Trout are an absolute blast to catch through the ice, but they are notoriously picky fish. Using tip-ups for these fish is a great way to have extra lines in the water and increase the chances of hooking up, however, since they are so picky, a subtle presentation is often essential. The leader is one of the most important parts of the setup. Using light mono or flouro will work; try to avoid anything over 12lb test. For the hook, I use a size 6 or 8 octopus hook with a crappi

Any ice fisherman understands the value of being able to see underneath the ice, most often by means of an ice fishing sonar like the popular Vexilar or various Humminbird and Garmin units. While these pieces of equipment can be crucial to finding fish in the winter, the price tag can sometimes be hard to justify. There is, however, another way to get the same results with the gear you may already have. The main object you will need to make your own ice fishing sonar is a sim