This is just an average video of my bro and I setting up an ice fishing tent in a lake in southwestern Michigan, and eventually snagging a 20.5" rainbow trout! To many anglers, a 20" trout isn't really a big deal, but this is a surprise since there are very few trout in this particular lake (and in this region), let alone one that measures over 20".
In the first part of the video, my brother sets up the fishing tent on the ice, then he drills 5 holes using an auger. He drills this many so that we can monitor fish in an arc around the tent. He also uses an Advanced Angler viewing system, which uses a submersible camera and a monitor to track schools of fish as they pass under our fishing area. He also wrapped an artificial weed around the cable for extra camouflage. As I walk around the tent, I almost plop my leg right into one of the holes we just drilled, oops!
I then cut to the inside of our tent, where we each have a line and bait dangling in holes that we drilled earlier. We don't notice any activity, but we do see some other ice fishers in the distant, who don't seem to be catching anything either.
Then, just seconds after I turn off my video camera, I see my fishing rod bow halfway down to the hole. I set the bait, then by brother pulls my catch in by hand. We are startled to find a huge rainbow trout at the end of my line! He tosses it out of the tent (and knocks over our heat lantern in the struggle, oops!)
We measure it, then we quickly find out that rainbow trout are out of season. My brother didn't have a trout stamp anyway, so regardless we had to throw it back into the lake. Todays lesson? If trout are in season, always make sure you have a trout stamp!
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