Pike Fishing

[CTJohnB]

Hello everyone,
   I was wondering how deep do you normally keep your bait when fishing for Pike,  I typically fish only Salmon and Trout which I usually just below the ice to 1/2 way down.  Today I'm fishing, with My Friend at Bantam today and he Did catch 1,  it was a nice 28" Pike
   But that was in 4ft of water so it makes it hard to judge your typical depth,
      3 hrs into our trip, We had some people that literally ran a line 6 ft off of all of our tip ups and totally flanked us from all but one side.
And then Watched them catch 6 pike in 3 hrs with 18 flags in the time they were there to our 1 fish and 3 flags after fishing 8hrs   And when we got off the Ice They had walked past our truck So we asked them how deep to fish for Pike,
 They played Dumb and said  I don't Know !! 
    I figured that having practically and literally Sat in our laps !  They could have at least said fish off the Bottom or 1/2 way down what ever the typical depth is would have been a Kind Gesture.
   So any and all info would be greatly helpful, I would Love To catch my first pike through the ice, My Buddy Got his first So That Was Awesome to see him catch one.  So That Made it a Great Day on The Ice.

[Velcro]

I still haven't caught my first pike but I tend to hear more of the bait in relation to the ice- like a foot or so below the ice. Or just above any weeds seems good for any ambush predator.

Good luck, it can be frustrating watching people catch fish only a few feet away from yourself, especially if you're using the same bait and lures.

[Rotnik]

What part of the lake were you on today? I fished all the way back in the north bay...slow day but managed one decent one at 36 inches. That lake is fishing much better lately but sometimes you have to venture off to new spots to avoid the inconsiderate pricks who like to show up at noon and set up on top of you. That really bothers me...I mean I know that no one owns the lake and ppl could fish where they want but I just personally have some class and would never do something like that. Worse part is that I would have no problem with someone setting up close to me if they were at least considerate enough to ask first or be polite...but the ppl who set up on top of you aren't the type to be polite. Problem is I am in the minority. Sorry for the rant back to your original question.

I fish all large dead baits...biggest stuff I could find from 8 inches to 14 inches. Typically keep my bait 8-12 inches off the bottom unless I know I am fishing in very heavy weeds..then I may raise it up a bit. I don't fish live baits very often but I was was to fish them I would say 12-16 inches off the bottom to keep them from swimming themselves into the weeds. Rule of thumb is keep the bait as close to bottom as possible without being in the weeds....8-12 inches usually works for me. Good luck!

[Rotnik]

Also don't be afraid to fish shallow. I typically fish in depths of 3-7 feet and have done really well at depths of 3-4 feet. Every big fish I have landed at that lake has been in under 5 feet of ice, including 2 20 lb+ pike I got last year. Both of those fish came in roughly 3 feet of water and I just had my leader down the hole..no line of the spool. The obscene amount of ice up there this year has made it tougher to fish really shallow but it still worked for me today. It took my entire hand auger and drilling from my knees to get through that garbage today 

[pikemanEd]

thats why i dont fish bantam that much anymore

[Rotnik]

I hear ya....won't go near it on a weekend

[jammer icecube]

Im gonna play the Bantam game tom.ill keep you posted.

[Rotnik]

Good luck...and avoid south bay. The fireman's tournament is tomorrow...gonna be a mess. Unless your fishing it of course

[CTJohnB]

Thanks for all of the info I will be making sure my bait is not swimming and on the bottom Thank you all

[FondoFishin]

Firstly, you shouldn't have even given those pricks the pleasure of being asked how to fish for pike. When they told you that they didn't know, they were probably right...everyone gets lucky sometimes. Anyway, the advice in this thread is basically spot on. The only thing I would add is that fishing deeper (10-15 ft), especially midwinter, can also be effective. If you can find a drop off or anywhere that has shallow adjacent to deep, you should be in business. I hang my dead baits about a foot or two off the bottom, nose down. If you are using really big live bait, try trimming the tail off for that nice wounded effect, plus it prevents bait flags. Put in long hours, and eventually you will land something that will make all of the flagless hours and putting up with dopes well worth it.

[Rotnik]

Agree with ya Pete....dropoffs are a great place to find bait and hence find pike. I have learned a lot over the last few seasons by trial and error and learning from peers but at the end of the day the reason I have gotten as many fish as I have over those last few seasons is because I have spent every free day I've had on the ice. Sure I can spend a few minutes telling you about some of the better fish I've caught but I can tell you a lot more about standing around in nasty weather with my flags down for countless hours. Persistance is the key...don't try to overthink it.