deadbaiting HELP!

[AaronM]

When deadbaiting for pike today with bobbers, I missed wayyy to many fish. When is the appropriate time to set the hook? As soon as the bobber goes down or do you wait? Any tips or suggestions would be great. Thanks.

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"I cut it twice and its still too short"

[honker23]

Usually when I go deadbaiting it's out in SD fishing from shore just after ice out, and I use quick strike rigs and fish them on the bottom with dead smelt. The quick strike has two trebles that are movable so when line is peeling off the reel, I usually set the hook and have no problems.

[Guest]

I aways wait until the bobber goes down a couple times ( 20 to 30 seconds) and the pike begins to run with it then set the hook. It is a hard thing to learn to wait when your soft ball sized bobber goes down but the reward is worth it. The bigger the sucker you use the longer you should wait. I have had great luck with a 6 to 7 inch sucker.

[Steve Foss]

Pike usually take large dead bait sideways in their mouth and hold it that way as they swim away. Most often, your bobber going down only means a pike has taken the bait, but if you're using a single hook it's too soon to set it. The pike will swim a bit away, stop, turn the bait and begin to swallow it before moving off again. If you can see where your bobber is, wait until it starts to move off for the second time before setting the hook. Even if you can't see the bobber, watch your line as your reel is on freespool, and it will tell you the same thing.

Disadvantage to that is, you've just killed the pike, because that hook/leader is now in its stomach. So any pike you catch this way should be kept, ethically.

I use quick-strike rigs all the time now, which means you can set the hook as soon as your bobber goes down. Hooks the fish in the mouth, no problem.

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"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 05-11-2003).]