weight or no weight?

[wormwigglr]

when you guys set tip ups for pike do you put weight on your tip up line to keep the chub down? someone i talked to puts no weight to keep it natural but i would think that the chub would swim all over the place.

[Pasquatch]

Weight, especially for pike. You'll still get bait trips,so its natural enough. Just remember, put it up the line 1 foot or so, not right near the hook.

[wormwigglr]

how much weight do you reccomend? for a 5 or 6 inch chub.

[Pasquatch]

I would put one large splitshot on there, you don't want too much weight, but you need to control the baitfish. I've been able to keep 12" suckers from tripping the flag with that, but it is not too much for a 5 inch chub.

[wormwigglr]

thanks i'm going to give it a shot tomorrow.

[FullTmeDad]

You want enough weight to keep your bait from trying to swim back up and twisting your line and I agree that it needs to be a foot away from the bait.
This season I have been trying something new that really works well....I got the largest "demon" lures available and use that to hold my bait. Not only does it keep the bait down, it glows (red or blue) and seems to give me a better hookset on the pick-up. It's worth a try.
FTD

[olds-Pa]

I use an oversize swivel to keep the bait down. Like a salt water size. It's enough to keep a large chub or minnow down, and let it swim freely at the same time. This also has the benefit of no line twist. This is used with pre-packed snelled hooks, therefore you can replace a hook in no time if you get bit off or want to release a deep hooked fish.

[FullTmeDad]

I use an oversize swivel to keep the bait down. Like a salt water size. It's enough to keep a large chub or minnow down, and let it swim freely at the same time. This also has the benefit of no line twist. This is used with pre-packed snelled hooks, therefore you can replace a hook in no time if you get bit off or want to release a deep hooked fish.

Now there's an excellent idea!
FTD

[AD]

I use an oversize swivel to keep the bait down. Like a salt water size. It's enough to keep a large chub or minnow down, and let it swim freely at the same time. This also has the benefit of no line twist. This is used with pre-packed snelled hooks, therefore you can replace a hook in no time if you get bit off or want to release a deep hooked fish.

Me and my father use bead chain swivels, they are about 6 inches long and work great, pike and pickerel dont seem to mind them and it keeps the bait from tripping the flag.     

[Pasquatch]

I use an oversize swivel to keep the bait down. Like a salt water size. It's enough to keep a large chub or minnow down, and let it swim freely at the same time. This also has the benefit of no line twist. This is used with pre-packed snelled hooks, therefore you can replace a hook in no time if you get bit off or want to release a deep hooked fish.

I use that when i'm fishing for smaller fish, but with some of the bait I use, I need weight other than even the biggest swivel. For most bait, a large swivel will work.

[pikecrazy25]

i use a large split shot on the top of the 12 inch leader and i get very few flags that havent been hit by a fish. even with that large split shot i fish 4 to 5 inch shiners and get lots of fish

[P.I.K.E.]

i use a large split shot on the top of the 12 inch leader

I actually put my splitshot above the swivel, on the main line of the tip up. I The bait stays down and rarely gets tangled.

[iceintheveins]

For deadbaits I stick the weight in the mouth of the bait or use a nail style sinker in the side of the bait. For stunned perch I will put 2 split shot about a foot and a half above the perch. Live bait must be weighted properly because pike often do not want a wildly swimming bait. A subtle struggle works best.

[fishuhalik]

I never use weight.  I find that the sucker will swim upward for a while, but after a while it'll just chill out.  I've found that it tends to work good. 

[IceTroll]

I put a barrel weight that will slide up and down on my main line but will not slide down past the barrel swivel that connects my leader. This way I can use as much weight as I want (1/4 ounce for big minnows) and it has almost zero effect on presentation. I also like the barrel weight that can feed line through itself as opposed to split shots because if a fish hits your bait and your line hits the bottom, a split shot is about 100 times more likely to wedge itself between a couple of rocks. A barrel weight generally wont wedge and the fish wont feel anything as the line freely flows through the weight.

[fishuhalik]

Dang good thinkin!  I might have to abandon my weightless methods and go for that sometime this winter.

[Haywood]

I go weightless and cut the tails almost completely off.  He don't swim away and has that injured look pikes can't resist. 

[iceintheveins]

I put a barrel weight that will slide up and down on my main line but will not slide down past the barrel swivel that connects my leader. This way I can use as much weight as I want (1/4 ounce for big minnows) and it has almost zero effect on presentation. I also like the barrel weight that can feed line through itself as opposed to split shots because if a fish hits your bait and your line hits the bottom, a split shot is about 100 times more likely to wedge itself between a couple of rocks. A barrel weight generally wont wedge and the fish wont feel anything as the line freely flows through the weight.

