Live or dead bait for tip up

[rochardwater25]

Just wondering what everyone prefers for their tip ups? I personally use live, but a lot of my buddies use dead. Any thoughts?

[deadsmelthead]

I used to fish nothing but dead bait, then i started mixing things up it really is ideal to have a mixed bag out there especially for pike and lake trout

[Captain1978]

Targeting Pine and Walleye I fish live bait. But time to time i throw on a deadbait. I have caught Pike and LMB.... You just never know...

[mealworm]

Depends what I'm fishing for pike and Lakers I will use dead bait but I use some live bait also....as said before it's good to mix it up a bit c what they prefer.for walleye salmon trout crappies I use live bait.all my biggest fish have come on dead bait

[Tjtroutslayer89]

Both. If they're hungry enough they'll take either.

[bgaffney]

Fishing for pike I have had days dead outfished and vice a versa. I agree a mixed bag is your best bet.

[meek48]

How do you save you dead bait ?

[mealworm]

How do you save you dead bait ?

put them in a baggie with salt then put in another bag just in case any juice leaks out then store in freezer till ready to use just be sure u have ur bait receipt

[meek48]

Ok thank you I heard you have to keep your receipt

[beachwoods 16]

This is the law for dead bait fish. seems you can't keep your own. Don't want anyone to get a ticket.
Use of Dead Fish as Bait
Any dead fish, or parts thereof excluding eggs, that are legal to possess and are not prohibited for use as bait (see above) that have been packaged for commercial sale and have been preserved by methods other than by freezing only (e.q., salted minnows) can be used in any water body where it is legal to use fish as bait and do not require a receipt. Each package of dead bait fish must be individually labeled, identifying the name of the packager/processor, the name of the species, the quantity of fish contained, and the means of preservation.

[Hardwaternubie53]

This is the law for dead bait fish. seems you can't keep your own. Don't want anyone to get a ticket.
Use of Dead Fish as Bait
Any dead fish, or parts thereof excluding eggs, that are legal to possess and are not prohibited for use as bait (see above) that have been packaged for commercial sale and have been preserved by methods other than by freezing only (e.q., salted minnows) can be used in any water body where it is legal to use fish as bait and do not require a receipt. Each package of dead bait fish must be individually labeled, identifying the name of the packager/processor, the name of the species, the quantity of fish contained, and the means of preservation.

You can keep your own but only if it is within the bait reciept time.

[beachwoods 16]

I am not a lawyer, or a dec officer, nor do a play one on t.v. My interpretation of any dead dead fish packaged for commercial sale excludes everything else. It might be worth making a call over, think I will. Of course Right out of the bucket is no prob, but once they are salted, frozen etc. could be an issue.

[HybridHunter]

Like DSH said, it is good to have a mixed bag fishing for predatory fish. I like to run larger dead bait, and he runs some smaller live bait usually. We do well fishing together because we have a mixed bag out there. Some days they prefer a snack rather than a meal I think, especially if the weather has just triggered them to gorge themselves. It is always a good idea to have a mixed bag, see what they are in the mood for that day, and adjust from there.

[beachwoods 16]

OH I use dead bait. I even cripple bait. If a little info on the law keeps someone from getting a ticket that is good too.

[Bassmaster16]

I mostly use live bait for pike except from the last week of jan til the mid of feb i'll use dead bait for that period when pike lose their teeth. Seem to have more luck during this time frame with dead bait. other than that i'll use live bait.

[hunts2long]

I've never seen one without their teeth...h2l

[HybridHunter]

I mostly use live bait for pike except from the last week of jan til the mid of feb i'll use dead bait for that period when pike lose their teeth. Seem to have more luck during this time frame with dead bait. other than that i'll use live bait.

I have never seen pike without teeth. I think someone has you believing an old wise tail haha.

[hunts2long]

It's older than me...h2l

[trapper2000]

pike without teeth are called  perch

[hunts2long]

I have also heard that the ones without teeth are better eating....h2l

[trapper2000]

I am not a lawyer, or a dec officer, nor do a play one on t.v. My interpretation of any dead dead fish packaged for commercial sale excludes everything else. It might be worth making a call over, think I will. Of course Right out of the bucket is no prob, but once they are salted, frozen etc. could be an issue.

