Trophy trout and ice fishing are not commonly used in the same sentence - most ice fishermen spend their time heading to the higher catch rate destinations in the cold winter months, and for good reason. If you're going to spend several hours on a frozen block of ice, you better be busy catching fish. However; several opportunistic bodies of water and a couple adjustments in tactic can present both high catch rates and trophy trout. And believe me - it's pretty tough to beat the exhilaration of trying to figure out how to heft an 8 pound brown out of the ice without a Boga Grip. These 6 tips will help you maximize both the quantity and quality of fish caught through the ice.
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| A new personal best - 27" Brown weighing in at 8 pounds. This beauty was landed on a size 10 jig with 6 pound line. |
#1. Get Sensitive
As Chris Cutler says over at Living Fly Legacy "Missing fish? Get sensitive." While this may seem superfluous given the drastically reduced length and diameter of ice fishing rods as opposed to traditional gear, measures still need to be taken to easily identify even the slightest nibble - especially when the winter wears on and the fish get sluggish. Two equally important, if not obvious, products will help tremendously - strike indicators and small diameter line.
- Strike Indicators - When I refer to strike indicators in this context, I'm not meaning a traditional bobber or float - there are better ways. Spring Bobbers (pictured above) attach to the end of the fishing rod and extend outward, adding excellent sensitivity to any rod. This can be a very nice addition to a medium or medium heavy rod that would otherwise be less sensitive, yet has the required spine to fight larger fish. I have found any of these varieties above work, but the wider the gap the line travels through at the end - the less likely it is to collect ice and freeze up. I have also found the orange or red variations are far easier to see in flat light conditions compared to the bright yellow or green colors. Another outstanding product that I highly recommend to easily detect bites is the Mr. Jigger rod holder, available at most Cal-Ranch Stores. This product will be discussed in greater detail later as it relates to jigging.
- Small Diameter Line - Often I speak with fishermen that are concerned about fraying their line on the edges of the ice, so they fish a larger line than needed to ensure strength. While I can't argue with the logic, it does decrease catch rates. Rather than fishing an 8 or 10 pound line for insurance against frays, use a high quality, abrasion-resistant 4 pound line such as P-Line FloroIce and change it regularly. Berkley Vanish is another great option - both lines are virtually invisible in the water; Vanish has a very supple characteristic, while FloroIce is slightly stronger for the weight rating. While you may have to change your line a time or two during the season depending on how you fight fish, frequency of use, etc. it will ensure you detect more bites, jig more realistically, and fool the larger, cagey fish into biting with seeing the line. To minimize line breaks - tie a Palomar Knot as opposed to an Improved Clinch Knot when attaching a jig or ice fly.
#2. Mini Jigs
This may sound counter intuitive to those accustomed to the school of thought that says big fish eat big meals. While it may be true, a slightly different set of rules apply under the ice. As oxygen content wanes under ice pack, fish become lethargic, less aggressive and their metabolism slows - rendering a larger meal less alluring or appetizing. Aside from metabolic changes, trophy trout have simply seen the exact same thing over and over. In most bodies of water where trophy trout abide, the vast majority of fishermen think the same way - throw something big on there to catch a big fish. Trophy fish are cagey and wise - it's not often you see a fisherman present a 1/32 oz scud bug on a trophy trout lake in the middle of winter. This may be the biggest reason so called "mini jigs" catch monstrous trout.
By no means do I suggest swapping out all your tried and true jigs for their smaller counterparts, especially when Idaho allows 5 rods per fisherman while ice fishing on most waters. Mix it up - throw on a smaller offering, but know that in order to get the desired effect it needs to be jigged more regularly than the larger lures to attract attention. With my 5 rods all set up - I typically rig up 3 rods with tried and true jigs, and the remaining 2 with something experimental. This year I landed multiple fish over 5 pounds through the ice on a 1/32 oz jig patterned after a scud, while a 1/64 oz trout magnet jig also produced great fish when the old stand by paddlebugs died off mid morning. Throughout the ice fishing community, so called mini-jigs have been gaining popularity - and from my experience, for good reason. Simply put, mini-jigs simply can't be ignored by anyone in pursuit of trophy trout. That being said, water depth is certainly a consideration. Try getting away with the smallest jig you dare and watch the results, just ensure your fishing line has little to no memory in it for maximum sensitivity at depth.
By no means do I suggest swapping out all your tried and true jigs for their smaller counterparts, especially when Idaho allows 5 rods per fisherman while ice fishing on most waters. Mix it up - throw on a smaller offering, but know that in order to get the desired effect it needs to be jigged more regularly than the larger lures to attract attention. With my 5 rods all set up - I typically rig up 3 rods with tried and true jigs, and the remaining 2 with something experimental. This year I landed multiple fish over 5 pounds through the ice on a 1/32 oz jig patterned after a scud, while a 1/64 oz trout magnet jig also produced great fish when the old stand by paddlebugs died off mid morning. Throughout the ice fishing community, so called mini-jigs have been gaining popularity - and from my experience, for good reason. Simply put, mini-jigs simply can't be ignored by anyone in pursuit of trophy trout. That being said, water depth is certainly a consideration. Try getting away with the smallest jig you dare and watch the results, just ensure your fishing line has little to no memory in it for maximum sensitivity at depth.
