Author Topic: Catching Pike w/no live bait?  (Read 3667 times)

Offline wyoutdoors

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Catching Pike w/no live bait?
« on: Nov 20, 2008, 03:26 PM »
i have a few tip-ups i bought last year at the end of the season... primarily i fish for crappie, walleye and perch but want to make a few Pike sets while jiggin' other holes...

i do have a ton of live bait experience back in kansas trotlining and limblining for huge flathead cats (40+lbs) mainly using bullheads up to 1.25lbs and live perch up to 6"+-for bait... in wyoming this is illegal and they goofy minnow use laws (which i can understand to a certain extent about introducing "bad" species to "good" waters...), therefore i'd like to use some type of non-live bait or lure on a tip-up for northerns.

would hanging a jiggin' rap or gulp minnow/shiner work?

any advice from the Pike Slayers on the best way to approach this? again, this won't be a primary target but i'd like to ice a 40 incher or better for a photo shoot!  :roflmao:

Offline big-brother

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Re: Catching Pike w/no live bait?
« Reply #1 on: Nov 20, 2008, 05:42 PM »
Large Herring or Sardines on a quick strike rig will produce the desired results............... .TOOTHY CRITTERS.The pike in my avatar as well many others were caught using this set up.

Offline Drifter_016

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Re: Catching Pike w/no live bait?
« Reply #2 on: Nov 20, 2008, 08:24 PM »
Large Herring or Sardines on a quick strike rig will produce the desired results............... .TOOTHY CRITTERS.The pike in my avatar as well many others were caught using this set up.

Yep, dead ciscoes, herring, suckers, chub all work.
You can catch lakers too!!  :D

Offline wyoutdoors

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Re: Catching Pike w/no live bait?
« Reply #3 on: Nov 20, 2008, 08:47 PM »
we talking canned sardines/herrings here??? if i remember right they're prett soft...

Offline Drifter_016

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Re: Catching Pike w/no live bait?
« Reply #4 on: Nov 20, 2008, 08:57 PM »
I catch my own bait, vaccume pack it and freeze it.
We are not allowed to use any live bait in the NWT.
You can also purchase frozen bait herring as well as frozen shiners for bait.

http://www.fishonbait.com/
http://www.knutsonlivebait.com/frozen_herring.html

Offline Woodsman

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Re: Catching Pike w/no live bait?
« Reply #5 on: Nov 22, 2008, 08:22 PM »
Some grocery stores sell whole frozen herring, smelt or sardines in bags. Excellent pike bait. Quite often especially mid to late season dead bait will out produce live bait or lures for pike. I find the 6"-10" smelt or herring work best. The sardines seem less firm. Fish on a quick strike rig either on bottom or just above bottom. Check your local regs. to ensure this is legal in your area.

Best Wishes: Rick

Living proof that "beer builds better bellies"

Offline Marlin07

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Re: Catching Pike w/no live bait?
« Reply #6 on: Nov 24, 2008, 01:19 PM »
All we have ever used is large dead bait for Pike. Smelts in the 10' range on a quick strick rig work very well

Offline keepah seekah

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Re: Catching Pike w/no live bait?
« Reply #7 on: Nov 24, 2008, 01:46 PM »
i've had plenty of days when dead bait has produced much better then live bait. i always have at least one trap set up with a dead shiner or sucker. i usually take one out of the bait bucket and stomp on em. then hook it and throw him down the hole.
i am a big supporter of PETA...."People Eating Tasty Animals"

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Offline ChillerThriller

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Re: Catching Pike w/no live bait?
« Reply #8 on: Nov 24, 2008, 05:27 PM »
dead bait is awesome for pike. Get a HT windlass to add a little wiggle in your minnow. Standard tipups work too. Big and dead is a easy meal for a pike so they tend to down the hatch on them.

Offline Water Wolf

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Re: Catching Pike w/no live bait?
« Reply #9 on: Nov 25, 2008, 02:37 AM »
Dead bait is defiantly a good option for winter pike. I usually have one of my rigs with a deadbait like herring, smelt or anchovies dead sticking, wind movement.
On the other rig I actively jig, again with eather dead bait, or chunks of dead bait on artificial lures like spoons or soft plastics.
I let the fish tell me which they prefer.
If they show a preferenc for one method, I switch my other line to match. :)

WW
Looking for that BIG BITE!


Offline lawsonsfishers

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Re: Catching Pike w/no live bait?
« Reply #10 on: Dec 06, 2008, 03:47 PM »
What is a quick strike rig? Would the same bait apply to pickerel too? Not many lakes have pike that i fish on but all contain good size pickerels!

 



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