Pike bait

[minnow1]

Does anyone use REALLY large suckers for pike and are they live or dead?  What kind of luck with them?  Also,  does anyone use perch or pumpkinseeds for bait?

[mattmull10]

I use both large shiners, small suckers and xtra large suckers for pike fishing. In my experience i prefer the large shiners or small suckers to just catch.  You seem to get more hits and they don't trip your flags, however if your lunking for wallie the lunker pike the big baits are what you want to be using.  Just my opinion I know others will have differing opinions. And on the subject of dead or alive i use them live unless i only have dead ones left and if the bait is really squirly and keeps tripping my flags i'l wound it by cutting off a fin.

[iceintheveins]

I use dead or stunned perch for pike where perch are a common forage. They work well, sometimes better than deadbaits but sometimes not. I usually set perch on one tipup and a dead anchovie on the other.

[NJ PIKER]

mattmull
we use the small yellow planerboard clips
to keep big baits from tripping flags

[Rangerclay]

mattmull
we use the small yellow planerboard clips
to keep big baits from tripping flags

I use a small downrigger release on mine.

I like using big suckers when I am trying to catch really big pike.  It's illegal to use perch for bait in NY.

Ranger

[Haywood]

When we use large suckers, we cut about 50% of their tail off. That keeps them from tripping tip ups. 

[red_eyes]

can anyone post pics of their tipups with the downrigger clips? Id like try it out, but have no idea what you guys are talking about, pics would be a great help. thanks

[esox slayer]

red...If I think about this, the way I've used downrigger clips in the past is to secure them to one of your crossmembers on the tip up, not the vertical.  Suspend it down to about the level of you reel so it's not in the way, then secure your line through the release, between the reel and the bait, experiment with the amount of tension you'll need, you won't know that until you have bait on hook so to speak.....

[Smeltecca]

I've had some success with perch in the past.  I think on an unpressured lake a pike that took a perch would have just as soon taken a shiner if it was there.  On a real pressured lake like Pontoosuc I think they might take it just because its something different.