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Author Topic: "Multiple Hooks" while ice fishing  (Read 2633 times)

Offline Phosphorus Bromide

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"Multiple Hooks" while ice fishing
« on: Jan 30, 2014, 12:57 PM »
Never knew this.....Looks like you are allowed 3 hooks per device (see below excerpt).
I'll tie on a dropper a lot while fly fishing, for some reason it never occurred to me to do it with my jigging rod......

Anyone jig, or use tip-ups with more than one offering? Better success, or tangled mess?


ICE FISHING EQUIPMENT. It is unlawful while ice fishing to use more than five fishing devices, which may
consist of rods, hand lines, tip-ups or any combination. Each device shall contain a single fishing line with no more
than three hooks attached to each line. Holes cut in ice may not exceed 10 inches between the farthest points as
measured in any direction. All lines, rods or tip-ups shall be under the immediate control of the person using them.
On Fish & Boat Commission lakes, shelters or shanties must be ermoved when through fishing for the day

Offline butcher

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Re: "Multiple Hooks" while ice fishing
« Reply #1 on: Jan 30, 2014, 01:15 PM »
I sometimes use a dropper when I am ice fishing for crappies - usually a heavier jigging spoon on top (Swedish Pimple or something similar) with a smaller dropper about 12" below.  I tie the dropper to the treble hook of the top bait.  Normally, I'll tip the spoon with a fathead minnow and the dropper with a waxie.  Sometimes the fish will prefer one over the other, other times the'y'll hit both.  I find this helpful for determining how agrressive the fish are on a given day.

A couple of things to think about with this rig:

1.  If the dropper rig is too light it can tangle the upper bait so you want at least a little weight on the dropper to keep it below the top bait.  Keep in mind though, if the dropper is too heavy it can inhibit the action of the top bait.  If the top bait is 1/8 oz, go for a dropper that is 1/16 oz or less - just not too light.

2.  When you hook a fish, be careful when you get it to the hole.  Go slowly to make sure the free bait does not hook the bottom of the hole.  I've lost a few fish at the hole simply because I snagged one of the baits on the bottom of the hole as I was trying to ice the fish. 

I hope this is helpful...

Offline Icemole

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Re: "Multiple Hooks" while ice fishing
« Reply #2 on: Jan 30, 2014, 01:21 PM »
 And yet if you read the paragraph above there - they have removed the 3 hook rule for "soft" water anglers(ie. Alabama rigs are now legal in all their glory ;D)

 I've used a hi/lo rig for perch + crappies but then have to deal with a hook flying around = pain in the butt.


The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.

Offline davef

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Re: "Multiple Hooks" while ice fishing
« Reply #3 on: Jan 30, 2014, 01:31 PM »
A couple of months ago the fish commission did say they were removing the hook limit for everything but ice fishing.  Last Sunday in the Greensburg Tribune review on the last page of the sports page it seemed to indicate to me it was also OK for ice fishing also.  I have no idea which is correct but trust the fish commission a little more than a newspaper writer.  Once this cold weather breaks I plan on stopping into the Southwest Office and asking which is correct.

Offline butcher

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Re: "Multiple Hooks" while ice fishing
« Reply #4 on: Jan 30, 2014, 03:18 PM »
I assume a treble hook counts as one hook, otherwise you can have no more than one treble hook per bait.  If that's not the case and a treble hook counts as three, many popluar ice baits like the jigging minnow would be illegal (one treble hook + a single hook on the nose + single hook on the tail of the bait = 5).  This would also make most quick-strike rigs illegal.  I'll sometimes use a blade bait under the ice which has two trebles and I'll also use quick-strike rigs when fishing big baits for toothy critters so hopefully that is OK.  Would like to know if the fish commission defines the term "hook" more clearly...

Offline Gofish41

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Re: "Multiple Hooks" while ice fishing
« Reply #5 on: Jan 30, 2014, 06:41 PM »
During the January 2014 PFBC Commission meeting this regulation was amended to now read "There shall be no restriction on the number of hooks that may be used for ice fishing"  This amendment will go into effect upon publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.  Check the PFBC's website for the full January Agenda. 

Offline Phosphorus Bromide

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Re: "Multiple Hooks" while ice fishing
« Reply #6 on: Feb 03, 2014, 07:05 AM »
I gave it a go this weekend, seemed like I missed more fish than usual....Ended up with my waxie being stripped off most of the time. Not sure if the dropper line interfered with the take of the fish, or hook set (or I just had too many beers the night before) I had the jig tipped with the waxie above the other offering.

Offline Basslover

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Re: "Multiple Hooks" while ice fishing
« Reply #7 on: Feb 03, 2014, 11:39 AM »
I was just thinking about this the other day, in  the salt we use 3-6oz bucktails as a "weight" and a 1/4-3/4oz bucktail about 2 feet above it on a dropper, both tipped with gulp. This is deadly on fluke. (98% of the fish hit the top one) I don't see why a heavier jig on the bottom with something small a foot or two above it wouldn't work, plus you could target different species at different levels of the water column.

 



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