Favorite hooks for the pike...

[Phunnyfarm]

What kind of hooks do you guys recommend for a pike tip-up set up?

I've got a gift card for a very large store in Rogers that I am using on my way up this weekend, so I'd like to stock up on some gear before I hit the hard water to target the pike!

[cjac]

Tough question right now, ideally it would be the quick strike rig, but the regs are a bit cloudy on that to say the least. Refer to this thread... QS thread

As a side note.......I have not received a reply from the DNR on the email I sent to them asking for clarification. To be expected with the replies from RK and his probing into this.

If not a QS rig, then look to the circle hooks and set the hook ASAP!

[Phunnyfarm]

Thanks cjac!

If RK is out there somewhere...have you heard anything recently about this, or is this just going to be a fuzzy issue this year until they get it defined for next year?

Hypothetically speaking...if an ice angler were interested in using one of these "quick strikes" , can they be purchased at the large store in Rogers, or would said angler need to construct one himself? Also, how would the angler attach this QS rig to the sucker minnow?

Thanks for the help!

[RK]

Hiya -

I expect to hear something from Enforcement early next week - by next weekend for sure, at the Fisheries Roundtable. What they're plannign on doing is issuing a bridge guidance that will cover the rest of this season until the new regs go into effect. My expectation is that under this temporary guidance QS rigs will be legal.

You can buy QS rigs - HT Enterprises and Bait Rigs both make good ones. I make my own. It's pretty simple. #27 singlestrand wire, a couple of small trebles, a swivel, and some heat shrink tubing to keep the front hook more or less in place. To attach it to a sucker the bottom hook goes near the dorsal fin, and the top hook near the tail. You can move that up some if you want, so the bottom hook is between the dorsal and head, and the top hook is between the dorsal and tail.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[Hoffer]

The quick strike rig is probably the best otion as mentioned above. However, for the past 2 years I have converted to a larger circle hook. I actually buy the blood red ones from Bass pro shops. Since converting, I havent hardly ever had a missed fish. In fact, last Summer in Canada when using them with dead bait under a bobber, I didnt have one miss, and every single fish was hooked right in the side of the mouth for an easy release. Last weekend, while ice fishing I caught a 41 inch Nort with these same hooks. Caught right in the side of the mouth and is out there swimming today. The key is to not let it take the bait for too long and then just start reeling in the line and keep it tight. You dont need to give the line a real "jerk" like you would with other style hooks. I really like them, and when used right actually like them better than the quick strike rigs. Sometimes with the quick strike rigs, I will get both hooks stuck in the fish and sometimes multiple hooks from the same treble....and this sometimes makes it tougher to get the hooks out and the fish is out of the water longer...but the quick strike rigs do save on having the fish swallow the hooks - no doubt about that.

[Phunnyfarm]

Nice...thank you! I like the idea of using the circle hooks, but we are going to primarily be using tip-ups for the pike. I'm guessing the circle hooks aren't the best for tip-ups if constant, steady pressure on the line is needed, right?

[Hoffer]

Thats what I was using with my tip ups. You could try a few different syles (if you dont go with the quick strike rig...) and see what you like. The Kahl hook is what I used to use, but like I said I have circle hooks on all my tipups now - and really like them.

[B420]

I run a single 5/0 treble hook tied to 50lb. Tyger leader material. I usually put a walleye sized spinner in either chartruese or orange just above the treble. I only run "decoy" suckers on my pike tip ups and found the 5/0 work the best. I like using the bigger minnows to discourage snakes, but it doesn't always work!