Who has the ultimate recipe for making northern pike tip up rigs?

[MR.CRAPPIEMN]

      I am looking at building my own northern pike tip up rigs and looking for someone to give me guidance. I like Northlands single treble hook predator rigs? Does any one have any idea what they use for wire? If you have the ultimate northern pike tip up rig please share. I would really appreciate replies.
                                                                                                   Thanks: James
                                                                                 

[mszczep1]

I usually make quick-strike rigs with 2 trebles, similar to the HT brand ones.  I use 7 strand wire (AFW, 30#) and crimp a swivel on like the Northland ones on your picture.  I use Lazer Sharp 2X trebles, either #4 or #6.  Bottom one is crimped on like your picture, but the middle one is just threaded on the wire along with shrink-wrap tube.  I shrink it and it keeps the hook relatively snug, but adjustable, for different size baits.  I also put on a tiny indiana blade, either gold or silver, above the top hook. 

[MR.CRAPPIEMN]

Thanks for the reply do you use the coated 7 stranded wire?

[Kevin23]

That's the rig I caught most of my fish on last winter. I made them myself though. I used 10" 45# steel leaders (store bought) and took the snap off the end (the end that you attach to a lure). That leaves a loop in the wire. I then threaded on a couple 5mm beads, a spinner blade (either #3 or #4), a couple more beads, and then attached a heavy duty split ring and a treble hook.

This year I am planning to experiment more with using 80# mono/fluoro vs the wire. I have a few of the rigs I just mentioned and a few quick strike rigs made up with the heavy mono to try this year.

[Martian]

 I would go to gander, or wherever you shop,  find a rig that appeals to you , match everything on it, buy the blades if you want, the wire, some crimpers, and hooks and, sleeves It is just a matter of components, and either buy the rig to use for a model or remember it. Look at the ones you posted, and just copy it. The cool thing is you can customize them if you want them longer, beads/no beads, size of hook. For instance ,if you are fishing with dead bait, there is no reason for beads, flashy things blades etc, the bait just hangs there. On mine I use 12- 15 in. 30 lb steel wire (Berkley), ( some use floro, thick mono), one spinner and I put a SMALL split shot below the spinner, to keep it from laying on the baits back, ( about an in. above the hook), and maybe it doesn't weigh the bait down , and keeps him more active , longer, and provides some additional flash, and then a 2/3- 3/0 circle hook. I have found most of my hooksets will be in the corner of the mouth. If you get a treble down inside the fish, and it is undersized, you cannot keep it, but releasing it will kill it. hope this helps, I ,( every year) watch tv and make up a few. We even sell the extra ones I make in the shop. If you get into this , you can buy the components online , ( usually 100 packs ) real cheap. Most of my rigs cost from  $.60 to $.90 ea, So, to recap find one or a few you like, buy components, and copy to your specks, good luck. I am going to make a few today. oh yeah, when I get mine done , I have about a 6-8 in. piece of pool noodle I use to store leaders. use a nail, or golf tee, hook the hook into noodle wrap it around and secure with either, less tangles

[NateD]

A 40lb flouro leader and a single j hook seems to be all I need to catch pike.

[Hard_H2O]

You can also just look on the internet for them. Then you have a nice picture for inspiration.

Here are the articles that got me going on making my own.

http://www.in-fisherman.com/ice-fishing/quick-strike-rig-pike/

http://www.in-fisherman.com/gear-accessories/quick-strike-rig/

If you do a search on this forum and you will find many threads on the same subject.

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=63195.0

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=124998.0

[skinny4]

My new setup ive used only a few times so far but looks very promising. I use 25 lb seaguar LEADER material. 18" long. Few beads, spinner, few more beads, then pro troll echip ended with either a trebble or a wide gap live bait hook.  Its been slaughtering them and as long as you check and re-tie after each catch you won't break off. I have hooked and landed way more on this setup than any other so far. The seaguar is the same leader I use on big king salmon and the echips mostly come from my meat rigs that got mangled.

[Knife2sharp]

I use a single red hook or a pimple style lure with a single hook at the bottom. I then make a stinger hook with a red treble, sizes 4-6.  The #6 trebles for large suckers, #5 for medium shiners and #4 for small suckers or shiners.  Be careful because the #4 can bend on large fish. 

I attach the stinger, about 3" long, above the pimple or red single hook.  I hook the single hook in the back of the minnow and the treble directly underneath, in the belly, with 2 of the 3 hooks on treble. 

I used to make my leaders/stingers with 80# fluorocarbon, but I've switched to 40#. When pike are active it doesn't seem to matter what leader material you use, but I've noticed them shying away from the flouro ones when they aren't, which is why I'm trying the 40#.  It could be because the double barrel sleeves for flouro leaders are a bit gaudy, so I'm going to try staining some red. I haven't figured out why sometimes the flouro get less strikes then the metal ones.

I like hooking minnows in the center with both hooks as fish tend to T-bone the minnow and I set the hook right away, as long as the fish is pulling line.  Hooking minnows this way, they rest straight up and down in a natural position.  Shiners tend to lay flat in a fishes mouth when they grab it, which is why I think people miss  fish with them, especially smaller pike.  If a hook is in the back and mouth, both hooks can be outside the fishes mouth when you go to set the hook.  Having the stinger hook mid body through the belly mitigates this problem.  I also match the hooks to the bait size so as not to have an overly large treble on a small minnow, or vise versa.

[bobkane23]

I seem to have a lot more success with Swedish pimples on my tips over rigs similar to the ones posted here. Just my 2 cents and personal experience!