Frozen anchovies for pike?

[Mark Riesenbeck]

I have used frozen smelt to catch big pike (where legal of course), but I was wondering if anyone who reads this board has used frozen anchovies for pike. My local Kroger has the small, headless smelt, but the anchovies were allowed to keep their heads, and are much larger--- and I would think a more tempting snack for a big pike. I know anchovies are a saltwater fish---would pike be interested? Thanks.

[e-z-out]

Big fish eat little fish and i think they would go after it but thats only a guess.

[Slick Willy]

They will love 'em.

[fishinggeek]

I've read articles where they use frozen mackerel (not sure if it's spelled correctly), which is also a saltwater fish. Try it and let us know!

[capt bruce]

Probably like a red and white spoon more and its not as messy and smelly lol never understood fishing pike with bait when they chase down just about anything shiny this time of year ??? just seams like more fun and you get that dropping jaw when a biggun follows right to the boat

[Clampet]

Probably like a red and white spoon more and its not as messy and smelly lol never understood fishing pike with bait when they chase down just about anything shiny this time of year ??? just seams like more fun and you get that dropping jaw when a biggun follows right to the boat

 

Yeah, the deadbait thing is a good tactic fer ice fishing.

[Greencoachdog]

They will eat them! They use frozen Anchovies and Mackerel in Alberta for Pike and Lakers because of a live bait ban. They do well with them.

[wacky tambaqui]

I've read articles where they use frozen mackerel (not sure if it's spelled correctly), which is also a saltwater fish. Try it and let us know!

 

I've done some research on the freshwater angling culture in England. There, mackerel seems to be a popular bait for piking (as they call it). What they do is they wind and tie a piece of string lengthwise along the trace (leader) and leave it sitting on the bottom with the hook sticking out of the front end.

 

Another fisher in my area I know of swears by leaving a herring on the bottom in a similar way.

 

redsfan, I'd definitely try anchovies if I were you. Let us know how you make out.

 

Pike -especially the bigger ones- have a keen sense of smell and they are known to eat dead things.

[Mark Riesenbeck]

Thanks guys. I have my quick-strike rigs all ready.

[rbaquial]

Do you guys know if its ILLEGAL to USE FROZEN BAITS, ANYWHERE IN ONTARIO? I'm planning on using FROZEN BAIT (Smelt, Mackerel etc...) for PIKE/MUSKY come "ICE-OUT"...

 

PLEASE tell me someone knows the answer to this...

Edited January 28, 2009 by Addikted2Fishin'

[OhioFisherman]

I read an article years ago in a fishing magazine about extensive testing Berkley had done on scents, for some reason pike prefered Mackeral. You could try stuffing some from a can in to a larger tube?

[jwl]

Do you guys know if its ILLEGAL to USE FROZEN BAITS, ANYWHERE IN ONTARIO? I'm planning on using FROZEN BAIT (Smelt, Mackerel etc...) for PIKE/MUSKY come "ICE-OUT"...

 

PLEASE tell me someone knows the answer to this...

 

gotta watch where you are fishing...lots of places pike are open all year but others where season closes March 31 for example until May, as for muskies...they don't open until June....not to be a wize guy but you should gets a regs book instead of asking people here

 

 

as for the original question of using dead/frozen baits for pike...not bad for plunking down a hole ice fishing, but too smushy to cast