QIce fishing in the Cariboo is about to start with last weeks temperatures dipping down to minus 27.  With that comes the first ice on the lakes.  Some anglers have less fear of thin ice then others.  Most of the guides say 4" of ice is safe to walk on (personally you wont catch me out there with less).  On the first trip out on to the ice make sure to have safety spikes and drill a few test holes as you work your way out to deeper water.  Some of our Cariboo lakes will have thinner ice in some areas that you want to avoid.

The first question we usually get is "Where do we start".  I suggest to start where you finished off your fall fishing targeting which ever species it is that you are going after.  Rainbow trout, Lake trout, and Brook Trout will usually be fairly shallow where there is still lots of food.  As the season goes on they generally move out and into deeper water.  Kokanee on the other hand could be almost anywhere at this point and I find the best place to start is to look for areas with steep drop offs or a sport where there may be current.  Kokanee will follow their food source (plankton) around and will be at varying depths during the winter.  Burbot early on will be in the deeper parts of the lake.  The best time to fish these guys is February and March when they work their way up on to the shelves for spawning.

Remember to be safe and check the Ice thickness.

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