I will try that this year, sounds like a good idea. Oh BTW troll, do you use wire leader for pike at Fort Peck or not? I have found wire reduces my flags considerably, though not using it you risk a bite off sometimes.

[Haywood]

South Bend makes a leader called the invisa-leader that is super thin.  I have caught walleyes on it.  Just an idea for you. 

[Water Wolf]

South Bend makes a leader called the invisa-leader that is super thin.  I have caught walleyes on it.  Just an idea for you. 

I agree MN-burbot,I also like the invisa-leader. They are great for northerns and have also caught walleye on them during the open water season, they are super thin and hardy noticeable.

WW

[Auger]

During first ice when fishing shallow weeds, I don't use any weight at all.  If you set your bait just above the weeds he'll either be struggling down to cover or hugging the ice as long as he can.  Both situations are fine as far as I'm concerned.  As long as the weed tops are within five feet of the underside of the ice.

Later in the year I switch to dead smelt, again unweighted.  As long as they are semi thawed all you have to do is stab them a couple times and they sink.  I also think this helps disperse scent.  This is all with wire leaders.  Thanks to some of the posts here, I'm going to try some heavy fluorocarbon this year.  I guess I might need some weight in that case.

[penna]

when you guys set tip ups for pike do you put weight on your tip up line to keep the chub down? someone i talked to puts no weight to keep it natural but i would think that the chub would swim all over the place.

What type of tipups do you use? I fish all big bait 6 to 8" shiners and suckers with few flag trips with no weight I use polar tipups but on the trip rod I slide a small O ring over it making tuff for the bait to trip flag but does not for fish .

[IceTroll]

Mackdaddy,

I use the Malin Boa Titanium stretch leader in the 35 lb test. Its about the diameter of 6 lb mono and very invisible in the water. I like it because you can actually tie it. I like to add beads and sometime small spinner blades to my leaders so I prefer making my own. I have never seen any reduction in numbers of fish using these leaders in fact we catch tons of walleye, ling and lakers on the same rigs. The way we fish Peck kinda makes the wire leader necessary simply because you are not always near your tipup when a fish hits and you need to have a set up thats not only gonna hang the fish but hold on to him/her till you get to it. 99% of the time they have you spooled to the end by the time you get there. I realize this is a little different than most people are use to but there is no attendance law and sometimes we have 3 or 4 guys with 6 tipups a piece spread 1/4 to 1/2 a mile apart. Do the math on that one. Needless to say you put alot of miles on your ATV checking your tipups all day long for 10 days straight. Peck is big water though at 126 miles long and 27 miles wide (widest point). Its tuff but someones gotta do it . You just let me know when your ready Mackdaddy and I will share all my secrets .

[Haywood]

I'd use a 3-4' wire leader, and about 8 oz. of lead to keep a 5-6" chub in one location.

8 oz?  That is the size of a golf ball. 

[Auger]

I'd use a 3-4' wire leader, and about 8 oz. of lead to keep a 5-6" chub in one location.

Holy crap!  8oz., really?  Wow.  We're obviously on different ends of the spectrum here.  Just proves that if you fish with what ever technique gives you confidence, you'll be successful.

[IceTroll]

If I was to hazard a guess, I would bet he meant 1/8 oz but who knows. I am thinking that my tip up trip system would not even hold a 1/2 lb of lead.

[billditrite]

i would be willing to bet your right troll, unless of course mainedog is using a downrigger for a tupup! 

[Adrock]

I usually go with a split shot or two above a 3 ft leader.  seems to work alright but definatley willing to try something different from the posts above

[iceintheveins]

Mackdaddy,

I use the Malin Boa Titanium stretch leader in the 35 lb test. Its about the diameter of 6 lb mono and very invisible in the water. I like it because you can actually tie it. I like to add beads and sometime small spinner blades to my leaders so I prefer making my own. I have never seen any reduction in numbers of fish using these leaders in fact we catch tons of walleye, ling and lakers on the same rigs. The way we fish Peck kinda makes the wire leader necessary simply because you are not always near your tipup when a fish hits and you need to have a set up thats not only gonna hang the fish but hold on to him/her till you get to it. 99% of the time they have you spooled to the end by the time you get there. I realize this is a little different than most people are use to but there is no attendance law and sometimes we have 3 or 4 guys with 6 tipups a piece spread 1/4 to 1/2 a mile apart. Do the math on that one. Needless to say you put alot of miles on your ATV checking your tipups all day long for 10 days straight. Peck is big water though at 126 miles long and 27 miles wide (widest point). Its tuff but someones gotta do it . You just let me know when your ready Mackdaddy and I will share all my secrets .

That sounds awesome. I will definately be visiting Fort Peck in the fairly near future. Open water and ice.

[billditrite]

lol MD well that would certainly do it!!