Hello

[Steve/NH]

New to the site.  Seems like lots of good info and discussion here.
I'm a medeocre recreational ice fisherman and my sons and I have stuck mainly to bass ponds etc but would like to learn some tips on
ice fishing for rainbows, browns, brookies, etc...  Things I think I know about catching trout thru the ice....deeper water, longer runs, you don't put your bait on the bottom like bass fishng.  Thats about it....Looking for some help.   I've heard smelt work well but do reg. shiners work?  How deep do you set bait, whats the best hook type and size?   I mainly stay local to S. NH so Cobbetts pond, Gunpas pond, Canobie lake are my regular spots butt also looking to venture north.

Below are pics from Fishing Cobbetts Sunday morning...great day!

[BAMSx4]

Hi Steve,

Welcome to the board.  I am new here myself.  I think that you will gain a lot of info from these guys.  I will wait and see some of the responses before I try and give you advice.  I just started ice fishing again after 10 years or so.  I may be a little dated on my tactics.

[slip_knot]

Main thing is to use a tipup with a very light drag. Trout will feel the drag and spit the hook. If YOU can feel the pressure of the reel as the line pays out, the fish will too.
Use light line... preferably fluoro. Six pound leader is about right for the deeper trout (8 pound for lakers), but go to 2 or 4 pound if fishing shallow or with eggs. The fish will see the heavier lines and shy away from them.
If the natural baitfish of the lake/pond is smelt, then fish with smelt. The fish see the bait every day and they are accustomed to eating the natural food source. Match it for best luck. You'll catch fish on shiners in a smelt water, but not as many. At least that has been my experience.
For medium to large smelt you can use size 6 or 8 hooks. For small smelt use 8 or 10. I hook the bait thru the back just under the dorsal fin. For a single salmon egg use a size 12 salmon egg hook and hide the hook in the egg.
Water depths depend on the species and the waterbody.
Best of luck.
Welcome to the Shanty

[jibbs]

nice looking bass.....good sizes to take home.....i prefer to send everything back, but 2 to 3  pounders are great choices to keep.....

[Steve/NH]

Thanks guys....hope to learn alot and share what I can.

Slipknot...When you say light line are you talking a leader or the whole spool? 
As for depth to set bait....Lets say rainbows and browns on a pond that max's out at 50 feet... Would you start over the deepest part and set the bait to the bottom or start over 25 feet and set to 10-15 deep? 

[salmon stalker]

Steve, vary your setups and see what is working best.

For bows, this time of year I fish a little deeper, maybe 6-12ft of water, browns vary now from 5ft to deepest hole, when I fish for browns I suspend my bait from below the ice to middle of water column, if I find they are hitting half way down, they all get set that way except maybe 1. If you fish southern NH you will have a hard time finding smelt for bait, that tends to be up north where they carry those.

I use a 6lb fluorocarbon leader, about 6ft in length, tied to braided ice line (20lb). I have all my drags wide open on my ice traps, no resistance or as little as possible, they can tell.

Another thing that works well is salmon eggs, power bait (Dough form), egg clusters etc.

Good luck

[slip_knot]

When I mentioned light line, yes, I meant the leader. Squid/dacron line for the main line. Connect the two with a good quality swivel to help prevent twist.

[Steve/NH]

Thanks slip_knot.   Thats what I have.  Thanks guy for the tips...I'll be giving it go sometime soon.
Steve