Author Topic: Need info on Browns (Read 6611 times)

BowSlayerVT · « **on:** Jan 22, 2006, 08:09 PM »

I don't have any browns in the lakes near where I live so I've never ice fished for them. This week I'm heading to a lake with big browns. Need some tips fast! What depth? Bait size? How far down do I suspend my bait? What type of area is good to set up tip-ups in? If anyone could help me out I would appreciate it.

iceintheveins · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 23, 2006, 05:20 PM »

Browns like structure, such as drop offs, channels, and rock bars or reefs that hold lots of forage.
The best depths are 8 - 25 feet. They will bottom hug a bit more than rainbows but they will still suspend on occasion.
The best baits are smaller spoons tipped with pieces of nightcrawler or a waxworm. Also setting dead or live minnows on tip ups is good, but employ both jigging and tip ups when fishing for browns, much as you would walleyes or lakers.

camo_fish · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 23, 2006, 07:39 PM »

Well, Mackdaddy, for here in NY I've heard that browns with travel the same place as our LL and that is right under the ice, or in and around the smelt schools. I would use icicles unless smelt are in the lake and are legal to use for bait, otherwise, icicles should work nicely.
If there is an inlet on the lake or you know of a good creek flat, I would start out with 1/2 your tipups just under the ice 1'-2' and then put a few 2' off bottom.
Now if you have electronics and see bait fish suspended then set a few at the top of where you see the suspended fish.
Good luck.

iceintheveins · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 23, 2006, 08:01 PM »

Like any predator browns will be where ever the forage is.

grumpymoe · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 24, 2006, 07:02 PM »

Quote from: Mackdaddy21 on Jan 23, 2006, 08:01 PM

Like any predator browns will be where ever the forage is.

thats a dandy tip....keep that in mind....Grump

iceintheveins · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 25, 2006, 12:01 AM »

Quote from: Grump on Jan 24, 2006, 07:02 PM

thats a dandy tip....keep that in mind....Grump

Oh hah hah.

BowSlayerVT · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 26, 2006, 05:57 AM »

Thanks guys. Gonna give it a try soon here maybe tomorrow. What size bait should I use on my tip-ups, my livewell is full of smelt? Do the crawlers work on tip-ups as well?

ifishhi · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 26, 2006, 07:45 AM »

i've caught all my browns in shallow water near shore on sandy bottom. med. shiners half way down in 6 feet and less

TroutChaser · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 26, 2006, 04:16 PM »

ive cought all of my browns and i fish trout hard all winter long, and i catch them from 6-20' down, all day lol. I use emeralds, large and small, and they will hit med shiners and even a larger one now and then, but if you can keep smelt alive, it is the best bait to use to bring in the larger browns

BowSlayerVT · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 28, 2006, 07:17 PM »

lost a nice one right in the hole around the 24" range. Had other fish on too but they came of bringing them in. Should I wait to set the hook with browns?. That big one, and one my girlfriend lost were just sitting right under the hole with the bait. We actually were just picking up our tip-ups to reset the flag and the fish was on not even taking line?? O well going back tomorrow. Planning on fishing there a lot this winter so any tips would be appreciated.

grumpymoe · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 28, 2006, 10:04 PM »

ditch the hoewy.........fish browns with caution......just like brookies....anywhere along the shoreline........and just under the ice......pigs on the prowl.....dont spook them.......Grump

camo_fish · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 28, 2006, 11:06 PM »

Quote from: Grump on Jan 28, 2006, 10:04 PM

ditch the hoewy.........fish browns with caution......just like brookies....anywhere along the shoreline........and just under the ice......pigs on the prowl.....dont spook them.......Grump

yes and when you get to your flag and nothing there, pull in your bait and drop it back down by hand and see if the brown is just sitting there under the hole off to the side of the hole, if so, as the bait goes back down the brown may slam it and then FISH ON!.

Good luck

BowSlayerVT · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 04, 2006, 05:58 PM »

Anymore info anyone? Someone else must have some tricks. Getting skunked outhere!

coldbum · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 05, 2006, 01:48 PM »

Are you using a leader? I use 6lb florocarbon about 3ft. What size hook are you using? I use a #12 trebel. What bait? I like small/medium shiners.
Just like everyone else said, put lines in shallow (especially around dawn and dusk)
and make sure you are very quiet they spook easy!
Make sure you set the hook the first time, generally big browns wont come back a second time around!
Dont give up!

Jim111 · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 04:24 AM »

We fish browns much as we do for salmon. Small, live smelt anywhere from 5 to 8 feet down. The smaller fish seem to like rocky points and other structure, but the bruisers can be anywhere, even out in wide open flats or over deep water. Here's a monster that came out of 'Magog a couple weekends ago! -Jim

coldbum · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 07:00 AM »

wow great brown! Did the little guy catchem?

