MyFishFinder.com Just like iceshanty but warmer
I use mono - no wire. I have never used wire.Been doing so since seeing the quick strike rig on an InFisherman show back in the early 80's or so.I have never been bit off by a pike on a tipup.This includes chain pickeral and walleyes.Gotta be hundreds of fish that coulda bit me off but didn't.Now I have switched to a low vis mono, I believe it was only 10 lb.About a dozen pike last year and at least a dozen chain pickeral.No bite offs.But, then again, YMMV.Mac
One advantage I have found with the steel wire is that it is usually heavy enough to sink the bait. What do you guys use to keep the bait near the bottom, split shot, rubber core sinkers?WW
Auger,Not circle hooks..... Try Octopus hooks! I can tell you from experience, circles and pike don't mix. There's been multiple discussions on IS concerning the use of circles for pike, I wouldn't use them MBOI. Glad to see your deer season was successful!
I just finished reading the article in In-Fisherman. It actully prompted me to tie some quick-strike rigs. Let me tell you what is NOT a good idea. Nylon covered wire. I'd rather use 20lb mono than that stuff again. I think I'm with the masses on this topic, USE HEAVY FLOROCARBON!
Doug Stange is wrong on this one, wire will almost always greatly reduce strikes. However, I was glad to see in that article that they are at least contemplating using fluorocarbon this year. I guarantee more flags if you use fluoro, maybe a great deal more flags.
Hey Grump, are you saying that quick strikes=gorge hooks? I have switched to quick strikes because if you fish them properly and are close to your tipups and hit them asap you hook them right in the tongue/jaw most the time making for a very easy release. I agree on the gorge/english hook set up, not good if you want them to live to fight another day. Where do you hook most of the fish you get with that rig? I can see that being barbless would definitely make for easier removal if they swallow it.
Grump ya ol' codger! Looks like you were enjoying a couple Kokonees when you took that photo! I agree with you 100% concerning the use of single hooks vs. quick strikes! I prefer the use of singles to quick strikes due to higher mortality rate. This debate about quick strikes vs. other rigs will haunt us forever eh! I can't think of a better way to catch a pike than with a quick strike, however, IMHO it can cause great harm to those hammer handles that un-intentionally bite our rigs. I use 10" herring and still manage the occasional 15" pike! Kinda like trapping, you really can't stop possums from staggering into your fox set, they gotta eat too... If you use a large enough single hook, (in my case a 4/0 octogirl thingy), ya really can't hook up with these small fish. Sportsmanship is something we should all ponder, good on ya Grump! Mackdaddy, I agree, and will go one step farther! Doug Stange is an idiot and should be banned from the fishing elite! Are you serious? He's correct in his assesment. Never go into battle carrying a swiss army knife!