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| This beautiful 25" buck fell victim to the 1/64 oz Trout Magnet in 15 feet of water when little else had any action. |
#3. Hug the Banks
When colder weather hits and the ice first forms on a lake, most of the trout move into shallow waters - really shallow. In fact, a majority of the fish caught early in the season on most bodies of water are caught in 5 - 8 feet of water, while some bodies of water boast even shallower depths than that - such as Henry's Lake where that figure is more like 3 - 5 feet. With the safety of the ice protecting large trout from most danger typically inherent to shallow water, they move up and cruise the banks ambushing minnows. As the winter progresses, the fish may move into deeper water - so a good rule of thumb is to start shallow and work your way deeper as needed. Henry's Lake is a great example of this. In November when the ice first forms, fishing in 2 - 3 feet of water produces the highest concentration of fish. Towards the tail end of the season in mid to late December, fish are more commonly found in 10+ feet of water. When fishing in shallow waters, fish are far more easily spooked by excessive noise such as gas augers and running to and from each rod. Keep this in mind when setting up and try to minimize the distance needed to get to each rod. Once a location has been selected, cover different depths by placing rods in a line perpendicular to the bank rather than stringing out parallel to the shoreline, even 10 feet further out can make all the difference.
#4. Be Mobile
One of the most common strategies that surprise those that I take ice fishing is how often I move. Ice fishing can be challenging, as it becomes a process of elimination by drilling countless holes and remaining active throughout the day. Finding the fish is the first obstacle to overcome. Focusing your efforts around bank structure (such as peninsulas, underwater structure, warm springs, etc.) will help your chances of having schools of fish move through your area multiple times throughout the day. However; the greatest success is often found by being mobile throughout the day. If more than 30 minutes passes without significant activity - move. Often the first 20 - 30 minutes at a new location are the most effective because the fish are far less active in their movement patterns in the winter - even if it's only 20 yards away from your previous set up, you could find a whole new pod of fish. While this type of fishing can be physically taxing, it will pay dividends in catch rates that far outweighs the cost, and one of those fish pods may hold a giant.
#5. Jig Constantly
Everyone knows jigging will help catch fish while ice fishing, but often the frequency and style of jigging will determine the outcome of your trip. Jigging an ice fishing rod is very similar to streamer fishing with a fly rod - the way that the line is stripped (or jigged) determines how many fish are caught - and it all depends on day. Even the right jig with the wrong action or movement underwater won't catch as many fish. Remember - variety is the spice of life. Often the standard jigging motion is enough to attract the attention of fish and lure them over, but not enough to entice a bite. Try grasping your line over the hole in the ice between your thumb and index finger and twisting it to make the jig rotate rather than move vertically. Sometimes that small change is enough to trigger a strike. Another extremely effective method when jigging ice flies is grasping the line in your hand and shaking the line quickly, just enough to make any appendages from the jig vibrate. I've watched many a trout while in an ice shelter hang up beside the ice fly when this method made all the difference. Early season it seems aggressive jigging is the ticket, and as the season wears on and the fish become more sluggish, a slower more deliberate lift gets it done. Just remember to keep tension on the line when letting it down rather than letting it go slack, often a strike comes on the downward motion - and you need to be ready.
Perhaps one the best (and most economical) advancements in ice fishing equipment is the Mr. Jigger or Jigger Totter. A friend of mine routinely fished with them for a couple years before I bought into the idea. They act as a teeter totter for the ice fishing rod and provide several big advantages. Perhaps the most obvious advantage is ease in jigging multiple poles. I now use these on EVERY pole I fish. Its much easier to walk from pole to pole and bounce the back of the rod with an extended handle ice skimmer and stroll to the next as opposed to waiting at each line to jig it up and down. I have also found that large trout are prone to short striking and are sensitive to line tension, another area where this kind of hardware coming in handy. Often a fish nibbling won't feel the line tension as quickly as the rod is balanced on a fulcrum, allowing rod tip movement without a lot of pullback on the hook.
The video below I recorded at Henry's Lake this past December to show the difference the jigging action makes on a Jigger Totter or Mr. Jigger as opposed to hand jigging. The far jig is done by hand in the traditional way and the close jig is on a Mr. Jigger.
