CTFishTalk.com: Ice Fishing for Trout - Connecticut Ice Fishing ( CT Ice Fishing ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

I'm thinking of ice fishing specifically for trout. The best tasting trout I've had in Connecticut was a little 11 inch rainbow that I got through the ice at Black Pond in Meriden a couple of years ago, while jigging a fluorescent micro jig baited with a waxworm within 12 inches of the bottom without any weight on the line. I plan to try that, again, but does anyone have any tips and techniques for catching trout through the ice?
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Elixir · Joined: 30 May 2011 Posts: 288 Location: Danbury, CT

Good question I would really like to know myself. To try at Huntington State Park.
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"Au... Ger...! You know me. Chillin on the ice with my jigga's!"

SolocamSteve · Joined: 13 Feb 2012 Posts: 18 Location: Burlington, Ct

I have read that trout will hunt and cruise just below the ice, one technique is a nightcrawler a foot or so below the ice on a tip up. they like the cold clear water.

SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Hi,

Trout are roamers + (sight feeders).

They can be found just under the ice, on the bottom, and everywhere in between.
Sometimes you'll luck out and find a group cruising the same depth as they do compete with each other for available food.

I found chumming for trout to be very helpful and will draw them in.
I use frozen ice cubes of pureed corn in an old onion bag with a rock in it for weight and set it at a depth I feel they'll be at.
The corn ice cubes melt slowly and the scent spreads out at that depth.

I use various jigs (baited with whatever) of different colors on snap hooks (easy off and on) till I find a color they happen to be favoring a particular day.
Also I send the jig down to just off the bottom and jiggle it -> let it sit for 5 seconds -> If no take I pull it up a foot and repeat the process till I get just below the ice -> Then send it down and start all over again.
This technique seems to work well for Yellow Perch also.
For Perch though I use a "Smackin Jack" or "Slab-Grabber" jig in smallest size.

One last method is to drop-shot with a rig with 2-3 red #6 hook baited with a smelt -> Bacon anyone ! Razz

Stay Safe - Have Fun,
SeaDog1 Mr. Green

nicklovesPK · Joined: 10 Jan 2011 Posts: 102

Everyone has their own technique. I like power bait meal worm combo on tipups for freshly stocked trout usually near shorlines. Works real good at lakes such as west hill or crystal in ellington. At lakes like colebrook and hogback smelt or shiners on tip ups right under the ice works well. I allways tried the 10,15,20,30 feet depths but found i caught the most browns right under the ice some nice ones to over the years.

icefishingnewbie · Joined: 18 Dec 2011 Posts: 275 Location: Haddam, CT

My techniques
jigging- jig a small size 10-16 custom jigs and spins diamond jigs i like bumbelee,orange tiger,and fire tiger. Tip them with wax worms or spikes. this will work for rainbows browns and brookies, but i prefer spoons like a slender spoon or a swedish pimple for browns.

Tip ups- For browns i fish 15-40 feet of water with a medium or small shiner about 1-5 feet off the bottom. For rainbows they tipically cruise in 5-18 feet of water and i would set a nightcrawler just under the ice for rainbows.

leaders- use about 3-6 feet of 6lb flouro or mono and use a size 10-12 red treble hook.

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Thanks, guys. Although I'd probably set some tip-ups if I were fishing with someone else, I'd prefer to just jig if I were by myself.

I'll probably give Colebrook River Reservoir a shot when the cold and wind conditions improve. I could definitely see jigging for smelt and then setting some tip-ups for trout baited with smelt if I were to get some. In the meantime, I'm planning to just jig for largemouth bass in my favorite bass hole, soon.
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DirtyDawg10 · Joined: 27 May 2009 Posts: 2238 Location: Granby, CT

Stop talking about your bass hole!

The only trout I ever caught ice fishing was on a tip up with a leader and tiny hooks with very small shiners.

It was delicious...

bowhunter095 · Joined: 20 Jan 2011 Posts: 392 Location: Berlin, CT

I was just at Colebrook this morning. -6 degrees when I got there this morning with 15 mph winds. Tried night crawlers on tip ups and jigging with spikes for smelt. Didn't get anything. Talked to the owner of a bait shop and he said guys are marking huge schools smelt near the northern part of the lake but they aren't biting. He believes it had something to do with the full moon we just had and thinks the bite with turn on soon. Also stopped by west hill and saw four guys out there.

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

bowhunter095 · Joined: 20 Jan 2011 Posts: 392 Location: Berlin, CT

I definitely learned my lesson today. Wait for the nice days to go ice fishing so you can actually fish instead of sit by a fire. I will be back there though! So I can actually fish the way I wanted to.

SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

bowhunter095 · Joined: 20 Jan 2011 Posts: 392 Location: Berlin, CT

If I was near a black pickup then yup that was me! Look what I found down near the water.

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Is that a bobcat?!?! Was it dead and frozen?
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bowhunter095 · Joined: 20 Jan 2011 Posts: 392 Location: Berlin, CT

Yup, it was dead and frozen right in the middle of the path going down to colebrook.