Dont know what to do.

[MikeinMinn]

I have moved my house 3 times on the lake that I'm on right now.  My current spot is 9 ft deep with weed about 1 to 1.5 ft up from the bottom.  I see perch and sunfish like crazy.  Jig the decoy and perch come to it 1 out of 3 times.  I tried tip-up fishing one day covered 1/4 of the lake and did not get a flag.  Visibility isn't the greatest but it seems to be getting better.   Following some of advise I have gotten here, decoy 3 ft down.  Give it a jig about 1 every 20 minuets, then let if it unwind.  I useally sit for 4 to 5 hours, and I have sat from 8am to 4:30 with no results.  While I was scouting with tipups I did find a drop off.  My question is, set in the weeds or set the drop off.  The drop off goes from the edge of weeds I am on from 9 ft to 17 ft within 30 ft.  Another spear fisherman told me I should set up in the middle at about 12 or 13 ft.   Just wondering what you guys think before I cut another hole.

[Higgins]

I have some questions for ya  :

1. Does this lake have many pike in it and if so are there allot of small pike or are there allot of big pike or both  If you are not sure if the lake you are in has a good pike population than I would ask around at bait shops and owners on the lake. If this lake has big pike and you have your mind set on it than I would just keep moving about every 5 or 6 times out until you find the right location (just make sure you mark your hole each time)
2. Does this lake have a tributary coming into it  if so this might be the cause of the lake being murky. I tried a lake earlyer this year and had both of my spearing shanty's on it for a week and went out about 5 or 6 times and didn't see any game fish but I did see a few suckers and a carp so I was thinking maybe the oxygen level wasn't high enough for the game fish but I did know that the other side of the lake had allot of weeds and a creek but it was always cloudy so rather than mess around with moving them on the same lake I took them to a diffrent lake.
3.Are there allot of other fishermen on the lake ? and if so I would put the shanty where the group is cause I know for a fact that the pike will cruz through and around small fish that are feeding.
4. Is your decoy big enough for the fish to show intrest 
5. Are you making sure that NO LIGHT is getting into your shanty and are you being quit ?

[MikeinMinn]

I know that there are pike in the lake.   A friend got a 17lb two years ago on tipup in the general area where Im at.  I have taken two by tipup in the past, nothing big maybe 2 or 3 lbs.  The lake is basicly a basin with the center reaching a depth of 38 ft.  There is railway along the northern shore and mine dumps on the eastern and southern shores.  A small drainage exits the lake under the highway on the western shore.  As far as I know there really isnt a inlet besides the drainage from the mine dumps.  Its within 2 miles of my house which is the main reason Im on it.  I know its not the best but Im trying to make the best of it. 

I have two decoys that I have been switching between.  A red and white about 6 inches long, and a 8 inch black and white smelt with reflective material on the side of it.  I picked up a sucker minow the other day,  put it in the harnis and let it down the hole.  I guess I didnt have it tight enough because I watched it swim out of the harnis and out of sight.  At 4 bucks a pop I dont know how many times I can do that.  How big should the decoy be.  I have seen alot of red and white on the videos on youtube.

Went out today in the afternoon, after I got my father in law to plow a road so I could get to the house.  First time sitting while the sun was shining but now there is 8 more inches of snow on the lake.  No change a few perch, no pike.  Keep the advice coming.  Not ready to give up yet.

[darkhousefisher]

I like to set up on the edge of a weed bed in 5-10 feet of water.  If there is no obvious structure, start looking for more minute structure, such a channel that's only a foot or less deep, a submerged rock or tree, a small hump, you get the picture.  If I'm not seeing anything, somtimes I will jig my decoy aggresively for ~5-6 minutes, then let it unwind, that has worked for me before.  As far as where to run your decoy...I set mine halfway between the bottom of the ice and the lake bottom, and sometimes deeper, but that's just how I do it.  The decoys you have should work fine, a live one is handy too though.  If the water is murky drop a handfull of egg shells, potato peels, or beans down your hole.  Crabshells, clam shells, and pistachio shells also work very well.  Shoveling snow away from your house will also help with the visibility.  Just remember that even a poor day spearing is better then a good day at work.  Hope this helps.

[Higgins]

It sounds like your taking are advise to hart and if you know that this lake has good Pike in it and you keep at it than it's just a matter of time before you nail one, just don't loose faith because when it happens it will all be worth the time  8)

Another question: Is this a big lake, just wondering 

[PikeSticker]

I know that there are pike in the lake.    
:
I have two decoys that I have been switching between.  A red and white about 6 inches long, and a 8 inch black and white smelt with reflective material on the side of it.
:
Went out today in the afternoon, after I got my father in law to plow a road so I could get to the house.  First time sitting while the sun was shining but now there is 8 more inches of snow on the lake.  No change a few perch, no pike.

