northern question

[fishguts.]

we been bickering now for about 3 decades about the placement of your minnow. we fish mainly in about 8 to 15 ft of water some say up only a few feet under the ice some say down by the bottom. ive always ran a couple of feet off the bottom. this is for northerns, using live skinhooked minnows. what do you fellas run for depth?

[fishboy899]

I like to fish my bait about 1 to 3 ft off the bottom no matter what depth I'm in.  I stagger my tip ups to find exactly how far off the bottom they are then put all them at the same depth.

[billditrite]

fishguts im a rookie when it comes to pike but i have found lots of goodies on the northern pike forums

[mike692]

I have always been told to fish for northerns close to the bottom. I have always fished within 3-4 feet of the bottom with good success.

[DipLip]

Shallower the water, the closer to the bottom I fish. In water over 35' deep, I'll sometimes hang a bait upto 48" off the bottom. 6 to 18 inches seems to be a safe bet most days wherever you're fishing pike.

[2 dogs]

Been learning how to fish northerns w/ tip ups for 25 years  and still have not figured out depth and "off the bottom" as have great to miserable luck at all heights. Usually set in 7-15 of water and go 2-3 foot off bottom. Have had good luck at times going only 3-4 foot below ice at same depths. I have decided that if they are there  and suicidal I am gonna get em' and if they are not will have more time for the cribbage game.

[jimfish]

I tend to fish my bait about 1 foot under the ice in water less then 10feet & about 5 feet down in deeper water. The system has been working for me. I attack a spreader to my tipup line so I can fish two minnows at once both with a different color spinner blade at their mouth. As long as one minnow is moving it at least shakes the other one.
Good Luck

[fatso]

I have found that the depth can make a difference, but I think more important is that the bait is lively or moving if you are fishing shallow.  Deep sets can be made with dead smelt or herring and seem to do better for me.