floating dead bait

[fishinguypat]

I know that when your bait is off bottom it looks better to the fish. when using dead bait like minnows how can I get them to come up off the bottom when bottom fishing, Primarily for pike and the area is too deep for using slip floats. any help?

[ChrisK]

Time to think out of the box...Insert floatation wherever you see fit

[muddler]

Floating Jigs should work. As to "it's too deep for slip floats", I've fished lake trout in 120 feet of water with a slip float. I fish a small lake with splake in it using a slip float in about 40 feet of water with excellent results. The stopper (or stopper knot) is reeled right onto the spool and the you just cast out. Feed the slack out until the float cocks and you're set.

 

muddler

[cuzza]

Get a syringe and inject the belly with air - be very careful it's only the bait you stick with the syringe though!

[OhioFisherman]

Try a Carolina style rig, have a leader separate the bait from the weight, 18-24 inches. I have no idea what style of hooks you intend to use, all floating jig heads that I have seen use an Aberdeen hook, I would not recommend them for bigger fish. You could just thread the hook through a piece of styrofoam before putting the bait on?

[skunked]

floating jigs. instead of a lead head its styrofoam. but some have really flexible hook shanks so..

[fishinguypat]

I was thinking of putting styrophone balls in the minnows mouth

[Roy]

I was thinking of putting styrophone balls in the minnows mouth

 

Yeah! That would be a good look....

[misfish]

Marshmellos float.

[Kwan]

dropshot it

 

tight lines

[danc]

I know that when your bait is off bottom it looks better to the fish. when using dead bait like minnows how can I get them to come up off the bottom when bottom fishing, Primarily for pike and the area is too deep for using slip floats. any help?

 

Actually, a dead bait on the bottom is an excellent way to catch Pike. Using an oily (stinky) bait fish such as a smelt or ciscoe is the key. The Pike will find it. I'd hate to try to guess how many Pike that the boys and I caught off of our dock in downtown Red Lake this summer by tossing a dead ciscoe out and letting it sit on bottom. Not to mention the Walleyes and Lake Trout. Several years ago, after I ran out of smelts, I caught just as many Pike by tossing out a strip of raw bacon and letting it sit on bottom.

[sauce]

the area is too deep for using slip floats. any help?

I don't think this is possible. In fact its an incorrect statement. A slip float can be used to suspend your bait at any depth in any depth of water. What I can see being a problem is if the depth varies. Say 10 ft deep close to shore, 20 ft halfway out, 30ft at your max casting range. In this case, its pretty much impossible to keep your bait suspended the same distance off bottom.

That's why a floating jighead is probably your best bet. I wouldn't bother with the floating jigheads that you buy at tackle shops. Chances are they arent bouyant enough to keep a big minnow from swimming to bottom and hiding in weeds. Not only that, the hooks are usually fine wire and will straighten if you do manage to hook a big fish.

Be creative. Find some foam and cut it into the shape of a small fish. Rig like this...

Mainline, egg sinker, bead, swivel, leader with foam minnow threaded on, proper live bait hook for pike. Egg sinker size, foam minnow, leader length and minnow size will all need to be balanced to eachother to hold your bait where you want it. Obviously, the bigger the minnow you use, the bigger all the other items in this rig need to be. Good luck fishinguypat!

[Bluegill]

You can use a slip float in any depth, there is no limit.

 

Here is my setup, I fish with it for lakers, brookies and splakes in summer and in winter.

In the setup shown the line runs inside the float!

You only have to calibrate your depth with the small red stopper line shown.

The rubber rings on the float are still there but are not used in this setup!!

 

Edited November 7, 2010 by Bluegill

[Bluegill]

The same setup.

This float you can buy at CT

 

[fishinguypat]

Meh I used some of these methods and got skunked so did everyone else today that I saw, 15 car and about 2-3 people in each and still everyone got skunked ....at least I got some fresh air?

[johnnyb]

30 - 45 people?!? And no hook-ups? Pretty sure you need to find a new spot....

[Afraz]

30 - 45 people?!? And no hook-ups? Pretty sure you need to find a new spot....

 

 

I second that, there's deff something not right...

[Shaun Rickard]

I know that when your bait is off bottom it looks better to the fish. when using dead bait like minnows how can I get them to come up off the bottom when bottom fishing, Primarily for pike and the area is too deep for using slip floats. any help?

 

Here\s a good video tip from a UK show that I found on YouTube, hope it helps.

 

Cheers,

Shaun