Author Topic: How deep is too deep for pike?  (Read 2933 times)

Offline Nevsky

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How deep is too deep for pike?
« on: Dec 17, 2018, 07:53 AM »
I have had some success using dead baits in deeper water for pike.  I place the bait about 18" off the bottom in 25 to 35 ft of water.  I have two questions.  I have heard people place the bait much higher in deep water.  Does anyone here do this and if so how high?  Also how deep is too deep.  Has anyone here caught pike on a tipup in 40ft or more?

Offline Gills-only

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Re: How deep is too deep for pike?
« Reply #1 on: Dec 17, 2018, 09:32 AM »
Pike mainly see up, so the higher the better, in that deep water I’d set them 8’ up !!

Offline Nevsky

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Re: How deep is too deep for pike?
« Reply #2 on: Dec 18, 2018, 04:32 AM »
I'll try it high with one of my tipups this season.  What is the deepest water you fished?

Offline Doeslayer

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Re: How deep is too deep for pike?
« Reply #3 on: Dec 18, 2018, 05:19 AM »
52fow 3' off the bottom is the deepest ive ever caught a pike.... But i do it routinely at this specific lake i fish....
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Offline kpd145

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Re: How deep is too deep for pike?
« Reply #4 on: Dec 24, 2018, 06:34 AM »
I have had some success using dead baits in deeper water for pike.  I place the bait about 18" off the bottom in 25 to 35 ft of water.  I have two questions.  I have heard people place the bait much higher in deep water.  Does anyone here do this and if so how high?  Also how deep is too deep.  Has anyone here caught pike on a tipup in 40ft or more?

It can be both. I've caught pike I'm alot deeper water than I thought. I've set traps on the bottom with dead bait to mid water column if the bite seems slower than normal.

I've also had d pike eat a small shiner 3 feet under ice.

I guess the moral of the story is fish can be caught all over the water column depending on the day. Just when you think you have them dialed in, something changes and you have to adapt.
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming, "Wow! What a RIDE!"--Hunter S. Thompson

Offline esox_xtm

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Re: How deep is too deep for pike?
« Reply #5 on: Dec 24, 2018, 06:48 AM »
Follow the food. Where there are little fishies, big fishies aren't too far away. I haven't caught a pike deeper than 30 FOW but the opportunity for that where I fish is pretty limited. And yes, sometimes right on the bottom (dead bait, nose in the mud). Much will also depend on available oxygen as well. If O2 starts to deplete it's from the bottom up. In severe depletion pike might be right under the ice.
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Offline DR.SPECKLER

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Re: How deep is too deep for pike?
« Reply #6 on: Dec 24, 2018, 08:09 AM »
Ive got a spot that is 26ft deep and catch tons of northerns there but they are only 6 to 8ft down suspended everytime.

Offline Kevin23

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Re: How deep is too deep for pike?
« Reply #7 on: Dec 24, 2018, 12:48 PM »
Ive caught them from just under the ice down to 28'.
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Offline Gills-only

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Re: How deep is too deep for pike?
« Reply #8 on: Dec 24, 2018, 01:56 PM »
I'll try it high with one of my tipups this season.  What is the deepest water you fished?
.       I have fished 30’ deep and set anywhere from 3’ later in winter, to 8-10’ off bottom. My dad used to fish a spot when he was a kid was 15’ deep and he said they set tip ups 3’ below the ice and killed them !!

Offline Nevsky

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Re: How deep is too deep for pike?
« Reply #9 on: Dec 25, 2018, 05:00 AM »
Pretty soon the deeper lakes I fish, Manistee,Portage, and Tippy Dam Backwaters will be safe and I'll be able to experiment.  Yesterday  I caught a sub legal pike on a hotdog, a first for me. 

Offline fishinjohn

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Re: How deep is too deep for pike?
« Reply #10 on: Dec 25, 2018, 08:20 AM »
I know your question is in how deep is too deep for pike.. however..
When I target BIG PIKE(I'm talking 15-30 lbers) I use VERY LARGE BAIT(12" - 18" STUFF)  and i run VERY SHALLOW.. like i set up tip ups in 8 fow at deepest and run tip ups into 3 fow.. 
Good luck

Offline Nevsky

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Re: How deep is too deep for pike?
« Reply #11 on: Dec 25, 2018, 11:20 AM »
I largest pike I ever caught was a 39 incher in 3ft of water.  It was in a small pond that is 8ft at its deepest.  Somehow I always think the big ones are deep but I've caught a lot of dinks in deep water too.

Offline Doeslayer

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Re: How deep is too deep for pike?
« Reply #12 on: Dec 25, 2018, 12:21 PM »
Big pike cover big areas.... Might find em shallow or deep.... A lake i fish and target pike on has 2 50' holes with a 20' ridge between em... I like to run tipups in a grid all over between em.... From anywhere to 50' to 15'.... Also like to run a weedbed set in 10' midway through the column ..... Put it all over till flags start popping
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Offline pierce1308

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Re: How deep is too deep for pike?
« Reply #13 on: Jan 02, 2019, 04:49 PM »
I've caught plenty pike deep fishing for trout and salmon thru the ice , deepest was 72' , quite a few in that 40-65' range , most of the time though If I'm targeting pike deep with dead bait its typically 3-5' off bottom in 15-35'

Offline river_scum

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Re: How deep is too deep for pike?
« Reply #14 on: Jan 13, 2019, 07:39 AM »
depends on the lake.  some very deep clear waters here. in those waters you can catch them deep.  I have caught fish in 40fow in these lakes.  water was clear enough to see bottom at that depth, so I set the baits at 15-18ft dwn.  lots of monsters for out there in the depths!  in cloudier waters I fish way shallower for them.

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