TroutChaser · « **Reply #16 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 07:11 AM »

wow that is really a nice brown, with a good hook jaw, i would have probably mount that one, nice fish, where did you catch that???

BowSlayerVT · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 07:44 AM »

Did you get that out by the islands Jim? If so which one? I get all my smelt at Magog. I've mainly been fishing shadow lake and Island Pond. Thinking of trying Seymour this afternoon, but heard some nasty rumors on the ice up there. I usually fish Willoughby all winter but its still not froze. Oh well just have to keep tryn.

Jim111 · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 09:56 AM »

That's nine-year-old Ian Machia, of Montgomery. He fought the fish alone and his dad helped him at the hole, at the end. Yeah, it was up by the islands, near the Canadian border. Here's one from two years ago that I landed (a hen brown) that was a tad bigger even (31.5 inches), same general area too. Live smelt , fished about five feet down, in a little over 30 feet of water. We jig our own smelt too, right on Magog, up close to The Twins. -Jim

coldbum · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 09:58 AM »

great browns jim111... been on the iceshanty.com site for one day and you are already making me jealous!

METIPPIN · « **Reply #20 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 01:16 PM »

Jim111 Those are great pics welcome to the site. I have yet to catch a brown through the ice and i know they are there. I fish the belgrades in Maine ever been up this way.

Jim111 · « **Reply #21 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 02:06 PM »

Thanks for the kind words folks. I've only been to Maine deer hunting,.... other than about 30 years ago. -Jim

TroutChaser · « **Reply #22 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 04:56 PM »

the one the kid is holding, how much did it weight?? And how long???

Jim111 · « **Reply #23 on:** Feb 08, 2006, 03:39 AM »

Ian's trout was 27.5 inches and a tad over 7 pounds. As you can tell, some of us actually weigh our fish, so no outlandish claims. -Jim

TroutChaser · « **Reply #24 on:** Feb 08, 2006, 04:12 PM »

Quote from: Jim111 on Feb 08, 2006, 03:39 AM

Ian's trout was 27.5 inches and a tad over 7 pounds. As you can tell, some of us actually weigh our fish, so no outlandish claims. -Jim

what did you mean by what you said at the end about outlandish claims?

and where was that fish caught, state, body of water?

Jim111 · « **Reply #25 on:** Feb 08, 2006, 04:59 PM »

You mean that needs explanation? I already stated the fish came out of 'Magog (Lake Mempremagog), and if you look close, you'll see I'm from Central Vermont, and that's the state the lake is in, and I already mentioned it was caught up near the islands near the Canadian border. How much more explicit must I be? I already narrowed it down to about a 400 yard section and that's as far as I'll go!
As for the rest of the statement, some people hold a fish out about as far from their body as possible for a photo and obviously lie about weights sometimes too. We don't. We actually measure and weigh fish and don't lie about it. I'm sure a lot of people, had they guessed, would have thought Ian's brown weighed more. Wanna make a big fish look BIGGER? Have a small kid hold it! But in this case, the small kid actually caught it. It's not his FIRST big trout or salmon either. Here's Ian with a 10 pound laker he landed all by himself when he was seven! -Jim

TroutChaser · « **Reply #26 on:** Feb 09, 2006, 07:06 AM »

dont really care about knowing exactly where you caught, just was wanting to know the origin thats all, not going to go and take your spot or anything, it was a great looking fish, wish i can catch one that large myself, nice fish once again and good luck this weekend

Jim111 · « **Reply #27 on:** Feb 09, 2006, 01:28 PM »

No problem,...the information was kind of spread-out between 2-3 posts anyway. Magog is not far from Interstate 91 in Northeastern VT in the town of Newport. Most years it's no problem to drive on the ice, from several access points to get out on the main lake and near the area I mentioned. You can't miss Twin Islands, as they are two rather small islands located along the northeast shore before the Canadian border (the lake is in both Canada and the USA). Bait-size smelt are easy to jig up in close to the islands. Just look for the concentration of shanties, as to where they've been hitting best lately. The trout and salmon fishing (to me) seems best way out in the middle somewhere and away from all the commotion or perch and smelt jiggers. We use live smelt on tip-ups, set right under the ice a few feet. -Jim

TroutChaser · « **Reply #28 on:** Feb 09, 2006, 04:10 PM »

cool, that is some great info though if i can ever get to ice fish lake mamgog, just didnt know the lingo before

Jim111 · « **Reply #29 on:** Feb 10, 2006, 05:37 AM »

That's ok, I understand. Lake Memphremagog is one heck of a fishery, especially in the winter. I have lots of photos of that place (and our catch) that would make most ice fishermen just faint!
-Jim

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Author Topic: Need info on Browns (Read 6611 times)

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