Depth for pike

[Thestanimal]

Been ice fishing for years, but I'm going pike fishing for the first time this weekend.  Typically what depth do you prefer to place your bait for pike?  On the bottem-suspended a few feet from the bottem, near the top?  What about depth of water-shallow (3-6 feet), or deeper.  Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Water Wolf]

Pike are fish that can cruse at different levels like lake trout. Generally they are near the bottom looking up or ahead. I would try a few tip-ups or set rods a 2 feet under the ice and some a foot off the bottom.
As for depth they can be found from 2 feet to really deep water depending on structure, oxygen levels, light levels and forage. I have always found 10 feet a good place to try. I if you are allowed quite a few tip-ups or are in a group I would set some lures/bait at the 10 foot mark and then some shallower and some deeper.
If they are around it won't be long before they show up.
Good luck pike are a blast.

WW

[grumpymoe]

I hope this post doesnt confuse you....back onto a lake this season with the hardside....its predominantly heavily weeded (healthy) except for a few minor areas that have some clear sand patches....fished 5-6 ft of water (including the weeds) and just above the growth....lots of fish.....same thing in 15-16 ft of water.....lots of fish right above the weeds....but an interesting thing happened by chance...on a slow day with little action, I decided to open the bail and let the live minnow sit right in the weeds....wasnt very long and Fish On!!...and this is not light weedbeds....so having said that, keep an open mind on where the fish might forage on any given day....favorite spots like humps, saddles, dropoffs close to gravel/sand areas....stumps....any where that minnows and small fish might seek to escape predation, are all good spots to try at some point in time....and vary your depth.....(the big ones are usually hanging deep waiting for an easy meal)....Grump

[gillchaser]

I set out my limit of tip ups all at different depths and what ever one catches more fish i slowley move all of them to that depth.

[fishboy899]

I usually fish in 8-12 fow and stagger my tip ups from 6 inches off the bottom to 2 feet of the bottom. Sometimes if its really weedy I pull the baits up even more than that.

[iceintheveins]

As far as depths go I set all tip up baits 1 - 3 feet off the bottom. If I haven't found the pattern or its my first trip of the year, I will set tip ups at different depths. Usually one at 8 feet, one at 12 feet, and one at about 16 feet.

[Smeltecca]

I agree with Mackdaddy,  1'-3' feet off the bottom,  along some sort of drop off, preferably with some weeds in the area.  Although sometimes conditions call for a different approach.  For example earlier this season the DFW stocked Salmon in a local lake.  The guys fishing for Salmon had traps set 1'-5' feet under the ice in 20'-40' ft of water and they were catching some Pike.  I think that the Salmon had pushed the bait to the top of the water column and the Pike followed.

[PIKEGUY]

Anytime I fish in less than about 7-8 feet of water I set my baits under the ice about 1 to 1 1/2 feet. Seems to work the best for me

[billybono]

Anytime I fish in less than about 7-8 feet of water I set my baits under the ice about 1 to 1 1/2 feet. Seems to work the best for me

i agree..... but we had the best action this season in 4 fow 6 inches under the ice...iced 11 of em sunday. even in deeper water i set up feet off the bottom or weeds. pike will see it from further away and will rise to hit it.


                   billybono

[Golden Luther]

Agree that a few feet off the bottom is best if using live bait.  Try to fish off a weed edge if possible.

[GAMBELL]

Look for structure (weed edge or drop off) in 5-15 f.o.w.  Dead baits have worked best for me with in 3 feet of the bottom.  Like other said, live bait is better further off the bottom.