Hardwater trout

How many of you target trout through the ice? Last winter I spent several weekends chasing rainbows threw the ice. I started out without any clue where to start other then fishing shallow. I soon figured out on the lake I was fishing to setup at the tip of the downed trees that seemed to consontrate their movement. I played around with jigs from very small jigs for gills to large walleye spoons and had the most consestant bite with a orange forage minnow tipped with waxes. Most ran from 10″-15″ but did run into some of the large adults they had stocked last fall.
Now that I bought another snowmobile I am planning on a trip or two to look for my first laker. What kind of tackle do you guys use for trout? I used my crappie rods tell I lost a large rainbow last year and switched to using my walleye rods.

Usually I use a rod maybe medium light. It has a spring bobber for pan fish and stiff enough for walleye. Try a sweetish pimple.

For lakers, you want a medium to heavy rod, more lean towards heavy. 10lb flouro is popular, with a swivel a few feet up if jigging, otherwise 10lb suffix ice braid with a 6 foot flouro leader. Tackle can range from your walleye gear to larger variations of walleye tackle. Rippin raps, slender spoons, jigging raps, vmc 3/16 oz Tinglers. There’s a lot more to it than that, but this should give you a good head start. Let me know if you have any other questions.

White tubes are deadly. Also anything that flashes. Fish the entire water column Fish are usually fairly aggressive so I like to make them chase it.

I have used my 2-32″ thorne bros walleye sweethrts m & mh and they worked fine. For dead sticking is use a 34″ ST.Croix mhvy baitcaster rod. I picked up a couple of Frabill ice hunters 38″ heavy this fall. I have tried using pretty much everything but you can’t beat 4″ white scented tube baits. Use with 1/4 to 3/8 tube jigs. When getting your jigs you will want them with a stiffer 3/0 or 4/0 hook. As stated in previous posts, fish the entire water column. I have found that the best time is from mid March on. Have fun they are a blast. Here are some photos from mid April in NW Manitoba(Clearwater).

I use tipups with old school black tipup line with a 10 pound leader. I don’t get freaky on rods my walleye rods handle 20 pound fish with ease with proper drag set. I’m usually fishing live bait, or catch what there feeding on. I’ve used fly patterns to chicken liver to catch these lake boss fish! When you figure out what there feeding on you’ll have success. Picked this LT up on live bait..i

Just curious as a buddy and I were talking about trying a lake managed for trout. I haven’t checker regulations but can u even fish them since inland trout season is closed. These are hatchery fish not lakers or splake

Trout season is over march 31st in Minnesota. You can’t target trout when the season is closed.