I used to fish for pike right below the ice, but have found that working the bottom of the water column works better than the top. I usually set my shiner minnow 3-4 feet off of the bottom, depending on the bottom type, but generally 3-4 feet off of any structure i'm fishing. a pike's eyes are on top of his head, so it makes sense to fish quite a bit off of the bottom.
also, I fish for pike only in the early ice period. I love fishing for bluegills, and when the ice gets thick and the temps drop into the single digits for daytime highs, i leave the tip-ups at home.
good luck anglers!!!