Ever seen a pike do this?

[St. Lawrence River Guy]

Fishing this weekend I approached a flag.  I noticed the reel wasn't spinning and the line was straight down so I assumed it was a panfish bothering the bait.  I peeked into the hole and saw a suspended pike 2-3 feet off the bottom with the bait in his mouth.  I've seen fish strike and take a very short run before, but this was NO RUN.  He was literally straight below the hole. 

Might be a common thing, but it was a new one for me.

[Idahogator]

Great luck, setting up over it's comfort zone.       

[thomasthepikehunter]

I've had it happen, but it is pretty rare to see. I've actually never looked down and saw the fish. I too have seen quite a few come in and strike. The usual response is just to wait until they move off a bit to set the hook.

[Drifter_016]

I wish the pike I had last week did this.
If he did I wouldn't be short a dead stick combo.   

[delawareriver]

I've had it happen with muskies that I had my bait suspended. Fish grabs the bait and just sits there trying to get the large bait moved around to eat it. Not often tho they typically move off slowly.

[deadsmelthead]

Something similar has happened to me more times than i can count usually happens when i go around checking the bait on traps and there's a pike on the other end.. Always seems like its the hammer handles that do it...they seem to take the bait without tripping the flag and just sit there...

[Martian]

  we have lost fish realizing it was just holding the bait. last year , I fished with a young man, flag tripped, no spin. and when we got within 5 ft. he stomped pretty hard on the ice , and spin city, we both laughed, and he told me his grandpa told him about it. cool to learn something from a young man, who in turn learned it from and old man. By the way , it happened twice that day, Now I always do that

[pikechaser40]

I had it happen a few days ago. My tip up went about 20 feet then stopped.  I sat there looking at it for a minute and thought the fish was gone.  I grabbed the tip up line and felt a little pressure so I set.  There it was a big female on the line that must have just ate it and sat there.