I can tell you this ...because I was  told  by a  dec officer and  the  dec regional 7 office you can salt your  own bait  you can package  it   and  use  it  however you must  list the number and kind of bait fish in the  bag .......to avoid a everyone  saying I am wrong  again I state  I  as in me  ...was informed  on otisco lake  by two  dec officers  I could  do this   after I called the regional 7 office and  aske law  enforcement and  was told the same thing .... DON"T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT!!!!! CALL YOURSELF ...I  did  I salt my own and I carry and  fish with them.... I have  the officers  name  and  the name  of the person I talked to at the office  ....you do what you want

[Bassmaster16]

they dont lose the teeth in the top of their mouth. Only the ones along the outside of there mouth. The first two weeks of feb. check them out. They wont have them. They will be lined up in the corner of the mouth just barely poking through.

[trapper2000]

I  found  this  rather  interesting  and  googled  it  and  found  some  interesting  answers  ....i'm no fish dental  expert  but   according to  some  yes  pike  do loose  teeth  which are  replaced within a  week or  so ...interesting  ...  however  the  dept  of natural  resources  in  Michigan  says  the  idea  that  pike loose  teeth  (shed) at a  any  time in the  year  and  this  makes  it hard  to catch  them is  a  wives  tale  created  years  ago by guides  to  explain to clients  why fishing was  bad ...i  also  found  old threads  about  it  in iceshanty ......  i personally  never  seen or  noticed a  pike that had shed  teeth but  this is  worth  checking out  ...........

[delawareriver]

Pike will break teeth off sometimes that will be replaced, the may even fall out by themselves if they haven't broke for a long time then are replaced but there is no time frame for this to happen it actually happens continuously 24/7/365

[deadsmelthead]

I mostly use live bait for pike except from the last week of jan til the mid of feb i'll use dead bait for that period when pike lose their teeth. Seem to have more luck during this time frame with dead bait. other than that i'll use live bait.

Thats an old wives tale.. Ive caught many pike in this time frame and through out the season year after year time after time and i never see pike without teeth except for once and It was maybe half of them missing and i passed it off on this myth, but then the more i thought about it, it had to be from being previously caught and the teeth got damaged..
 From what i gather it was started by a guy to convince his buddy to use polymer line because the guy would use nothing but steel leaders and would catch half as many fish as his buddy so trying to convince him that polymer was the way to go he told them that , that particular time of year pike loose their teeth... Its hilarious if you think about it..

Just to assure you i watched 4 Northerns come through the ice last weekend and every single one of them had all their teeth...

[Bassmaster16]

Thats an old wives tale.. Ive caught many pike in this time frame and through out the season year after year time after time and i never see pike without teeth except for once and It was maybe half of them missing and i passed it off on this myth, but then the more i thought about it, it had to be from being previously caught and the teeth got damaged..
 From what i gather it was started by a guy to convince his buddy to use polymer line because the guy would use nothing but steel leaders and would catch half as many fish as his buddy so trying to convince him that polymer was the way to go he told them that , that particular time of year pike loose their teeth... Its hilarious if you think about it..

Just to assure you i watched 4 Northerns come through the ice last weekend and every single one of them had all their teeth...

Idk maybe its just the couple lakes i fish. The last two weeks we've fished lauderdale and cossayuna and caught 22 pike, only 2 of them had teeth poking through.

[HybridHunter]

Idk maybe its just the couple lakes i fish. The last two weeks we've fished lauderdale and cossayuna and caught 22 pike, only 2 of them had teeth poking through.

Out of curiousity, how big were these pike?

[deadsmelthead]

Idk maybe its just the couple lakes i fish. The last two weeks we've fished lauderdale and cossayuna and caught 22 pike, only 2 of them had teeth poking through.

A picture of this would be worth more than a 1000 words...

[trapper2000]

not  to  say  if  it's  true  or  not   ...but  what is really interesting  is how many people  do believe  it's true  and  they  are   from all over it's  not  just a  New York  thing .....I think it's  coll bassmaster  and i'm glad  you  posted about  it

think about  this  if  it is  a  myth   it's amazing how  many people  from all over  the US and Canada  believe  it to be true 

if  it  is  true  it's even more  amazing how many  fisherman   never knew about it

[wec]

Mixed bag for me, but have caught some nice pike and tigers on Lg. dead bait, and have caught many lake trout on dead smelt.  I've caught hundreds of pike, and have never seen any without teeth.