Pike Advice

[Steve01987]

I have never Pike fished and don't know squat about it. I'm looking for some tips on ice fishing for them. My plan is to hit the Moore reservoir with large shiners. My traps are all rigged with 20lb tip up line and I bought some 18in 30lb nylon coated stainless wire with snap swivels. What depths will they be in at the Moore reservoir? I know it gets pretty deep in there. Will you find them in 100ft of water or will they be more in the 20ft range. Any tips and bait and tackle would be great. Thanks

[GFPikeman]

Not sure what state you are in, but a pike is a pike. Every pike I’ve caught on tip ups has been in <20 ft of water. Biggest slimer we pulled in was in 7 ft if water! 
I’ve heard from oldtimers here in Montana that they cruise the shallows during the day looking for smaller bait fish that are then trapped between shore and the pike. Hope this helps. I seriously can’t imagine catching a pike in 100 ft of water.

[Steve01987]

Thanks it does help!

[fishingidjit]

Fish on a spot where the shore comes up in 5-20 ft,coves work well. I've caught a few 15 + # in less than 5 feet.Try to stay on shore after setting up to eliminate noise on the ice,it makes the big pike scatter.

[Dickbakers]

  I can't imagine anyone ice fishing Moore if they haven't been on it open water??  No depth maps available and the water can drop 20 ft. Over the winter.   Late winter access is hard without snow machine or four wheeler. 
I agree that most pike will come from less than 20 ft. Of water but good spots are hard to find unless you want to cheat and sneak behind fisherman who seem to know where they are
going .   
I would have to recommend a couple of days in late October before any ice fishing. 
Dick

[Iceassin]

Lots of good advice here. I have heard that prime feeding time for pike is from about 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Of course, big fish like that are gonna' eat anytime they want...who's going to stop them. Esox... Missoula... what say you fellers?

[800stealth]

Biggest bait you can find, then start at about 25 feet and then work your set of traps toward shore or humps down to 5 feet and be patient... I've always done well on ice there despite never having seen it with open water...

[Dickbakers]

Biggest bait you can find, then start at about 25 feet and then work your set of traps toward shore or humps down to 5 feet and be patient... I've always done well on ice there despite never having seen it with open water...

Stealth?  Something wrong here?   Seems oversimplified for a 12 mile long lake , much of which has no pike. 
Dick

[800stealth]

Stealth?  Something wrong here?   Seems oversimplified for a 12 mile long lake , much of which has no pike. 
Dick

Maybe it seems too simple for you but it's a tactic that works... And is what I picked from helpful people on this forum. A simple search of this site will give you a pretty good understanding of where the pike population is on Moore as well as access points and the pros and cons of them. The first time I went out I did not expect to find them but I still went to learn, despite not expecting it I found them anyway... I don't see the point in discouraging someone from going out and trying something new, he asked for tips and tricks, he wants to go out and learn... Its how most of us become better fisherman...

[Iceassin]

Stealth?  Something wrong here?   Seems oversimplified for a 12 mile long lake , much of which has no pike. 
Dick

Stealth? yeah..it helps. Ever bump your fork up against the ice inside your spearing shack when 'ol toothy one comes in for a look? Never knew a fish that size could disappear so fast. I do now.   

[Dickbakers]

Stealth?  I would love it if Steve would take your advice and write us a report of his adventure.  It would be a great read and might provide some super pictures.
Maybe a report of your Moore experience would great.
A real challenge would be for someone to catch some.Of the millions of small mouth that disappear under the Moore ice every winter?
A good bet would be for any Moore novice to buy some of Chris McGrath,s big shiners and ask if he might take on Moore for some ice fishing.
Dick

[meatandmetal]

Drill a center hole and a hole 5 feet from that one. From that center hole drill 5 more holes in a circle 30 feet from the center hole approximately 72 degrees apart and put a tipup (vary depths) with a big shiner with a red bead at each hole. At the center hole set up a jig pole with a rattletrap. At the adjacent hole put out a stink pot with sardines or some type of other stinky bait. Open a cold one and start jiggin to make noise.    Best time is on a cloudy day or just before sunset. 

