Ice Fishing: what's your best recipe for success

[HarryToolips]

Going out tomorrow, last week I didn't have any luck using pink maggots, with a gold flasher about 1' above the hook..I'm not a very experienced fisherman, so I dunno if it was my setup, or maybe just the lake or time of the day...I was going into the deepest part of the lake, sinking my line until I hit bottom then bringing it up 1-2' from the bottom...what works for all of you??

[RyoTHC]

not sure what you're fishing for.. but in zone 3, I can't keep the trout off my hook switching between wax worms and cubes of cocktail shrimp (thawed).

[swamper]

Depends on what fish you are targeting. If you are going after Kokanee use a small jig with a couple of maggots on it and have it about 14-15" below you flasher. We generally fish in about 35-40 feet of water and go about 18-20 feet down. Short stroke jigs seem to work the best. If you are fishing for rainbow you can fish in shallower water and about half way to the bottom.
This seems to work for us at 10 mile lake in Quesnel.

[two-feet]

For trout i target 8-10 feet of water, fishing a foot off bottom. Bit of bacon fat on a small spoon (crocodile) for bait until i get one, then switch to fish eye ball (best bait ever). Creek mouths are best.

[Edzzed]

I don't ice fish but if I did, I'd go with Donald Trumps method. It seems to work.

This
explains it so well!
Different
between a successful businessman and a
career politician
How
do you settle a presidential election when
the vote is too close to call?
...

With
a fishing contest in northern Wisconsin
in January, of course!
After
the first round of votes was counted,
Hillary and Donald were deadlocked.
Instead of going through a recount, they
agreed to a week-long ice fishing
contest to settle the election. Whoever
caught the most fish at the end of the
week would be the President.


They decided that a remote frozen lake
in northern Wisconsin would be the ideal
place.


No observers on the fishing grounds, but
both would need to have their catches
verified and counted each night at 5 pm.
After
Day 1, Trump returned with a total of 10
fish, Hillary came back with nothing.
Day
2 finished and Trump caught another 20
fish, but Hillary once again came back
with nothing.


That night, Hillary and her cronies got
together and accused Trump of being a
“low-life, cheating son-of-a-gun.”


Instead of fishing on Day 3, they were
going to follow him and spy on him to
figure out how he was cheating.


Day 3 finished and Trump had an
incredible day, adding 50 fish to his
total.
That
night Hillary and her democratic cohorts
got together for a full report on how
Donald was cheating. Hillary stood up to
give her report and said, “You are not
going to believe this - he’s cutting
holes in the ice!”
And
this story…tells you all you need to
know about the difference between a
successful businessman and a career
government politician.

[goatdancer]

For trout i target 8-10 feet of water, fishing a foot off bottom. Bit of bacon fat on a small spoon (crocodile) for bait until i get one, then switch to fish eye ball (best bait ever). Creek mouths are best.

Fish eye ball? Don't think that's legal in most of the province.

[tigrr]

lake, target fish, would help us help you.

[Wild one]

Every lake is different, every species of fish is different also if they are stocked or wild plays a roll

You could always break out the chainsaw and try trolling lol

[xcaribooer]

brookies - deli shrimp on a plain hook.
rainbows try pink krill with a piece of corn above on plain hook
ive never bothered with any kind of attractor like a flasher or anything but it cant hurt
ive never noticed brookies be leader shy but you might want to use 2' of smaller size tippet material below a small barrel swivel for rainbows

[Bear Chaser]

My technique is completely ineffective.
I stand and shiver and watch the other people catch fish. Then I go back to the store and yell at the kid who sold me shitty hooks.