setting the hook

[rickmp]

When using livebait for northern under a slipbobber, when should I set the hook? I've been told to let em run, and wait till they stop, then set the hook when they take off again. Is this correct? Also, where is the best place to hook the livebait (back, tail, lip)?

[Guest]

Maybe not that answer you are looking for, but I would go with a quick strike rig for much better hooking percentages. Musky Mania Lift off rigs are excellent and very easy to figure out.

MJB

[Guest]

while ice fishing a few years ago ...i had the opportunity (more then once) to actually see what a northern does when approaching and hitting my minnow...one day i remember quite well ...i was using 6" sucker minnow hooked between the back fin and tail (suspended about 4 feet below the ice in crystal clear water)...a northern about 5-6 pounds approached slowly and sat there pondering what to do for about 30 seconds... it "inched" closer in small jerks...when it was about 8" away ...it flared it's gills, opened it's mouth and bit the minnow sideways in it's mouth(head to the left,tail to the right)...it just "hovered " there below the ice at this popint undisturbed...i did not set the hook yet because i could see my hook in the sucker minnow's back out to one side of the northen's mouth the hook not "in" the northern's mouth fully yet...then after about 30 seconds or so...the northen opened it's mouth and repositioned (in little "gulps") the sucker minnow until the head of the minnow was in head first... then it gulped it down in little "swallows"... i saw the tail of the minnow "dissappear"...i set the hook......i landed that northern...i've seen this happen more then once through the years quite amazing actually) so there's definitely a pattern on how northerns feed and swallow a minnow...now if i had set the hook immediately ...i would have lost that fish(the hook was outside the northerns mouth )now i see no reason why a northern would feed or approach a minnow any differently during the summer ..should be the same one would think...i'm a firm believer in letting a couple minutes go by before setting the hook (of course if northerns are aggressively feeding ..they hook themselves )....thanks .......jon

[rickmp]

Thanks for the very descriptive info jon. I'll keep that in mind next time I'm out there. Thanks a lot.