Author Topic: Where to Target the Big Girls!!!  (Read 2510 times)

Offline RD79

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Where to Target the Big Girls!!!
« on: Mar 11, 2014, 10:14 PM »
I am wondering if anyone can help me in locating the big females before ice out.  The lake that i fish in has an extremely whinding river coming into it and the river is typically where i fish.  There isn't much for current throughout the winter except for the spring thaw which is about a week away.  Like i said before it turns and turns and turns so there are lots of points and straightaways.  The ice is from 100-200 yards across with cattails on one side for the most part and the bare bank on the other.  the channel is usually 15-30 yards wide and deepest part of the channel is usually 16-18 feet deep.  the flat up on top of the drop off goes from the cattails gradually down to 8-10 feet before dropping sharply into the channel.  Over the course of my fishing career ive been fortunate to land a few 20's here but ive never really "targeted" them which i am hoping to do.   Catching a few dozen hammer handles is never too much issue but id really like to try catch a few over 10lbs and even bigger.  When i set my tipups out i usually go across the channel if i can but usually a foot or so off the bottom and using 6-10 inch frozen smelt.  The reason I am asking for help is that i have never consistently caught anything other than the little turds so im wondering if i am in the wrong place, wrong depth or what.    There is one large creek inlet that comes in off the side with a large flat area 4-6 feet deep for 100 yards on either side of the 10 foot deep channel.  this is about a halfmile long before it comes into the main river.  I've never ice fished in here but i know that some of the fish do come up this creek to spawn because you can see them in april when the fishing season is closed.   Thanks in advance for any advice. 

Offline thomasthepikehunter

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Re: Where to Target the Big Girls!!!
« Reply #1 on: Mar 12, 2014, 06:50 AM »
Even in the best lakes in the world, a 20 pound pike is relatively rare. The only thing you will ever catch on a daily basis is pike less than 10 pounds. There shouldn't be a problem with your bait, although I prefer big frozen suckers. If you smelt are preserved, I would definitely try putting out a different bait. I rarely fish rivers or creeks, but 1' off the bottom sounds good. In lakes the big ones will often cruise right under the ice so try putting one 2' under the ice. It will never hurt to try the creek. The thing I'm thinking though, is maybe the weather has them out in the lake. If its safe, try in the mouth of the river or creek. Other than that, just keep moving.
-Tom

Offline RD79

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Re: Where to Target the Big Girls!!!
« Reply #2 on: Mar 12, 2014, 03:52 PM »
Thanks for your advise.  For some odd reason i've always been afraid to have my baits too high, knowing full well that pike are generally an "attack from below" predator.  Will be giving that a shot to see what happens.

Offline thomasthepikehunter

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Re: Where to Target the Big Girls!!!
« Reply #3 on: Mar 12, 2014, 04:02 PM »
Trust me, you can not have a bait too high for a pike. You can easily have it too low, however. Even if they cruise on the bottom, if they see it, they will go up to it. The lowest I ever set baits is 3' off the bottom, assuming water deeper than 6'. Less than 10', I'll often just put the bait right in the middle. I fish lakes with live bait mostly though, so your situation could be slightly different. Pike are a lot like lake trout, not too picky, but location is key.
-Tom

Offline minnow1

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Re: Where to Target the Big Girls!!!
« Reply #4 on: Apr 16, 2014, 10:22 AM »
I would try the creek with the flat.  And try some traps on the drop off at the end of the flat.

Offline HUNTnFISHSD

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Re: Where to Target the Big Girls!!!
« Reply #5 on: Nov 09, 2014, 06:10 PM »
 Will Walleyes still eat the bait if it is that far off of bottom?

