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Posted

What depth should the decoy be at nominally ? How much should I jig the decoy ? can you have too many lures in the hole? What kind of line do you use for your decoys ?

I'm planning on heading down to Nelson resevoir this weekend for my first spearing attempt so I'm just getting the last of the things in order and I should be all set . If any Montana folks wanna come and join me out there feel free I'll be the guy with Saskatchewan plates

Posted

Depth depends on feet of water your in (fow) and it' widely varies depending on the spear guy, I generally set one decoy 2ft of bottom and the other or live sucker a foot above that in around 12fow or less. The more you jig the deak normally the faster the pike fly in. I generally jig a deak every 10-15min or 5min if it's slow. I run 50lb red braided tip up line and I haven't had a single issue with just a snap swivel. I run 2 deaks max.

I got a buddy out there that has been hearing they are crushing monsters on Nelson lately. I'll be on Montana in that part of the state end of January! smile

Posted

Something on the bottom, or near it, and something in the middle. So if it's 10 feet of water one that is 9 feet down and one that is 5 feet down. Usually a fake decoy near bottom, and a live sucker minnow hung half way down. Will definitely switch it up if the fish seem to want one over the other. Tomorrow I will be trying both decoys at half-way, because today both fish ended up coming into the sucker half-way down. Switch things up and see what works.

Posted

What depth should the decoy be at nominally ?
Posted

You have to remember that a pike has eyes on the top of its head so you should in theory run your decoys a high with that said , I have run my decoys a foot under the ice to a 4 foot under the ice and that is in just about any depth of water I spear from 5ft to 20 fow.

How much I jig the decoy depends on the fish and I will let them tell me what they want some times its a very aggressive jig and a lot of it while other times the decoy just sits in the hole motionless. There is no right or wrong way its what works for you and I try and remember just what was happening when the fish comes in and try and duplicate that.

This year I am trying to keep a journal of each time out and what has gone on like weather and what fish I see along how they have reacted. It may seem like a lot of work but actually with these darn smart phones its really easy so save the data that I can look at next season or the next time the weather is similar.

You can run as many as you want, but I'm not fond of a puppet show. wink

I typically run two decoys in the hole at one time. In the past one live decoy and one fake decoy ,but as of lately I have been using mostly fake decoys and I have done well.

I am not afraid to just use one decoy at a time either.

Time over the spear hole is the best learning tool you can have, and you will soon find out what works and doesn't ,but it is nice that there is place like HSO and its members here that are willing to share what works for them.

Good Luck

Posted

How effective is using a Dardevle spoon without a treble hook, as an attractor on a second line, or on a main line with a decoy?

Posted

How effective is using a Dardevle spoon without a treble hook, as an attractor on a second line, or on a main line with a decoy?

It works very well especially with a spinner.

I basically run my decoys like Gordie explained. I always use a live minnow.

Posted

How effective is using a Dardevle spoon without a treble hook, as an attractor on a second line, or on a main line with a decoy?

Use two spoons... Remove both hooks and use the split ring from one to connect to the other. You can try any combination of linking them together and all will give you a different action... Fat end to fat end, skinny to skinny, one facing forward and one facing back. I tend to think of spoons as my long range attractor while my deke/sucker are what brings them the rest of the way in once they spot the spoons flashing. Not to say spoons don't bring in fish all the way, they do, but generally only the real active fish come in for them. They do shine out a long ways, though, and I think that helps get the attention of wayward passing pike (they are good for bringing in whitefish and other curious fish, too).

Posted

Quote:
How effective is using a Dardevle spoon without a treble hook, as an attractor on a second line, or on a main line with a decoy?

Some times that's all I use and if I had to choose one thing to go out on a lake with it would be a R/W daredevil.

I run it on a teaser or as we call it a hillbilly spinner , but lately IO have been jigging them. I do not use a hook because it falls back into position better and I think that the erratic flutters and wobbles are what attract the pike the most.

When I run them on a spinner typically the pike come in and just look at it and do not hit it.

When I jig it they will come in to grab it, but typically miss it and come back for a second look.

Posted

Are lures like large/musky sized bladebaits, or rattlebaits, minus the treble hooks, getting too aggressive as attractors? Or could these lures be used for when pike are really coming in hard, and fast? I am looking at what I have available to use, from my open water lure inventory.

Posted

Rattle baits are a great locator bait and will attract panfish, at least that is what I have found. I have also caught pike on rattle traps.

As for the removal of hooks you do not have to do that anymore as long as you are not fishing with another line or tip ups, Personally I take the hooks off because it can make a monster of a mess if the pike hits and your not ready, sucks having all the lines tangled in the shack. wink

I like the pike size spoons over the bigger muskie sized ones too. although my favorite is a daredevil that is in between the muskie and the pike size. Like about a size 6 ,also the trolling spoons and flashers for trout work great too.

Posted

I am looking at what I have available to use, from my open water lure inventory.

Just try everything.... :-)

.

Posted

Yea, I suppose that's at least half the fun seeing what works, and what doesn't. smile

Posted

Are lures like large/musky sized bladebaits, or rattlebaits, minus the treble hooks, getting too aggressive as attractors? Or could these lures be used for when pike are really coming in hard, and fast? I am looking at what I have available to use, from my open water lure inventory.

I was thinking about modifying a bulldawg and trying to use that as a decoy sometime

Posted

I like to drop my minnow and an artificial of choice down and just let them sit there. If I start seeing pike right away I know its a day that they wont need a lot coaxing to come and take a look. If nothing has happened in the first 20 minutes or so I start to jig my artificial decoy and see what happens. I will vary from a quick little jig to aggressive jigging and at that point try to figure out what works best.

