Ice Out Trout Fishing

[Mike the Pike]

Well folks I am planning to go fishing for Lake Trout,Browns and Rainbows,on a lake in eastern Quebec called Lake Massiwippi after ice out April 22nd.

I will be trolling with yozuri pinn minnies narrow small Rapalas.spoons,and streamers on the top of the water.I do not have down riggers.I plan on trying my planer boards and I have clip weights if I need to go deeper.

 

I have only gone once before this early without success for landlocked Salmon and Lakers.Only caught bass which were spawning .I am planning on trolling slowly with the kicker motor.

 

Any advice from the home of knowledge would be great.

 

I have never caught a Brown or a Lake Trout so hopefully this will be the year.

 

Thanks Mike

[BabyHerc]

At ice out, water temp is fairly uniform, and rainbows and browns could be anywhere! Drop-offs, shallow mud/weed flats, points, creek inflows/outflows, downed brush, and dam faces will all attract fish. Productive depths range from 3 feet to 15 feet or more. If you can find these areas, I think the key is a small and slow presentation. Forgo trolling, and instead drift with the wind, fancasting the smallest Mepps, Roostertails, and Countdown Minnows. If you're a fly-rodder, go with woolly buggers, scuds, pheasant tails, and small streamers. In deeper water, a simple three-way rig with a bell sinker and a worm or minnow will be good.

[carll2]

hey mike usually on opener for memphremagog guys dont fish so deep,since the water is so cold usually the surface water produces more. in april you would be hitting more lake trout than anything,i hear that the landlocked salmon only really start bitting heavily mid-may. lucky guy have fun and be safe

[Mike the Pike]

Well thanks Baby Herc for the advice on casting which I like to do more than trolling.

 

In the last couple of weeks I have heard so many of you talking about fishing for Lakers,browns,Rainbows after iceout in March and April so where are all you ice out fisherman .Still waiting to here from the iceout PROS.Where are you guys ?

 

I want to get it right this year.

[Mike the Pike]

Thought I would have more help by now.Where's that Fishin Devil he would know what to do.

[camillj]

Silver spoons (mooselock or williams) on top (5 - 20 feet) .... trolled a little more quickly than many would think ... has excellent results when nobody else is getting a nibble ... on a calm quiet morning ... put-put-put along with a magog-minnow , wooly bugger or mickey-finn (tandem) right on the surface or with a small single splitshot to get you a few feet down .....

 

Those are a couple of my 'producer' secrets ....