My son-in-law is all hot to try to find some rainbows this weekend. He has a lake staked out and is thinking it could actually be a plan. I have fished walleye forever, but this is a new one on me. I have been doing some general research, but not sure who to believe. So, I come to the experts. Any pointers/ thoughts/ suggestions on lures/ depths/ locations/ presentations??
Thanks!

Others may do it differently.

I use perch-type presentations. Like a small-ish jig (demon, for example) with wax worms piled on, or small spoons (forage minnow spoon, small rattlin flyer, small swedish pimple) with either wax worms or minnow parts (head, tail, or whole). Note the minnow has to be in a preserved state.

I have always fished them shallow, like 6 to 15 ft, and sight-fished if possible. You can do this by drilling two holes, connected, like the outline of a bubble-letter 8. You want the holes to be oriented one on top of the other, as you face them, rather than side-by-side. Or cut a decent sized hole with an ice saw, like for darkhouse spearing.

The fish can be on bottom, inches below the ice, and anywhere in between, very UNLIKE walleyes. Typically keeping your lure near the middle of the water column is a good place to start. If you're sight fishing, it's really easy to play the fish. They usually like to chase. Sometimes they can drive you crazy, though, by charging the bait, only to hit with a closed mouth, or veer off at the last second.

If not sight-fishing, graphing them is interesting in shallow water. Since your transducer cone is pretty narrow in shallow water, and trout move fast, you only graph them for short instances of time. Typically if you keep your bait rising, they'll want to follow. As they follow, stop lifting it, and wiggle it a little. They might hit then, or it might take more cat & mouse play. Playing keep-away can entice them to bite. Or sometimes bore them. It varies.

If you have no flasher, I really think sight fishing is the way to go.

Does any of that make sense? Good luck!

Forgot to mention locations:

I've only really fished them in three different lakes. I'd say the most commonly productive structure type for me is an inside corner of a drop off. On the shoreline. So basically where the depth contour makes a bay.

I've also done really well on sunken points.

I don't like to be in thick weeds, but if you know there are weeds along the drop off, it's okay to be near them or on the edge. Ideally I'd set up somewhere that the bottom composition makes a change (just like for almost all other fish). But that can be hard to find without an underwater camera.

I just really started fishing rainbow trout through the ice last winter and was surprised to catch them in such shallow water, often around 5' to 7' seeming to be the most consistant. I fish them with a light pole with spring bobber rigged with a panfish jig tipped with a waxworm or mayfly nymph. I set the rod in a pile of snow with the bobber over the hole and then wait for a bite. Bait is usually about a foot off the bottom. Set up and watch two or three rods and relax with a beverage. I've had good results this year.

One line only in Minnesota Stream trout lakes.

Start shallow, but shallow near deep. Like 4 feet next to a sharp drop.

Thanks for the tips, guys. Trout stamp purchased and ultralight stuff organized.

quote schweady: "Thanks for the tips, guys. Trout stamp purchased and ultralight stuff organized.
"

From the vibes I am getting there could be a lot of people the first day.
Be interesting if anyone will be keying on the lunker northern pike in some of those pits.

I am thinking of going but don't know about too many people. I know a couple of the pits you will be able to get away from the crowd some.
Went by there yesterday and about 1-2 inches of snow on the pits and not a track on them,except one had tracks of a fat tire bike which they have awesome trails in hills around the pits. That sport is getting more popular all the time.

Thanks, guys! 19 inches was far more than I had expected for my first rainbow. Another new opener tradition has begun!

quote schweady: "Thanks, guys! 19 inches was far more than I had expected for my first rainbow. Another new opener tradition has begun!

"

Very nice fish.

quote schweady: "Thanks, guys! 19 inches was far more than I had expected for my first rainbow. Another new opener tradition has begun!

"

Nice fish that looks just like Little Long Lake.

quote schweady: "Thanks, guys! 19 inches was far more than I had expected for my first rainbow. Another new opener tradition has begun!

"

Really nice! What advise from the board worked for you?

quote bobbernumber3: "Really nice! What advise from the board worked for you?"

Well, yours, actually. I was shocked to be looking for them in such shallow water, first of all. My son-in-law got one out of 5 ft of water very near a hole that I punched that pulled up all sort of leaves and weeds in 3 ft. And jaultman. Your details about the light tackle and working the whole water column was spot on. I spooled on some 3 lb fluorocarbon (man, has line ever improved since the last time I tried using 2 lb Trilene while sitting on a bucket on a cold, windy day. Playing with spider webs.) and tied on a jig only about half the size of any I usually use for panfish. Tipped it with a waxie. We had started on 11 ft and were going to give it just 5 more minutes before moving the house shallower. I had just brought the bait up to only 2-3 ft under the ice when the big one came out of nowhere. Did drill the figure-8 holes which helped some but it was too murky to sight fish more than 3-4 ft down; guys who had been there other years said this was really unusual. As I read this thread again after the experience, even more techniques to refine.

I am heading to a new lake this weekend for Rainbow trout through the ice. I have a survey map showing depth and structure. Where should I start fishing? Steep drop-offs, medium drop-offs, or shallow flats? It's not a big lake so I will be able to cover all options, just wondering where to start...

quote bobbernumber3: "I am heading to a new lake this weekend for Rainbow trout through the ice. I have a survey map showing depth and structure. Where should I start fishing? Steep drop-offs, medium drop-offs, or shallow flats? It's not a big lake so I will be able to cover all options, just wondering where to start..."

We (and some others with more experience on that lake who were even more successful) were set up almost exclusively on steep drops. We would punch a line of holes from 3 - 15 ft deep (and these were not far apart, either) and give each a try. Best seemed to be ones fished 'just under' the ice -- only a few ft down in 7 - 11 ft of water -- with 20 ft not far off. Everyone was near the shore; some set up in spots that I didn't think could be more than a couple of ft deep.

quote schweady: "

quote bobbernumber3: "I am heading to a new lake this weekend for Rainbow trout through the ice. I have a survey map showing depth and structure. Where should I start fishing? Steep drop-offs, medium drop-offs, or shallow flats? It's not a big lake so I will be able to cover all options, just wondering where to start..."

We (and some others with more experience on that lake who were even more successful) were set up almost exclusively on steep drops. We would punch a line of holes from 3 - 15 ft deep (and these were not far apart, either) and give each a try. Best seemed to be ones fished 'just under' the ice -- only a few ft down in 7 - 11 ft of water -- with 20 ft not far off. Everyone was near the shore; some set up in spots that I didn't think could be more than a couple of ft deep.
"

OK and thanks for the quick reply. I'll give the steep drops a good effort Saturday. Busy packing and loading the truck tonight so I can skip out of work early tomorrow!

Huh. 5 days of trout fishing experience in my lifetime and I am dispensing advise. Sure hope it pans out for you. Consider the source, as they say... :)