By Mike Roche

The passing of Rodney Flagg and the subsequent closure of Flagg’s Tackle on Daniel Shays Highway in Orange left a huge void for local sportsmen and women, particularly those who enjoy ice fishing.

The key ingredient to ice fishing is the shiners used for bait and Flagg’s carried a big selection and was open early to accommodate “hard water” diehards. The closing left fishermen searching for a place to get the live bait and other ice fishing supplies. This writer, like so many others, needed to find a place to get shiners and that led me to Crack of Dawn Bait in Phillipston.

A phone call informed me that the shop opened at 6 a.m. and the next morning the Silverado made the short drive from Orange and arrived early to check things out. Greeting me was owner Gerry Dalchuinas and immediately upon entering it was obvious that everything you needed for ice fishing was right there. One side of the shop was taken up by shiner tanks holding baitfish in six sizes, including six-inch suckers for big northern pike. A large selection of tip-ups, a bunch of jigging lures, bait buckets, jigging rods chisels and auger drill attachments are all right there. A small fridge holds the most popular jigging baits including spikes (maggots), meal worms and wax worms.

Gerry immediately answered my questions about shiners by informing me that he had been selling shiners for bait since he was in high school and trapped shiners. Today, you are prohibited from selling those you catch. Only shiners bought from licensed dealers may be sold. What followed was a lesson in keeping shiners. Crack of Dawn has a water supply system that is unequaled. There is a 250-gallon tank outside the shop and water is constantly cycled through the tanks after being aerated. Keeping shiners alive and healthy is a science and he has it down. When asked about keeping your bait lively while fishing he told me to “use your coffee cup,”—that is, add a cup of water from your holes which will aerate and refresh the baitfish. He said aerators are overrated and the key was not using the public water supply. What works best is the equivalent of a home aquarium filtration system. The magic temperature for water is 50 degrees or below to help keep bait healthy.

He also noted that his history with Rodner Flagg went way back to his grandfather, who was friendly with the local fly-tying and fishing legend. He stated that he had visited Rodney and spoke with him at length before opening his shop. The rest is a 12-year history of success, as is clearly shown on his “brag board,” of photos showing years of fishing achievements by his customers and family. His fishing experience includes venues from all around New England and his passion for ice fishing is obvious. During my time in the shop, two customers came in and it was clear that ice fishermen drive a long distance to buy bait there and that people come back once they see what the shop has to offer.

Gerry went into real detail when asked about keeping shiners alive between trips. He advocated using three five-gallon buckets (not public water) and rotating them every couple days. There are things that you can buy in a pet store to add to the water and he sells some himself, but keeping the water cool and fresh was clearly the key. He repeated that it is just like keeping fish alive in your aquarium. Many of us have an old fish tank stuck away somewhere and a trip to the pet store will get you everything you need to keep your bait alive between trips.

Clearly, there is a great local business that caters to ice fishermen, and it could not be more convenient. Hours are 6 a.m.-7p.m. and he takes credit cards and bends over backwards to meet the needs of fishermen and women. Later this week, yours truly will hopefully return to Crack of Dawn Bait to see if fish like his bait and probably pick up a new jigging lure or two. He said if you want it, he can get it and this fisherman is relieved that there is a great local place for ice fishing needs.

Please be aware that even with the recent cold snap, ice is still a risk. As of Wednesday, reports ranged from four to six inches on most local waters. Follow all safety precautions and make sure you have the means to get yourself or someone else out safely after calling for help.

Dress warm and get outside!

Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the MaharFish’N Game Club, counselor and director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, has been a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.