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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Northern Pike => Topic started by: whale1979 on Jan 16, 2009, 04:51 PM

Title: pike fishing
Post by: whale1979 on Jan 16, 2009, 04:51 PM
whats the best way to hook your bait on for a tipup  i was thinking horizontal  i use those pike rigs with 2 trebles, but just starting out ice fishing.  whats the best depth for the bigger pike  i usually use 6'' herring or smelt  any advice would be helpful thx
Title: Re: pike fishing
Post by: whale1979 on Jan 16, 2009, 05:41 PM
hey thanks gamedog  how do u use quick strike rigs to get the bait to hang horizontal or are they the same as the wired pike rigs i have been using?
Title: Re: pike fishing
Post by: deadsmelthead on Jan 16, 2009, 09:06 PM
I fish in and around weed beds islands or points a combination of those would be an ideal spot in my opinion. I generaly stick to 10fow or less but sometimes they are a little deeper. I generaly use medium to large shinners but I really prefer dink perch and usually try and jig a few up swap out on tip ups. I use mono and flurocarbon leaders, size 4 trebles or 1/0 circle hooks, (I am in the middle of experimenting with big circle hooks for pike) bait hooked in the meaty section of the tail. I generaly don't have any particular distance I like to be off the bottom. I really mix it up always moving bait up and down through out the day, unless you really zero in on them cruising at certain depth mix it up. Put it this way i have caught them 3 feet below the ice in and a foot off the bottom in 10fow in the same day. 
Title: Re: pike fishing
Post by: Master Angler on Jan 17, 2009, 09:16 AM
Here's a pic how I hook mine.........same as Gamedog.  I make my own too, and I often use smaller trebles than in this pic too.  I am thinking of experimenting with circle hooks as well.  With smaller baits 6-8" I just use one treble hooked in the middle of the bait.  I fish anywheres from right on the bottom to a couple feet below the ice, in 4-16 ft.  I like to make them hang horizontal if I can, but sometimes I've had bait sitting almost vertical and I still catch.  I don't think it makes that much difference as Gamedog said, any naturally dead fish in the lake likely doesn't sit horizontal all the time.