Some pointers for pike through the ice

[Joeytier]

I'm going to be hitting the hard water for the first time this year tomorrow morning. This will be my first time targetting pike through the ice. I have my tip ups and one rod rigged with the traditional quick-strike rigs and some big suckers ready to go, but was wondering what other tactics work well for pike. Does anybody use spoons or jigging raps, or are those typically too aggressive for winter pike? I was also thinking the traditional jighead and a minnow worked slow might be effective as well.

 

Any help would be great.

[Hellfish]

It seems when I target pike I wont catch them through the ice, but if I am fishing for Perch with a little pinhead or a emerald, there come the pike. I hear people using perch for pike down here, but everywhere I read that is illegal? I usually just use quick strikes with a 6inch sucker and a big n float.

[Joeytier]

The use of a float somehow slipped my mind. Thanks for the reminder.

[DANIMAL]

All the presentations you mentioned work good. Jigging a spoon tipped with a minnow head and minnows (live or dead) on a quick strike rig have been most productive for me.

[Hellfish]

check out the Big N floats if you can find them, they are made for ice fishing and work phenominally

[pike slayer]

ive caught pike on just about everything going. ive caught them jigging a plain spoon, live bait(dace and large suckers), jighead with a minnow, tube jigs, etc etc. i find its all on how aggressive they are. i'd set a still line(tip up) with live bait and try various spoons and jigs and vary speeds and jigging patterns tillyou start laying into them. it might take some trial and error.

[basskicker09]

we ice fish with a man from another board and he swares by using a float for ice fishing for pike because once you set the depth pull out another few feet of line for the fish to take the large bait without resistance and he does really well that way for myself i use a rocking rod holder so when they take it they have about two feet befor they feel the hook you will find that alot of the time it will take them awhile to swallow the bait

[Joeytier]

Looks like I'm making a Boxing Day list of goodies.

 

Thanks for the info.

[pike slayer]

when still fishing for pike i use a large stick. i tie an elastic to my line and i put it on the stick, i then leave line 10-20feet on the ice. when the pike starts pulling on the line the elastic drops off the stick and the pike can run with it. if you dont get it and want a better explaination, pm me i'll make up pics to.

[fishinguypat]

i'm no expert but would a rig like this work: minnow on a treble quick strike rig,then a split shot going up the line to the rod...then letting it hit bottom pulling up a bit then putting a float on the line as a strike indicator?or is that what Rob D said?

[canadadude]

I'm going to be hitting the hard water for the first time this year tomorrow morning. This will be my first time targetting pike through the ice. I have my tip ups and one rod rigged with the traditional quick-strike rigs and some big suckers ready to go, but was wondering what other tactics work well for pike. Does anybody use spoons or jigging raps, or are those typically too aggressive for winter pike? I was also thinking the traditional jighead and a minnow worked slow might be effective as well.

 

Any help would be great.

All these methods work great at first ice, set up a tip up with a large live sucker and jig another rod. However in midwinter your best bait for large pike is a dead sucker on a quick-strike rig just hanging there below a tip-up, make sure you use a tip-up that will free spool line after the intial hit.

 

Big dead frozen smelt work great to, not sure if this legal but pike love them

Edited December 23, 2009 by canadadude

[solopaddler]

Big dead frozen smelt work great to, not sure if this legal but pike love them

 

 

If it's not legal then I'm in big trouble.

 

(herring are my favourite though)