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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Northern Pike => Topic started by: Neptune on Feb 16, 2007, 11:14 PM

Title: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: Neptune on Feb 16, 2007, 11:14 PM
I know this sounds wierd but I went Pike fishing with a guy this last weekend and he did something I've never heard of anyone doing.  He herded the fish toward our gear. 

Basically while I finished setting up our gear he walked probably an eighth of a mile away from our holes in a big arc and hammered on the ice with the Spud.  Not long after we got two on at once....

Coincidence or Strategy?   He claims it works....  I'm not so sure...

Does anyone else do this?

Good Fishing  :tipup:
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: pcsminer on Feb 17, 2007, 05:56 AM
Well if the fishing is slow we will take our snowmobile and drive around the area. Thinking that if there is something in the area just sitting on the bottom the noise might entice a feeding frenzie. I mean if they aren't biting it can't hurt!! :tipup:
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: deadbait dave on Feb 17, 2007, 08:59 AM
i know that a fish that has taken a bait in shallow water and has stopped can be made to move off again by walking out from the whole in the direction of the line and then scraping the ice with your cleats! so sound does have an affect on pike.   d. b. d.      :tipup:
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: Neptune on Feb 17, 2007, 09:54 AM
So maybe there is something to this...  I will have to keep that in mind next time they aren't biting.

Good Fishing  :tipup:
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: MacEnvy on Feb 20, 2007, 03:16 PM
We used to play loud music and point the speakers downward at the ice when pike fishing.  I don't know if it was coincidence or not, but it seemed to help.  In fact, we seemed to catch fish more often even during certain songs - Aerosmith's "Eat The Rich" comes to mind as one that worked really well.

Again, it may have been coincidence, but that doesn't change the fact that we caught fish doing it ...
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: Neptune on Feb 20, 2007, 04:50 PM
Now that sounds like something I'd like to try!
 ;D

Good Fishing  :tipup:
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: METIPPIN on Feb 21, 2007, 11:19 AM
Very Interresting. May have to pop in a cd with some serious base next time we are out. I have noticed that every time the train goes by the lake we always catch a few fish. Things that make you go HMMMMM.....
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: GAMBELL on Feb 21, 2007, 09:08 PM
Nope.  It is illegal in NY.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: Fishin is the Mission on Dec 10, 2007, 11:31 AM
I know this is an old thread but thought I would jump start it again. 

Not just for Pike, but anytime we had tip-ups set for any length of time without action, we would start moving around the holes...just walking.  We would make sure that each hole was visited and then come back to our "base camp".  Almost always, within five minutes of returning (sometimes sooner) a flag or two would pop up.  We used to call it driving for fish.  I don't know why, but it worked.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: deadsmelthead on Dec 10, 2007, 03:31 PM
Nope.  It is illegal in NY.

I know its an old post but why would walking around on the ice making some noise by your tipups be illegal ?
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: baby sitter on Dec 14, 2007, 02:18 PM
When the fishing dies off, I walk a few 100 yards and drill more holes to wake up the fish. Plus it gives you more options to fish.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: Danderson on Dec 14, 2007, 09:33 PM
if i start setting up while my friends are drilling with the gas auger, i seem to get a good burst of flags  ???

also, on days when i go out with just the chipper, i seem to get no flags for about the first 30 minutes, then suddenly a burst of 4 or 5

this happened about 4 times on the same lake in 2 weeks  ::)
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: IrishIce99 on Dec 14, 2007, 09:36 PM
Nope.  It is illegal in NY.
It is? What a dumb thing to make illegal. I love NY but sometimes it really gets rediculous with these regulations.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: deadsmelthead on Dec 15, 2007, 08:01 AM
It is? What a dumb thing to make illegal. I love NY but sometimes it really gets rediculous with these regulations.

I looked and could find no such reg. Just imagine an eco handing out tickets for stomping your feet on the ice near tip ups. LOL
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: IrishIce99 on Dec 15, 2007, 08:24 AM
I looked and could find no such reg. Just imagine an eco handing out tickets for stomping your feet on the ice near tip ups. LOL
haha phew. That would be rediculous, even for NY.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: icefishinman88 on Dec 15, 2007, 11:56 AM
If they gave you a ticket for that i dont think id be tellin my buddies.Dont think theyd quit laughin at ya. :laugh: Have had flags after running to other flags walking around the tip ups but never thought nothin of it.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: 1MOFISH on Dec 15, 2007, 02:27 PM
I know this sounds wierd but I went Pike fishing with a guy this last weekend and he did something I've never heard of anyone doing.  He herded the fish toward our gear. 

Basically while I finished setting up our gear he walked probably an eighth of a mile away from our holes in a big arc and hammered on the ice with the Spud.  Not long after we got two on at once....

