Author Topic: favorite bait and bait size for pike on tip-up (Read 7635 times)

red eyes · « **on:** Dec 30, 2002, 09:01 AM »

Whats ur favorite bait and bait size for catching pickeral, pike and muskie on tip-ups?

blazen36 · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 30, 2002, 09:07 AM »

Depends on the water type. On dark water where suckers are the natural forage I use a 3-4" sucker minnow near the bottom. On clear water I use a shiner about the same size 12-18"s off the bottom.

Ice_Dog · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 30, 2002, 01:12 PM »

For Pike I have caught them on many different baits. One of the best that I have found yet is Golden Shiners (Hunts). These minnows are very hardy and can last all day at the end of you line. I suspend these about 3 - 5 feet off the bottom on half on my tip-ups and on the other half I put the bait about a foot under the ice.

Ice_Dog · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 30, 2002, 01:14 PM »

Some people will call me and some buddies of mine crazy for going after pickeral. Everbody arround my area hates the fish and doesn't like catching them. For bait I use pretty much the same thing as I would for pike and that is golden shiners.

red eyes · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 30, 2002, 02:49 PM »

my favorite bait would be a medium shiner about 18"-24" off the bottom.

fishingking · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 30, 2002, 07:08 PM »

Ive always used large white suckers or large golden shiners. depends on the water clarity but ussually all around a nice big golden shiner will catch u a nice northern. The guys i fish with well at least one person every year will get a northern over 40 inches. Always on a nice golden shiner.6" to 8" pike are lazy they will take a bigger fish and one thats half dead or even dead laying only a couple inches off the bottom.

RyGuy · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 31, 2002, 05:25 AM »

I am fishing with 6" shiners and I "dumb" them up a little before I throw them down the hole. (Slaps them on the ice to stun them) and then drop them close to the bottom. The bigger the better, northerns are lazy.

Tight lines...

ButchT · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 02, 2003, 06:28 AM »

Six to eight inch suckers three to five feet off bottom, or dead smelt on the bottom. The bigger the pike, the lazier they are and the more apt they are to pick up a nice oily dead bait fish off the bottom.

;)Butch

ice_chunk · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 02, 2003, 11:01 AM »

We use smelt near the bottom on a quick strike or swedish hook and the biggest golden shiners we can find. The goldens we fish anywhere from 12" off bottom to just under the ice. The later we get into the season we start chopping the tail off the goldens so they struggle to swim, this sends a lot of distress vibrations through the water and they are very easy for the pike to catch as they can't really swim.

water_wolf · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 02, 2003, 11:39 AM »

My best year was 7 or 8 years ago on Coopers Pond in Rochester NY. We would set tip-ups then jig for panfish. One year we were catching natural golden shiners by the bucket full. Size any where from 4" to 9". We caught enough in a couple of days to have bait for all hard water season. We iced over 100 pike that season all sizes with the biggest being a 14#'r.

Most of the time I use shiners that seem to produce good on clear water lakes. Places like Braddocks Bay (shallow sandy bottom stained water) suckers seem to out produce anything else. I know people that use dead smelt on waters near Lake Ontario tribs and bays and do well.

Woodman · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 03, 2003, 09:00 AM »

I started using dead menominee just off the bottom last year. Usually 12-14 inches long. Catch them during the fall when fishing for whities off the breakwall in MQT MI. Didn't catch a lot of fish, but when you do you better hold on it is going to be a big one. Last year caught two over 20# and 20 or so over ten#.

Barleydog · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 04, 2003, 04:29 PM »

Favorite bait is 6" frozen Herring because that's the only bait I can get my hands on! Smelt are good too but tough to get.

TGF · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 04, 2003, 04:56 PM »

Anyone ever try peamouth (chub).

Just got some today that I'm going to try next week. Buddy likes to cut open the bellies a bit.

alaskabear · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 24, 2003, 01:10 PM »

I most definately perfer the largest shinner i can find. The bigger the better. The redfins were the best, but now that they're not around, the golds are fine. Tried suckers a few times for pike and musky and haven't had much luck, so i stick the shinners. Last year we were catching a lot of small pike on our largest bait, so i though i'd get smart and just give them a bass bait size minnow instead of wasting the big guys....well, my buddy iced a whopper...4-5"...pike...lol That was proof enough for me about bigger being better. Woulda needed 15" shinners that day to catch a big one under that theory though. Good luck and stay safe.

velocty98 · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 26, 2003, 07:17 PM »

I like to use a sucker about 9-12 inches fished two feet off the bottom or just above a weedbed. pike will eat large baits. I caught a 21 incher last week using a 10 inch sucker.