Tip ups: You don't mention fishing with tip ups at the same time you are spearing. As far as my trips to the hardwater and the effort expended, pike on the table is the number 1 objective. So I always run the max. number of tip ups (our regs in AK vary depending on the water we are fishing) on every day I'm on the ice spearing. They are my "scouts" and I'll cover a hundred yards in both directions from my darkhouse but never closer than 15-20 yards on the nearest. A move of 20 feet can make a difference, let alone a hot spot a hundred yards down the shore you aren't aware of without fishing some bait so always use everything to your advantage. (If I'm fishing 5 tip ups I'll sometimes use my "pagers" on the furthest ones to let me know when a flag pops and to keep from looking out on the ice glare and ruining my night vision.) Unless you can confirm pike in a spot with some tip up (or friends rod fishing) action, moving to a new location puts a big question mark on the results even when choosing locations based on the best habitat and terrain. Although pike can hit a tip up bait any time during the day, the majority of days are typically slow and on those times the fish are moving and feeding right at first light before sun up and at last light around sundown, both times when their camouflage pattern offers invisibility when stalking their prey. So get your baits in the water before sun up. My biggest fish in the hole typically are the first to arrive when I can scarcely see their outline, or in the evening when a loud thump on the decoy line wakes me up. A wise spearo that was my mentor once told me, "If you can see a fish in your hole when you first drop the decoy down, you're starting too late." Its a lot like duck hunting!!

Decoys: I've got ~15 in my box, homemade and store bought, and another dozen+ carved but not finished yet. On a slow day I'll go through every one several times. It keeps you "in the game" when no one is scoring except the pike no-shows. Changing decoys and colors/patterns can often lure the older pike into the area but still out under the ice. That's why I use an underwater camera on most days to take a few 360 degree lookarounds every hour. I've seen some dandies that just wouldn't come in and they hang up out of vertical viewing range. If it wasn't for the camera I would never have known and may end up moving from a good spot. One day I'll figure out their weakness and have just what they are looking for~!

You  mention perch in the lake. Go buy one of the Bear Creek perch decoys to add to your offerings. Obviously the local pike are accustom to preying and feeding on that food source. You might also consider buying a half dozen of the white Lakco wooden decoys (on eBay in bulk bags or Sportsmans Warehouse in singles) and paint up a variety of patterns and colors on them. (Use cheap acrylic paints and then a coat of Spar Varnish/urethane.) They are super cheap that way and have been bringing fish to the spear with that design for 100+ years. That's a cheap way to expand your "herd" without breaking the bank or spending a lot of time trying to make your own from scratch.

Finally, take your GPS with you on every trip. If your spearing hole is not doing too bad but you are also getting some flags, be sure to add a waypoint marker in your GPS at the hot holes for future reference and also mark your good and BAD spear holes so you don't repeat setting up on a bad location next year. It doesn't hurt to mark spots where other anglers have put blood on the ice as a potential new spot or one to try next season. Nobody "owns" a spot on a public lake so early bird gets the worm, er pike.  Keep us posted~!

[Higgins]

Great tips Pikesticker 

My best scouting tools in order are:
1.Knowledge of good Pike grounds on the lake I'm spearing
2.Then I use a Lake map that shows depth and structure and that might tell me why the area is good.
3.Then I narrow it down by going out and scouting a few days before I put out my shanty by using a hand held depth finder to find depths of 10 to 6 fow.
4.Now I use my Aqua-vu to look for decent amount of weeds for small fish to hide in but yet a opening so that my decoys can be seen well and used without hanging up on weeds and I love to see small pike food swimming around as well 
5. If everything turns out to look good than I mark the spot and as Pike sticker said before if I don't do good at that spot I still leave it on my GPS but I make notes of the structure fish I seen and then I have that info for the future cause even if I didn't do good it's always nice to know where I didn't do good 

(I know that a Aqua-vu,GPS, and hand held depth finder are pricey but even if you can get a hold of them from a friend they will help ya out)

Keep us updated  8) 

[PikeSticker]

Indeed, pooling resources is a good approach for keeping expenses down until an individual can add additional equipment, especially if you gather up a group of like-minded friends where everyone is just getting started in the sport. Between the group you can usually muster transportation for hauling the gear, a chain saw and tongs or auger/hand saw combo method for cutting holes and with the new hub style ice tents they are all dark enough to use as portable darkhouses with a one minute setup time.

I too like to set up around weed "patches" and found that weedless corridors with long viewing areas in various directions allows prowling pike to see the decoy movement from a great distance. They frequently use these as traveling lanes to move from resting to feeding areas.

