Catchin' snakes

[sawgrass]

I'm a walleye guy, but I have some friends coming to visit that would like to hit the ice for some northerns. I normally catch northerns when I'm not tryin', but now I need some advice on how to actually fish (and catch) a few. Methods, bait, presentations, etc. Any help would be appreciated!

[Lunker]

Tip-ups, weed edges, sucker/shiners/smelt/herring, 3 ft. off bottom. Always fun to spread some tip-ups between some guys and chill out with some snacks in teh shack. If you don't have tip ups u can get them for like 3.99 at Mills Fleet Farm right now. I personally like a skinny part of a lake seperating bays about 8-12 ft deep and weedy.

[Guest]

Welcome to Fishing Minnesota! Here's the 101. Find a weed line. Lake Minnetonka and White Bear offer a chance at a big pike. Start with a Frabill Thermal tip-up. Spool up with some tough line and a decent leader, put a good good hook on your leader. Hook a shiner up put him about a foot off the bottom and hang out. The pike will find the shiner. While watching a tip-up I'd jig a Willow Spoon or an Angle Eye tipped with a whole fatty or a shiner. Use a leader on your jigging outfit. If this doesn't work fish a light mono rig for crappie or walleye and as you probably know the pike are sure to bite. Good luck.