Icing Brown Trout

[-Marc V-]

Anybody have some suggestions on fishing for Brown Trout through the ice on lakes? I know lake trout opener is a ways away, but I'm catching myself daydreaming a lot lately about jigging for monster browns through the ice.

I fly fish pretty hard for big browns, and from what I know about big brown trout is they become solitary fish that tend to move and feed more at night rather than during the day. They also seem to like bigger, meatier meals other than little flies, or spinners. This is what I've gathered fly fishing for them in streams.

I believe live minnows are illegal on designated trout lakes, so I was thinking of using something like a jigging Rapala, or a Chubbie Darter, with a minnow head attached to one of the trebles. Not sure if it's legal to use dead bait, or even live bait on designated trout waters. Still need to check with the DNR/Regs, unless someone, hint, hint, cough * DeadHead * cough, could chime in and help me out with the live bait question on trout lakes laws.

Otherwise, I've heard that big brown in lakes like something like a CastMaster spoon with a dropper to a tear drop with a magot, or euro larva attached. I would have figured that these bigger fish are looking for a bigger meal though. Wouldn't figure a 5lbs trout would waste it's time munching on a magot. I've never iced one though, so maybe that's right??

Anybody have any suggestions on ice browns in the winter? Never have successfuly. I have a couple lakes on my radar that I've been dying to pull a brown through the ice on, but unsure on how to pursue them. Depth, time of day, etc. All I can really do is hypothesize from flying for them as to what might work under the ice.

[Duffman]

If you are thinking of Holland, minnows are legal to use there. I've caught about a 4lb. brown there a couple years ago on a minner, sight fished him in 10 ft of water about 2 ft down. He missed on the first swipe but came back for another. Those hatchery released fish will bite on a wide variety of baits from marshmallows to waxies, since that lake isn't a designated trout lake you can use two lines, experiment with different offerings. Low light conditions are best. Bigger baits doesn't always equate to better sized catches when fishing for trout thru the ice. Be prepared for a brawl if you hook into a dandy, them big legless salamanders can sure battle under the ice.

On trout lakes where live minnows are illegal, I've had luck with salted minnows, waxies and a glow jig, and my favorite bait - plastic minner imitations.

[DEADhead]

duffman is right regarding designated trout lake regs. No live bait allowed, minnows must be dried, frozen or brined. leeches and waxies, maggots, etc. are allowed. Only one line per angler.

Marc, I haven't had much success catching browns through the ice, only a couple under the belt so far. I also don't ice fish lakes that have browns in them either. The only lake I've ever caught a brown through the ice is Foster-Arends in Rochester. Live bait is allowed there, and I caught the browns on crappie minnows.

I don't see why a chubby darter wouldn't work. You can catch trout on spoons, jigs, jigging raps, etc., so why not? And don't assume that just because a bait is small, e.g. waxworm, that a lunker won't take the bait. Yeah, big baits catch big fish, but so do size 32 midge and trico patterns

I think browns have more of a tendency to stay put in a lake, and unless you fish right over a brown's hole, it may be difficult to catch them. My experience with fishing stream trout in lakes, especially rainbow trout, tell me that they roam all day long cruising the lake. Swimming "laps" if you will. Depending on the time of day, season, weather pattern, etc., you can time their cycle through the area your fishing. Usually this runs to about every 15 minutes to an hour on a slow day. Sometimes you may find a straggler coming in to your bait, but when you figure out their pattern, it's just like clockwork. I prefer to fish the sunrise bite, which I feel is when trout are the most active feeding. I usually setup in 3-5 FOW and sight fish. This can be a blast, and can help improve your odds of success, as well as give you a better understanding of how trout feed, and their behaviors.

Good Luck!

[Jerry]

I don't have that much experience catching browns through the ice, but I have caught at least 6 or 7 in the last couple years. I have not caught any really big ones; the largest was about 17". Most were caught during the afternoon (I don't often fish at night) on waxworms on a teardrop glow jig. I have also caught them on small minnows and perhaps wigglers.

As was already mentioned, I definitely would not rule out small baits even for big trout. Two winters ago I happened to catch a 29", 8+ pound lake trout on a waxworm/teardrop jig. This was on 4 lb. mono. Getting the fish in was the purest form of luck.

[-Marc V-]

Thanks for the reply guys. Appreciate the help. I didn't expect the task of targetting a brown through the ice to be an easy feat. Part of the reason why I to want to do it. A conquest to help pass the winter by. Would also like to catch a laker through the ice, but might have to travel a bit farther than for browns. Maybe a couple cities over.

If it is a non-designated lake using a bigger jig/minnow combo, then a smaller tear drop/waxie would be a good way to go, cover both big and little presentations.

DeadHead, thanks for bringing up the point of browns being territorial, and probably not straying all that far from their chosen location. Maybe a method of trying to target them is moving more often than I originally thought to locate positioned fish.

Rainbows are fun through the ice. I've slayed a number of them for the frying pan in past years. Quite fun when you can watch what the fish are doing just a couple feet under the ice, and set the hook immediately on the take. Quite a thrill.

Man Jerry, 8lbs fish on 4lbs ice fishing equipment. That must have taken quite a delicate hand in fighting it in. Nice work!

Later.

Marc

[DEADhead]

I think a dead stick with a minnow would work well, and then jig or use a spoon on the other rod. Shrimpos and ratsos are also good jigs to use. I personally like the genz bug with either waxies, maggots, or even powerbait. The 45 degree angle on the genz bugs have really increased the number of hookups on those trout while sightfishing.

Marc if you find your way up in these parts this winter let me know and we can get out. If I'm down at mom's this winter with some free time, I'll give you a call to get out and hit a local lake.

[Jerry]

Thanks, and good luck with the browns. I wish I could give more advice as to fishing methods, habitat, and the like, but I haven't ice fished for browns long enough for any of their behavior to form a pattern.

In lieu of all that... I'm not trying to hijack the thread, but here is a picture of the laker and what it was caught on:

Luckily the fish don't know what you're targeting.

[-Marc V-]

Quote:

---

Marc if you find your way up in these parts this winter let me know and we can get out. If I'm down at mom's this winter with some free time, I'll give you a call to get out and hit a local lake.

---

A buddy and I have been talking about wanting to make it up to some northern lakes for Lakers, or Rainbows, or something along those lines. Right now it's just talk, so hopefully it will turn into reality. I'll definitely give you a heads up if it does happen. Otherwise give me a shout when you make it down if you have any free time.

Later.

Marc

[-Marc V-]

Nice fish Jerry! Doesn't happen often catching a fish longer than your rod!

[Quickstrike]

I do a lot of ice fishing for trout in the winter, but have not really targeted browns. I have caught a few while fishing for rainbows right under the ice. For baits I like mini-mites, shrimpos, ratsos, little jigging raps, small spoons, or flies if the fish are finicky. I almost always tip the above with a waxie. I also almost always fish right under the ice (for rainbows) and will only drop my line down if i mark something on the Marcum. If I am fishing Splake or Brookies, I will jig anywhere from the bottom to right under the ice. Let us know how you do on those Browns, I know a couple really good lakes that I haven't tried yet, maybe I'll get to them this year.

[Scott M]

Kent,

How far up in the B-Dub do you go? That would be a fun trip to try some time.

p.s. When's school done?

[Quickstrike]

Scott, I fish lakes right off the gunflint as well as lakes 15 miles into the BDub. It all depends on how much free time I get. Last year was nice, with the lack of snow you could fly across the lakes and through the portages, this year could be a little slow going.

2 classes left in the spring and I'm no longer a super super super senior.