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Author Topic: Tipups without live bait?  (Read 1773 times)

Offline PerchReaper

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Tipups without live bait?
« on: Jan 10, 2019, 06:06 PM »
Have any of you tried using tipups for pike or walleye without live bait? I've heard hotdogs can work or maybe night crawlers. Just curious since a bishop is a little out of the way for me.

Offline fishy1

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Re: Tipups without live bait?
« Reply #1 on: Jan 10, 2019, 06:33 PM »
i use crawlers ice fishing but on ice rods and dead stick them would be the same on a tip up i would think. hot dogs work also although i havent used them but i have seen others catch some nice fish on them. later in the ice fishing season february and march crawlers seem to work better than live bait for me

Offline kayl

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Re: Tipups without live bait?
« Reply #2 on: Jan 10, 2019, 10:09 PM »
I've used hot dogs and both caught and missed fish, as esox_xtm can attest to!

Offline Light liner

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Re: Tipups without live bait?
« Reply #3 on: Jan 11, 2019, 06:25 AM »
Start off with what you have, then try jigging small
Perch for bait.
Champlain
Memphremagog

Offline Crayfish2

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Re: Tipups without live bait?
« Reply #4 on: Jan 11, 2019, 06:49 AM »
We bring tipups with us a lot when we don't buy bait.  My son and I throw small perch on the tipups as we catch them.  Last weekend we ended up with about 7 tipups out, because that was how many perch we caught that were in the right size range.  Had several flags and caught a 30"/7lb pike on one of them.  It works.

It's funny, almost every pike I clean has small bluegills in them.  I would love to use them as bait, but I just can't seem to catch any quite small enough.  Usually catch plenty of small perch, though.

Offline fishy1

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Re: Tipups without live bait?
« Reply #5 on: Jan 11, 2019, 07:08 AM »
crayfish2 good post live perch work very well for pike my father taught me that in the 1950,s caught lots of nice pike on them

Offline schmidtxc

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Re: Tipups without live bait?
« Reply #6 on: Jan 11, 2019, 07:32 AM »
I've had plenty of luck with hot dogs, though I get considerably more flags with swimming bait.

Offline bigcat61

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Re: Tipups without live bait?
« Reply #7 on: Jan 11, 2019, 08:45 AM »
if ya want to catch some catfish, try some shrimp on the bottom-  that's works..      :tipup:  ;D

Offline PikeKing23

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Re: Tipups without live bait?
« Reply #8 on: Jan 11, 2019, 08:53 AM »
It's funny, almost every pike I clean has small bluegills in them.  I would love to use them as bait, but I just can't seem to catch any quite small enough.  Usually catch plenty of small perch, though.

I use a LOT of bluegill open water fishing for pike.  I think you would be surprised how big of a bluegill they will take.  Unless they are complete jumbos that scream for a frying pan, throw them on a hook!

Tip= Downrigger clips on the bottom of the tip up for big bait ;)

Offline fishy1

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Re: Tipups without live bait?
« Reply #9 on: Jan 11, 2019, 10:53 AM »
i use blue gills all summer long for catfish and i have caught nice pike and bass that way.

Offline lingcod

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Re: Tipups without live bait?
« Reply #10 on: Jan 11, 2019, 11:26 AM »
I always have one rod with light line and a microjig/spike. Usually easy to catch small perch and sunnies of all sizes.  Closer to shore w/weeds for the smaller ones.

Offline Noon

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Re: Tipups without live bait?
« Reply #11 on: Jan 11, 2019, 11:34 AM »
We bring tipups with us a lot when we don't buy bait.  My son and I throw small perch on the tipups as we catch them.  Last weekend we ended up with about 7 tipups out, because that was how many perch we caught that were in the right size range.  Had several flags and caught a 30"/7lb pike on one of them.  It works.

It's funny, almost every pike I clean has small bluegills in them.  I would love to use them as bait, but I just can't seem to catch any quite small enough.  Usually catch plenty of small perch, though.

be sure to check your state and water regs before doing this. only non-edible portions of perch can be used as bait in Montana.
It doesn't sound that appealing to most people I talk to, but going out onto a frozen lake and staring into a hole for the day is my favorite thing to do.

Offline Crayfish2

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Re: Tipups without live bait?
« Reply #12 on: Jan 11, 2019, 11:36 AM »
A little different here ... most "non-game" species can be used for bait.  Thanks for the tip, though!

Offline Noon

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Re: Tipups without live bait?
« Reply #13 on: Jan 11, 2019, 11:46 AM »
A little different here ... most "non-game" species can be used for bait.  Thanks for the tip, though!

Same for me growing up on the east, and I caught so many big bass and pickerel on bluegills. As other's have stated, big fish will take a pretty big bluegill, but dropping a tiny jig or gold hook down into shallow weeds can bring up some great bait sized gills.
It doesn't sound that appealing to most people I talk to, but going out onto a frozen lake and staring into a hole for the day is my favorite thing to do.

Offline ice fiend

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Re: Tipups without live bait?
« Reply #14 on: Jan 11, 2019, 02:08 PM »
We bring tipups with us a lot when we don't buy bait.  My son and I throw small perch on the tipups as we catch them.  Last weekend we ended up with about 7 tipups out, because that was how many perch we caught that were in the right size range.  Had several flags and caught a 30"/7lb pike on one of them.  It works.

It's funny, almost every pike I clean has small bluegills in them.  I would love to use them as bait, but I just can't seem to catch any quite small enough.  Usually catch plenty of small perch, though.
fish carry bay you’ll get some
i told myself id be back by 2 i guess i didnt factor in that the fish were biting

 



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