What am I doing wrong?pike question

[blackmer826]

I have had a terrible year so far this season. I just got done fishing for 4 days stragiht and never landed a single pike, only had one run off that I screwed up between the 4 days. I understand it is February and the fish are a bit tricky this time of year, but man this is discouraging as this has never happened before. My question to ask is if I am fishing 8-12 ft of water that has very little to no weeds, sandy bottom and the occasional wooded structure, where should I be setting my bait? I usually set up all different depths from 3ft of bottom up.  I use fluorocarbon leaders and my buddy runs steel leaders, and are seeing poor results between us. I also run two with blades and beads and I am not seeing any huge increase in flags. Also we fish with large sucker minnows ranging from 6-8 inches.

[jackcraps]

Find a new place to fish.  If there isn't any weeds or wood for pike to ambush its prey your wasting our time.

[lightningz]

Late in the year Weedlines, Drop offs and Big Dead bait near feeder and exit creeks.

[deadsmelthead]

I have had a terrible year so far this season. I just got done fishing for 4 days stragiht and never landed a single pike, only had one run off that I screwed up between the 4 days. I understand it is February and the fish are a bit tricky this time of year, but man this is discouraging as this has never happened before. My question to ask is if I am fishing 8-12 ft of water that has very little to no weeds, sandy bottom and the occasional wooded structure, where should I be setting my bait? I usually set up all different depths from 3ft of bottom up.  I use fluorocarbon leaders and my buddy runs steel leaders, and are seeing poor results between us. I also run two with blades and beads and I am not seeing any huge increase in flags. Also we fish with large sucker minnows ranging from 6-8 inches.

Next time you get one cut em open... look and see what they seem to be targeting... Season to season pike will sometimes wander off onto a different forage and get stuck on them because weather patterns just make it easier for them...

A few years back i couldn't buy a pike, i started fishing all over the lake, i cut one open and it was jammed full of 1" crappie... 1" crappie eat plankton,  plankton sit in the thermocline...

I found a spot where the thermocline ran along a shelf near a small creek, needless to say i did pretty well the remainder of the season that year...

[Whopper Stopper]

The area you fish has a decent pike population? Just asking because if there isn't many you are waisting time.

The advice about cutting one open is excellent. It could point you exactly to where you need to go. Also, this is the time of year that dead bait starts paying dividends for me, in my area. I like smelt.

Good luck and let us know if you get it figured out.

              WS

[WildFisherWomanVT]

Ive always run suckers on the bottom. Id try running some shiners just a foot under the ice to get the ones that cruise up high. If suckers arent working for you switch it up (unless thats all you have)

Its been a strange year fishing for us. The bite has been a bit slower than in other years. It could have been the summer if you had a drought/flooding etc can all change their habits. If its a spawning area they will eventually come, but id try a new spot for a bit.

[Ironeagle]

Find the weeds

[blackmer826]

We know there is trophy pike in there still, yet the numbers are going down tremendously in the last year or two because of being overfished and idiots keeping everything they catch including breeder fish. Its just weird because we fish this same area every year and have always had success with what we are doing. I am going to try and locate some weeds Friday and see how that goes.

[Whopper Stopper]

Good luck and let us know.

         WS

[Rebelss]

Pike like good, brushy cover, because that's where the baitfish hide...lunch!!! I've caught many in 4' of water, but it was very brushy with heavy cover.

[c07pernice]

I have had a terrible year so far this season. I just got done fishing for 4 days stragiht and never landed a single pike, only had one run off that I screwed up between the 4 days. I understand it is February and the fish are a bit tricky this time of year, but man this is discouraging as this has never happened before. My question to ask is if I am fishing 8-12 ft of water that has very little to no weeds, sandy bottom and the occasional wooded structure, where should I be setting my bait? I usually set up all different depths from 3ft of bottom up.  I use fluorocarbon leaders and my buddy runs steel leaders, and are seeing poor results between us. I also run two with blades and beads and I am not seeing any huge increase in flags. Also we fish with large sucker minnows ranging from 6-8 inches.

Its been slow the past two weeks all over the St law. Fished a length of 25 miles and everywhere it has been slow. Seems like it has been slow since that warm up we had. However, this morning we had 4 pike on before 8am. Lost 3 of them in the weeds though haha. But also saw a 12-15 lb one jigging in shallow water that we could not get to hit.

[blackmer826]

hmm...

[esox_xtm]

I would say there's some good advice here. I would also say don't be afraid to exercise your locational prerogatives; in other words MOVE. Sometimes patterns change, like weedlines, like baitfish movement.........

Just fished this past weekend on the advice of my cousin. His spot, his layout for pike to 30" or a little better. Very clear water, need to use plastic leaders etc..... I had the hot hole(s), outfished Willard 4:1 and the other guy 12:1 with wire and beads and other stuff. To me it says it's all about location.

Don't be afraid to leapfrog tipups through an area to find fish. Be willing to move. Also good advice to see what the forage is. That can point you in a direction.

There's a reason they call it "fishing" instead of "catching"..................

Good Luck!

/m

[fish-kabob]

I would say there's some good advice here. I would also say don't be afraid to exercise your locational prerogatives; in other words MOVE. Sometimes patterns change, like weedlines, like baitfish movement.........

Just fished this past weekend on the advice of my cousin. His spot, his layout for pike to 30" or a little better. Very clear water, need to use plastic leaders etc..... I had the hot hole(s), outfished Willard 4:1 and the other guy 12:1 with wire and beads and other stuff. To me it says it's all about location.

Don't be afraid to leapfrog tipups through an area to find fish. Be willing to move. Also good advice to see what the forage is. That can point you in a direction.

There's a reason they call it "fishing" instead of "catching"..................

Good Luck!

/m

some great advise there and to add are the forage fish in the lake more the 6-8 inch size like gills are they 6-8 inches long or are there no gill in the lake etc... i thinking something some ware  in the 4-6 inch range would be perfect for my lake but it maybe more 5 and 6 inch medim suckers on my lake  we get a lot of 28 inch pike with a few  big then 30+ inches. legal to keep but a tad on the small side. by the way how are you hooking these baits are you live hooking them so they swim around?  like in the back behind the dorsal fin just above the latrel line etc... so not to break the back bone so they can still swim... also what kind of hook are you using  i find treble they avoid on my lake but will eat a single hook go figure.   it is different on every lake and try planning ware  setting your tip ups.  read up on predtory fish  i am sure there are ice fishing book out there...    other then this just get out and fish only way you get any thing to brag about lol's.

[blackmer826]

I always use live sucker minnows, ranging from 6-8 inches, hooking them so they can swim,not paralyzing them. using fluorocarbon with a couple single treble hooks (size 4) and two with quick strike rigs. I think the fish population has definitely gone downhill, as we almost see a perch in every hold with a camera, but the big ones are there as me and my buddy each caught a 15 and 14lbs this year, but since then nothing to speak of. We are moving to try and locate some weeds this weekend with his new Aqua View underwater camera.

[Goatskin]

Hey Blackmer I'm heading down to the lake you are talking about on Sunday.The biggest problem seems to be the derby where all hell breaks loose and everyone kills everything they catch. Good luck!

[blackmer826]

Will be out there sunday, I have a permanent shanty off of hawks nest and the mouth of the river...chimney pipe, etc. Stop by and have a beer and tell some stories!