Well, it depends on the body of water you are fishing. Generally, if you are going to use a tip-up, try setting up on points, weed edges and drop offs if you know the lake you are going to fish. On the lake I fish, I generally put my bait off of the bottom about 4 feet (I set up on an outside weed edge in about 18 foot of water). If the lake you are on is shallow, set your tip-ups about half way down to bottom. I use to fish a backwater bay off of a large river, where the average depth was 6 foot. Just 3 feet down and they would take it all the time. The rigging is simple enough.......a few split shot about 15 inches above a #4 treble hook and a live shinner or sucker should do the trick for you.
You can also jig for pike with a spoon or swim bait. I have had great luck jigging with rattle traps you cast for bass with in the summer. The really rattle and call the fish in.
Good luck, hope it helped ya out.
