Author Topic: First Ice Pike?  (Read 5438 times)

Offline Barleydog

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First Ice Pike?
« on: Oct 28, 2005, 11:43 AM »
O.K. folks, what's your favorite tactic for first ice pike?  What depth and structure are you looking for?  Kinda fun comparing different areas of North America. 8)  -Barleydog
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Offline fishuhalik

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #1 on: Oct 28, 2005, 12:20 PM »
My favorite places to fish at first ice the ones that get ice first!  Seriously though, I've found that the last bays in a lake to freeze are often the best because of higher water temps and dark (muddy) bottom.  I've been very successful in less than 6ft of water during the very first freeze (when yer constantly afraid of bustin though).  Since the ice is often clear, I chisel my hole out and wait on shore, and when the flag pops, tip-toe out.  My .02.

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Offline iceintheveins

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #2 on: Oct 28, 2005, 02:24 PM »
Colorado pike are difficult through the ice, but last year we caught 3 - 4 pike per trip on tip ups at Crawford Reservoir and sometimes a few on our perch jigs. I like flats in the 10 - 20 foot range that are near inlets or bays. A transition from soft bottom to rocky bottom or points near the mouths of bays seem to be best for me.
Where you find lots of perch or panfish, you will find  the pike.
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Offline Barleydog

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #3 on: Oct 29, 2005, 01:03 PM »
That's what I'm talking about guys!  Fishuhalik what state?  I use the same method of "tip-toeing." :tipup:
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Offline fishuhalik

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #4 on: Oct 29, 2005, 02:14 PM »
The greatest state around, MN.  How 'bout yerself, barleydog? 

Always wear clean underwear, cuz ya never know when the paramedics are gonna have to cut your pants off.

Offline flagfreak

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #5 on: Oct 29, 2005, 02:23 PM »
our first pike usually come from a small box cove well off the current on a river.The cove is 4-6 ft deep .use live shiners just above the weeds.Sometimes i will take the chisel and make a pocket in the weeds.let it settle down for a pop or to then trap it up I am located just out side of Boston .  Love that dirty water    (Get IT?)

Still 6 weeks away :'(

Gerry :tipup:

Offline TroutFishingBear

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #6 on: Oct 29, 2005, 03:44 PM »
in the reservoir I fish and  catch them icefishing, the inlet cove seems to be a good one. Right to the right of the first dropoffs leading out to the deeper water and main lake and right at the transition zone from rocky to mucky bottom inside the cove. Have caught them from 5-30 ft deep of water in early ice.
Tipups are usually the best for catching them, small dead perch or anchovies rigged on quick strike rig work well. Floro leader is a must for hits. Small perch jigs also seem to get a lot of pike strikes, but they usually bite off :D I did catch a few pike last year on 2 lb test though....
if anybody from michigan will help me out with the lakes and stuff up here I'd really appreciate it since I'm new to the area.

grumpymoe

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #7 on: Oct 29, 2005, 05:44 PM »
First ice pike along with most other fish, are very easily spooked with new sounds from ice cracking/booming.....and clear ice with no cover will send them off for sure....probably the best is anywhere from 3-6' of water adjacent or right in the weed beds......summer forage will still be hanging around cover no different than any other time of the seasons.....set up the tipups, rods, or whatever you use and move away....If you want to stay close to your rigs, a large dark colored tarp or blanket will keep motion thats scares them off to a minumum......Manitoba. ...Grump

trapperdirk

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #8 on: Oct 29, 2005, 08:12 PM »
I like 8 -15 fow for first ice pike and the first rock point off a sandy bay . Good ol sucker minnow  a foot to two feet off bottom and watch for the flags to pop . ;D

                              TD 

Offline Barleydog

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #9 on: Oct 30, 2005, 12:47 PM »
Fishahalik,
Interior Alaska...
 
