Author Topic: Dead bait vs. live bait for walleye/pike?  (Read 4132 times)

kim63ny

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Dead bait vs. live bait for walleye/pike?
« on: Jan 18, 2005, 08:47 AM »
Do you have a preference and why? Live bait or dead bait or artificial bait/lures or a combination of them? What is your preference?

Offline Hood

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Re: Dead bait vs. live bait for walleye/pike?
« Reply #1 on: Jan 18, 2005, 11:11 AM »
Live bait for sure, sometimes i clip a fin or part of the tail if the bait is super lively and setting my flags off, need to be careful clipping cuz it can upset the balance of the fish and force them to swim only upside down which usually leads to tangles. as for dead bait i have caught pike on them but not on purpose, I have had baits hit once or twice and killed that keep on catching but I feel live is always best, anyone try the hotdog for pike? I saw the post and forgot to try last weekend but will surely set a couple tipups with them just for kicks!

Offline Pasquatch

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Re: Dead bait vs. live bait for walleye/pike?
« Reply #2 on: Jan 18, 2005, 11:58 AM »
Live bait because fish prefer the action, makes sense to me...JMHO

Offline LoveIceFish

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Re: Dead bait vs. live bait for walleye/pike?
« Reply #3 on: Jan 18, 2005, 12:17 PM »
After one interesting day of "dead bait" fishing I always put one or two dead minnows on tip-ups and sometime they overperform live ones.

Offline Slush

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Re: Dead bait vs. live bait for walleye/pike?
« Reply #4 on: Jan 18, 2005, 12:19 PM »
I believe pike are a lazy fish by nature and would probably choose something in the wounded range.  If the bait is big snipping a fin or tail may be your best bet for monster pike.

Offline panfish_guru

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Re: Dead bait vs. live bait for walleye/pike?
« Reply #5 on: Jan 18, 2005, 12:20 PM »
I think it all depends on how active the fish are that day.  Had good luck using both dead and live baits.

hali-man

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Re: Dead bait vs. live bait for walleye/pike?
« Reply #6 on: Jan 18, 2005, 12:44 PM »
I never know if my bait is alive or dead.
I just put it down the hole and keep it somewhat clear, sometimes all day long.

Pharaoh Laker

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Re: Dead bait vs. live bait for walleye/pike?
« Reply #7 on: Jan 18, 2005, 12:55 PM »
Live bait.  The bait is harder for any fish to detect when dead because their is no movement, rendering the fish's lateral line useless.  I like my bait good and lively.  I don't really see the need to clip fins--the hook through the bait's back usually does the trick!

Offline Slush

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Re: Dead bait vs. live bait for walleye/pike?
« Reply #8 on: Jan 18, 2005, 01:02 PM »
The only reasons to clip fins are to stop giant bait from setting off your flags and give your bait more erratic appeal. 

Offline Madbomber

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Re: Dead bait vs. live bait for walleye/pike?
« Reply #9 on: Jan 18, 2005, 01:37 PM »
some times I fish dead bait up higher 2-3 feet under the ice. at times it outfishes the other bait 2-1
MADBOMBER ><))))))))))))))(*>

Offline pikehunter

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Re: Dead bait vs. live bait for walleye/pike?
« Reply #10 on: Jan 18, 2005, 06:36 PM »
I fish with dead bait and it seems to me that the small ones don't take the dead bait

                                     P.S. I don't want small ones

Offline Lobes

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Re: Dead bait vs. live bait for walleye/pike?
« Reply #11 on: Jan 19, 2005, 06:15 PM »
Depends on the fish and the day. Some days pike prefer dead bait. They are like people, they get lazy with age (or work smarter / not harder ...). Don't know ANYTHING about walleyes (wish I did) but I normally catch larger pike on dead bait than live bait. But then again there are fish out there that will be exceptions to the rule. Fish don't come off assembly lines and there are some real ambitious old timers out there. Live bait and dead bait need to be options you need to go to when the fishing is slow. The guys that catch the most fish are the ones that continually try different stuff until they hit a pattern or combination that works.

Mecosta County / Lakeview, Michigan

 



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