A little help please

[mags459]

I am flying out to CO from Minnesota for an ice fishing trip we will spend 5 days camping and fishing Antero and 11-mile.  Any tips hints or must have baits? 

From reading here spoons and tube jigs.  But I know little about trout.  Can I get by with 4 and 6 lb test line? Thanks

Shane

[_colorado]

I wouldn't go any lighter than 6# test.  I run 10# on mine and just change the tippet as necessary. Stay shallow at 11 Mile, less than 15 FOW, sometimes less than 10 FOW.  If you work two rods (need a 2nd rod stamp) be sure to work one low and another a couple feet below the ice.  I've found a lot of fish high this year both at 11 Mile and Antero.

Also, there's no live baitfish allowed above 7,00' (or 7,500') in Colorado east of the Continental Divide.  Don't want to see you getting burned by the Fish and Feather folk.   I can't remember the exact elevation because I never use live baitfish.

Good luck and have a great trip.

[dshroyer]

At Antero I have had good luck with pink and white tubes, ratsos, ratfinkies tipped with waxies and salmon eggs.  Kastmasters also work well for me, blue and silver with waxies on the hooks.  Cannt help with the mile but Im sure someone will.

For line a lot of guys go heavier but I have caught large fish there on 4 and 5 lb, just turn the drag down.

Good Luck!

[coboy]

Just as colorado said fishing at those depths. You can see down to 15' at 11 Mile,so if you don't have a flasher you can still see the fish. If you're fishing shallow in bright light,the bigger trout are line shy.Try 4lb. fluoro and use a light drag. have fun!

[Booppr]

I have always used 4 lb test on all my rods (most small jig hooks straiten out with tighter drags anyway) except for pike, the I use 20 lb braid with a floro leader. But ratfinkiees in a small and medium size in glow pink body and glow green head work well for me all the time there. Also a 1/8 oz. Brass (gold) kastmaster and a meal worm have never left me with a skunk at antero. I have a few more baits that work well like smaller pink tube jigs and various color kastys but those 2 lures are the first to go down the holes and usually don't come off till after noon. Oh and dead stick the ratfinkee about 10 inches off the top of the weeds at antero and jig the kasty like there's no tomorrow at all depths. I have yet to catch ANYTHING at the mile so I won't even try to recomend anything for that lake.

[mags459]

Thanks the depth info should help.  I am bringing a flasher (bags fly free so may as well).  I like light line and use pretty good reels so its worth a shot for the 4lb.  if they break off at least I got to play.

Thanks again.  Packing up and getting pumped.