I drill about 20 or so holes relatively close to shore in and around weedy cover, in 4-8 ft.  Set up a 10" dead horse herring on fluorocarbon. leader, 1-2 ft. above the weeds.  The water is gin clear, so looking into the water is easy stuff.  Placing the bait just above the weeds without being "in" the weeds is key.  I set up tip-ups and retreat to the woods.  Best time seems to be late afternoon right before dark...  By reading most of the replies, I'd say that's probably close to average.  8) :tipup:         
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Offline iceintheveins

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #10 on: Oct 30, 2005, 09:32 PM »
I like 8 -15 fow for first ice pike and the first rock point off a sandy bay . Good ol sucker minnow  a foot to two feet off bottom and watch for the flags to pop . ;D

                              TD 

Hey trap how do you compare livebait and deadbait? Which works best usually?
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Offline fishuhalik

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #11 on: Oct 31, 2005, 07:42 AM »
I've always heard that dead bait works so well, but I've always had better luck w/ live suckers or shiners.  If you can get your hands on some 8-10" shiners, buy as many as you can! 

Always wear clean underwear, cuz ya never know when the paramedics are gonna have to cut your pants off.

Offline Haywood

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #12 on: Oct 31, 2005, 04:11 PM »
I like to take a nice sized sucker and cut part of the tail off so it swims injured (and can't set off the tip up) then put it only 3-4 feet down, less in shallow water.  Pike will come right to the ice to eat dead fish. 
 

Offline TroutFishingBear

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #13 on: Oct 31, 2005, 04:52 PM »
Do you guys think right outside the inlet in a sandy bay in about 5 ft of water would be good at first ice?
if anybody from michigan will help me out with the lakes and stuff up here I'd really appreciate it since I'm new to the area.

Offline Water Wolf

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #14 on: Oct 31, 2005, 05:06 PM »
That makes seance MN_burbot, pike can see well above them, due to there eye positioning. I usually like to find a weed line in 10-15 feet of water and place my lines along the weed edge if I can. If I am fishing with other I also place one bait above the weed and one on the sandy/gravely flats. If I have my camera with me I like to fish areas that I see minnows or other baitfish in.:)
TBF I think that might be a good first ice spot, if it collects a lot of baitfish and has a weed edge it should be prime. Once the ice traffic inceases in that area they will drop deeper.

WW
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Offline iceintheveins

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #15 on: Oct 31, 2005, 06:57 PM »
That makes seance MN_burbot, pike can see well above them, due to there eye positioning. I usually like to find a weed line in 10-15 feet of water and place my lines along the weed edge if I can. If I am fishing with other I also place one bait above the weed and one on the sandy/gravely flats. If I have my camera with me I like to fish areas that I see minnows or other baitfish in.:)
TBF I think that might be a good first ice spot, if it collects a lot of baitfish and has a weed edge it should be prime. Once the ice traffic inceases in that area they will drop deeper.

WW

Some years the lake bear is talking about grows weeds in the shallows but its so low the last few years due to drought that I think there aren't any weeds.
I am sure though it has lots of perch though in the area. I will check it this year by perch fishing, and if I'm catching lots of perch I'll set a tip up there. I think the panfish rod might be the best tool to determine if pike are in the area. Where the baitfish are thats where the pike will be.
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Offline Bluefinforme

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #16 on: Nov 03, 2005, 12:58 PM »
up in Maine....we fish dec/early January in 4-7  feet of water.....near a river mouth
dead bait on bottom usually do the trick ;)

quick strike rigs too  ;D

Offline Blaine

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #17 on: Nov 04, 2005, 04:26 PM »
We have a unique fishery here on my section of the Connecticut river... There isn't a whole lot of structure to hold fish in a given area so when you find it, it's a sure thing. We fish 3-15 feet of water and usually put our baits up high in the column. With no snow cover and clear ice, there is planty of light penetration so thay have no problem finding our baits up high. Polar tip ups are perfect for first ice because of how easily the fish spook. From a distance I can tell if the fish is running and at what speed, this dictates how quickly I get to the hole. If the fish is just gliding off with the bait, I have to approach slowly, any shadows really send the fish flying off and many times they will drop the bait....

Offline Barleydog

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #18 on: Nov 09, 2005, 07:47 PM »
Blaine,  Is there much for flow in the Connecticut?
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Offline Blaine

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Re: First Ice Pike?
« Reply #19 on: Nov 09, 2005, 09:36 PM »
Not much by Alaskan standards. Depends on the time of year though. Our river is 410 miles long and runs to the Canadian border  and is bordered by mountains on both sides on the northern end. We get all the snow melt in the spring and the section that I fish usually comes up 15-20 feet higher than normal every spring. This time of year, I fish the open river but when it comes to ice, we stick to the coves and set backs. We just had record rains in October and it drove the river up to spring levels

 



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