the pond shown below – a lesser-known jewel in Barnstable that has produced both trout and smallmouth bass for me in seasons past.
Passing a road named after the pond, I wondered about the pond’s namesake, and what the Wampanoag might have called this water body before European settlement. Whatever its original name, this pond’s origins stretch back 15,000-20,000 years, when massive glaciers carved these perfect bowl-shaped depressions into Cape Cod’s landscape.
As the ice retreated, it left behind these kettle holes – some of which reach impressive depths that provide cool refuge for trout even during Cape’s warmest months.
Seeking Shelter from March Winds
Despite temperatures pushing 50 degrees, the southwest wind howled at 25 mph, nearly creating whitecaps across the pond’s surface.
This is late winter fishing in New England – technically warm enough to be out, but still demanding respect from those who brave the elements.
My launch strategy was simple: stick to the cove left of the boat ramp where a jutting peninsula would block the worst of the wind.
The wind on Cape Cod’s ponds during this time of year is certainly a challenge. Fortunately finding a protected area out of the wind to fish, and where predators may still lurk, is normally not too hard.
With my wet and chilly fingers gripping my paddle, I pushed off the sandy beach and began maneuvering along the shoreline, appreciating the quiet glide of my kayak through the water. As I silently cruised over the pond’s ancient waters, I felt that familiar tightness in my chest – the tension between hope and doubt that defines early season fishing.
The question hung in the air like the last wisps of winter: would these glacier-carved depths yield a fish or two today, or was I merely paying dues for future success?
What happened next would prove exactly why the Cape’s kettle ponds hold secrets worth discovering...[click to continue reading...]
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Ryan Collins
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I am a bit scared to kayak this early. That water is cold
That’s a great point John. I highly recommend wearing a dry suit to stay safe. During this trip I was wearing a GUL U-Zip dry suit.