By late February, early March, trout have established definite patterns and preferences in travel depth. A typical scenario is to find them moving along 8 to 10 feet under the ice early in the morning until the sun climbs high enough to penetrate their cover, then they go deeper. Veteran trout addicts will move when that happens, to water with bottom 26 to 30 feet deep if it is available in that body of water, easy to locate with sonar. Now fish will be moving from 2 to 3 feet above bottom, down to several inches above. Knowing the level trout are moving, passive bait is set a few inches above that depth, the most aggressive fish tending to feed up rather than down.
Successful fishermen are almost fanatical about location of holes they drill.
If snow cover is available in the area they elect to fish, they drill the first hole there, the snow providing cover for movement above that won't alert spooky fish. A second hole for the sonar is drilled within inches behind the first. That done, the angler sits down on his bucket or chair with his feet almost touching the first hole. Be certain to have the required Second Rod Stamp. Careful placement of this third hole allows the angler to comfortably jig an attractor spoon for hours with elbow resting on knee.