Brook trout have become my favorite early ice pursuit since moving to British Columbia. Many fertile lakes are stocked with these colorful char in great numbers. When the lakes turnover in the fall and temperatures drop these fish go on feeding heavily. They focus on shallow water shoals, weed beds and reed edges. When I say shallow I am talking inches of water where often there is only 8 to 12 inches of water between the weed tops and the bottom of the ice. Seeing these fish right below your feet is a crazy experience.
Usually the lakes are clear and you are fishing water less than 8 feet deep, so sight fishing is excellent. They can come through as a single fish or sometime in large schools. Imagine 20+ fish swimming below your hole chasing your lure.
They take a variety of lures and love action to attract their attention. But slow it down a bit so they can eat it! I prefer jigs and spoons to get their attention and trigger bites. Tipping with a worm or shrimp will sweeten the deal, but may not be necessary if very aggressive!
Check out @gofishbc for Eastern Brook Trout stocking reports of a lake near you. Notice that the stocked fish in BC are All Female Triploid fish. The grow fast and great quality with dark red flesh.
This fish was caught on @northlandtackle Buckshot Flutter Spoon tipped with a worm in 8 feet of water where the weed bottom transitioned to sand on a drop off. This fish was 19 3/4" and weighed just under 5 pounds. The rod pictured is @circletackle Alpha 029 flat tip rod and handled the fish excellent. Check them out if you want a durable ultralight that can handle larger fish.
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