What is your favorite tip up bait for Pike?

[coldcreekchris]

Have used smelt in the past.Saw the other day someone used a hot dog to land a monster.Thinking about trying something new over the freeze burnt grocery store smelt. I am on the western district  so don't have the options of live baitfish.Do people soak their bait in scents? What size? etc. Just making conversation and hoping to get a couple new ideas

[lundin-loading]

Save the strip of white perch bellies next time your cleaning perch. Use kitchen shears and cut a strip from the anal vent to the peck fins. Throw a crappy smelt on your rig and the perch belly with it.

Before anyone says anything, the perch bellies are not considered "edible portions" and thus can be used as bait per fwp regs.

[coldcreekchris]

Great advice. That was the type of tips i was hoping to generate. So would the same go for trout and Kokanee as well?

[meandcuznalfy]

Used to use crawfish scent on mine, perch bellies make good ling bait too

[KatJohn7]

I swear by smelt! 4-6 inches long couple feet off the bottom. Never died them. Have went with people that do and I have done just as well. I hang mine so they sit level.

[fishinjohn]

Big baits equal BIG PIKE...
Trout have a great odor and pike LOVE EM...
Leave the hot dogs at home unless you just want to play around... use BIG BAIT
and hang them off a 3 way swivel.. one treble to the head and one treble towards the tail
GAME ON

[MT_btagger]

Not sure what the regs are, but can you use dead  salted non-game fish where there's no bull trout?

If so, just need to find a spot for trash fish (suckers, carp, pike minnow?), buy an ultralight setup, and brine your own bait in the spring. Vacumn pack and freeze. As a bonus, trash fish fishing is a blast, and no ones likely to blow up your sucker hole on facebook.

I like to put out at least one big bait about 10"-14"  any time I'm running tip ups where there's pike.

 

[lundin-loading]

Great advice. That was the type of tips i was hoping to generate. So would the same go for trout and Kokanee as well?

Cut from the regs, salmonid parts may not be used as bait.

[wyogator]

Big baits equal BIG PIKE...
Trout have a great odor and pike LOVE EM...
Leave the hot dogs at home unless you just want to play around... use BIG BAIT
and hang them off a 3 way swivel.. one treble to the head and one treble towards the tail
GAME ON

I don’t know where you’re from fishinjohn, but if you get caught using trout for bait in Montana, FWP will haul you off to the gallows.

[Jayhook420]

Any one know the ice depths around montana like pishkin or holter?

[jakediesel1]

the biggest smelt i can find or 10" live sucker

[Rebelss]

Hot dog chunks...serious!   They DO work! I have no idea why, but they sure do, at least here! Some guys double treble a whole one, I just used 2 chunks.

[Iceassin]

Cisco (similar to Whitefish) are my favorite. Problem is not many lakes around here have them
 There is one I fish that does but they can be tough to catch too. But they are an excellent bait.

[Raquettedacker]

Perch….

[Iceassin]

Hot dog chunks...serious!   They DO work! I have no idea why, but they sure do, at least here! Some guys double treble a whole one, I just used 2 chunks.

I've always wanted to try them but somehow they end up on the heater...finding their way to a bun...then topped with a wide assortment of condiments...and into me stomach. 

[Rebelss]

I've always wanted to try them but somehow they end up on the heater...finding their way to a bun...then topped with a wide assortment of condiments...and into me stomach. 

That wouldn't happen if you bought Bar S brand............

[Raquettedacker]

[missoulafish]

Chartreuse small fish