What depth of water to set up in

[aquafang]

New to spearing. Using my bow(SD). Seems like you can bring a pike up to the top with decoy or spoon. But is there a good depth where pike are more likely to be? Seems like shallow (4-6ft.) would be better cruizing depths???

Yes....no...??

[Gordie]

If your in a area where alot of panfish are then they will cruze just under the ice looking for a easy meal from those stunted panfish from the other fishermen and you can entice them with a decoy or spoon easy enough. Depth of water is a debate that will go on and on.

4-12 is some of my favorite water but I will not hesitate to spear over 20 plus FOW.

I guess it depends on each body of water last year I never left the shallows no snow made it possible to spear the shallows all year and I have yet to spear deeper than 11 fow this year and that was over 4 foot of weeds both times.

If you know there is bait fish in the area then thats the place to be also.

It tough to pin point one depth that will out shine another, they all work, its just the right place right time theory.

Gordie

[Archerysniper]

It depends on the lake but I try to find the weed line with deep water close by. The lake I'm normally on the weeds grow out to around 12 feet. Sunday I was over 12 feet of water with the weed line right in the hole and saw 8 fish my wife also saw a huge one when I wasn't in the house. All the fish came in 3 feet down or less. I had one hit my sucker that I had reeled up to the bottom of the ice .

[mrklean]

I pretty much do the same as them look for drop offs and weeds i typically spear 7-10ft but if the water is clear enough I've gone deeper i think 15 is probably the deepest I've speared

[merkman]

I am in 15 right now....

Edge of weeds at 12 ft less than 3 foot to one side of me.

Deep water (20 ft+) 6 to 8 feet on the other side of me.

I am pulling fish from both the edge of the weedline and the deep water.

Dont forget to work the entire water column with your decoys.

You can pull fish up from the deep by doing this (at least that works on the lake I am on now)

.

[aquafang]

Alot of our lakes in SD are bowl like and have no remaining weeds come winter. I think a shoreline is best out in about 5 or 6'. Im just guessing. We do have some flooded roadbeds???

[aquafang]

How about flooded timber?

[Gordie]

I have a friend that lives Near Devils lake and he does very well in the flooded timber with tip ups, so I would say yes,and that is a great place to start.

They use that timber to hide and help aid in the ambush factor.