Tip-Up depth for Pike

[MontanaMike]

I have been unsuccesful with smelt on my tip-ups so far.  Was wondering if anyone could give me some pointers on depths and rigging.  I have heard everything from on the bottom to right below the ice, is there any reasoning behind this?  Thanks

[ZACHAKABIRDIE]

i catch em on bottom but no lunkers so far. only my 3rd year.

[mattpaul]

Weed edges and vary depths on every setline for your group. Fishing trophy lakes helps too.

[MontanaMike]

Thanks for the input guys.  I will hit the weed edges at different depths.  As far as trophy pike lakes down here theres not as many as up there!  But there is still a few.

[rabbittrapper]

Adjust the depths every hour if you don't get any bites.

[Fishin Friesz]

Hey Montana Mike, I run my smelt or large minnows on either some sort of quick strike rig or trebble hook/trailer hook combo on a slightly heavy fluoro leader.  I usually use 12 lb.  I don't go too heavy usually cuz there are always chances at walleyes where I fish for pike.  As far as depth goes this time of year into mid winter I usually just do a lot of searching.  Any weed edge or drop off shallow to deeper could produce fish, but heading towards spring many big fish will head to the shallows on lakes around here like Tiber or Peck.  I've caught many in as little as 2'-3' of water. 

[Whopper Stopper]

Fishing trophy lakes helps too.

          Very sound advice. You can't catch what isn’t there.       

                   WS

[frogmaster]

Half way between WEED Tops and Bottom of ICE.  Also if I extend over the dropoff I will use the same depth described but usually stay within 5' to 10' of the outter edge!  For frozen smelt I use single treble under the dorsal fin so it hangs nearly LEVEL. 

Early Ice and Late Ice stay in the shallows of 10' to 12' or less (where the weeds grow).  MID-ICE fish the basins and about 3' above bottom.

 Bless

[MontanaMike]

Thanks for the feedback guys!  VERY helpful.

[Martian]

  I do as many of the posters have said, vary the depths, but i I am using dead bait, I fish on, or very near the bottom, as I think this is where they would be found

[Webby]

Try setting one or more up in shallow water 3' to 8'. Pike seem to make their rounds quite a bit at those depths.

[SeisMec]

I've fished in as little as 1' of water under the ice and caught pike.

[Tinker]

I was going to add that.  My best day on tipups, many years ago was through some 3 feet of ice with maybe 18" of water under the ice.  Didn't seem right to set there but the fishing was great.  That was on pike.

[mjmeyer]

I had a Nice Big Pike take a swipe at my minnow on a dead stick rod as I lifted it to check the bait. Very Clear Ice inside the tent and I saw the whole fish. At first I thought "Holy Sh*t!", then my next thought was "Where's my topwater frog?" and next I thought, "My tip-ups are too deep!" I'm moving mine higher in the water column. I want the sight feeders like PIke and Bass to have the ultimate view of my bait. I've been fishing 3' deep in 6-7' of water. I'm moving up a foot to 2'. If they come crashing up though the ice after my bait, I'm switching to a topwater frog, probably black and red.
Mike