| Just because it's winter you don't need to put all | | | | bait casting reel. You'll also need a way of getting a |
| your fishing tackle away, and lay around waiting for | | | | hole through the ice so you can lower your bait or jig |
| the spring to come. Ice-fishing is becoming an | | | | down to the fish. The two main options are augers |
| increasingly popular way to spend the winter months. | | | | or spuds. I've even seen people use chainsaws but to |
| With very little cash outlay, compared to open water | | | | me it seemed a bit risky. The augers come in two |
| fishing, you can be up and running an out catching | | | | models, manual and powered with a small engine. If |
| the prized Brook trout. Now let's not say that you | | | | you're only going to be making one or two holes the |
| can't spend a ton of money outfitting yourself. I | | | | manual auger works just fine. But there's nothing like |
| mean a new snowmobile could set you back $10,000. | | | | a power auger to drill many holes fast and easy. |
| But really there is no need for this for you to enjoy | | | | Now why you're on the ice fishing for Brook trout it's |
| the great outdoors ice-fishing. | | | | always nice to be out of the wind. You have a choice |
| Clothing is a big issue when fishing on frozen water. I | | | | of many different styles of windbreaks. The simplest |
| would suggest that you layer your clothing, so as the | | | | being, fishing in protective pockets where the wind |
| day warms up or you warm up from drilling holes in | | | | can't get to you like on the lee side on an island. I've |
| the ice you can remove some layers of clothing. The | | | | seen people put in poles into the ice and wrap them |
| worst thing to happen would be for you to get all | | | | with plastic and then just stand behind the plastic. |
| sweaty, because this will cause you to get cold. And | | | | Some people bring along portable, collapsible fishing |
| getting cold is a very unpleasant experience, and | | | | huts. So on windy, snowy days you simply go inside |
| completely preventable if you layer your clothes. | | | | and shut the door. This serves two purposes. First it |
| Make sure that you wear woolen socks inside your | | | | keeps you out of the wind, and secondly it allows |
| winter boots. Because standing on the ice can cause | | | | you to see it deep down into the water. |
| your feet to get extremely cold. When I was | | | | Now when fishing for Brook trout I usually use either |
| younger we used to wear snowmobile suits, but now | | | | minnows, jigs, or spoons. Also a combination of jigs, |
| one shouldn't venture out onto the ice without a | | | | spoons tipped with minnows. Many of the power |
| flotation suit. You've probably seen these on people, | | | | baits work quite well also. Lots of times I will use a |
| they are usually bright orange. And if you do fall | | | | tip up in one hole, and jig in another hole, as around |
| through the ice they will keep you floating until you | | | | here you are allowed to have two lines while fishing |
| can be rescued. | | | | for Brook trout. |
| Now to equip your ice-fishing adventure you can | | | | This is just a short overview of ice-fishing for Brook |
| consider many different options. Some people use | | | | trout. So if you're tired of laying on the couch |
| homemade tip ups, while others use commercially | | | | watching TV, I would suggest spending a few days |
| made tip ups. Other people use small rods made | | | | during the winter in the great outdoors, ice-fishing. |
| especially for ice-fishing, combined with a spinning or | | | | |