How to catch brook trout and brown trout through ice?

[ckfish]

I catch perch and pickerel through ice all the time, there is a small clear lake near me that has wild brook trout and stocked browns in it. I have caught some real nice ones in the spring but never ice fished it. How would you ice fish for trout?

[brown-time]

I'd use two rods, 3 feet apart.  Jigging rod would be a red/gold Thomas Buoyant or Kastmaster spoon, 1/8 oz, and the still rod would be a 1/16 oz brown/orange or  black/red marabou jig tipped with a half mealworm or some raw shrimp.  Both species love these combinations and I've caught some hogs of each species on them.  Fish right off the bottom of course.

[ckfish]

thanks

[NH Trout Fisherman]

Do Really well jigging live shiners close to shore near stream inlets/outlets

[JJ]

I catch perch and pickerel through ice all the time, there is a small clear lake near me that has wild brook trout and stocked browns in it. I have caught some real nice ones in the spring but never ice fished it. How would you ice fish for trout?

Noticed you were from NY, most likely that small lake is off limits to ice fishing, especially if it has brookies. Trout waters that are open to ice fishing are listed in the Regulations guide. The few trout waters that are open to ice fishing usually have other species like perch and pickeral in them as well as trout.

[ckfish]

I checked the regulations, it is permitted. But you can only keep 3 per person and they have to be 12 inches

[JJ]

Cool, now you just need some cold weather to get out there, good luck. Very few places to catch brookies through the ice in NY.

Llike others said, try near shore for both species.

[TheDL]

Do Really well jigging live shiners close to shore near stream inlets/outlets

(Image removed from quote.)

The colours on that are beautiful!  I hope to ice my first brookie this winter 

[The Ice Man]

i fish in mass. and catch lots of trout, i find that they like to cruise shore or just under the ice  looking for bugs and and other aqutic life to feed on and that if u set your lines there they will hit. the rig i use for browns brookies and bows a like is a 4lb or 6lb florocarbon leader with a small lazer shap wire hook baited with a small shiner or meal worm. i set this rig eaither under a tip or an HT ice rigger  jig pole set up. i prefer the HT ice rigger jig pole sett up because the trigger is lighter then normal tip-up

[andybob524]

Howdy, new here so bear with me... If the trout cruise just under the ice whats a good starting depth to place the tip-ups, 3ft down or so? 

[BackCountry Kyle]

It seems to me (and I'm a lot further west) that browns will cruise along the bottom in 15 ft or deeper water while brookies and bows will be closer the surface. While activley feeding trout will move from deeper to shallower water, as shallow as 2 or three feet of water, but not always the case. They will also be actively feeding in deep water but still moving 10'-20' (or deeper with browns) under the ice in search of food. I like to jig something flashy.... kastmaster, pk, swedish pimple,or just your favorite spoon with a bit of "meat" on it for scent, Drop it all the way down and jig it up moving a crank at a time and spending some time at each level in the water column. In clear water the fish will be attracted from long distances. Sound also helps, triggering agression strikes quite often. I also use a dead stick with some sort of smaller presentation... like a maribu jig, rocker jig, scud or ice fly, again with some meat. Half a mealy seems to do the trick for me too, but shrimp are great as well. Good luck

[wyoutdoors]

Excellent reply Kirkwood Kyle! 

[mrkimmerly]

#Allstar Brookie! What a catch!