Airplane jigs for pike

[colorado_]

I have great luck hooking trout and kokanees but can't seem to attract the pike in 11 Mile reservoir in Colorado.  I work close in to shore in about 10 feet of water.  Occasionally htey come by but never hit.  I try waterdogs and dead suckers.  I rig the dead suckers with an airplane jig: a treble hook on either end of an upside down Y is the best description I have.  One hook through the lips, another throught the tail.  I put the head of the sucker on the longer section of the jig so the head points down.  I've never tried it with the head up.  Anybody know which way is correct?  Which way works best?  Or even what the hell I'm talking about!?

[iceintheveins]

The problem is simply where you fish, IN COLORADO. I fish here in Colorado, and pike fishing through the ice is extremely difficult here for some reason. I am having a little luck this year, landing a pike or two per trip at Crawford Reservoir in Western Colorado. I would just set a tip up shallow, say 8 - 15 feet and use either live water dogs or dead suckers or anchovies from 5" - 7" long. Then just jig for trout and kokes on your jigging stick while you wait and hope for the tip up to go off. Elevenmile has a good population of pike and I have seen pictures of them landed through the ice here. You just have to really figure out their tendencies.

Tyler

[TroutFishingBear]

I live in colorado also and most ice anglers here just get stumped on pike. For some reason they are very inactive compared to other places. My running theory is it is because dissolved oxygen levels are so much lower than in lakes with lower elevations, I believe that coupled with our CDOW's no bag limit on pike can make pike fishing difficult to impossible in our state. Mack and I are having decent luck at crawford though, usually getting a couple on tipups per trip, and getting a few pike while jigging for perch. I have read articles on the internet about colorado pike through the ice with experts coming from around to catch them, and having no luck. Best bet is to just stick with it... we do have some bruisers!

[colorado_]

OK, so you guys are just saying that the fish are not biting because I'm basically doing what you suggest.  Got it.  I imagine that Crawford and Vega get a  lot less pressure from fishermen that the front range lakes.

Thanks!

[TroutFishingBear]

OK, so you guys are just saying that the fish are not biting because I'm basically doing what you suggest.  Got it.  I imagine that Crawford and Vega get a  lot less pressure from fishermen that the front range lakes.

Thanks!

Actually vega and especially crawford get exponentially more pressure than the front range lakes I bet. Mostly because those are the only 2 lakes to icefish around here pretty much. Last time at crawford there were at least 20 other groups, and that lake is extremely small compared to elevenmile. especially since it is so low. But basically, yeah, the pike just don't bite in our state worth a darn through the ice. I would stick with it at elevenmile because it does have more quality fish I think than crawford or vega. IMO the fish just are full at elevenmile because of all the food.

take care and good luck!

[TroutFishingBear]

Oh yeah, I forgot. If I were you, I wouldn't use an airplane jig on a tipup at all for pike. I would just use plain trebels and make a quick strike rig. Use a 5" dead sucker. Should work. Use a floro leader as well. We have clearer water than a lot of places so ya gotta be less aggressive.

[colorado_]

Thanks guys.

I'll try some heavy fluorocarbon instead of the steel leader - hey, a flag and a chewed up line would at least mean that I HAD a strike!

[TroutFishingBear]

Too bad they changed the rules for minnows. It used to state "no live gamefish" meaning you could've used a trout or kokanee. IF it was back then (a few years ago) I would've used about an 8" dead trout or 8" dead kokanee. I know you would've smoked em! (now of course we can't use even most dead gamefish, although we can use perch, crappie, and bluegill dead.) If I were you, I would fish elevenmile for pike close to where the CDOW stocks it. The pike know that food comes from there, so it is natural that they would hang out htere in the winter hoping all of the sudden a bunch of smaller rainbows come. Fish a dead bait about 1 ft. off of the bottom near one of these areas, and I bet you will get a gator. Good luck!

[colorado_]

Thanks for the tip.  I just got back from fishing 11 Mile today - off of Rocky Flats.  S-L-O-W day! Very windy.  Only one 17" bow and a retard bow that visited about 10 times but never took. 

On the pike front I set up two tipups (one for me & my son)with waterdogs in about 7' of water off the point.  Strangely enough my $20 Frabill tipup didn't give me a flag but when we reeled 'em up at 5PM one of the waterdogs, steel leader, and weight were bit clean off - I was left a tattered braided line as a souvenier of the pike visit.  All I can think of is that the hardware [and waterdog] got jammed between a couple of rocks and the pike just cut the line.....

We'll be back

[PerchBusterSD]

fishing an airplane jig on a tipup kinda defeats the action of the lure?