An unusually snowy winter has many MFCC members holed up inside, getting tackle ready for warmer weather, tying flies, building lures, working on wood sculpture, and thinking of heading south to get in some winter fishing.
There are a few hearty MFCC members who are taking this brutally cold weather as a positive, heading to their favorite ice fishing location.
Ice Fishing Adventures
In the Ice fishing 2026 thread Paul Trinh braved the cold on a nice, sunny day and reports a solid recent outing, catching two bass and two rainbow trout.
Paul Trinh's efforts paid off as he caught this and another rainbow trout along with two bass on an ice fishing trip prior to the big snowstorm.
For those looking forward to getting back on the water, and perhaps chasing a new to you species, be sure to see the Following the Fish through the Seasons thread, in which Ryan Collins provides an overview of fishing on Cape month by month.
Artistic Pursuits
Check out the Wood Carvings and Art thread to see the amazing work that MFCC member Marshall Roy has been doing on his six-foot long shark he is handcrafting from basswood. The detail and craftsmanship is incredible. Marshall has been working on his museum quality piece for a year.
Marshall Roy is nearing completion of this six foot shark that he has expertly crafted.
Scrolling through the thread will provide you a look at how the piece started to the most up to date photos. Also see in the thread the amazing work that Marshall did hand crafting a tautog back in 2024, along with all the steps he took to create that lifelike piece.
The beginning of Marshall Roy's six foot long shark started with this stack of basswood in his shop last year.
Environmental Concerns
Bryan King started the Herring stuck in Cape lakes/ponds thread and it has led to an interesting conversation about water levels on Cape, where we are experiencing a drought.
Before the recent snow storms, Bryan noted that many of the Cape’s ponds/lakes are still very low, in some cases three-to-four feet. He is concerned that low water levels could impede herring and their offspring being able to make their way in and back out of ponds, which has led to an ongoing conversation.
Escaping to Warmer Waters
If you are still aching from clearing snow, then reading the Florida Fishing thread can help put a smile on your face.
The thread was started by George LaBonte, a Massachusetts native who has lived in and run a successful fishing charter/guide business in Jupiter, Florida for 40 years. George provides updates in the thread of catches of everything from tilefish brought up from depths up to 950 feet, to sailfish, tuna, wahoo, the list goes on and on.
Captain Jason Colby of Little Sister Charters visited Florida in late December and as typical for winter reported up and down weather. Captain Colby fished with Captain LaBonte and reported catching a variety of fish including jacks, lizard fish, catfish, a rabbit fish and some pompano.
Captain Colby said that after putting six hours of casting in, Captain George went the extra mile, dropped him off at the dock and headed back out again with his friends Lenny and Sirio so they could get even more fish.
While in Florida, Captain Colby fished every morning in lakes “for a rather large number of largemouth bass and one nice peacock that was actually bigger than all the largemouths I got this trip.”
Captain Jason Colby of Little Sisters Charters got away to Florida to do some winter fishing. At left he is pictured with some of his catch from an outing with Captain George LaBonte. At right is one of the largemouth bass he caught in a local lake.
Captain LaBonte is also a resource for anyone who is planning a trip to the Jupiter area, offering advice on what fish are hitting to boat captains in other areas of the sunshine state.
Winter Stripers Strategy
In the Winter Stripers thread, Robbie Sturtevant provided quality information for another MFCC member looking for advice on whether you can catch holdover stripers during the day.
For daytime outings, Robbie recommends throwing small presentations including small metals like Kastmasters and paddle tail/zoom lures.
Robbie Sturtevant says a small Kastmaster with a silverside can be an effective lure to target holdover striped bass.
At the same time, Robbie strongly recommends fishing after dark, noting that he was hitting a spot only during the day for years, catching largemouth and other freshwater species. “The first time I went at night I caught a holdover,” says Robbie. “Now when I go to that spot at night on a warm winter night it’s almost weirder if I don’t see, hear, or catch a holdover.”
Staying Active Off-Season
Answers vary in the What are people doing until spring 2026 thread, ranging from continuing to fish, oystering and/or clamming, to servicing reels, and making rods.
Dean Wong enjoys getting out to get some oysters and clams on warmer winter days.
One thing is for sure, many MFCC anglers are keeping themselves busy with a variety of fishing related activities, while counting the days until the snow melts and the temperatures are consistently above freezing.
Robbie Sturtevant has been spending time with photography and birding this winter.
Lure Building Innovation
The Lure building should come with a warning thread is attracting more interest. There are a number of consistent posters, including Anthony Besaw, Ken Webber, and John Stirpe.
Anthony Besaw has been busy in his workshop, crafting a variety of lures including a jointed version.
Ken uses a 3D printer to craft his lures, while Anthony and John pour resin into molds, and Adam Kostecki expertly operates a lathe to craft wooden plugs.
Ken Webber used a 3-D printer along with some ingenuity to craft this jointed lure.
These plug builders freely share their knowledge, both successes and challenges, motivating each other to try new techniques to build even more effective lures.
John Stirpe successfully used the 80 gram jigs he built on a fishing trip to Costa Rica, catching both yellowfin and black tuna. John reports being most excited about his newest plug creation that caught at least 10 yellowfin, and three or four black tuna.
John Stirpe built these sardine lures for a fishing trip in Costa Rica.
John reports that “this plug just did everything I designed it to do, casting, trolling, sweep and pause, from boat and shore.”
John Stirpe's hand crafted plugs caught a variety of fish in Costa Rica, including this wahoo, a fish known for its' speed and tremendous force they attack their prey with.
Anthony Besaw developed a jointed plug using a pin connection with stainless screw eyes, attaching weights and rattles with uv resin, adding kinks to the end of the wire to prevent pulling out. Anthony even “test drove” his creation, finding some unfrozen salt water for the plug’s maiden voyage.
Fly Tying Projects
In the Fly Fishing and Fly Tying thread, Cooper Mark, Johan Frenje and Ken Holt have been busy filling their fly boxes as they await warmer weather.
Cooper Mark is quickly becoming proficient at tying a variety of flies.
Ken has been busy refilling his clouser box, particularly with his so-called POC (Pimped Out Clouser) that was the fly of the season for him last year, hoping to not run short this year.
Among the flies that Ken Holt is tying this winter is his "Pimped Out Clouser" that was one of his most successful creations of 2025.
Johan has been busy making his professional looking flies in a variety of shapes and sizes, while offering advice for other posters.
Johan Frenje has been busy tying flies this winter, including this seven inch Bangers Whitreuse with rattle for swinging flies in murkier river inlets during the herring run.
If most winters end up being about “average” when it comes to temperatures, let’s hope this winter is getting its cold weather out of the way early, so we can all enjoy some unseasonably warm winter weather and get put fishing in the coming weeks!
Tight lines!
Dan Nahorney
MFCC Forum
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