Ice Fishing For Trout – How to Catch Fish
Ice fishing for trout doesn’t sound that hard, but there were many times we went out for a whole day without getting a single bite. Catching fish is all about having the right tackle and bait. The bite can be slower at certain times of the day. I’m going to share all of my tips and tricks for catching trout through the ice!
Ice Fishing For Trout
We have been ice fishing for many years. My family owns a camping resort on a mountain lake that freezes over for 4-5 months every year. We have been fishing out there since we were 14 years old, and boy have we learned a lot about catching fish.
The old timers would swear by using worms and white shoe-peg corn when ice fishing for trout. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn’t. I think maybe the fish got tired of so many people using the same thing over the years, maybe they finally caught on.
Things have really evolved in the ice fishing world in the past several years. There’s so many different ice fishing jigs, lures, and baits. It may be hard as even a seasoned angler to know what works and what doesn’t. We have tested many different things and have found what works best for catching multiple species of trout from under the ice.
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Start With the Bait and Tackle
Which Bait to Use?
The first thing you should be asking yourself is: do I have a variety of bait and tackle I can alternate between? The same thing isn’t going to work every time you go out. You will want to have a good rotation of gear and bait that has all proven itself to work, time and time again.
The baits that have never failed us are: worms, and maggots. It’s not a bad idea to have some of that white corn on hand, just in case the fish are acting finicky and you need to change it up a bit. The first two are my go-to every time. Having multiple baits to choose from and alternate highly increases your chances of catching a fish. Especially if they don’t seem to be biting one or the other that day.
Now for the tackle:
Now for the tackle that can catch a trout. There are many different things to use, but I have had success at multiple lakes with using the same tungsten jigs. I like to keep an array of colors from white, orange, and chartreuse, to silver, gold, and bronze. Glow in the dark is also a great color to use for these. You can occasionally catch a trout with a larger lure such as a spoon, but in the winter they are looking for easy food. This means slow moving and small. Rather than chasing a larger lure that it would be more likely to chase in the spring, they will most likely turn their nose up at it under the ice.
We do not use any weights when ice fishing. Jigs are pretty light, but weights are not needed as we are just dropping the bait down, and not casting out. When it comes to fishing line, I like to run anywhere from 4-8lb test. For trout, I’d go with 6-8 to be on the safe side!
How to Bait Jigs & Lures
When trying to catch a trout, how you bait your jig or lure is important. When fishing with worms and corn, we used to throw half, or even a whole worm on the hook topped with some corn. But these jigs have smaller hooks, and that would be too much of a mouthful for them.
When using worms, you just want to pinch off about a half inch to 3/4 inch chunk of worm, and thread it onto the hook to where a piece of it is hanging off right where the hook bends. This leaves a little “tail” that will bounce around in the water while you’re jigging. This makes your setup more appealing to the fish. If you’re using maggots, anywhere from 2-3 is spot on. With those you just want to hook them right in the center so both ends of them are hanging off the hook, and they are secure enough not to fall off.
Where and When Can You Catch Trout Under the Ice?
Now that we’ve covered what kind of bait and tackle to use, let’s talk about how to find the right fishing spot. A lot of people are tempted to go deep when ice fishing. They think the fish are hiding out at the bottom of the lake. This may be true, but when they are hiding out down there, they are extremely lethargic, and not moving much at all.
When the fish are hungry, they come up into the shallow waters to feed. If the lake you are fishing has weed beds, reeds, or any other structure (such as logs/fallen trees) this is a great spot to look for fish. Play around with the depth, sometimes you will want to fish the bottom at 5-7 feet, and other times you will want to be fishing a couple feet under the ice. If you aren’t catching them one way, switch to the other. Sometimes you may need to go a little deeper, as much as 20 feet. Don’t be afraid to move around a bit here and there! If you don’t have a fish finder, that’s okay. Try finding a depth map online for the lake you are fishing, and go off of that.
Knowing when the fish are biting can be tricky. The best time for us, every time, is in the morning, right after the sun comes up. Sometimes there will be a late morning bite, but the best proven time for us has always been right after sunrise, and again right before sunset. Being able to get out on the ice all day is best. Then you are assured that you won’t “miss the bite.”
Conclusion on Ice Fishing for Trout:
Having the right bait and tackle is a huge part of ice fishing for trout and being successful. If you don’t have the right gear, you are farther away from catching a fish. Having a variety of things that are proven to work is the best place to start. Don’t be afraid to experiment and always be trying something new. I like to have one pole in the water with something tried and true, and another with an experiment to help me stay on top of the ever-evolving tastes of the trout.
Whether you are a well seasoned angler, or just a beginner, following these tips will help you catch more trout under the ice! There will may be days we don’t catch any fish, regardless of how hard we try. Using these tactics has made those days far and few between. I hope you find great success with these tips and catch lots of nice trout through the ice!
What should I do if I’m not catching trout?
Change up your bait and your lure. If you’re using something bigger, downsize, or slow down your jigging. You can also set the pole down and let it sit. Alternating between these strategies will help your success!
How do I know what part of the lake to fish in?
Knowing the lake you are fishing helps. Look for structures such as reeds, weed beds, and fallen trees in the water.
What if the fish are nibbling my bait but not getting hooked?
There could be a number of reasons for this, if this is happening what I usually do is change to a smaller jig/bait and slow down jigging movements, if not even stop jigging altogether.