Coincidence or Strategy?   He claims it works....  I'm not so sure...

Does anyone else do this?

Good Fishing  :tipup:
yes i thought it was a coincidence until one day i fired up the jiffy and like clockwork got a flag, again and again  mo
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: Skipper on Dec 15, 2007, 03:47 PM
In-Fisherman has done articles on hearding pike. It seems to work for me. When they lie in the weeds like logs, you stir them up and they often bite on the deep edge. This seems to work best in spring when they sun themselves in the shallows.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: Danderson on Dec 16, 2007, 12:37 AM
just got out today and when i started the jiffy up for another hole, about 3 seconds later, a tip up 50 feet away goes off. happened twice today  :o
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: fish_finder on Dec 16, 2007, 05:30 PM
 We dont get pike in our neck of the woods but with chain pickerel ive noticed many times that the bite would be real slow until someone would set up dwon from us a ways and start drilling holes, then we'd start catching again but it would always be short lived
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: FishinAddiction on Dec 20, 2007, 06:56 AM
Guys, I believe the regulation is for putting on fish drives. This regulation is true. But it is as far as I know for the tributaries to Lake Ontario. They do not want people pushing fish back into a hole by walking through where they are holding. Allowing fisherman a easier chance to hook them in a easier area. If you look in the great lakes section of the New York Regulations it should be in there.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: deadsmelthead on Dec 20, 2007, 04:26 PM
Guys, I believe the regulation is for putting on fish drives. This regulation is true. But it is as far as I know for the tributaries to Lake Ontario. They do not want people pushing fish back into a hole by walking through where they are holding. Allowing fisherman a easier chance to hook them in a easier area. If you look in the great lakes section of the New York Regulations it should be in there.
2 completely different things. We are talking about making some noise on the ICE. I know the reg your talking about it was specificaly put into place for the fall Salmon and Trout runs when people can actually see fish and push them to their YAHOO buddies so they can snag them.

As many guys have said I can't tell you how many times I will take a loud stroll  around my spread, I'll drill holes for the hell of it the whole nine yards. Plain and simple it works.  How many times have you walked by a tip up and  :tipup: ,  It happens to me numerous times through out the season.

I started a thread about this in feb of 04 look thru it its pretty funny. Its entitled "walking by tip ups and they go off"
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: jayswimmer09 on Dec 20, 2007, 04:44 PM
this does seem to happen a lot. I may start walking around a little more this year
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: AirManCam on Jan 02, 2008, 03:46 PM
I think it works, I'm going to start doing it more often. Heck, after doing this last weekend, I fought a huge northern for an hour and a half untill it snapped my jigrod in half. -adkiceman and I got about 10 feet away from my rod before it started smokin' off line.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: esox13 on Jan 02, 2008, 09:45 PM
We do this often. We will start by walking around our set and progressively pick it up with using the spud bar and banging and then using the ATVs. It seems to stimulate the action so we continue to do it - not sure now out of boredom sometimes or out of tradition. We get some strange looks occasionally, but that just keeps the lurkers away.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: MnSportsman on Jan 04, 2008, 11:24 PM
I Just happened to see this topic, & had to tell ya. There have been many times over the years, Just for the laugh, I would get out away from my fishing buds & do a "fish dance". (Stomping my feet/ waving my arms/ hooting & hollerin'/etc.), & quite often we would get flags & fish on!. This happened often enough, that now, when times are slow. They Ask me to do it.  HAHAHA  Never occured to me that I was "herding the fish....   LMAO ;D
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: WPT on Jan 05, 2008, 12:01 PM
I've noticed that when I fire up the auger and start drilling more holes when fishing is slow a flag often pops up.  First time I thought it was a coincidence but it happens way too often not to make me think there is something to this.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: KingKool on Jan 08, 2008, 08:27 PM
No doubt something to it...not just for Northerns either...i have seen it myself and been told by others sometimes when your walking to check a tip up or to take it out when leaving it the flag will all of a sudden go up with a fish on it. Its like they think someone is coming to steal the bait!  ;D
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: taxi1 on Jan 09, 2008, 09:54 AM
Very Interresting. May have to pop in a cd with some serious base next time we are out. I have noticed that every time the train goes by the lake we always catch a few fish. Things that make you go HMMMMM.....

If you did that when I was icefishing I'd probably come over and yank the CD and break it in half.  ;D
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: MACK_USCG on Jan 09, 2008, 02:17 PM
DEC has better things to do trust me.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: Water Wolf on Jan 10, 2008, 09:07 PM
It seems there are noises that pike respond favorably to and noises that they move away from.

I have watched pike on the underwater camera when a skidoos, vehicles or a person would walk by, in all these incidents the fish would move away from the noise quickly and leave the area.

