trout

[morefuninajeep]

any one target trout through the ice? tip up or rod whats your set up?

[MapleRiverSalmon]

Usually for trout you would want to use a ice rod and a rod holder. Set the drag loose so they can run. I like useing a number 12 treble hooked with 3 wigglers about 6 inches off the bottom, but some have luck with spawn sacks. What lake are you thinking of trying?

[morefuninajeep]

was thinking about half moon lake

[DrEw8716]

I have heard that they don't do good through the ice for them in Half Moon... usually the best fishing is in early summer at night. But they have got to bite during the winter as well i would imagine.

[fishonjr]

morefuninajeep,

It really all depends on what species of trout your after..I'm not familiar with half moon lake, so I don't know what species your after...I ice fish for rainbows primarily and I'm hear to tell you, if you fish near bottom, your wasting your time...Rainbows cruise just below the surface of the ice, down to about 20 feet below...Usually I'm set up in 60-90 feet of water and start fishing at about 2 feet below the ice...Nothing special for a set up, just a ultralight rod with some terrific 2-4lb test, a good real, a teardrop and some bait. Bait could include: wigglers, spawn, butterworms, waxworms, or small minnows. I watch my flasher religiously because you may see a flash 10 feet below you. That's when I quickly get my bait down and start jigging aggressivley until I see the fish back on the screen. Then I slow it down until the fish is almost there and stop and wait for the hit...HOLD ON!
When using tip ups for rainbows, I usually use 6lb with just a yarn ball doctored up with some artificial trout scent. The yarn help get it caught up in their small teeth and don't set the hook. When they are on the run, just grip the line firmly..I always use circle hooks and have had a tremendous increase in hookups than I did with small (16-18) treble hooks. Good Luck!

[stillfish]

remeber rainbows and browns suspend alot, ive caught lots of them in my yrs of fishing, caught them in 10-80ft of water. good luck their fun to catch through the ice... got to have a vex or flasher to mark those fish that are suspended..

[wally-eye]

Caught several 2 years ago out of Stony Lake in Oceana County. Actually kind of funny story. Was the very first time I fished with my FL18 ultra-pak vex.

Was fishing for perch in 38 fow near the bottom. Well I about every half hour or so I kept seeing flashes around 15 down the water column.........so the very next time I seen that I quickly reeled up the perch minnow to 15 foot and bam a 17 inch rainbow..............ended up catching 4 or 5 that day doing the same thing. Seems they were cruising suspended at 15 foot down............about every half hour they'd come back and I'd pick up one.

They liked regular perch minnows that day.......

[teacup13]

i use to fish for lakers in ontario all the time.

set line 15-30 FOW - 1-3 feet off bottom, i used a homemade tip down of sorts, loose drag , little cleo, tipped with a golden shiner with a drop line

jigged with a jigging stick, williams white fish, 2 different kinds of pimples, or whatever you like that swims when you jig it, no bait

had great success doing this, both lines produced