HT Quick Strike Rigs?

[Meatball78]

Hi guys just have a couple of questions for you. I have never cought a pike through the ice and am determined to this year. My wife bought me some of the HT pre made quick strike rigs for christmas along with some HT Hot rigs. I am just wondering if anyone has any expierence with these products and if so what are your thoughts on them. I was also wondering if anyone has any pics of how they hook live suckers to the quick strike rigs. I think I have seen some pics on here before but have only been able to find one of dead bait. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Meatball

[GOOSE_EGG]

I have only used quick strike rigs with dead bait. With live bait you would only want one hook in them so them can still swim around. I have used the HT quick strike rigs,well only once this year and got one little pike and it held up fine. I dont like the plastic over the steel tho.

[waterwolf42]

Quick strike rigs are mostly used for dead bait, but I have used them before with live.  I tie up my own for the live bait though.  I use heavy braid line and smaller treble hooks to do so.  If you are using larger minnows on the tip-ups, the smaller hooks and braided line seems to allow the minnow to still move around.  Try a size 8 for the front hook and 10 for the back.  But this is only for larger minnows, like 8 inch suckers or goldens.  I also catch smelt from a near by lake and they work great for the 8-10 inch smelt.  Wont work too well with a 4 inch shiner.

[Meatball78]

Thanks for the info guys. I went out Friday and used kinds that my wife got me. Using 6 inch white suckers I got 1- 23" largemouth bass and a 23" pike. Using the Hot Rigs I caught 3 pike 1 - 27" and 2 - 15". The hot strike rigs seemed to let the bait hang and swim more natural and I'm unsure if the red hooks helped or not. I was suprised that with both rigs the suckers on a couple of tip ups that didn't produce were still alive after about 5 hours of being hooked. Thanks again for the help. This site has given me alot of info. Also thanks to you guys, all the info and tips I have read the 27" that I caught was my first pike through the ice.