Targeting Pike

[nofishfisherman]

Headed up early friday morning for the weekend and two of the guys I'm going with are interested in setting up some tip ups for pike as we jig for walleye.

Can anyone offer any tips on fishng pike on URL? Better to fish near the bottom, suspended, just below the ice?

Thinking a big shiner would be best, any other thoughts?

[Boker001]

I was up this past weekend and caught a 36" and a 40".

I set the bait at roughly half the water depth. Used heavy suckers 6" - 10" with a circle hook to swivel to UV blade to 2x ice buster bobbers to bobber stop on a HT tip down and rod and reel set-up. 17lb fluoro leader had no problem with the teeth. Mid-day was the best action. Also had a 25" eye hit it once.

Good luck and have a blast!

[BuckSutherland]

I always set halfway too. Something that I like doing is taking some big faceted glass beads like red and clear and put a couple of them in front of treble hook. I am hoping the beads make a little extra flash. Usually red hook, red bead, clear bead, red bead, small spinner. 30lb fireline, One treble hook right in front of the dorsal fin of a big sucker. Shinners are wussy and will die right away.

Fish make initial run to with the bait, then they stop and get the bait in their mouth head first and start going and thats when I pop them. Always seem to get a nice clean release that way. I am going to start shoveling all the snow away from my hole too. I want to get some light down there for my bait. Please do not gaff them. And spread them out.

For the walleye fishing I would have one guy jig and two set lines. Take turns if you want to jig.

[Slabineye]

Not sure what i would do any more I've spent many hours and money on suckers and haven't hooked up with one yet they always seem to bite the 6lb test and the fat head with a plan hook. What I am getting at is i always set up a Tip up out with a sucker halfway up the water depth while i'm fishing in the hard house. Never had any luck on the tip up but i've caught a few in the house while Jigging. Not sure if the sucker helps attract the pike or what but it would be nice to get some payback on the suckers once i'm sure my time will come.

[steeplechaser2]

My best luck has been with a small crappie minnow and my favorite crappie glow red frostie that is absolutrely irreplaceable...it's a sure bet to attract pike.....4# test also seems to ring the pike dinner bell My boys have both landed 40" pike on 4 or 6# test on the crappie rigs....I've tried the tip up, 10" minnow strategy...we always catch 17-19" walleye...sometimes a 20".....better chances jigging in the house..I don't know why.....I don't really understand it...but that's been my experience.

[pikerliker]

Hey Slabineye I had my best luck in the past with frozen smelt on Red on tip ups set the same way you do with suckers but that was before the DNR said that plain frozen smelt wasn't legal anymore. You could try to find some legally preserved smelt and try that.