ICE FISHING 101

[iceman72]

THERE'S A QUESTION I'VE BEEN WONDERING ABOUT SETTING THE HOOK. WHEN I SEE THE SPOOL STOP I COUNT TO TEN THEN GIVE IT SLACK TO TAKE THE TIPUP OUT OF THE WATER. I THEN HOLD THE LINE IN MY HANDS AND WAIT FOR THE FISH TO TAKE OFF. WHEN THE LINE IS TIGHT I SET THE HOOK.  A LOT OF TIMES THEY WILL RUN AND  RUN I GET READY TO SET THE HOOK AND THEY SPIT IT OUT.  DO I WAIT FOR THE SPOOL TO STOP AND THE FISH SWALLOW THE BAIT OR SET THE HOOK ON THE RUN???

[pirkaus]

The sixty four dollar question!
It's a feel thing for me I wait till the spool stops to pick it up then set the hook at the first sign of resistance with "J" hooks
When using circle hooks I pick up the line when it stops then just pull in no super yank like with "J" hooks
This is just me and it works for me I don't get them all but I do get enough

PS THERE IS NO NEED TO YELL (shut off the cap lock)

[Mentiply]

WHAT I CAN'T HEAR YOU lol.... pirkaus is correct it is a feel thing. Once they stop running I take the line and begin to bring it in slowly when you feel that first tug is when I set the hook with good results but practice makes perfect. Good luck

[crappieslayer22]

ive set the hook on the run and it rips ot of there mouth and ive done it wile the spol aint going u got to do what u think is best

[hunters08]

I think your best bet is to pull your line in slowly until you feel the wieght of the fish then set the hook. I do agree that it is a feel thing and you will get used to it.  Good luck

[reelbigfish]

Pike usually don't have the hook in their mouth when they take off on their initial
run.  Then they stop, spit the bait, and kind of lay there and stare at their meal for
5 minutes or longer.  Next they take the baitfish head first and scale it with their teeth and then swallow it.  Then comes the second run and that is when I try to  set the hook (when they are trying to sh-- it out).  Usually get a positive hookset.
Then I discovered adding a stinger hook in the tail of the baitfish made it so that I could set the hook sooner.  The key is to wait until the fish has the hook in his mouth.



Ted

[chilly feet]

i agree  with everyone else.you gotta feel them out.
once i start pulling,i don't stop.i have had some
fish come straight back to the hole and it feels like
theres no fish there at all until you get to the bottom
of the hole.

[coldbum]

I find my technique varies slightly depending on the targeted species and the type of hook I am using obviously a circle hook requires less effort to set the hook verses a snelled bait hooh or something like that..

ex.

Lakers- I let them make a couple good runs before I add some tension to set the hook
Salmon- (not first hand info-never caught one) People say you should set the hook on the run
Pike- I give them a good snap of the line after the first run stops

[PondPro]

With a j hook i set the hook as soon as i feel tention and if i don't feel anything ill jig it or ill pull my line out of the water to see if i have a minnow. 

[skulldugary]

Yeah you have to feel them out,different spiecies do different things.It depends on the situation.

[TroutChaser]

different types mean different types of sets, but my theory is , if it is running or what i call a "smoker" i will grab it and set it the opposite direction, works almost always. But will agree with the different types you do different sets on different fish

[JeffreyKrow]

True enough,
     It is all in the feel. When you aproach the tip-up, and see line going, it might already be the second run. There is no guarntee in ice fishing. Every fish is different. Some you get, some you dont. If someone tells you he always gets the fish when he fishes a certain way,,, he is fibbing.
                                                                                                                 JK

[Slammerman]

hmmm ...

I just trot (or run, skip, slide, waddle, etc.) over to my tip-up, grab the rod, fight the fish, (remove hole-cover if applicable), and land the fish. NO GUESSWORK INVOLVED !! ... last ten flags = 10 fish on ice ... even last ELEVEN flags = 10 fish on ice ... THAT fish won due to "structural interference" ... ALL fish were hooked in the corner of the mouth

[marcus]

hmmm ...

I just trot (or run, skip, slide, waddle, etc.) over to my tip-up, grab the rod, fight the fish, (remove hole-cover if applicable), and land the fish. NO GUESSWORK INVOLVED !! ... last ten flags = 10 fish on ice ... even last ELEVEN flags = 10 fish on ice ... THAT fish won due to "structural interference" ... ALL fish were hooked in the corner of the mouth

This is the method I use seems to work  I find if you over think it that gives the fish enough time to feel the hook or resistance, however if the spoll is screaming I will wait for it to stop or at least slow down to the point where I dont fear losing fingers

[Kyle_]

i use quickstrike rigs and as long as that fish is moving, i set it.
i hook up with about 95% of fish.
You could let em go with it for 5 minutes as someone else mentioned but you almost always have a dead fish on the ice when it comes out of the hole.
I like to release most of my fish.

[marshrat]

Hey i use a trouble hook and 14 pound test leader with 35 pound test line i normally catch almost all of the fish i have hooked on mostly every flag but this year i have done nothing different and have had horrible luck i only have iced about 1 or 2 fish in 10-15 flags i allways set the hook when they are taking line i let it sit for a few min and if they haven't took any i will slow pick it up and check to see if i feel them if not then slowly pull it up and check my minnow