New to Trout need help

[NanookofN-MN]

I was doing some digging for possible lakes for this winter and came across a small lake, 15 acres in area and about 40 feet max.  The lake is supposed to hold a good number of trout but I don’t have a contour map for it.  I am looking for help on tackle, bait and tactics.  I am guessing the pond holds Brookies or Brown.

Thanks

[dabluz]

First thing to look for is for any distinguishing thing about the lake.  Since it's small, this will be easy.  It could be a small stream that feeds into the lake, a point of land, a small island, a small bay or even a big rock or small cliff on shore.  Anything that seems to attract attention.

In the early morning, start fishing close to shore in about 2 to 4 feet of water and make other holes towards the center of the lake and go from hole to hole.

Trout in a lake will be searching for food.  Feeding trout are always on the move so if you don't get a bite in one hole, go to the next.  Usually, trout will hit your lure as soon as they see it.  After a few outings on the lake, you will pretty well know where the best fishing will be.

Use the lightest gear you can use.  Use clear mono of about 4 lbs test.  When fishing with worms, I use only a size 10, 8 or 6 Gamakatsu Octopus hook on the end of my line and nothing else.  I let the bait slowly fall to bottom and then lift it just above bottom.  Use no other hardware on your line.  I also have great sucess with flutter spoons about 3 to 4 inches long on the end of my line.  I let them slowly flutter to bottom and then I twitch them just off the bottom.  I don't add any bait to the hooks on the lure.  Favorite colour is silver on one side and brass on the other side, both with a hammered finish.  Sutton makes the best flutter spoon but the company recently quit making lures.

When baiting my hook with a nightcrawler, I only use the head of the worm.  I cut it off at about 1/3 the length of the worm.  The rest of the worm, I tear off into a couple of pieces and throw them down the hole in the ice.  I thread my small hook through the worm so that the point of the hook juts out about 2/3 of the way to the tip of the head.  I push up the worm over the knot on the hook.  I end up with a straight grub with a hook pointing out of it's side.  The tip is free to move.  If I don't get a bite within 30 minutes, I change for a fresh worm.

If you are allowed to use live minnows, just hook them through the skin on their backs just behind the dorsal fin.  With a live minnow, you will have to add a split shot about 20 inches above the bait.

[NanookofN-MN]

Thanks Dabluz, now I just need to wait for the water to ice up.

[dabluz]

Make sure that you get to the lake very early.  I am usually all set up just as the sky starts to get light....just before sun-up.  Most of the time, I quit at about 11 a.m. or noon.  In the very early morning, you will be most likely alone on the ice.  When things start to get noisy, the trout bite a lot less.

[jiml]

I have never jigged for trout.  I use tip ups.  2 - 4 lb floro leader tied to a #12 hook......smaller the better......I use high quality jarred salmon eggs.....one on the hook. 

Rainbows go to deeper water at night and come in to cruise the shorelines at first light.  I set my tip ups in 2 - 6 feet of water (you will be very close to shore) on gravel bottom preferably near an inlet.  Set your bait about 12 inches under the ice.  Arrive at the lake an hour before sun up......drill your holes.......go back to the truck and take a nap.  Come back at first light and start quietly setting the tips being sure to kick some slush in the hole to block some of the light.......and get ready.  I have limited out before getting all of my tips set up using this technique!


Good luck!

[ssduramax66]

I fish brookies in about 1 FOW close to an outlet in a smaller lake,  I will sometime get them in a little deeper than that like 3-5FOW, Bows i usually do well in about 10 FOW with the bait suspended in the UPPER half of the water column.

[idahonative]

I've always nailed trout with pink Shrimpo jigs tipped with crawlers.

[wolfpak3770]

I too am new to Trout through the ice, Great info guys, thanks for posting 

[dabluz]

Thanks Dabluz, now I just need to wait for the water to ice up.

If the brookies that you are fishing are under 18 inches long, don't hesitate to use 2 or 3 lb clear mono.  I prefer mono over fluorocarbon because mono is more reliable even though it does get a bit weaker when wet.  With fluorocarbon, you make the knot and then you have to test it.  If it does not break, the stress that it has taken has reduced it's strength.  When fluorocarbon has been stressed, it stays damaged......does not spring back like stressed mono.

[Derik]

I just had a great weekend of trout fishing on a small pond with great success.  We run 4 traps while running around with one jig pole.  Typically we set up a couple traps near to shore, and then the other two get put out in deeper water.  Like what has been said above, look for possible structure, some of my best fishing has been on top of or around big rocks and boulders under the ice, sunken logs have also been good spots.  I like a couple different things when jigging, a bright shiny spoon with about 4-6 inches of leader with a single size 8 or 6 hook and a crawler or worm, or a big inline spinner with 4-6 inches of leader and a hook.  Typically here in Maine I catch brookies with traps set anywhere from just under the ice to 15-20 feet under.  If you don't have luck for a while in a certain spot don't be afraid to move, but sometimes it's all about the time of day, I've had some of my best trout fishing at the beginning and end of the day.  It can be dead for a while then sometimes you can't even get the bait down the hole before the flag hits you in the face while you are setting it up.