Best bait under a bobber

[Jorgie]

With no boat, I am limited to shore fishing once the ice melts. I'm wondering what everyone favors for bait when fishing from shore with a bobber for spring/early summer pike. In the past, I've done ok with big nightcrawlers and minnows, but I'd like to know if there is something better. I was thinking maybe a hunk of dead smelt might work, sort of like a tip up presentation for soft water. Your opinion would be greatly appreciated.

[10,000 Casts]

Suckers / Shiners are good.

I have never done it but you could try herring or smaller smelt. I wonder how it would cast and what size weights you would need. I know that they do it up at Devils Lake in ND but their season opens up alot earlier.

Other guys here will have better input

John

[AaronM]

Frozen smelt works very well. Just use a circle hook or a treble and you'll be set!

[cjac]

Anyone catch the new Wisconsin legislation on live bait? It bans crossing state lines with live bait but this was also on the article:

"—Possessing and using dead bait is prohibited except in Lake Michigan or the waters where the bait originated. The virus can survive in dead bait that has been frozen, Staggs said."

Does this mean as it reads? Pardon me if I'm off base, but this sounds like dead bait like smelt cannot be used? I don't fish Wis. using live/dead bait except in the winter under tip-ups for pike, but wanted to bring this to light for those that may do so.

Chris

[guideman]

Using a treble hook alone by it's self is against the fish and game laws in Minnesota. They must be part of a lure, you cannot tie on a treble and use it with livebait, unless it has a spinner on it. (Page 10 of your Minnesota fishing regs) If you must fish Pike or Muskies with livebait rigs.Use a quick strike rig and leave the single hook Killer rigs at home. The new Wisconsin regs for bait won't effect licensed bait dealers, it only refers to bait transported by anglers, from one state to another."Ace"

[goose52]

i've used suckers with a circle hook and no leader. use around 15# berkley big game.just make sure hook is big enough for the size bait you use and don't let them take it to long. also use big treble instead of circle, but then i put spinner blade on line above hook to make it legal and sometimes it outfishes the non spinner blade setup. i also use a leader too sometimes and put the spinner blade on the leader snapon with the treble setup. those crafty northerns.

[AaronM]

Guideman-Thanks for the reminder! When you refer to "single hook killer rigs," are you referring to a single treble hook, or just a single plain hook?

[vermilionwally]

Try a big leech under a bobber. I have caught some nice northerns before on leeches. Ive heard of people catching them on smelt too. Ive never had a whole lotta luck for pike on Nightcrawlers either but i think i did catch one on a crawler once. Good Luck.

[guideman]

When I mentioned the single hook killer rigs I'm refering to one large single hook. Quick strike rigs allow you to hook the fish, without having to wait for them to swallow the bait. Results in no gut hooked fish that can't be released. If you are looking to catch smaller fish to eat it isn't as big a deal, but you never know when you might hook into a big fish that you'll want to release.

I use frozen smelt all winter long on Vermilion and the Pike eat them up. Pike are notorious for taking dead bait right off the bottom, and just below the ice. They will also take dead sucker or cisco's, just about anytime of the year. You can buy the frozen cisco's and smelt, at many local grocery stores. They are generally much cheaper to buy than live suckers, and they are so much easier to keep. You just put them on ice in your cooler and you're good to go. Quick strike rigs aren't that expencive either and you can make your own once you get the hang of it. You will hook more fish than with a single hook rig and you won't have to worry about gut hooking any of the fish.

"Ace"

[Bassboy1645]

hmm you cant beat a sucker or sometimes bigger sized chubs. A walleye might gulp your offering too. A better technique I discoverd as a kid fishing on the rum river was to throw a 1/4 ounce jig with a med sized sucker or shiner and rip it back just under the water's surface. The minnow darts and dances and wobbels back. The pike just go nuts for them!!!! You might bust off half the time but its still a blast!!! dont use a leader cuz it will kill the action but we did this before superlines. I bet with todays power pros and firelines you might have a better fish on to fish caught ratio. Walleye will smash this bait too!

[mtreno]

one more to think of - bullheads - 7 inches or smaller are legal. something i picked up from my cattin days -

[Ralph Wiggum]

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one more to think of - bullheads - 7 inches or smaller are legal. something i picked up from my cattin days -

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Hey now, don't be giving up our secrets

[Mike89]

bullheads are legal? I thought they were not.

interesting.

[Jorgie]

Thanks for the tips guys, I'm really excited for opener now!

[Ralph Wiggum]

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bullheads are legal?

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You bet! Bullheads under 7" are considered minnows.

From page 4 of the 2007 regulations:

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Minnows– Members of the minnow family, except carp and goldfish; bullheads, ciscoes, lake whitefish, goldeyes, and mooneyes (not over seven inches long); suckers (not over 12 inches long); mud minnows, leeches, tadpole madtoms and stonecats. (Note: border water regulations may vary.)

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Also, there is a proposal being considered now that would bump that up to 12".

[Mike89]

Thanks, I just might have give those rascals a try! I have swarms of baby dog fish every spring by the shore, be nice to use them too!

Mike

[troyfideldy]

Try a big lively GOLDEN shiner. Everything big eats them!

[Matt C]

I use a big ole sucker. Its great to watch that bobber go running after that pike takes it.

[Phunnyfarm]

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I use a big ole sucker. Its great to watch that bobber go running after that pike takes it.

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I couldn't possibly agree more!