northern pike tipup bait?

[mainbutter]

I'm not a bait fisherman very much, and I'm just as new to using something other than artificial lures for northern pike as I am to ice fishing.

I think while I'm ice fishing this year, I'd like to have a tipup set up nearby to try to score some bonus pike (and anything else that may bite). What would you suggest I use under a tipup for icing some pike? Is it readily available at most bait shops?

Also, if I'm somewhere with panfish action, is it also a fine location to set up a tipup for pike nearby?

[GatorBait]

I would simply buy a few Large Shiners. With my camera down while gill fishing, it's abnormal not to see Pike roaming through on lakes that have pike of course.

[Team_FBR]

We always go with medium suckers around 6 inches +/-, shiners work great also like stated above.

[Gordie]

Big Golden shiners are my favorite then I would have to say creek chubs if you can get them.

Its always a good spot for pike if you can find the panfish and dont be afriad to set that tip up only a few feet under the ice. The pike are cruzin looking for aa easy meal if there has been a lot of panfish activity by other fishermen the pike will be searching out those pannies that can not quite swim so well from the release.

I have speared pike 1-3 foot under the ice in 20 plus feet of water.

[wahoo]

Ditto on Creek Chubs if you can find them.

[fire29]

Shiners

[fishuhalik]

Big golden shiners first, big suckers 2nd. Never tried creek chubs in the winter. And ditto what elwood said on depth & presentation.

[Beast26]

Smelt are always my first choice. Just make sure you buy the ones that are still legal to use. As mentioned above don't be afraid to have the bait way off the bottom. The eyes are on the top of their head anyway. The closest I ever fish to the bottom for pike is 3 feet and I always have one way off the bottom and one closer. If the fish prefer one over the other I adjust them to be the same.

[Jim Uran]

I like suckers because they are hardy and they are always available....

But if I can find a dozen big goldies, I'll take them above everything!

[JBone]

Large lively shiners! middle of the water column

[20lbSloughShark]

This just about says if for me...

[Huey]

Anyone ever used alantic herring or know where to get it?

I saw a tv show where guys were using herring on tip-ups for big pike on LOTW.

[wahoo]

I tried frozen Pacific herring and green back mackeral last year. Kept some macks from a long range trip out of San Diego and found the herring in asian supermarket. I checked with Mn DNR first and they had no problems with me using it. Used it on a lake near Brainerd I have fished for 40 some years. Had a sucker or shiner down a couple of holes and the frozen down another. (2 of us fishing so we were legal.) Not a bite or any interest in the frozen bait and several pike on the live bait. As we were in our permanent the baits were close together. But, the pike we saw had no interest in the frozen bait.

Have fished smelt in the past and caught soem fish, and no some guys think they are the best. But, for us, live always seems to do better.

[Mr Special]

20lbsSS,

now if you could make and animated video with a fish hitting it, and the flag poppin up that would be Awesome =)

I agree with all the baits choices and techniques. fish are weird tho, some days its suckers, others its shiners, or even dead frozen bait.

having the baits higher in the water column does seem to work better for me as well.

Just last wkend a bud n I tested that theory.

my baits were 4' dwn in 7-8' fow, while his were 6"-1' of the bottom. after n hr, i had 4 flags to his NONE. needless to say he switched his soon afterwards lol

i think he was thinking walleyes or something lol

[Odonata]

Sucker minnow. Using smelt was always good, but they outlawed that practice.

[pikerliker]

Hey Beast I always loved using frozen smelt too, but now I'm not sure where to get the "legally" prepared type. Where do you get yours? Can you order them from anywhere?

Thanks ~piker

[eyeguy 54]

We just use smelt. Was out west last week and

what a hoot. 1 that I cleaned had a smelt, some other kind of fish half gone, 2 big green frogs and a hot dog in it's gut. lol Yes we use hot dogs also under tip ups when out of smelt. Cheap red ones.