waubay area pike

[PRFISHER]

When is the best time to come out for a pike fishing with tip-up trip? A budy and I are talking about coming out for a weekend and really only want to fish for some of those big norts. What lake would be the best bet?

[Tyler Holm]

There is a lot of pike ice fishing activitiy on Rush Lake. Many people spear huge pike in the shallows. I don't see why you couldn't catch them on tipups. Rush is just SE of Waubay. Its the huge body of water you cross on HWY 12. I've caught pike at the bridge there, but never ice fished it.

Also, many people fish the very north end of Waubay right South of Grenville for pike.

[icehousebob]

Tyler is right about Rush Lake being good for Pike. I've run tip-ups there on the flats with good results. The submerged tree areas on Waubay are also good but it can be hard for tip-ps because the fish will run for the trees and wrap you up. A stiff jigging rod with heavy line fished in the trees can be a blast. Good luck.

[supserdave]

Here's a dumb question, where do you guys park when you fish Rush. Any spots worth looking into for pike?

Thanks, we head up next week and I will report.

Dave

[Tyler Holm]

Hang a North on the first gravel road on the West side of Rush. I don't remember exactly where, but head north and look towards the right. People park on the road in areas. You may have to take a right, at the first interesction.

There is another body of water in that area (I don't think it's called Rush Lake), but if you follow the directions above you will hit a curve the curves towards the north. There are massive powerlines above and water towards the East. There are always several people fishing that area in dark spearking shacks.

Be careful because there are huge culverts that connect a few bodies of water in that area. Open water near the culverts is common.

There is also fishing activity on the South end, but I've never been down there.

[icehousebob]

Tyler, I know the area that you're talking about. You have to be careful where you park right there because one of the areas has no parking signs. And about that place under the powerlines, a couple years ago, the guy whose land got flooded there ran everybody off, claiming he owned it. The rumor was that he was carrying a shotgun when he did it.

Another place to run tip-ups is right off the north edge of Hwy 12 on the west end of the lake. Right along where the almost flooded farm place is there is a shallow flat that we've strung tip-ups and caught some nice pike. Right there last year, I set my first line and the flag wouldn't stay down. I thought it was too big of a shiner, but a northern had grabbed it on the way down. They're hungry in there.

[Tyler Holm]

icehousebob,

Thanks for clairifing some of the details. Like I said, I've never actually fished that particular area, but I was just commenting on what I've observed.

A shotgun. WoW. I'd recommend not fishing that area then.

I've also seen several people fishing right north of 12 where icehousebob indicated.

What sized pike might somebody expect to catch out of Rush? I've hit a few in the 3-5# range, but I know there must be much larger fish in there.