Going for trout in MA first time and have a question

[MACK_USCG]

Guys,
   I'm going to be fishing for Trout here on the Cape and I have a few questions. Please hook me up because I haven't ever fished MA and want to do it Legal and right. Here Goes:

1. I looked everywhere for Tip-Up regs and can't find em anywhere. How are they supposed to be marked? Name, Address,

2. I can't imagine Trout fishing being any different anywhere else but this is what I typically use to catch em in ADK's and was wondering of this can work for me here as well. Should I use this set up here and is it legal?

Here is my set up and Please let me know what you guys think:

TIP-UP: HT Windlass Tip-Up. 
MAIN LINE: 75yds of  Berkley ICE Power Pro (4lb test dia. with 15lb test strength).
SWIVEL:  Red Wolf #10 Barrel Swivel.
LEADER: 28" of Trylene XT Mono (Extra Tough) 6lb test with a small split shot in the center of the leader.
HOOK: Eagle Claw #12 Treble hook.

BAITS:
A 3" Smelt / Icicle / or Golden Shiner hooked under Dorsal with one of the hooks.

If you guys could give me some advice i'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
Mack

[pikeking]

sounds good to me 5 tip-ups per guy

[Roacho]

Yup - sounds good. 

The trebles tend to hook deep and hard so careful there if you want to release. 

Also - run 'em in shallower water than you think is shallow.  They tend to run up to feed.

Just my input......but I'm pretty sure two of my sons were trout in previous lives. 

[TheBigPickerel]

Most of the trout stocked out on the cape are between 10-16 inches.
I usually set my bait 1-4 feet below the ice

[Wishin2BFishin]

Don't believe there are any regs on how you mark your tipups but I made black stripes on mine as most tipups look the same. Your rigs sound like they will work but you may want to go with a single hook over a treble. When I fish for trout I usually setup 4 tipups and make a hole where I setup base camp to fish with a jig stick. Gives me something to do while I wait for flags and if I get tired of jigging I can setup another tipup somewhere else.

I assume you have a Ma. freshwater license?

I'll be at my favorite pond fishin for Bass on Sunday before the Stupid Bowl...

Best of luck...

[unoman]

Mack

No need for smelt...expensive and they die if you look at them the wrong way ...small shiners 4 ft under the ice will do..I agree...no trebles and a size 8 or 10 is plenty small...

I do, at times, cave into a few smelt up north in lakes where they are native....

[Poppa]

I'm pretty sure you have to have your name and address on your traps(At least you did when I moved up here 9 yrs. ago.)but I havent checked the regs latley.

[Bo-14]

Hi Mack-
I'm new to the Iceshanty forum.

I was wondering how much ice you have on the Cape?

[unoman]

Mack

No need for names on tilts in Mass...only on cusk trap lines in NH where you are allowed to leave traps unattended for 24 hrs max....regulated/monitored by the boys in green...

[Poppa]

Thanx for the update unoman! I guess I can put away my sharpie!

[mgarvey]

I use pin heads for bait the smaller the better. The rainbows love them.

[unoman]

amen brother.....

[MACK_USCG]

Thanx for the update unoman! I guess I can put away my sharpie!

Hey thanks for the info on the tip up regs and set up guys. Yes I do have a freshwater License..I just got it a few days ago.  Hey poppa I'm stuck here at "the Light" how did the ice hold up with the rain? It is supposed to get cold this weekend so hopefully it will stay.

Mack

[Poppa]

Mack, I didn't get a chance to check the ice but the rain was light and very cold so i'm optimistic. I did take a ride to morris island road in chatham to dig some fresh clams for the super bowl but my honey hole was totaly locker in ice!!

[MACK_USCG]

You should have stopped in at the light to say hello and get a cup of java. We could have given you the nickel tour.  Yeah.. Stage Hbr is starting to freeze bad and outermost is on its way to freezing completely.  Did you hear the Southway is now the "no way" ? The morris Island sand bars are awesome for digging and alot of people are starting to fly fish for the stripers in there..well last summer there were a ton of people but some werent smart enough to get out of there on the ebb tide and were high and dry for 6 hrs! lol!!!  If you want to do some striper fishing this spring let me know. I will PM you after next weekend so we can get on some ice. I have apond that is frozen real good.  I heard by word of mouth there are tiger trout in there. I have never heard of em but I guess they crossed a Laker with a Brown. Kind of like crossing a laker with a Salmon (splake) Let me know if you have heard of this.

