Ice Fishing Stocked Rainbow Trout
Stocked rainbow trout are among the most popular and most accessible trout to ice fish for. These fish are raised in hatcheries and released at various sizes all over north america and indeed the world. Many local states and provinces have programs in place to stock local ponds and lakes. Rainbow trout grow quickly and are a very hardy species which is why they are so popular.
Rainbow trout that are caught are mostly between 0.5 lbs. to 3 lbs. in size. Stocked fish are an ideal option for ice fishing beginners since they are somewhat easy to catch. They eat a varied diet in the wild , so normally they will accept a wide range of lures and baits.
Locating Rainbow Trout when Ice Fishing
Regardless of the ice fishing method you go for, it is crucial to fish in sections of the lake or pond where the rainbow trout are likely to assemble. As with any kind of fishing, structure is very important. Brakes or drop offs are usually a good spot to target trout. It’s always a good idea to start in fairly shallow water (three or five feet) and work your way out towards these steep drop offs.
Ideally you want to target weedy bays or inlets. These are great areas for the rainbow trouts favorite forages such as aquatic insects. These aquatic insects and plankton provide food for small bait fish. This in turn draws larger fish looking to eat.
Start Drilling Holes in the Shallows
In all likelihood you will find rainbow trout feeding in the shallows in the early hours of the day and then heading out towards deeper water as the day progresses. The trout will Patrol these areas of deep drop offs looking for bait fish on the flats . Then heading back into the shallows again towards the evening.
So for this reason you always make sense to have a series of holes drilled at various depths heading towards deeper water and drop offs. That way you can follow the fish in and out as they move about during the day.
How deep should you fish for rainbow trout ?
In shallow water expect to find the rainbow trout closer to the bottom. When fishing in deeper water, 10 to 15 feet don’t be surprised to find them hanging out in the middle of the water column.
Tip-Up Fishing for Rainbow Trout
Tip-ups can be used for rainbow trout like with any other species of fish. Basically any kind of bait or lure presentation that you use for trout will work just fine underneath a tip up. If you want to use a tip up and jig then a windlass tip up is your best option.
Another option similar to a tip up is using an automatic hook setter. An example of this would be the Jawjacker brand hook setter from amazon.
I also have an article on automatic hook setters.
There are a few advantages of using a second hole with a hook setter or tip up. First is you can rig your second hole with a totally different type of lure/bait to increase your chances of getting a bite. Secondly if you are unsure of exactly where the trout might be at that time you can fish in two totally different depths.
The Best Bait for Ice Fishing Rainbow Trout
Use a Worm (Nightcrawler)
Worms can be quite an effective bait for ice fishing rainbow trout. Threaded on the hook with a little bit hanging off so the worms tail moves. This motion as well as the scent can help attract trout. When using earthworms or nightcrawlers be sure to keep them warm. They will perish quickly if just left on the ice.
Powerbait or Cheese
Powerbait is another good option for ice fishing. There are number of different colors and flavors also the scented trout marshmallows can be used. I find that cheese such as Velveeta cheese can work quite well. This processed cheese seems to stick to the hooks quite well.
Shrimp
Pieces of shrimp are another recommended rainbow trout bait. These are fairly inexpensive if you get the shrimp rings from the grocery store. The worst case scenario if you don’t catch any fish you can always eat the shrimp ring.
Maggots, Mealworms and Wax worms
Mealworms, wax worms and maggots are all good live bait for trout. As with the earthworms when ice fishing with these baits be sure and keep them warm. Either in your coveralls or in your tent . You can get maggots in mixed colors, always a good idea so you can mix up your presentation a bit.
These are commonly available at bait shops. If you can’t find mealworms or wax worms at the bait shop try your local pet shop.
All three of these baits can be fished on a hook by themselves. Alternatively you can use it to tip a Swedish pimple or a jig head.
Best Lures for Ice Fishing Rainbow Trout
Jigs
Jigs of various kinds are certainly an old standby for ice fishing.you can get them in all sorts of shapes and weights. They’re also made out of a few different materials. The main materials we need to be concerned with are lead which is standard and tungsten. lead is definitely more common but there are some lakes that have lead restrictions. Tungsten is a better choice from a conservation point of view plus the fact that they’re higher density making them sink faster.
Hair Jigs
Hair jigs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. For the most part it’s just a standard jig head with marabou or deer fur tied to the hook. They are available in all sorts of shapes from your standard to longer slender jigs. Some of them incorporate tinsel to help attract fish. For ice fishing I definitely go with a lighter colored hair jig.
White Tube Jig
Tube jigs are a very popular trout lure. They work great for open water and hard water. They have great action when jigging which helps attract rainbows. Lighter colors work best as rainbow trout rely on sight to hunt a fair bit.
Swedish Pimple
The Swedish pimple has been around for about a hundred years. This is another very popular ice fishing lure. It is intended to mimic a wounded bait fish. this lure can be used either actively for jigging or sat on a dead stick or tip up. Additionally you can tip it with part of a minnow or mealworm to add scent. You can browse the wide assortment of Swedish Pimples on amazon.
Rapala Jigging Shad Rap
The jigging Shad rap is a minnow imitation lure produced by Rapala. They feature a hook on the nose, one on the tail and a treble hook midway along the belly. A number of these lures are available in glow to give extra visibility underwater. The tail features two rigid fins that provide a lot of movement to the lure on the drop. Perch colored shad raps and white/ silver are good choices for ice fishing.
Rod, Reel and Line
When ice fishing for stocked rainbow trout you’re probably going to want a light action rod. The lighter the rod the better the bite detection, rainbow trout can be subtle. Medium is best if you know there are some larger fish in that fishing spot. For the most part your stocked trout will only be a pound or two. So there’s no point in going over kill on your rod, reel and line combination.
When selecting a reel it should match the pound test your rod is rated for. If you load a fishing reel with line that is too heavy you’re going to end up with issues such as tangling and knots. As for your fishing line, fluorocarbon or ice braid are the best choices. There are specifically designed ice fishing lines that do much better in the cold weather. As for your pound test you’re probably going to want fishing line in the 4 to 6 pound range. Monofilament while it is cheap becomes fairly inflexible in cold weather and can easily lead to a tangled fishing reel. Both Berkeley and sufix are brands that produce a number of quality ice fishing lines.
Rainbow Trout Fish Stocking in Western Canada
Various provincial and state fish and wildlife stock rainbow trout. This has a number of advantages. To start with many of these stocked lakes and ponds offer generous catch limits, without affecting the natural trout populations. This in turn leads to a sustainable Fishery.
Below I have listed several links that go to the trout stocking websites run by the three western provinces. Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia all have active trout stocking programs. If you go to the province you were interested in you can look up by water body how many rainbow trout were stocked.
Alberta
Here is the link for the Alberta fish stocking program. There are a number choices for previous years as well so you can see for how long a particular Lake has being stocked.
I have reviews on Pine Coulee reservoir and Dickson trout pond if you are interested in stocked rainbow trout near Calgary, AB.
Saskatchewan
The Saskatchewan fish stocking report is available here and also lists several other kinds of trout and walleye.
British Columbia
This link can tell you more about the British Columbia fish stocking program and also provides stocking information per venue.
