I went deep sea fishing for the first time last week while on vacation. I have a little more respect for people who love to fish now. I didn’t understand the love of it, but now I appreciate the sport. There is a lot more finesse to fishing than I thought.

Where and what was Massachusetts biggest fish ever caught? For the purpose of this post, we are talking about freshwater fish.

There are two main lakes in the Berkshire County’s biggest city. Lake Onota and Pontoosuc Lake in Pittsfield are two busy spots when it comes to fishing whether it be summer or winter.

The photo above is courtesy of Joshua Christman on Facebook from Pittsfield’s CARP Palooza on June 15, 2024 on Pontoosuc Lake in Pittsfield and Lanesborough.

A man shows a northern pike caught in Lake Onota earlier this year. Note: this is not the actual biggest fish caught.

Two 45-inch northern pikes both caught in Lake Onota, according to mass.gov

Ashley DePaoli in 2017 (45.5 inches Lake Onota)

Craig Strong in 2021 (45.5 inches Lake Onota)

A 46 pound carp measuring 42 inches was caught in 2012 in Quinsigamond Lake in Shrewsbury MA.

A 35 pound Northern Pike measuring 47 inches was caught on Quacumquasit Pond in Brookfield, MA back in 1988.

A 27 pound Tiger Muskellunge measuring 46 inches was caught in Pontoosuc Lake in Pittsfield, MA in 2001.

“A small-business owner that’s just worried about the day-to-day doesn’t have the time to look into all that,” said Jennifer Kritzler, CALSTART’s Northeast region deputy director. ​“Mass Fleet Advisor becomes a great resource to answer those questions.”

The process begins with a brief phone call in which an organization learns more about the program and whether it would be a good fit. To be eligible, an entity must have a fleet of at least three vehicles, at least one of which must be medium- or heavy-duty. Then, the organization answers questions about its current fleet, facilities, and goals.

The program has earmarked half of its funds to work in environmental justice neighborhoods: those with high populations of color or lower average incomes, which have traditionally borne a disproportionate share of environmental burdens. Fleets that are based in or regularly drive through these areas will fall into this segment.

“We’re really trying to include a focus not only on the emissions but on the benefits of reducing air pollution in communities that are highly affected by this,” Reichert said.

The initial communication is followed by a site visit. A recent site visit in the town of Ipswich involved touring town hall, the Department of Public Works, and the Ipswich Electric Light Department. Consultants from program partner the Better Together Brain Trust talked to employees about how the town’s handful of electric vehicles are charged and deployed, what the current infrastructure is like, and what they are hoping or expecting to see as the town evolves toward greater use of electric vehicles.

The site visit helps reveal dynamics not captured by the questionnaire: In Ipswich, the assessors discovered that their initial thoughts about where chargers might work was complicated by the parking needs of the town’s Council on Aging.

“We’re getting absolutely the best information from the local experts,” said Nicole Voudren, president of the Better Together Brain Trust.

When the assessment is complete, it will provide truly useful information to the town, said Rick Mitchell, Ipswich climate resiliency manager.

“The results, when we see those, will provide a platform for intelligent decision-making,” he said. ​“We’ll have objective, independent, third-party information on the options. This helps summarize what would be a very labor-intensive undertaking in one place.”

Mass Fleet Advisor does not provide any money toward buying electric vehicles, nor does it require participants to make any purchases. However, up to 75 participants that decide to implement some or all of its plans will also be able to receive assistance with the procurement process: The program will help these participants locate appropriate vehicles, connect with dealers, apply for incentives, train their workforces, and develop standard operating procedures for the new vehicles.

“We’re really excited for this not to be a one-time thing, then we walk away,” Kritzler said. ​“We want to be a resource for folks as they go through their journey.”

So far, 50 organizations — from dry cleaners and lumberyards to universities and municipalities — have signed on to participate, and 20 completed reports have been delivered.

To make sure they are able to make full use of the new funds, the program partners are ramping up their marketing and recruitment efforts, reaching out to community organizations and chambers of commerce, and planning events that allow organizations to see and even drive electric trucks.

“I’ve found when you get someone behind the wheel of a truck, it’s the best tool for converting people to believing that electric vehicles can work for them,” Kritzler said.

CONCORD, NH — Massachusetts State Police arrested a New Hampshire felon and fugitive after a drunken driving crash.

Cyril John Pocknett, 49, who was featured last week as the New Hampshire Department of Corrections fugitive of the week, wanted on a parole violation after a robbery conviction from 2011, was arrested Sunday by state police. He was charged with operating under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving with a suspended license. State police accused Pocknett of driving a vehicle out of Falmouth, MA. After a crash, troopers accused him of lying about his identity to elude arrest.

“Information and photos contained in the Fugitive of the Week bulletin helped police ascertain his true identity,” an updated alert stated.

Pocknett is being held in Massachusetts with officials there suggesting additional charges could be expected.

Assisting Mass. State Police were officers from the Falmouth and Mashpee police departments.

Pocknett was considered armed and dangerous due to a robbery conviction from February 2011, as well as other crimes. Investigators said he had “a history of substance misuse, resisting arrest, and possession of weapons.” Pocknett was released from prison in May and, after that, was accused of failing to report to his probation parole officer.

The New Hampshire Parole Board issued the warrant for his arrest. He had an arrest history from both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, with charges dating back to the early 1990s.