just an idea

[ryfisher]

was thinking today about what could make pike more agressive. well i was wondering if anyone has tried putting a bead above the hook on your tip-up and when the shinner swims it will rattle the bead? anything helps!!

later
ry

[twodoggs]

I have never tried a bead but I do use a spinner blade above the hook.  I use a sinker then 1 foot of line, the spinner and two glow beads to hold the spinner up off the hook then the hook.  It works, the minnow (I use shinners or sucker minnows)  will wiggle the blade and add to the flash.

[8mman]

Ryfisher,

I've done that on some of my tipups.  it doesn't seem to do anything for pike or pickerel, but man it drives jumbo perch nuts!! I use a little orange bead just above the hook with a lively minnow and I think that every time I have set them I have hooked a big perch.  maybee a different color would work for other species?  try it out I would like to hear what happens.

8mm

[RSQCAL]

Try the spinner blade like Twodoggs has set up. I read about it on the forum and have used it on half of mine and my sons tipups this year. It does seem to make a differance. I've also started using scents on my bait when times get slow. What I do is set up with out scents and had it if thing run slow. It seem like any little change can attract or trigger bites. The type of scent dosn't seem important in my experiance, just something added to get there attention.  

[acsacmboy]

if you want rattle.. somehow attach a rattle tube like in the cabelas or bps. magazine. maybe some hot glue. minnow moves, tube rattles. just a thought

[grumpymoe]

ive put orange spinner blades on when trying to get finicky perch to hit. sooner or later a large northern will make a b-line for the spinner. its amazing how many times they go for the blade and not the bait  my 2 cents grumpy

[iceman1603]

I have never tried the whole color thing before But what I have done is pick some inexpensive spoons at Walmart and take the hooks off of em.  Ill tie the spoon on and then tie on about 2-3 feet of line and then the hook.  Since I tend to use smaller buckeys and shiners for perch mostly That big shiney spoon really gets there attention at a distance.  

[MUSKY 2004]

I JUST USE THE BIGGEST LIVE OR DEAD GOLDEN PONDIES AND THAT WORKS FINE.

[BASSandICE65]

Been doing that for years seems to help now using spinner blades with 2 red beads on both sides works good for bass and pickerel haven't tried it on northerns yet. Just started fishing for them still a newbie in that department.

BassandIce65

[Ice Troll]

Where I fish, we are allowed to have 6 tip ups per license. I use different colored beads with or without a spinner blade on all me leaders. My favorites are chrome colored beads(extra flash),red, green or orange. sometime I combine colors. I usually add  one of those soft glow beads ever the eye of my hooks on every rig which really calls to the fish especially at night. I almost always out fish my buddies that have plain leaders and now most of them have gone with the extra color. Think about it......if color and flash doesnt attract fish then why do lures and jigs come in so many colors and why on some days do some colors work better than others.