Offline thomasthepikehunter

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Re: Where to Target the Big Girls!!!
« Reply #6 on: Nov 10, 2014, 06:46 PM »
You have to realize that with the 8"+ baits I use, walleye have to be pretty big to eat them. They do come up to take the bait, but it's not like pike. My preference for walleye is 1'-3' off the bottom. I don't think I have ever caught a walleye in the top half of the water column. With pike, there have been days where 90% of the strikes were just under the ice. I have not cracked the code on when or why they do this. I just make sure I fish both shallow and deep, and let the fish tell me what they want. A lot of the people I fish with are for some reason scared to fish farther than 2' or 3' off the bottom. While some days they do well, I don't remember every being out fished when my baits are more than 3' off the bottom. Pike can see extremely well, and by having your bait higher, you are allowing more pike to see it.
-Tom

Offline hardh2ofish

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Re: Where to Target the Big Girls!!!
« Reply #7 on: Nov 25, 2014, 02:04 PM »
Dude.  I think you described my home lake almost to a Tee!  What is your forage base?  My lake is loaded with alewife.  I rarely catch fish that have eaten anything else.  I have not done well on this lake till a tournament was moved there because of unsafe conditions on the water where it was to be held.  Here is what I've learned since.  Alewife do not particularly like cold water. They like to find open water in a comfortable temperature range.  Now last winter was my introduction to big water fishing.  I did not venture too far from where we initially started finding fish.  But I have big plans for taking what I learned last year and branching out.  First of all I did way and I mean Way better fishing large live creek chubs like the size of smelts you are using.  That said I had to get out of the shallow water tight to the banks like I was accustomed to fishing our shallow sandhill lakes. One arm of my lake is just like you said.  Cattails on one side tapering out to 8-10' drop offs. One little bay with a 14-16' channel right down the middle.  We go to the drop offs  and set along them with baits 4-8' down.  Even set baits over middle of the Chanel. Same depth.  I think think the big girl cruise open water and edges especially when hungry looking fornpods of baitfish.  Thus your big live baits are in the zone.  I notched 28 pike last winter 10 lb plus. 

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Offline HybridHunter

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Re: Where to Target the Big Girls!!!
« Reply #8 on: Nov 25, 2014, 04:33 PM »
Two weeks ago I caught a northern suspended in 110 fow. Don't think for a second all the big ones come shallow. Although some do, big fish don't come as shallow either. Don't be afraid to set up off structure in 20-25fow. You just need to play with the body of water. Set some shallow, some deeper, some high, some low. You will get it figured out.
I am Muskies Inc.


Offline Gills-only

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Re: Where to Target the Big Girls!!!
« Reply #9 on: Nov 25, 2014, 04:36 PM »
Will Walleyes still eat the bait if it is that far off of bottom?
             I have caught walleye on tip-ups that were 5' off bottom in 15' of water.

Offline hardh2ofish

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Re: Where to Target the Big Girls!!!
« Reply #10 on: Nov 30, 2014, 08:52 AM »
My son just caught our first 40" pike this last weekend.  She came in a small bay in the middle of the 16-17' deep channel.  Bait, large creek chub 10 1/2",set 3-4' below the ice.  Last winter I caught my four or five largest fish in very similar situations.

Fishing should be the exercise of your skills- and its rewards the places it brings you to
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Offline Gills-only

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Re: Where to Target the Big Girls!!!
« Reply #11 on: Nov 30, 2014, 09:03 AM »
Pike can only see "up" the way their eyes are, so almost never too shallow!

Offline hardh2ofish

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Re: Where to Target the Big Girls!!!
« Reply #12 on: Nov 30, 2014, 09:30 AM »
I agree there Gills.  I even brought that bait higher in the column not 10 min. pryor to that bite by maybe 2-3'.  But I love to put my biggest baddest creek chubs on those sets over the middle of the channels.  True chubs just just fight the tether more.  Pike on the prowel can just hone in on them more I think.   

Fishing should be the exercise of your skills- and its rewards the places it brings you to
                                                                           Negley Farson
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Offline Gills-only

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Re: Where to Target the Big Girls!!!
« Reply #13 on: Nov 30, 2014, 09:36 AM »
I found later in the year that the females "wont" come as high, so if later I tend to lower if towards ice out!

 



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