I bought a handheld fish finder, complete with an LCD screen marking fish, weeds, structure and even a bottom hardness indicator for under $100 that fits in my parka pocket and runs on a couple of AA rechargeables. Shoots through ice if it has very little air bubbles in it for a quick bottom depth check without augering a slug of holes all over the lake. Bottom contour bathymetric maps are a real blessing as you know and the AK F&G department provides these for a great many of our pike lakes to save a LOT of drilling during scouting trips.

[redruff]

If it was me I'd be all over the weedline along the drop off. I love pike structure like that. I'd certainly stay in the 9-10fow but find that weed edge along the drop off and that should be prime pike patrolling areas.

Have you fished this lake in the summer?

[MikeinMinn]

I finially say one yesterday!   He did not seem to be interested in my decoy?  I caught a glimps of him as he went on the out side of my right side, he was a big one, not that I have a lot to compair it to but it looked like a monster.  He was just smimming at a fairly quik speed, and headed for the drop off.  I jigged the decoy a few times but no reaction.  I dont know if he was watching from behind me and lost interst or just happend to be cruising.  He was right on the bottom.  The water has came up some with the addition of the snow he have just received, and Im going to have to move the house anyway so Im going to the edge of the weed line Saturday.  I will also run to the L&M fleet and see if I can find a perch colored decoy.  I went for a while after work today but only had a large mouth bass come in.  I got him to hit the decoy.  One thing I have noticed is it has been sunny the last two days, and visablity has been much better, almost a perfectly clear to the bottom. 

On the tip up comment, we can only use one line while spearing so Im kind of limited on that, but I will start setting a tip up out while Im out.

One more question when you cut your hole do you under cut the ice.  I have been angeling the cut so I can see father.  Is this good or not.  Thanks again, keep the comments coming.

[redruff]

Red and white decoys have always out performed any other color combos for me..
Right now my big producer has been a 6" red and white wood decoy.

I picked up a BIG muskie soft swim bait this week and cut off the hooks. It is clear rubber with shiny iridescent inside the fish.
It was very productive..4 fish today as well..one came in and hit it as I was lowering it into the hole.

ones like these
http://www.landbigfish.com/tacklestore/showcase.cfm?PID=719

[darkhousefisher]

Congrats on finally seeing one!!!

One more question when you cut your hole do you under cut the ice.  I have been angeling the cut so I can see father.  Is this good or not.  Thanks again, keep the comments coming.

I do that quite often, especially when the ice gets over about 30" thick or if I have my 3 yr old with me and I'm cutting a smaller hole.  I haven't noticed any difference.  Good Luck!!!

[MikeinMinn]

I got the house moved Saturday afternoon.  It took me a while to get it chipped out, not enough blocks.  Sat all day Sunday, not as good visibility in the deeper water.  May have seen one come in after some of the perch that I jigged in.  I picked up a perch decoy, but it seemed to scare the perch away.  The red and white on seems to bring in the most perch, at times 5 to 10 perch come in to the decoy while jigging it. 

Today I took out the portable to another lake.  I think it is letting too much light in through the zippers and such.  I had a 3 or 4 pounder come in to about 3 ft and hung up there.  I moved to get the spear and it backed up and took off.  That was the only encouter of the day.

I going to try the permanent again tomarrow. 

[MikeinMinn]

Had one come in today, If you read my post pike fever you will get the jist of what happend, any way I missed him.  At least I have some confidence in the spot now.  Thanks for all the help from every one.  Ill stick one yet.

[Commando]

I have moved my house 3 times on the lake that I'm on right now.  My current spot is 9 ft deep with weed about 1 to 1.5 ft up from the bottom.  I see perch and sunfish like crazy.  Jig the decoy and perch come to it 1 out of 3 times.  I tried tip-up fishing one day covered 1/4 of the lake and did not get a flag.  Visibility isn't the greatest but it seems to be getting better.   Following some of advise I have gotten here, decoy 3 ft down.  Give it a jig about 1 every 20 minuets, then let if it unwind.  I useally sit for 4 to 5 hours, and I have sat from 8am to 4:30 with no results.  While I was scouting with tipups I did find a drop off.  My question is, set in the weeds or set the drop off.  The drop off goes from the edge of weeds I am on from 9 ft to 17 ft within 30 ft.  Another spear fisherman told me I should set up in the middle at about 12 or 13 ft.   Just wondering what you guys think before I cut another hole.

I know it sounds crazy, but one of friends spears on a spot just like you described.  He had no success and finally went out just past the drop off where it broke to 28 feet.  Ran his decoy down and pulled up a monster first time he dropped it down.  He has taken some very large Pike this way, I've witnessed it.  Last week he stuck a 38 incher on a different lake in 29 feet of water. It's all he does now if he comes up dry at 12-15.