Bob_D · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 27, 2003, 04:31 AM »

I use 4-6" goldens or suckers. Any bigger for me is a waste of money. I use over 200 dozen a season and I have seen NO difference in pike size based on the size of bait.....within reason. I'm not talking about using 2" fatheads.

velocty98 · « **Reply #16 on:** Feb 27, 2003, 08:09 AM »

at the bait shops around here 4 inch sucker minnows cost the same as 10 inch minnows. the bigger the bait the bigger the fish. why do you think they make musky/pike lures so big?

Melbs7 · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 21, 2003, 08:09 AM »

i'm not sure how much shiners cost around here, but the 5-6" suckers that i use on open water fer pike cost like 70 cents each here in WI by the Mississippi River.

Melbs

Tip-Up · « **Reply #18 on:** Dec 24, 2003, 10:42 PM »

Any large shiny baitfish 8"-12" long. Preferrably dead.

ICESLAYER · « **Reply #19 on:** Dec 29, 2003, 02:57 PM »

I LIKE TO USE SHINERS, PREFERABLY GOLDEN ABOUT 5-10 INCHESS L=ONG. SILVERS ARE OK TOO. I KEEP MNINE ALIVE BUT I JUST RECENTLY READ THAT PIKE CAN BE REAL SCAVENGERS IN THE WINTER AND WAS TOLD TO KILL THEM AND LET THEM LAY ON THE BOTTOM. MAY GIVE IT A TRY.

RyGuy · « **Reply #20 on:** Dec 30, 2003, 03:24 PM »

I'm going to try the dead bait trick this year. Can't hurt to try right?

I've heard of people using small panfish too. Cut off their tail and smack them on the ice. Slower the better. Anyone ever do that?

Muskie Matt · « **Reply #21 on:** Dec 30, 2003, 03:48 PM »

RyGuy - Legaly in Mass you can only use for bait those species of bait fish listed under baitfish in the abstract. All others can not be used for bait.

saskfish · « **Reply #22 on:** Dec 30, 2003, 10:19 PM »

Sardines, anchovies, and herring!!! Nice and oily for our big Saskatchewan pike!

grumpymoe · « **Reply #23 on:** Dec 31, 2003, 10:18 AM »

i strongly believe this post requires a response from TIP-UP. i did not notice what type of bait he used for his northerns. i promise my lips are sealed

and all others viewing vow to keep the code of silence

Tip-Up · « **Reply #24 on:** Dec 31, 2003, 11:03 AM »

Grump

I'm a firm believer in big bait=big fish. Not as many flags but the ones you do get...

I'm only interested in BIG pike so personally I can wait all day for one fish. ( thankfully we usually get more that

) It is surprising how many smaller fish (~5 lbs.) that we get on the big baits though.

For bait I only use dead 8"-12" tulibees, goldeyes, or herring. Not sure if it matters which one, I don't think I've noticed a difference.

Hope this helps.

acsacmboy · « **Reply #25 on:** Dec 31, 2003, 11:31 AM »

i like goldens anywhere rom 4-7inches. suckers are ok for me. i got my hands on some shad one day but had no luck last year.

RyGuy · « **Reply #26 on:** Dec 31, 2003, 05:55 PM »

I will check the regs and post them here.

Signed,

Law abiding lame ass

RyGuy · « **Reply #27 on:** Dec 31, 2003, 06:33 PM »

Could not cut/paste the abstracts, darn pdf file.

Anyhow, Mass regs state pumpkin seeds and yellow perch are both legal bait as well as the normal shiners, suckers, and minnows. Perch, I did try last year.

They did list a Mummichog, no idea what that one is, looks like something on the Special List at Mr. Chan's takeout.

186logic · « **Reply #28 on:** Jan 14, 2004, 11:32 AM »

mummichog= killifish or "mosquitofish"

News:

Author Topic: favorite bait and bait size for pike on tip-up (Read 7635 times)

red eyes

blazen36

Ice_Dog

Ice_Dog

red eyes

ice_chunk

Woodman

alaskabear

ICESLAYER

grumpymoe

acsacmboy