Author Topic: pike depth  (Read 8502 times)

Offline AdkIceman

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 262
  • Ice is Nice
pike depth
« on: Feb 04, 2003, 11:56 AM »
i have been fishing lake george quite a bit for perch in about 30-35 feet of water. Atleast 1 or twice a trip me or all my buddies will get their line nailed and cut by a northern after they hooked a perch. Everyone has said to set tips ups for northerns no deeper than 25 feet but we keep gettin bit off out deep. Next time should I set my tip ups in the deeper water or move them in shallow and should I use a big sucker or a perch that I will catch. Thanx.
~AdkIceman~
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going insane.   ~Waylon~

Offline Fish247

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 102
  • So many fish, so little time!
Re: pike depth
« Reply #1 on: Feb 04, 2003, 07:48 PM »
Pike love to eat perch, heck pike will eat anything they can(and sometimes can't) fit in their mouths!  I would say set your traps at the same depth you are fishing for the perch, and most definatly use perch for bait.  Providing it's legal. Just my .02.  Hope I could help.

Eric

Fishing is not a matter of life or death. It's more serious than that!!

Offline AdkIceman

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 262
  • Ice is Nice
Re: pike depth
« Reply #2 on: Feb 05, 2003, 01:55 AM »
thanx i will see how they bite on tip ups on sunday
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going insane.   ~Waylon~

PerchBusterSD

  • Guest
Re: pike depth
« Reply #3 on: Feb 07, 2003, 09:20 AM »
you can catch pike at any depth

Offline crappie_attitude

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 315
  • Gotta' have more cowbell
Re: pike depth
« Reply #4 on: Feb 07, 2003, 03:27 PM »
I've heard that pike will cruise near the banks trying to trap baitfish between the ice and the lake bottom.  Any truth to this?

Offline twodoggs

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 293
  • ice hard, so fish hard.  but keep it fun.
Re: pike depth
« Reply #5 on: Feb 07, 2003, 04:31 PM »
One thing to remember is that fish swim in water and the lake is full of water so fish can be anywhere.  I think that what you are talking about when you said that you read pike are not deeper than 25 feet was from someone targeting pike.  Any fish can be anywhere in the lake but if you want to target a specific type you need to find out what type of habitat they like best and fish the presentages.  Yes you will catch then deep but you will catch more shallow near the weeds.

frostedmuffin

  • Guest
Re: pike depth
« Reply #6 on: Feb 07, 2003, 05:13 PM »
also had experience with pike invading perch fishing  At TUPPER Lake NY   caught some small 18-22in on perch rig without trouble some larger pike came in at dusk-- huge--tipup was hummin had him for a second and he sawed right through it -went to bait store got steel leader large hooks pike shiners and smelt-- next day --fished for both-- pike seemed to come in shortly after perch. by midday i knew when the perch stopped bitin the pike moved in and sure enough they did---oh, this was on the shallow end of the lake on large flat 12ft max

Offline GlovelessPro

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 308
Re:pike depth
« Reply #7 on: Nov 17, 2003, 04:40 PM »
Anytime I've had luck it was no deeper than 20ft, this is from experience icefishing Mass. and Maine waters.
How can you be icefishing if you're sitting at your computer???

grumpymoe

  • Guest
Re: pike depth
« Reply #8 on: Nov 21, 2003, 03:25 PM »
I've heard that pike will cruise near the banks trying to trap baitfish between the ice and the lake bottom.  Any truth to this?
have caught alot of pike using shallow water tipups with smelts on norwegian hooks and husky jerks suspended at 4-5 feet below the ice-generally they approach bait/lures several times before inhaling bait-sure exciting to see them hit-watch your ticker!!!!!!!!

Offline water_wolf

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 813
  • A water_wolf in sheepheads clothing
Re:pike depth
« Reply #9 on: Dec 02, 2003, 08:47 PM »
I have caught nortrherns in as little as 3fow and as deep as 35-40fow.
I feel it really depends on the type of body of water you are fishing.  What cover is available for the pike to ambush.  What type of structure: weeds?  rocks?  timber?  are there shelves present?  All these things have to be taken into consideration.  Also what type of forage are they eating?

Also as it gets later in the season most often pike will move deeper as the shallow water oxygen and weed cover depletes with the heavier ice cover.
Rich Ferguson

grumpymoe

  • Guest
Re:pike depth
« Reply #10 on: Dec 03, 2003, 03:02 PM »
have found that with early to mid-season ice the aggressive northerns will follow bait into shallow waters at anywhere from 5-10 feet. most larger northerns are opportunistic feeders found in deeper water and generally are more finicky and cautious. just my nickels worth.

Offline mod_auger

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 153
Re:pike depth
« Reply #11 on: Dec 07, 2003, 11:36 PM »
I used to fish for pike right below the ice, but have found that working the bottom of the water column works better than the top. I usually set my shiner minnow 3-4 feet off of the bottom, depending on the bottom type, but generally 3-4 feet off of any structure i'm fishing. a pike's eyes are on top of his head, so it makes sense to fish quite a bit off of the bottom.

also, I fish for pike only in the early ice period. I love fishing for bluegills, and when the ice gets thick and the temps drop into the single digits for daytime highs, i leave the tip-ups at home.

good luck anglers!!!
Play 'em if you wanna fillet 'em!

 



Iceshanty | MyFishFinder | MyHuntingForum
Contact | Disclaimer | Privacypolicy | Sponsor
© 1996- Iceshanty.com
All Rights Reserved.