Mousies

[h2.0shaver]

Pardon my ignorance, but just what IS a spike? If I go into a bait shop and ask for them, will they know what I'm asking for Is it regional and there is another name for them? I've seen plastic  ones and I think GULP makes something like that, but I'm not sure. Same with mousies. Are they grubs? Please educate this old guy, because I'm and old diehard minnow soaker and wan't to expand my horizons. Dang, that's why I joined this site in the first place!! This site probably has about a million years ice fishing experience combined!! I'm an empty cup, please fill with knowledge    Thanks in advance 

Yes, you should be able to ask for "spikes" at the bait shop. Theyll usually ask if you want natural color, red, or a variety which seems to have blue and green as well as the others

[h2.0shaver]

Hard to describe.....but basically just skin hook them.  If you look at a mousie you can see thru the skin and you will see the white and grey 'stuff' on the inside.  I try to avoid running the hook thru any of that 'stuff'.  If you do puncture that stuff it tends to 'pop' like a balloon and all the good stuff on the inside comes out on the first drop.  A smaller, thin wire hook helps with skin hooking them, but even then I rupture some when hooking them.  Same thing with spikes..find the end with 2 dots on it and skin hook them there and they will stay alive a long time on the hook and wiggle all over the place down there.

ok I know what you mean

[FelixD]

You realize alot of mousies are collected from Cow Manure pits?  I don't think I would be putting them in my mouth or biting on them! 

That is why I use bmoth (Waxworms) 99% of the time. I do carry spikes and sometimes mousies but bmoth is my #1

[nonamer]

don't loose sleep over dumb stuff. i ask for maggots and wax worms. if i cant catch fish on these i was still fishing. buy what you need not what everyone wants you to spend your money on. go fishing and have fun.

[Fishking83]

After last year, I don't think I will buy anything but white spikes and plastics this year.  Don't think I caught a single fish with either red spikes or mousies.

X2, I caught some fish on mousies last year but a majority came on spikes or home made ice flies.

[prosalmonking]

Mousies always seem to disappear but waxwork pointed out my hooking flaw with them and I dot seem to get a bite on whit spikes but now red and yellow I tear up perch crappie and red ears gold fiskas and a spike my go to bait