Pike Lures

[Mattpreat]

Just wondering what everybody likes to use for pike lures for ice fishing. I've been having a really hard time finding lures that I think are big enough for pike. Everything I see for ice fishing in the store seems to be at max a third of the size of what I use in the summer.  I'm at a bit of a loss here as at one of my favorite lakes the pike didn't really want to take anything under 8" during the summer, and it seems to be the same this winter too

[gooner]

What I use is: herring, smelts or a sucker on a harness/ quick strike rig under a tip up, len Thompson spoons, William wobbler spoons, jigs with a couple minnows or soft plastic tails or bucktail jigs thumping the bottom. That's what I use and works fine. I also find that I catch bigger pike on smaller stuff than the bigger stuff.

Hope this helps.

[gooner]

I also forgot about northland puppet minnows lol

[fish-kabob]

i use stuff like this  buck tail jigs about a ounce with a big hook and a trailer hook . for plastics i use gulp and long tail grubs and salamanders and the likes..  also a dead smelt from a store will work to on a jig head with a stinger hook.   by the way cut the head of the smelt and stick it on the jig..


http://www.jacksjigs.com/musky,%20muskie,%20fishing,%20lures,%20baits,%20musky%20fishing,%20jIgs,%20muskie%20fishing,%20%20plastic,%20musky%20fishing%20baits,%20musky%20fishing%20lures,%20muskie%20fishing%20lures,%20musky%20fishing%20baits,%20muskie%20fishing%20baits


also see if you can locate air plane jigs those are mostly use for lakers but have seen some pike hit em

[oldcountry]

I like northland bucktails and airplane jigs tipped with smelt or sucker minnows/belly.
I also catch a few on large softbaits like eels and tubes.
Berkley makes a few good ones that are available mostly online.
Don't worry about needing them to be too big as pike are moving a little slower under the ice.

[stripernut]

Here is one I will be fishing this season;

[swampy45]

The big old Salmo eh?  Havent seen one of those in a while!

Some of the real big Williams Whitefish work awesome (the right colour pattern is key).

[HWK]

Here is one I will be fishing this season;

BAM! That thing is huge, looks like at least a $20 hook :S
I use spoons and jigs for the most part.
I've got some king kong Len Thompson spoons from a northern saskatchewan trip that have yet to get me anything out here, but if you're looking for size that and using a giant herring is where I would start.

In my experience seen pike are aggressive enough to hit anything that moves, stays still, looks like a fish, or smells like a fish. If the pike aren't biting, nothing is biting(again, in my experience). Are you maybe going out at a non-optimal time? Old crappy bait? Gas on your hands? I change hooks really regularly to find whats working, presentation too...(depth, heavy jigging, light jigging, keeping the hook completely still).

[ryanlookingforperch]

quick strike and a herring or something 6-9" in length.

I find its being careful of the fact that my bait sits as perfectly horizontal if I can.

I've used the same bait on...clear line, white line, black line and green line. Leader, no leader, green leader...black leader.

I find that's usually my issue.

I tend to jig for them sometimes. But usually I'm dead sticking for them.

Good fishin!

[harrydude]

Hi use a knuckle jig and a singer hook.  With a small smelt or shiner

[Mattpreat]

Thanks for the advice everyone. After reading through everything I decided to head out today and give it a try again, still never got anything but now I'll just blame it on the fish being turned off for the day, since I found some big summer lures that seemed to balance well under the ice. Ill definitely pick up some big herring or whatever I can find really and Ill take another look around for some big lures. Ill probably make an order off that Jacks Jigs site, those seem perfect for what I'm after

[the fisherman guy]

Bucktail jigs tipped with a minnow, rigged with a stinger hook.

[Ice Wombat]

X2 for The Fisherman Guy. Bucktails make their mouth water. Big ass spoons fire them up too. "Don't be afraid to make some noise"

[Shotgun]

Here is one I will be fishing this season;

Ah yes the Chubby Darter.  Works great on pike, perch trout you name it.  Another good one is the Rattling Rapala

My go to other than a jig and smelt is the Rapala Jig in glow colousr.  Works great for both pike and lakers.

SHOTGUN

[cube3]

Just wondering what everybody likes to use for pike lures for ice fishing. I've been having a really hard time finding lures that I think are big enough for pike. Everything I see for ice fishing in the store seems to be at max a third of the size of what I use in the summer.  I'm at a bit of a loss here as at one of my favorite lakes the pike didn't really want to take anything under 8" during the summer, and it seems to be the same this winter too

The Salmo Darter, like posted, is good. You might also try a Bondi bait (from the fishing hole).  For allot of larger baits you will probably have to order them. Rollie and Helen's "Musky Shop" http://www.muskyshop.com/modules/web/index.php/id/1 would be a good place to start. Things like the fuzzy doezzit and even the Bull dawgs work well as jigs. Water wolf tube jigs with light weight and the hook eye placed more centrally work dynamite.

Good luck to you and have a great season