Ice-fishing Friday: Your complete guide to icing winter brook trout

LOCATION

Brookies devour a vast array of fauna, including insect larvae, minnows, leeches and freshwater shrimp. And like teenage boys, they’re always hungry. So, if something moves and appears to be edible, a brook trout is likely to eat it. Knowing that can help you pinpoint the typically shallow, fertile locations that are best for targeting these fish through the ice. I usually drill holes in waist-deep water, largely avoiding depths that are over my head.

If the area has beaver lodges, isolated boulders, fallen trees and scattered weeds and reeds, that only adds to the appeal. Better yet, if there’s also a sharp edge or break into the security of deeper water, start drilling holes, because you’ve found a hot spot.