Northerns on Tip Ups - Best Depth?

[Guest]

I like to place my bait about 2-3 feet off the bottom if I'm in around 8-10 feet. If I'm shallower I'll place it about a foot off bottom. Any deeper then 10 feet and I'll put it anywhere from 3-5 off bottom depending on depth. I like to jig for northerns in deeper water so I haven't used tip-ups that much in deep water, just in about 15 feet or shallower. What are your favorite baits, I'm a shiner guy but I've had success on suckers too.
Good Fishin, Matt.

[NorthWoodsGuy]

Any consensous on the best depth to set tip ups for northerns?

I've been told 6" below the ice in relatively shallow water (10' and less) and I've heard 6" off the bottom for deeper water.

I don't have very much success, and nothing get my blood pumping like a flag flying, so I thought I'd ask the experts - you guys!

[This message has been edited by NorthWoodsGuy (edited 09-19-2002).]

[Duffman]

In 10'-12' I usually put mine down 6 feet. Less than 10', I'll usually go to whatever depth is half the distance.

[NorthWoodsGuy]

Thanks for the input!

I have tried both suckers, live and dead, and shiners. Can't tell any difference in the outcome.

[Guest]

Go over your favorite Crappie hole, say 25-35 feet in the winter, and put the tip-up down 8-12 feet. Set another one up so your sucker is suspeded 4 feet above the top of the suspended school of Crappies.

Some monster hogs cruise through schools of Crappies quite often; Take it to em'!

Good luck,

PCG

[Guest]

So lets say im fishing in 40' of water and catching some suspended crappies @ 20'-30' range, would I just set my tip-up @ 15' or would I want to go below them for a stray Pike going bye?
I just might try that but was wondering @ what deepth I should put it.

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FISHSTUNNER

[Raven]

Pro Crappie Guide - you are right on target. Last year in 30' of water, the crappies were coming in at about 21'. I noticed something about 5" above them. Turned out to be northerns. I put out a tip-up and was kept busy.

Have you tried that new tip-up called a "Warrior" that you use your own rod and reel? Works great. I have a short rod and an Ambassidor reel with Fireline on it. It sure beats pulling them through the ice by hand.

[Guest]

Sounds good Raven.

I have never tried them. I usually don't fish tip-up's. Just get the occasional "chewy" when I am fishing Crappies in the winter when those higher larger signals come through on the FL-8.

PCG

[This message has been edited by Pro Crappie Guide (edited 09-26-2002).]

[Guest]

Depth is relative to the time of year. Early in the year and late in the year, you will find the large pike working the shallows. This is the time that the spearers are seeing a lot of fish. I don't usually tip-up fish at this time. During mid winter the big fish take to the deep water. This is when most people quit targeting pike. However, it is the best time to catch truely huge pike.

What PCG mentioned is very true and works in lakes that are deep or have deep holes. If you have a lake with a maximum depth of 25 ft, you will have to look to the bottom. The Large pike will be cruising with the large gills and crappies. So, if you hear of people getting gills and crappies in deep water, this is where you want to start for pike. Although a lot of big pike take the suspended bait, the biggest fish I have found prefer a dead bait right on the bottom or less then a foot off the bottom. Give it a try, you will find that instead of getting the normal 2-3 lb fish you get in shallow water, you will start getting the 8-20 lb fish that call deep water their home. Scott Steil

[Guest]

I've had luck mid to late winter on Northerns cruising the firts deep break off shallow weedy ( = panfish ) bays. One bay in particular is about 6 foot deep average but breaks to about 20 feet. Have had some luck with bigger Northerns suspending big Smelt a couple feet off the bottom on tip ups. NOT fast and furious action but the fish a guy can get are worth the wait. I think their looking for winter kill later in the season ?
I use as big a Smelt as I can get and rig em on home made quick strike rigs.

[Iceman77]

In North Dakota I used to fish for northerns all the time and still do as I moved down here with noticeable differences between the two areas. First off I try to find out what the northerns are typically feeding on and where. If I find schools of perch, which predominantly hug the bottom I will take a dead smelt or herring(the bigger the better, 8" minimum) and place it within a foot of the bottom. If I find that they are feeding on crappies or sunnies I will place the smelt on the upper edge of where I am seeing fish in the vexilar. Simply put if they are feeding on perch hug the bottom. If they are feeding on suspending baitfish, crappies, sunnies etc. move the bait to the zone where they are at. If I am fishing in tall weeds I will generally place the bait 3/4 the way up the plant.
This also brings up the discussion on what bait to use. Last year I moved down to the twin cities area and couldn't find smelt anywhere so I used sucker minnows and caught lots of smaller northerns with some decent sized between 6-10 lbs mixed in. When I went back to N.D. I picked up a couple bags of smelt and used those. I outfished anyone using sucker minnows 5 to 1. The key with using dead bait is getting the bait in the area the northerns are feeding on since it's not moving. Also the bigger the smelt or herring the bigger the fish you will usually catch. Back home using the little 8" or less smelt would net you a bunch of 6# or less northerns, while using smelt around 10" would consistently get me 10-15lbers with very few under 6#'s. Yeah, it was great having lakes full of fat perch and plenty of northerns and no fishing pressure and being able to use 4 rods for ice fishing. 2 jigging rods inside the ice house for perch and 2 tipups outside for those slough sharks!!! It kept you busy and gave you a great workout running across the ice. Hope this helps.

[Steve Foss]

Hey Iceman:

I'm with you on the N.D. thing. Moved to Superior WI from Grand Forks (all that Devils Lake tipup fishing). Agreed on the smelt. Up here, however, you can net your own when they run in the spring on Lake Superior.

Did a lot of tipup fishing in NW Wisconsin last winter. Got smelt sent from a buddy in GF and used them in competition with live golden shiners (6-8" shiners). Went about 50-50, and pike sizes were the same. WI is a bit more liberal than MN and a bit less than ND on lines. Can use three while ice fishing. So I'd do two tipups for pike and jig one for pike. Also, lots of Wisconsin guys use lighter line and tipups for walleye and perch, something you almost never saw in ND.

When in Rome . . .

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 09-27-2002).]