[PoolGuy]

Drill a center hole and a hole 5 feet from that one. From that center hole drill 5 more holes in a circle 30 feet from the center hole approximately 72 degrees apart and put a tipup (vary depths) with a big shiner with a red bead at each hole. At the center hole set up a jig pole with a rattletrap. At the adjacent hole put out a stink pot with sardines or some type of other stinky bait. Open a cold one and start jiggin to make noise.    Best time is on a cloudy day or just before sunset.

72 degrees     did you divide that by Pi or multiply ? 

[esox_xtm]

72 degrees     did you divide that by Pi or multiply ?

Circle = 360 degrees / 5 holes = 72 degrees.

[esox_xtm]

Good size water but you can eliminate much of it right off the bat. I'd choose one of the bays and start on that. Bonus points for a tributary in the bay. Double points if that stream leads to a significant marshy area or if the bay contains a marshy area. Pike will follow the food so if you know where panfish are some pike will be around. The wild card is if the res contains pelagic forage (smelt, cisco/herring/whitefish or alewives) or even salmonids. If so and you can find them some of the biggest pike in the system will be hanging out there. Maybe over 100 feet of water but the fish are likely still no more than 30 feet deep and often shallower. Since this is new to you let's stick to the numbers game and fish shallower for now.

If it's clear water consider your leader. If it's a basic store bought 30# it may be a little too much especially if the water is very clear. If the water is dark or stained it's not as big a deal. You can do yourself a favor and roll your own with uncoated wire, using quality hooks and the swivel at the far end instead of down by the bait. You also have the option of adding some beads (which I often find very effective) or a small blade or two. Here's what I'm talking about:



Top is a retail 30# coated leader with a #6 hook. Middle is the bright version of the same leader with a #10 hook. Bottom is what I use most of the time. Uncoated 20# wire with a #10 hook. If live baits are over 6" I might cover the bait with a quick strike rig based on my single hook rig:



Here the top hook adjusts to the size of the bait. For dead bait that's 9 - 12" or larger I upsize hooks to #6. For probably 90% of the pike you'll catch 20# wire and that #10 hook is plenty. Sure, I know the guys: can't catch fish on wire gotta use fluoro. OK, let's go fish and you show me. Or you gotta have a huge hook, like 1/0 or maybe bigger. On hook size I like as small as I can go. Plusses are the bait wears it better and small hooks tend to slip between teeth easily to find some meat to get stuck in. The short distance to the barb ensures that the barb will be sunk in the meat and not outside because you couldn't get the point of hook in far enough. If you are required to fish barbless this really doesn't matter but I still like the relative stealth of the smaller hook.

Down side (if it is really at all) of uncoated wire is that i likes to curl after a fish or two. Not a big deal, you can hold it between your index finger and thumbnail and kind of de-curl it by pulling it through with your nail against the back of the curl. Won't get it perfect but with practice you'll be surprised how straight you can get it. Curls don't weaken the wire either but a kink will. Difference is easy to see, a kink is where the wire has taken a hard right (or left) and there's bump in the wire you can both see and feel. Swap out the leader and save the old one to re-use hook(s) and swivel. Isn't wire hard to work with and don't you need special tools? Nope. Check it out: How do I work with wire?

Back to location: find some weeds, find some baitfish and you'll connect. Remember the marshy areas I mentioned before? As the season progress you will find fish gravitate toward those areas because that is generally spawning habitat. Late in the season dead bait often outfishes live bait too.

Good luck on your quest and while I'm at it, I wouldn't stick my fingers or hand anywhere inside the mouth. Literal razor blades and you'll bleed like a stuck pig. Get yourself a jaw spreaders too, proper tools help keep you safe while unhooking your prize.

[Steve01987]

Wow that was a lot of helpful advice from everyone...I will probly wait until the ice is nice and thick before going since I do not know the area and I've heard the ice can be a little sketchy in some areas of the Moore. I will post after my trip to let everyone know how I did.

