Gills or Perch or ??? for Pike Bait

[Icer for life]

I'm looking for some advice for the tip up bait of choice for Pike

I've been out three times and used freshly caught gills and perch for tip-up bait.........w/out any success.  I have always used bait shop shiners and suckers, but this year I wanted to try something different. 

Do you have success w/ gills and perch?  Do you prefer one over the other?  I have a couple of weekend trips still planned, just wondering if I should go back to using the store bought bait or something different.

Any help is much appreciated.

Icer

[RLWagner]

I'm looking for some advice for the tip up bait of choice for Pike

I've been out three times and used freshly caught gills and perch for tip-up bait.........w/out any success.  I have always used bait shop shiners and suckers, but this year I wanted to try something different. 

Do you have success w/ gills and perch?  Do you prefer one over the other?  I have a couple of weekend trips still planned, just wondering if I should go back to using the store bought bait or something different.

Any help is much appreciated.

Icer

If I'm fishing shallow, 8' or less, its Gillies.
If I'm fishing deeper, then it's Perch.
On Gills, cut off the spiney part of the front of the dorsal fin. I also put a few slashes in the bait so it sends out distress signals. If you are using larger bait, cut a fin or two off or part of the tail. A piece of red yarn a few inche long lashed to the hook so it trails can be deadly at times.

[walleyechaser]

I've caught my biggest tip up pike on a bluegill.  Depends on the lake really.  some lakes gills don't do anything.  Others they are the preferred bait.  Used to catch pike all the time on perch but I haven't used them in a while.

[flockshot]

ive always had better luck using perch i dont think ive ever caught a pike using a gill as bait.

[Bgreen02]

In summer I have caught pike on blue gill. Never on a perch though.

[Lobes]

I spent close to ten years fishing for pike almost exclusively. Found that gills catch the most and the biggest pike. They do hit any panfish but bluegills (the bigger, the better) produced the most fish 30" and up.
On tipups cutting a few of the sharp spines helps slow them down and puts lots of "injured prey" scent in the water. Also with the larger panfish, when you put them down the hole you will need to hold the line for up to a couple minutes with your hand. This basically teaches them their movement is restricted and you will get fewer "false flags". With large bait you will deal with some false flags, but the trade-off is worth it for more fish and bigger fish.

                                               

[Icer for life]

Thanks for the post backs.

I'm going to keep on using the gills and perch.  I have not tried cutting any of the fins, sounds like this will be my next try.  I know there are big pike in these lakes.  My cousin and I have both caught a couple of 15lbers.

I'm also testing floro vs steel leaders..........

Hoping for flags on Monday (Personal Fishing Holiday).

Icer

[1TIGGER]

Figure out what would be the most natural forage in the body of water you're going to fish and go with that !

[RLWagner]

Thanks for the post backs.

I'm going to keep on using the gills and perch.  I have not tried cutting any of the fins, sounds like this will be my next try.  I know there are big pike in these lakes.  My cousin and I have both caught a couple of 15lbers.

I'm also testing floro vs steel leaders..........

Hoping for flags on Monday (Personal Fishing Holiday).

Icer

If your after 15 pounders, then you have already made your mind up about steel versus Flouro!
Don't risk it!

[Icer for life]

The blue gill finally caught a big one!!!

Monday (personal fishing holiday) found us landing an 40 1/2" Northern that weighted in at 18 pounds and change (older scale never settled - bounced between 20 and 18 lbs).  I have pictures on a 35mm camera.  Hopefully I can get a digital disk made, then I'll spend hours trying to figure out how to post. 

Thanks to all for the advice.

Icer

[pinche]

The blue gill finally caught a big one!!!

Monday (personal fishing holiday) found us landing an 40 1/2" Northern that weighted in at 18 pounds and change (older scale never settled - bounced between 20 and 18 lbs).  I have pictures on a 35mm camera.  Hopefully I can get a digital disk made, then I'll spend hours trying to figure out how to post. 

Thanks to all for the advice.

Icer

Awesome congrats...post the pics when you get em.