northern pike

[Guest]

Do northerns fan and guard beds?

[Guest]

No--Eqyptians do that

Northerns spawn in specific areas dictated by weeds and bottom content...

------------------
Chells

[TUMBLEWEED]

I have only seen them at work in streams
and rivers. They are in the shallows
and slackish areas before and during
ice-out. That dull olive drab color
on the fish's top-side blends in
perfectly with the downed branches and
logs laying on the mucky bottom.
The big "get-together" is over after
a couple of weeks at best, then they
head back for the deeper water.So I
guess that would answer your question,
at least with moving water and/or lakes
that have inlets/outlets.

Its really cool to watch the little
males up next to the piggy mamas!!
And all this can be found in water
only 1 to 2 feet deep.

[Renneberg]

Those males are the bravest fish I know of. Just picture this. Your 3 to 10 lbs and your girlfriend is 2 to 3 times your size and can easily make a meal of you.

[Steve Foss]

Hm, how's that any different than a man's life?

[Guest]

Hey stf or anyone else,
What was the final consensus regarding circle vs. quick strike in open water dead bait presentations?

Chells,
That was hilarious,(I'm serious).

[This message has been edited by esoxlucius (edited 03-05-2003).]

[This message has been edited by esoxlucius (edited 03-05-2003).]

[Steve Foss]

I vote quick-strike, because the fish doesn't have to swallow the bait before you strike.

While a circle hook almost never gut-hooks a fish and almost always, when properly (non)set, results in a hook in the corner of the mouth, you still have to wait for the fish to swallow it.

Then, as the fish moves away, you tighten the line slowly, the hook works its way toward the front of the mouth and hooks on the corner.

Nope, for me that's too much waiting on the ice. In fact, I've gone to the much more simple lone treble hook. I hook live bait with one barb just behind the dorsal, and dead bait in the side with two of the barbs.

I've been doing this now the last two months, and never have gut-hooked a pike. Furthest in the mouth was about 2 inches, and almost every fish was hooked in the corner of the mouth. Gotta add a little spinner in front of the treble in Minn to make it a legal lure.

I tie a barrel swivel to a length of Sevenstrand wire, then tie the treble on the end. Far less hassle than the tangly quick-strikes, and I've had equal hooking results.

Smaller trebles work best, say #6.

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 03-07-2003).]