When colder weather hits and the ice first forms on a lake, most of the trout move into shallow waters - really shallow. In fact, a majority of the fish caught early in the season on most bodies of water are caught in 5 - 8 feet of water, while some bodies of water boast even shallower depths than that - such as Henry's Lake where that figure is more like 3 - 5 feet. With the safety of the ice protecting large trout from most danger typically inherent to shallow water, they move up and cruise the banks ambushing minnows. As the winter progresses, the fish may move into deeper water - so a good rule of thumb is to start shallow and work your way deeper as needed. Henry's Lake is a great example of this. In November when the ice first forms, fishing in 2 - 3 feet of water produces the highest concentration of fish. Towards the tail end of the season in mid to late December, fish are more commonly found in 10+ feet of water. When fishing in shallow waters, fish are far more easily spooked by excessive noise such as gas augers and running to and from each rod. Keep this in mind when setting up and try to minimize the distance needed to get to each rod. Once a location has been selected, cover different depths by placing rods in a line perpendicular to the bank rather than stringing out parallel to the shoreline, even 10 feet further out can make all the difference.
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| A great 21" Brookie caught on Henry's Lake at the end of December. After drilling well over 30 holes between 2 of us by hand - we located the fish and ended the afternoon with just under 50 fish. Sometimes it's a numbers game! |
#4. Be Mobile
One of the most common strategies that surprise those that I take ice fishing is how often I move. Ice fishing can be challenging, as it becomes a process of elimination by drilling countless holes and remaining active throughout the day. Finding the fish is the first obstacle to overcome. Focusing your efforts around bank structure (such as peninsulas, underwater structure, warm springs, etc.) will help your chances of having schools of fish move through your area multiple times throughout the day. However; the greatest success is often found by being mobile throughout the day. If more than 30 minutes passes without significant activity - move. Often the first 20 - 30 minutes at a new location are the most effective because the fish are far less active in their movement patterns in the winter - even if it's only 20 yards away from your previous set up, you could find a whole new pod of fish. While this type of fishing can be physically taxing, it will pay dividends in catch rates that far outweighs the cost, and one of those fish pods may hold a giant.
#5. Jig Constantly
Everyone knows jigging will help catch fish while ice fishing, but often the frequency and style of jigging will determine the outcome of your trip. Jigging an ice fishing rod is very similar to streamer fishing with a fly rod - the way that the line is stripped (or jigged) determines how many fish are caught - and it all depends on day. Even the right jig with the wrong action or movement underwater won't catch as many fish. Remember - variety is the spice of life. Often the standard jigging motion is enough to attract the attention of fish and lure them over, but not enough to entice a bite. Try grasping your line over the hole in the ice between your thumb and index finger and twisting it to make the jig rotate rather than move vertically. Sometimes that small change is enough to trigger a strike. Another extremely effective method when jigging ice flies is grasping the line in your hand and shaking the line quickly, just enough to make any appendages from the jig vibrate. I've watched many a trout while in an ice shelter hang up beside the ice fly when this method made all the difference. Early season it seems aggressive jigging is the ticket, and as the season wears on and the fish become more sluggish, a slower more deliberate lift gets it done. Just remember to keep tension on the line when letting it down rather than letting it go slack, often a strike comes on the downward motion - and you need to be ready.
Perhaps one the best (and most economical) advancements in ice fishing equipment is the Mr. Jigger or Jigger Totter. A friend of mine routinely fished with them for a couple years before I bought into the idea. They act as a teeter totter for the ice fishing rod and provide several big advantages. Perhaps the most obvious advantage is ease in jigging multiple poles. I now use these on EVERY pole I fish. Its much easier to walk from pole to pole and bounce the back of the rod with an extended handle ice skimmer and stroll to the next as opposed to waiting at each line to jig it up and down. I have also found that large trout are prone to short striking and are sensitive to line tension, another area where this kind of hardware coming in handy. Often a fish nibbling won't feel the line tension as quickly as the rod is balanced on a fulcrum, allowing rod tip movement without a lot of pullback on the hook.
This video shows the jigging action of the rod when bounced above water
and just how sensitive these types of rod holders really are!
The video below I recorded at Henry's Lake this past December to show the difference the jigging action makes on a Jigger Totter or Mr. Jigger as opposed to hand jigging. The far jig is done by hand in the traditional way and the close jig is on a Mr. Jigger.
The other thing that really stood out to me about this video is just how murky it
gets down there during the winter. No wonder jigging is a necessity!
#6. Look for Non-Traditional Freezes
Waters that don't normally freeze every winter can hold the best ice fishing around, particularly rivers. Ice fishing rivers can be dangerous, so it's important that proper safety precautions are taken - but the results can be astounding. Watch your favorite coves, eddies, and slack water during the coldest parts of the winter, you may be surprised to discover they ice over. Opportunities like this are golden - take advantage of them when possible. It's easy to get tunnel vision and only think of still water for ice fishing - and perhaps thats why ice fishing rivers can be so darn good. Very few people do it.
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