Mack 

[pointer103]

Taken from the MA 2007 Abstracts.

More than two hooks for fishing or more than five hooks
when ice fishing. A hook is defined as an angling device
which is attached to a fishing line and which is designed
to take one fish at a time, including, but not limited to,
devices commonly called spinners, spoons, bait harnesses,
lead head jigs or plugs, the purpose of which is to capture
the fish by enticing it to take the device into its mouth.

5 Tilts or 4 tilts and a rod/jig stick/pole...

[Massfisher]

I heard by word of mouth there are tiger trout in there. I have never heard of em but I guess they crossed a Laker with a Brown. Kind of like crossing a laker with a Salmon (splake) Let me know if you have heard of this.

Mack 

Just figured i would give you a hand and help you get your story straight i always forget which is what so i looked it up to hopefully put it in my memory bank and if you want something to look up sometime read up about splake it is very interesting some of the facts especially how fast they grow.

Splake are a hybrid trout resulting from the cross of brook trout and lake trout.

Tiger trout are the result of a wide cross or hybridization between two different species - the brook and the brown trout.

[MACK_USCG]

Thanks for the info. I always get those mixed up. How are the tiger trout and are they easy to catch?

[Massfisher]

i have only caught 1 tiger trout ever but they fight really hard for their size i think they fight better than rainbows and browns.  I cant give you any tip for them except to fish for them like you fish for rainbows and browns

[Poppa]

I never caught a tiger trout,but have heard of themI have wed.off so I will def be out somewhere fishin,every where I go now people are walkin on the ice and with temps all week not getting out of the 20's I'm getting real pumped.
maybe Ill finaly get to fish peters.
I don't know what kind of weekday schedule you have Mack but if your free wed. we should hook up!
          Dave

[MACK_USCG]

I never caught a tiger trout,but have heard of themI have wed.off so I will def be out somewhere fishin,every where I go now people are walkin on the ice and with temps all week not getting out of the 20's I'm getting real pumped.
maybe Ill finaly get to fish peters.
I don't know what kind of weekday schedule you have Mack but if your free wed. we should hook up!
          Dave

I will be returning from ADK's trip and should be home by noon.  I can fish for a couple of hours but I have to get to the store for the Valentine's deal or I will be skinned alive!  I'll have all my stuff so just let me know where you want to go and we can hit that spot up.  I would love to get on Peters.  I'll Send you an email hang on..

[BerkshireIce75]

You should have stopped in at the light to say hello and get a cup of java. We could have given you the nickel tour.  Yeah.. Stage Hbr is starting to freeze bad and outermost is on its way to freezing completely.  Did you hear the Southway is now the "no way" ? The morris Island sand bars are awesome for digging and alot of people are starting to fly fish for the stripers in there..well last summer there were a ton of people but some werent smart enough to get out of there on the ebb tide and were high and dry for 6 hrs! lol!!!  If you want to do some striper fishing this spring let me know. I will PM you after next weekend so we can get on some ice. I have apond that is frozen real good.  I heard by word of mouth there are tiger trout in there. I have never heard of em but I guess they crossed a Laker with a Brown. Kind of like crossing a laker with a Salmon (splake) Let me know if you have heard of this.

Mack 

Tiger trout are a cross between a Male Brook trout and a Female Brown trout, Very Aggressive Fish fun to catch if you can get em, good luck I noticed a lot of comments to put your bait 4 ft below the ice what worls for me is 5 tip ups I usually spread the out and put them at different depths starting with just under the ice like 15" and work your way up to 6 feet under that works best for me, good luck sometimes trout fishing is real slow

BerkshireIce75

[FishinAddiction]

They do not have to be marked. The only regulations is that you have to be within 500 feet of your traps. Which classifies that you are still able to tend to them.

[MACK_USCG]

sweet! Thank You very much for your reply.

mack

[gdnoggin]

unoman is right on, size 8 or 10 should be fine.  I like Gamakatsu Octopus Circle.  Smelt are great but $$$ and die easy-go with small shiners.   For big rainbow, small crayfish work well too.  For smaller ‘bow, salmon egg and worms are perfect.  Baiting the hole is a good trick to see if they're down there (provided you can see the bottom).  Drill a bunch of holes and drop the same number salmon egg down each one.  Walk around and counting the egg.  If any are missing drop a trap in that hole.  Rainbow tend to stay around the same place.  It takes patience but it pays off.  Lastly, if nothing is biting, don't hesitate to move.   Good luck.