Posted

I like to drop my minnow and an artificial of choice down and just let them sit there. If I start seeing pike right away I know its a day that they wont need a lot coaxing to come and take a look. If nothing has happened in the first 20 minutes or so I start to jig my artificial decoy and see what happens. I will vary from a quick little jig to aggressive jigging and at that point try to figure out what works best.

This what I do too, and the fish will eventually let you know what they want.

Posted

Do you guys use some kind of harness for the minnows? Otherwise, what is needed to rig them up?

Posted

Do you guys use some kind of harness for the minnows? Otherwise, what is needed to rig them up?

They make a live harness that you tighten around the sucker, I don't like them because I have had to many swim away from them. I like to use the pin style for the sucker I have only lost a few this way and most were when a pike stole them.

Posted

Can these pin style rigs be bought at most bait stores, or where's a good place/site to get them?

Posted

Can these pin style rigs be bought at most bait stores, or where's a good place/site to get them?

Most bait stores have them. I like to use the style that has a lead weight built into them.

Posted

Thank you, to everyone, for the replies to my questions.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • SkunkedAgain
      If you fished with me more often, you'd never have to make this statement...   38" of ice - love it. I'm really going to have to dig around for my auger extension. I don't think that I've needed it in over a decade.   Too bad nobody has a locomotive chugging across the ice to do some logging, like the good old days.
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the South Shore...  Ice fishing remains strong across the south shore of Lake of the Woods out on Big Traverse Bay.  Resorts and outfitters on some parts of the lake have ice roads extending over 16 miles staying on nice schools of walleyes and saugers.  Many fish houses are over deep mud.  Some are on structure.  It is always fishing of course, but overall, February has been very productive for most anglers.   Extensions are being used on ice augers as the ice continues to thicken.  The thick ice this year will be good for the extended ice fishing season Lake of the Woods enjoys with fish houses out through March 31st, walleyes and saugers open through April 14th and a pike season that never closes. Most fishing activity is taking place in 26-32 feet of water.  Anglers are finding a healthy mix of walleyes and saugers, with a good number of jumbo perch in the mix this year.  Some big eelpout are also showing up.  Anglers are reporting plenty of fish for fresh fish frys and usually extra fish to bring home.   The one-two punch of a jigging line and deadstick is the way to go.  On the jigging line, jigging spoons with rattles tipped with a minnow head have been consistent.  Lipless crankbaits and jigging rap style lures also doing well.     Lures with a light have been working well in the stained water.  Please remember, in MN, lures with a light or water activated light can be used as long as the battery is mercury free and the hook is attached directly to the lure and not as a dropper line.     On the deadstick, a plain hook or a small jig with a live minnow 6 inches to a foot off of the bottom.    Some days, mornings are better, other days, it's the afternoons.  There is no distinct pattern, they could come through at any time. On the Rainy River...  The start of the day and end of the day have been best for those targeting walleyes on the river. A jig and minnow or a jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head is also producing some fish. Some big sturgeon being iced by ice anglers targeting them.  It is a catch-and-release sturgeon season currently.   Although ice conditions on the river are good, they can vary significantly due to the current, so anglers should always consult local resorts or outfitters for the most up-to-date safety information and fishing advice. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing has been strong in the islands area of Lake of the Woods. Resorts continue to move their fish houses around, staying on the best schools of walleyes.     Anglers are catching a nice mix of walleyes, saugers, and jumbo perch with an occasional pike or tullibee as well.     Big crappies are still being caught just over the border.  Fish houses are available, check with a NW Angle resort for info on crappie fishing.   Lake of the Woods enjoys an extended ice fishing season with fish houses on the ice through March 31st and walleye and sauger seasons open through April 14th. Perch, crappie, and pike seasons remain open year-round.    
    • leech~~
      Maybe you should put rattle wheels down, if your going to sleep for 6hrs! 🤭 😆
    • JerkinLips
      Monday was my worst day of winter fishing on Vermilion in the last 4 years.  Caught only one 14" walleye in nearly 8 hours of fishing.  Missed two other bites and was marking very few fish.  Maybe the fish were taking Monday off after a big weekend.   No more water came up on the ice under my house.  Think it was because I haven't banked snow around it for a couple of weeks so the bare ice around the house is getting very thick.  I measured 38" of ice under my house and the Ion barely made it through even with the extension installed.  Needless to say I banked around the house this time.  Another lesson I learned today is don't drill holes if ice is frozen on your blades.  I did that on one hole and it didn't center properly and drilled at an angle on the edge of the opening.  Hope I can correct the location and angle on my next trip up.   Not much change in the surface lake surface conditions.  The drifts may be a little higher and are definitely harder.  There are still a few bare ice spots on the lake.  Very little activity on the lake today.  There are about 3 dozen houses from McKinley Park out to Birch Island.  Another person pulled there house off today, and I am sure many more will pull theirs off this coming weekend.  Only 13 days left of walleye season.    
    • leech~~
      A good start for never picking up a bow!   IMG_1910.mp4
    • leech~~
      Um, #metoo   leech~~ Author 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders Posted January 26 My whole goal for the rest of this season.  Is to watch KC lose and Taylor cry!  🥳
    • smurfy
    • Wanderer
      Smurfy is happy.
    • Dash 1
      Great looking food. So far not much of a game and I thought the halftime show was worse I've seen. 
    • leech~~
      Oh is there a Superbowl game? 😋😋
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