[Iceassin]

Good size water but you can eliminate much of it right off the bat. I'd choose one of the bays and start on that. Bonus points for a tributary in the bay. Double points if that stream leads to a significant marshy area or if the bay contains a marshy area. Pike will follow the food so if you know where panfish are some pike will be around. The wild card is if the res contains pelagic forage (smelt, cisco/herring/whitefish or alewives) or even salmonids. If so and you can find them some of the biggest pike in the system will be hanging out there. Maybe over 100 feet of water but the fish are likely still no more than 30 feet deep and often shallower. Since this is new to you let's stick to the numbers game and fish shallower for now.

If it's clear water consider your leader. If it's a basic store bought 30# it may be a little too much especially if the water is very clear. If the water is dark or stained it's not as big a deal. You can do yourself a favor and roll your own with uncoated wire, using quality hooks and the swivel at the far end instead of down by the bait. You also have the option of adding some beads (which I often find very effective) or a small blade or two. Here's what I'm talking about:



Top is a retail 30# coated leader with a #6 hook. Middle is the bright version of the same leader with a #10 hook. Bottom is what I use most of the time. Uncoated 20# wire with a #10 hook. If live baits are over 6" I might cover the bait with a quick strike rig based on my single hook rig:



Here the top hook adjusts to the size of the bait. For dead bait that's 9 - 12" or larger I upsize hooks to #6. For probably 90% of the pike you'll catch 20# wire and that #10 hook is plenty. Sure, I know the guys: can't catch fish on wire gotta use fluoro. OK, let's go fish and you show me. Or you gotta have a huge hook, like 1/0 or maybe bigger. On hook size I like as small as I can go. Plusses are the bait wears it better and small hooks tend to slip between teeth easily to find some meat to get stuck in. The short distance to the barb ensures that the barb will be sunk in the meat and not outside because you couldn't get the point of hook in far enough. If you are required to fish barbless this really doesn't matter but I still like the relative stealth of the smaller hook.

Down side (if it is really at all) of uncoated wire is that i likes to curl after a fish or two. Not a big deal, you can hold it between your index finger and thumbnail and kind of de-curl it by pulling it through with your nail against the back of the curl. Won't get it perfect but with practice you'll be surprised how straight you can get it. Curls don't weaken the wire either but a kink will. Difference is easy to see, a kink is where the wire has taken a hard right (or left) and there's bump in the wire you can both see and feel. Swap out the leader and save the old one to re-use hook(s) and swivel. Isn't wire hard to work with and don't you need special tools? Nope. Check it out: How do I work with wire?

Back to location: find some weeds, find some baitfish and you'll connect. Remember the marshy areas I mentioned before? As the season progress you will find fish gravitate toward those areas because that is generally spawning habitat. Late in the season dead bait often outfishes live bait too.

Good luck on your quest and while I'm at it, I wouldn't stick my fingers or hand anywhere inside the mouth. Literal razor blades and you'll bleed like a stuck pig. Get yourself a jaw spreaders too, proper tools help keep you safe while unhooking your prize.

I knew you'd be here sooner or later 

[fishermantim]

You'll find the fish where they are, or you won't...

Without a depth map to start with, you will be better off following basic scouting practices.
You know, look for inlets, outlets, coves and outcroppings along the shoreline.
Then using a fish finder with depth display, check for obvious structures in an area you want to try.

That's what I do on a new body of water.

[Nosaj]

Lots of good advice here.  If you are fishing with bait in New Hampshire you can only use 1 hook with 1 point, no treble hooks no stinger rigs. 

I like 50-60 lb fluorocarbon with Inline circle hooks.  If the water is clear and they are not taking the 50-60 lb I will down size a little to try to get something going.   A couple things you have to remember with fluoro is to always check for nicks and cuts after each fish.  I have spare leaders already to go and just change them out after a fish unless it is really small, then I will go back a trim back the line that is abraded or nicked and retie the hook on the leader.  When you set the hook with a circle you just want to have the line come tight on the fish then give it a little pull after you feel the hook bite into the fish.  If you set the hook fast and hard with a circle you will pull it right out of the fishes mouth.

