Pike Fishing

[JBMasterAngler]

My tip up success is hit and miss at best. Just looking for a few pointers here. I normally put my tip up in the 8 to 15 ft depth range, and normally have the bait halfway down...is there ever situations where having the bait on the bottom would be better, or should I just stick with the halfway routine? Also, how deep is too deep for winter pike? And in deeper water (beyond 20 ft), what depth do you set the bait?

[Pleasant]

Good question... I start 3 feet off the bottom, just always has been good for me. All the old timers I fished with told me that northern pike are more likely to swim up and take a minnow. I know my Father in law many time's will have his minnow only 3-4 feet down and be in 12 feet or so of water, he seems to always get his fish. Just my 2 cents.

[Quetico]

Get your minnow just about the weeds. Find the depth the weeds come up to. Then put your bait 3-6" above.

I usually have good luck with tip-ups when i can find lakes worth fishing. I have great hook-up percentages with quickstrike rigs. I will happily meet anyone on the water this winter and show you a few things if you would like.

[blackdog1101]

I've had decent success with using the half-way down method, in locations near weedlines. I put the hook behind the sucker minnow's dorsal fin, which makes the minnow swim more irratically, and I think this brings in more northerns.

[JBMasterAngler]

Normally I just have the tip up out as a 2nd line, as I am usually after panfish, so getting the right spot for tip up has never been high on my list (probably the biggest reason for lack of success). I don't know what it is about quick strike rigs, but they just rub me the wrong way...I'm gonna try circle hooks this year and see what happens. What do you guys prefer for bait? I like big shiners, and if they're not available I prefer big rainbow chubs.

[deadeye]

I didn't really target them last year but in years past I have done really well with pike on the tip ups.

I may be the odd man out but I always go pretty shallow in the weeds. Sometimes I'm shallow enough that I hit bottom with the auger. I would say average is around 3-5 feet though. The minnow may be just under the ice when really shallow, otherwise right above the weeds is perfect. Some people say there are only little ones shallow, but in the metro I have gotten them up to 14lbs in the shallow water under the ice.

The quick strike rig has always been good to me but it has to be done right. I like smaller hooks than most guys and I think it really helps with the bait movement. Very fine wire seems to help too.

Bait is really a toss up. If big shinners are available then i go for them otherwise its rainbows. I really dont like suckers, it seems like they always die too soon. I got a freezer full of smelt too so maybe I should try those, I hear they work good.

[JimBuck]

I typically setup for pike in 7-10 ft. and present bait mid water column. I'm looking for the big cruisers that hang a little higher and cover some water.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

If Im just doing pike Ill try setting the minnow at varied depths. 3' off the bottom or just above the weeds is a good rule of thumb. Somethings when its overcast I like to fish my minnow just a few feet under the ice in an attempt to silhouette my bait better with the available light. In high pressure situations or a day whens the flags just are not going Ill put a dead minnow on the bottom.

I started doing the minnow on the bottom after a trip a few years ago. I had my camera down and pike were cruising in and looking at my baits but no takers. Soon a big ol gator came through but pulled the same thing, just looked. I figured Id try something else and put down a jigging spoon with a full dead shiner. After a few minutes of a staring contest the fish swam off and I reeled up but my minnow had fallen off. A minute later that same fish came back at took the minnow of the bottom without hesitation.

[mrfish1991]

You can show me how to do it sometime on crystal quetico

[crappiebuster]

When fishing deeper basins for pike I half the water column. Say its 30 foot basin I usually set my tipup at 15foot. I have had very good luck doing this. Pike are predators they control the whole water column and use the whole column also.

[Kyle]

JB-

Im right with ya. I always seem to set up in 8-15fov unless I happen to be setup deep for pannies. I always put my bait about 2-3 feet off the bottom. Seems to me that was the basic height I was taught as a young kid to keep my worm off the bottom;even in the summer. It has worked so many times, and has been such a go to depth for me in year-round situations that I cant think of a better reason than to keep doing it. The only time I vary from that dept is in the spring when the northerns are cruisin right under the ice for dead fish, oxygen, or pannies that are taking in more oxygen. If you are ever fishing for pannies during the day, try setting a up a rod with a fathead or a big crappie minnow on the smallest, but heaviest jig you can get your hands on and let it sit a couple inches off bottom; then jerk it erradically for like 15 seconds every 10 mins or so. I have caught a ton of northern doing this, especially in the 20ft depths during the day when the pannies are deep. Its a blast! Oh, and dont use a leader, just tie the jig right to the line. I have lost as many if not more fish than I've caught using this method, but it seems to be alot more realistic because I have had way more strikes using this setup. Its a rush! You can pick up a few walleyes once in a while too, and the occasional really big crappie.

My friend is a big fan of the quick strike rigs with frozen smelt that you can buy in large bags at Cub foods, and dropping it right underneath the ice. He says it works awesome up in the duluth area which is where he's from, but in our adventures it seems to not work in the st. cloud area. I prefer a medium sucker or a large silver shiner as well. I will say, that on a trip up by duluth last year we had the quickstrike rig set up right underneath the ice on the coldest day of the year and we lost a 15lb plus fish. We also landed a few smaller fish. I think it depends on where you are. It seems to me that certain things work in certain lakes and not so much in others... Hope this helps a little. Good luck

[bogeyman1]

I usually fish under 20 ft. and keep my bait about 5 ft. off the bottom. I like to use dead smelt because they are always handy and keep well. If you have the opportunity to be in a dark house and can watch pike from a spear hole, you learn quite a bit of their reactions to bait, etc.

[merkman]

Drop part of a frozen cisco right on the bottom and keep it there.

Set up right on the side of the green weeds depth will vary depending on water clarity.

Make sure there is a large drop off to Deep water (25 Ft +) very near by.

If you can set up in the middle of an undewater draw that leads to deep water that is even better.

I agree in the spring or very late season they will cruise just under the ice.

They will still go down to grab things off the bottom at that time (I have seen it many times) but they are cruising just under the surface.

Hope this helps

[JBMasterAngler]

Thanks for all the replies. You've given me lot's of options to explore. I'll give them a go and see what happens.

[FISHINGURU]

i just caught a 15lb pike about an hour ago....6lb stren, #4 baitholder hook, bobber set at 2ft fishin in about 6 ft of water with a rocky bottom...my gf missed 3 big pike in a row...2 bad hooksets and 1 that broke the line....i was busy jiggin for walleyes but after that we swapped and i landed 1 right before dark...big pike are always fun!!

my personal rule of thumb for ice fishing pike is stay in the middle of the water column....if its 20fow i set my minnow at 10fow and so on.