Hi Folks, The ice fishing has been pretty good this last week. In my travels, I have found anywhere from 6” of ice in the Champlain Valley to 10” plus around Stowe. In typical fashion, the cold nasty weather days have been the most productive. Yesterday I guided 2 trips and the weather was warm, sunny, and very little wind. Almost too nice. The fishing was slowest day of the week. We worked hard to jig up crappie, perch, and smelt. No trout on tip-ups or jigging. However, earlier in the week the trout fishing was terrific when it was cold and windy. We have been fishing trout in 30’ to 40’ of water, yet setting our baits right under the ice. A live smelt has been money! I like long fluorocarbon leaders for my trout sets. We have been jigging on the bottom catching perch and crappie with a variety of Hali Jigs tipped with maggots or fat head minnows. The smelt have been on the bottom to suspended in the water column. Located them in 30’ of water down 20’ in the water column. I have been using my green light to draw them up towards the shanty. Glow in the dark Hali Jigs tipped with maggots have worked well catching smelt. I have also been setting big night crawlers just under the ice along the shoreline. The rainbows have been gobbling up the shallow set crawlers. The pike fishing has been good. Steady action. We have been setting up in a little deeper water off sharp shoreline drop offs and deeper weed beds. Large Golden shiners and smaller yellow perch off the bottom have worked well. The pike fishing will only get better as we get closer to the spawn. The weather has been wacky, yet the ice is holding up.I plan to ice fish through March. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home. Have Fun, Willy
