Ice fishing trout with a bait ban
 

I used to ice fish a lake with good trout near my house, but they’ve recently instituted a bait ban. Anyone ever had luck ice fishing trout without bait? I’ve been thinking about using the pistol Pete flies I’ve caught them on in the summer along with some splitshot weights or maybe a little mepps. Any ideas would be appreciated!

Flys and small spoons. My friends catch a ton with small kastmasters and cleos.

Thanks! I’m going to give it a shot when it warms up a bit.

something that sometimes works unbelievably well is to imitate a feed pellet,providing the trout have been stocked at some time.To make a imitation feed pellet I head to the fishing section of my favourite store and find some dark brown plastic gulp night crawler imitations.You then take the cylinder part of the worm and cut them in about pieces that are about 6-7 mills long,take a bronze treble hook and shove it up the centre of the worm piece .I then tie the hook to 10 lb vanish line.To properly fish one of these you simply allow it to slowly sink,then pause for a few minutes just above the bottom.No action,bring the hook up and start over again.At no time do you jig it as pellets only sink.

That’s really clever! Never would have thought of that.

If you can find them one inch russian hooks can be good for trout. The oval ones can be 1.5 inches long. Various colors can be tried. Early morning or late afternoon not too far from shore. Trout in Alberta's pothole lakes feed along shorelines.

Scented plastics are considered bait as well.

100% right there it is still a scented bait.

sorry,I did not know that...been fishing in a private pond to long!!!

I have always liked slender spoons.


Gbuss

Slender spoons, small slab raps, VMC tungsten flies, jigging spoons, etc. You won't catch as many as you catch using bait, but they'll be bigger in general.

Small Chubby Dartar. Fish cannot leave it alone

try balanced leech or scud type flies

Balanced leeches are a staple. As well as micro leech and bloodworm patterns.

I've also had some success on this green tungsten jig I tied in this trip report:

https://www.stringtheoryangling.ca/f...k-nugget-lake/

It's super easy to tie even if you have no experience.

https://www.stringtheoryangling.ca/w...1/DSC_0013.jpg

If I get a bit of time during this cold snap I’m definitely going to try tying some flies. The thought of catching fish on a lure I made is super appealing

Yup- tie up a Tom Thumb Deer hair fly.

West River
 

West River the best I have found for trout, Pickerel,Whitefish