Favorite Northern Bait?

[blackdog1101]

I use suckers as baits for northerns, but for some reason this year I'm not having much success in my usual spots. What other baits do you like for northerns?

[fishuhalik]

Personally I'm a big fan of big ol' shiners. If you can find those 8" or bigger shiners, buy enough to last the season! I know guys have success w/ dead cisco/smelt/etc, I just never have, and not for lack of trying!

[thedeadsea]

A plain cisco on a tip up or yellow bucktail jig with a cisco.

[Fuzzbient]

I usually use big suckers too, but haven't had much luck on them lately. Last night I did hit a pike by accident with a small shiner I had down on the bottom for walleyes.

[trapperdirk]

Just a big ol whole froze herring on a quick strike rig . You can even get them out of a grocery store . Semi thaw them so you can pierce the hooks in easier .

TD

[Fred_Bear]

I think it depends on the area you're fishing and will differ from lake to lake.

It seems the dead smelt/cisco works better on lakes further north, and live suckers or shiners work better from central MN and south.

The biggest pike I see taken on tip-ups always come on live decoy suckers. You have to tweak the tip-up so the flag doesn't keep tripping and you won't get very many flags, but when you do it's always a pig (I'm talking at least 15 lbs).

[Beast26]

Smelt - hands down. Wouldn't use nothing else.

[fishuhalik]

Those decoys do bring in the big boys. Nothing's more frusturating than when you're fishing with $3.00/piece minnows and a little 4lber shreds the tar out of it, though.

[Chnginthhofl]

Couple weeks back I bought a few dozen shiners threw them in dry with some pickling salt and froze them. Haul'n'em now.

[RebelSS]

A sinking perch Shad Rap tipped with a minnow tail

[Swimbait2009]

My biggest pike of the winter so far came on a nickel diamond jig with a couple euros on it. Was panfishing and the thing bit like a tight-lipped crappie. Go figure...unless of course I caught said tight-lipped crappie and the pike ate it, but I think not! LOL!

[harvey lee]

Smelt.

[ZEEK1223]

Personally I'm a big fan of big ol' shiners. If you can find those 8" or bigger shiners, buy enough to last the season! I know guys have success w/ dead cisco/smelt/etc, I just never have, and not for lack of trying!

where do you find these 8in shiners? I would pay any price for them.......

[THavas]

...ok...i will ask it. bare with me here...i am new to the area

What is Cisco?

[hcmpls1]

...ok...i will ask it. bare with me here...i am new to the area

What is Cisco?

He had a song in the late 90's called "thong song". He has since fizzled out.

[Ed Carlson]

Herring, Goldeye, or Tullibie would be my picks for big pike. Late..late ice, smelt often is good, if the smelt is of good quality. I would be just as happy with good quality Herring, more oil content.

[paceman]

Hard to beat big ol shiners or smelt....

[pikestabber]

...ok...i will ask it. bare with me here...i am new to the area

What is Cisco?

Many species, some incorrectly, get the tag "cisco"...it really is regionally-based nomenclature for a variety of small fish/baitfish, but only a tullibee is scientifically classified as a cisco (like calling a bowfin a dogfish, or a freshwater drum a sheepshead...same fish, different tags). Usually it is small tulibees that are referred to as ciscos.

[Fishapalooza]

Big smelt on a big 'ol smelt hook. Usually works great on Bald Eagle and Forest.

[bloc004]

In a fishing tournement, I had a friend who used a hot dog and his dad covered his bait in hemroid cream!!!! Needless to say, they didnt catch anything!

[Chnginthhofl]

^What, hahahah

[hcmpls1]

In a fishing tournement, I had a friend who used a hot dog and his dad covered his bait in hemroid cream!!!! Needless to say, they didnt catch anything!

Thats hilarious!

[thedeadsea]

Preparation H is actually based from Shark's oil, so silly as it sounds, I have heard of people having luck with it.

[Spearing Machine]

SMELT!

[eyehead]

10-12" live sucker on a single treble quick strike.