First Ice Fishing in the Interior of British Columbia for rainbow trout including a demonstration of the Jigging Jaw Jacker. Our somewhat warmer fall has delayed the freeze a bit, but there is now solid fishable ice all over the province. It is time to get out there and experience some of the best ice fishing of the season. The lower elevation lakes around Merritt and Kamloops all have several inches of good clear ice from the reports I have heard and from my own experience out on the ice this week. Keep in mind that this time of year the fish are often up on the shallow shoal and flat weedy areas stuffing themselves with abundant aquatic insects like shrimp, daphnia, leeches and water beetles. The dissolved oxygen concentration is high and the fish will be spread out throughout the water column. So when fishing deeper water it really pays to fish top to bottom and find where the fish are cruising. In the shallows you can fish anywhere from a 1 to 5 feet of water which is typically considered shallow and excellent during the early hours of the morning and as the light fades in the evening. Sometimes if the fish disappear move to deeper water to find some active fish in the mid day hours. Don't forget to hit the same productive waters from the morning as evening hits. To add to the excitement the water is usually ultra clear this time of year and sight fishing for the trout in a dark tent or even by looking down the hole can add a whole new level of excitement for the ice fisherman. If you don't have a fish finder then this will allow you the same benefits of a fish finder without having to charge any batteries or empty your pockets to purchase one. If you do have some spare change though a flasher sonar like the one you see me using in this video is highly valuable on the ice to increase your odds of hooking up this winter.