 

[esox_xtm]

Well, that was easy...

http://fishing-app.gpsnauticalcharts.com/i-boating-fishing-web-app/fishing-marine-charts-navigation.html?title=MOORE+RESERVOIR+boating+app#13.46/44.3462/-71.8324

Less depth detail but has access info:

https://wildlife.state.nh.us/maps/bathymetry/moore_littleton.pdf

[Coffin Dodger]

Well, that was easy...

http://fishing-app.gpsnauticalcharts.com/i-boating-fishing-web-app/fishing-marine-charts-navigation.html?title=MOORE+RESERVOIR+boating+app#13.46/44.3462/-71.8324

Less depth detail but has access info:

https://wildlife.state.nh.us/maps/bathymetry/moore_littleton.pdf

 

[meatandmetal]

Circle = 360 degrees / 5 holes = 72 degrees.

PG thought I was talking about temperature. 

[Dickbakers]

    That's  a pretty interesting map of Moore.  BUT, as I said, there is no accurate bathometric map of Moore Reservoir.   This one and the NHF&G maps might be useful if you just use them to target possible shallow pike locations in the near shore areas colored in blue.  Nothing I would ever trust with my motor down on open water!!
This obviously is a full pond map with water than comes up and down by 20 ft. or more.
Dick

[Coffin Dodger]

Circle = 360 degrees / 5 holes = 72 degrees.

PG is just busting Denny's pendulum, esox. 

I guess, if I'm going to start pike fishin, I'll need to get a protractor. 

[fishingidjit]

Also make sure you only use single hooks with live bait as it is a NH law!

[meatandmetal]

PG is just busting Denny's pendulum, esox. 

I guess, if I'm going to start pike fishin, I'll need to get a protractor. 

Or use your watch CD every 12 minutes is 72 degrees. 

[McGrath]

Dick is right, using shiners from my shop will increase your chances haha, and the depth changes alot. I have  ice fished in 15-20  feet of water on sunday and by Tuesday it was basically dry land.

I have been ice fishing Moore for a few years and have a lot to learn still. I have only fished it open water once, that was this summer, in a spot I never ice fish.

That being said, I am still learning the ways of moore, . From what my customers tell me and what I have have seen, Pike fishing in Moore the last year or two isn't the fishing people experienced a few years back. The numbers and size just isnt there as it was years ago. Not saying big fish arent there, becuase they are, but not like "in the old days" If all you are trying to do is catch pike, I would focus on numerous set backs on the Ct river, instead of spending a day at Moore with the chances of not catching a pike at all. But when the pike bite is slow, the perch fishing can be amazing.

-Chris

[PoolGuy]

PG is just busting Denny's pendulum, esox. 

I guess, if I'm going to start pike fishin, I'll need to get a protractor. 

Nailed it CD ....maybe M&M will use that theory next trip out with us and see if it works on trout and or smallies 

[Coffin Dodger]

Or use your watch CD every 12 minutes is 72 degrees. 

No watches for me, Denny. Could never stand anything on my fingers, wrists, neck, ears, breasts etc..
Years ago, carried a pocket watch, but kept breaking them.

Now that you're retired, your mantra should be....Every day is a holiday and every meal, a feast!
Eat when you're hungry etc...
The only time you need the time is to be on time for Dr. appointments. 

[esox_xtm]

Wow! 20 foot fluctuation in just a few days? That can throw a wrench in things and make really any map pretty useless. Many of our res/flowages here get drawdowns over the season to accommodate spring runoff and depending on which one can lose as little as 4 or as much as 15 feet over the course. Generally it doesn't happen that quickly. I am curious what drives those sudden changes and does it refill quickly or does that take a bit of time?

Protractor Dodger? That's funny. At work part of my job was to maintain and calibrate a scan/checkweigh system. I had it working better than the vendor ever did and they wanted to know how I did it. I discovered a very expensive, highly technical tool I applied to the scan head. You know those 10 cent clear plastic protractors? I set it on the conveyor and you could see exactly the angle the laser was set to. Keeping it at 12  - 15 degrees off 90 was the sweet spot.