deadbaiting pike

[little fish]

HI Guy's,
          My question is, does it mater what angle the deadbait is suspended below one's
Tip-up. That is parallel to the Lake Bottom or hanging straight down by the tail?

          Many thanks for all your help,
                                                 Bert.(Canada)

[iceintheveins]

Getting the bait horizontal does seem to garner more strikes. But I have caught them with vertically hanging baits.

[Water Wolf]

I am not really sure if it makes a big difference, but I do like to make the bait look as natural as possible so I try to get them to hang horizontal.
Next time you go for pike try one horizontal and one vertical and see what they perfer that day.

WW

[Smeltecca]

   Both ways have worked well for me.

[Mule Skinner]

Can anyone tell me how well pike can locate deadbait by way of smell 
I wan't to try some dead herring and set em right on the bottom. there real oily and smelly,so I'm just wondering how ofton the big boys cruzing the bottom come up on food (dead fish) by way of smell vs. sight.

Thanks guys

[red_eyes]

we poke the airbladder so the sink and hang horizontally but had lot of sucess fishing them right ont he bottom.

[Swift]

Think vertical works better very near/on the bottom especially when in deeper water. Horizontal in and around weedbeds or when just under the ice. Believe the bigger ones spend more time slowly cruising the bottom than anything else taking advantage of whatever they stumble upon, smell only helps them take it quicker. Seems to be like that nearly year round on larger fish in my area.

[indeeptreble]

I was just reading an article in a ice fishing magazine and this old guy soaks his smelt in liquid smoke before using them for bait
Anybody else read this or heard of doing this??? does it work?