Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2014 - 25

Hot Tips
for Icy Trout

by Mike Bleech

photos by the author

Bundling up in warm, winter clothing and venturing onto the
ice to fish for trout is one of the most popular winter pastimes
in Pennsylvania. Ample stocking keeps the action going quite
well at most lakes that are stocked for ice fishing, even some that
have not been stocked since fall. Ice fishing is usually very good
for the first several days after a lake has been stocked. Once the
trout are thinned out, and after they have dispersed around the
lake, ice fishing usually gets much more challenging.
Here are a few easy ice fishing tips that will keep you among
the more successful trout anglers, even during times when most
anglers are saying that trout have not been hitting or that the
lake has been fished out.

Tip 1

Fish the entire water column, bottom to top. Trout are more
inclined than most other fish to move up and down in the water
column, especially during winter when there is not a great deal
of difference in water temperature at different depths. If you use
tip-ups, set them at different depths. If you use a jigging rod,
work the jig from top to bottom.
This plump Brook
Trout is typical of
trout that are stocked
for ice fishing.

Tip 2

Trout are likely to stay in the same parts of a lake during the
winter as they do during the summer. Whether you fish from
the shore or from a boat, take notes on where you catch trout all
through the open water season.

Tip 3

Trout are extremely scent-oriented. Adding some sort of
scent to your jigs should improve results considerably. This can
be done by tipping jigs with minnows or grubs or by adding
bottled scent products. There is no need to add scent often.
Most scents last a while. However, do add more scent after
catching a fish.
Artificial baits with the characteristics of putty are another
way to use scent. Some of these are made specifically for trout.

Tip 4

Use a portable sonar to watch for whatever depth trout are
using. This is most useful in lakes that are deeper than about
10 feet, and it becomes increasingly important as depth
increases. Since you should fish the entire water column, this
can take a lot of time in deep water. Sonar will put you right on
the trout, although trout do not necessarily all occupy the same
depth. Keep the transducer in the same hole that you are jigging.

Tip 5

When you catch a trout on a tip-up, instead of setting the
tip-up right away, use your jigging rod for several minutes.
Trout may travel in the company of other trout, or the thrashing
of a trout being caught may attract the attention of other trout.
After catching several trout on the same tip-up, move the tip-up
to another hole. Use the hole where the trout were caught for a
jigging hole. Most anglers prefer catching trout on a jigging rod
over a tip-up.

PFBC website: www.fishandboat.com

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * January/February 2014

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2014

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