The opposite reaction seems to be when a person fires up the ice auger.
Again I have seen pike who were watching my lure and then turn toward the direction of the ice auger sound, it might be a coincidence but it is interesting to see. :)

WW
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: oleike on Jan 12, 2008, 10:53 PM
turn the propane heater on....the rainbows come in.....turn the propane off......the rainbows leave.I have learned that this happens ...but.....only when the bite is on...when the bite is off.....sounds can acctually scare the fish away...so the moral of the story is.....fish when the bite is on of coarse.the only way i learned this is from yrs. of almost daily fishing..so theres a free one for ya all
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: WPT on Jan 13, 2008, 02:12 AM
Water Wolf, I would say I have had the same experience as you.  Augers good, people, vehicles bad.  The pike always take off if someone walks too heavy or drops something in the shack, but hit the auger and flags start flying...
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: oleike on Jan 25, 2008, 09:21 AM
Water Wolf, I would say I have had the same experience as you.  Augers good, people, vehicles bad.  The pike always take off if someone walks too heavy or drops something in the shack, but hit the auger and flags start flying...

well...lets think about this for a second.....the auger actually spins down under the ice which in turn churns up the water....which may just signal a pike to believe there is another big pike thrashing about and feeding.Since fish hear through their lateral line on the side of their bodies, then churning water must be picked up by them.....mmmmm interesting ..to say the least
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: ice rambler on Jan 25, 2008, 02:12 PM
Only if I listen real hard.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: panfishman13 on Jan 31, 2008, 07:22 PM
Nope.  It is illegal in NY.
in california it's illegal to walk in a public area with a melted ice cream cone in your back pocket  :-\ :laugh: ::) ???
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: MTpike on Feb 07, 2008, 10:43 PM
Last weekend I was walking towards a tipup after missing a flag about 30 yds away from it and when I got about 15 yds from the tipup a pike hit it. So maybe there's some truth to it. Of course the sneaky little terd dropped the bait before I got to the tip up. >:(
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: MnSportsman on Mar 01, 2008, 08:23 AM
Last weekend my brother & I had only 1 & 1/2 hrs to fish. for the first hour no flags. Since he wasn't dressed well enuff & getting cold I said, let's go "herd". He looked at me funny, since he doesn't icefish too much & said, "yeah right", We set off towards the shallow area /weeds & hadn't gone thirty ft. walking & stomping every 3-5 steps & up goes the flag nearest us. A couple minutes later 25" -aprrox 4.5# pike is on the ice. It works....

Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: oleike on Mar 03, 2008, 10:11 AM
Well....i put herding to the test a while ago and just thought i would post. My dad and I went to a res. We fished with tipups till just before dusk to no avail....so....just before dusk i went around with the shovel in a 70ft radius and banged the shovel on top of the ice surface about every 10ft. It was not long after ...we iced a nice 6lb. pike..we had been fishless before that for 3 hrs....It works!
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: FondoFishin on Mar 05, 2008, 09:05 PM
I dont exactly herd, but on more than one occasion I have had a flag go off within a couple minutes after chipping the ice out of my hole, and one time it was a 38 inch fish. I used to think smashing out my holes would spook em' but now I make sure to make a little extra noise when I do.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: GAMBELL on Mar 06, 2008, 05:22 PM
I found the regulation in NY.  It only applies to the Great lakes and Tributaries. Here is the link.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/31420.html (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/31420.html)
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: 7 plus larry on Nov 03, 2008, 08:55 AM
I usually take the sled for a rip,that seems to get the flags poppin.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: keepah seekah on Nov 17, 2008, 03:23 PM
maybe it's possible that pike link the sound of an ice auger running to free food? i know stripers act the same way when im live lining mackeral or pogies, they hear the splash from the bait hittin the water and know it's the dinnah bell.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: GRIZZZ on Nov 25, 2008, 03:52 PM
I've herded Perch before, and it works with perch because thet are curious feeders :tipup:
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: FishingNewEngland on Nov 25, 2008, 03:58 PM
We had go-carts as kids and used to bring them on the ice. Whenever we'd drive past a trap, it would go off. We did this consistantly for a whole year. I'd say the noise attracts them somehow.
Title: Re: Do you herd Pike???
Post by: Melbs7 on Dec 13, 2008, 12:48 AM
in california it's illegal to walk in a public area with a melted ice cream cone in your back pocket  :-\ :laugh: ::) ???

You know the really sad part?? There's an actual REASON that, like any law... is a law. Somebody did something wrong and somehow, someway, having a melted ice cream cone in their back pocket was key to what happened.... Otherwise, they would have never made the law.

Sheeeeesh
Dave