Tip up fishing

[Dedicated Sportsman]

Ive been ice fishing for a few years now and all i do is jig for panfish. I was wondering how to rig up a tip up. I have a few of them but am unsure about what to put on them for pike. What size hook is best, how big of bait....

I'm not looking for record pike, just A pike since ive never caught any during ice fishing season.

Thanks.

[deputy865]

I'm not to good with sizes but get a liter and get a treble hook about the size of a average size trebble on a bass lure...For better success hook up a stinger hook the same size..For the bait we use Shiner's (silver) and we use them from 4"-6"...And we do very well...

Any other questions..

Shane

[Arin]

Last winter was my first year with tipups and I got some cheap leaders and put two trebles on it(one above the swivel so it could go back and forth along the leader and one in the swivel) and hooked into a small gill. My makeshift stinger rig:lol:
Missed one and only got a tore up gill and caught a 19" bass. Hope to get pike this year.

[Ed Michrina]

Try a small bluegill or perch ;) they like them dead or alive!

[unclecbass]

Try a small bluegill or perch ;) they like them dead or alive!



Pretty sure that using gills or perch as bait is Illegal. Might want to check on that before you do it again.

[Ed Michrina]

No there isn't a size limit on perch or gills . If you have a fishing license and acquired the fish legally. use away :)

Here is a link that should take you to the section in the dnr rules. hope it works

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/lawful-fishing-methods_119602_7.pdf

[DaveW731]

In addition to how you rig a tip-up, consider fishing it almost like you do when you jig for panfish; i.e., MOVE, both horizontally (cut a bunch of holes) and vertically (sometimes I catch pike by putting dead minnows on bottom, other times by suspending live minnows 3 feet under the ice and all depths in between). By periodically moving tip ups from hole to hole and adjusting the depth of the set, you cover more water and often establish a pattern. Also cuts down on boredom, if the bite is slow...... ;)

[Dedicated Sportsman]

Hey thanks guy for giving me some advice on this tip up stuff. Good luck this season all!!

[brentgoblue]

Good points lads. I would agree with Dave,

Cut some holes and keep them moving. I like mine just under the ice about 10" or so. Sometimes I will put a dead perch or sucker low on the bottom. I seem to have better luck with them up high.

Try different stuff. Many people say never use a colored rig or hook with a tip up just a treble hook and sucks. I disagree. I have used jigs with a painted blade and with a treble hook just below it. Also last year had good luck with red hooks.

Tight lines

-Brent

[PackerFan]

Do you guys use steel leaders? On my tip ups with steel leaders I've never got a bite. My dad ties his hooks directly to his line, and we caught 3 last year. I really think the steel leader spooks em. I'm taking them off this year. :)

[MSUICEMAN]

i have been using a steel leader in the form of a quick-strike rig.... and so far the results are good, have a much better take/hookup ratio with em. before I started using those, i tied directly to the line and did alright too. when I used the standard wire leader to hook thing, i didn't get many strikes either, maybe it does spook em, though I was told to use black coated steel leaders and those dont spook em like the silver standard ones do, I haven't tried that yet.

steve

[DaveW731]

I started using #4 circle hooks last year, with #14 mono leader. Seemed like I got a couple more flags that way. The reason for a circle hook is that the hook will find its way to the corner of the fish's mouth and then (if you are lucky) the line will trail away from the pike's mouth and be less likely to get bit off. Worked well for me.
If you do it this way, remember to NOT set the hook! Instead, let the pike run till it stops to swallow the bait, then just tighten the line with a gentle, steady pull. That allows the hook to slide in the fish's mouth till it starts to leave, then it turns and embeds in the corner.

[martin1950]

Has anyone had GOOD luck with "Slammers" or are do they catch more fisherman than fish?

[mikenyo]

I got a Slammer last year and didn't have any problems with it. I got it from Matt Schalk (he makes the Slammer), he is a member on here and is usually on here daily during the winter.

[maryp]

I generally use dead smelt or live goldens on a no. 6-8 treble, put it down about a foot or 2 below the ice, remember the pikes eyes are located atop their head. Ive had great success with that.

[merrill hunter]

I usually place the bait about half way down. If I have 9 ft of water I fish about 4.5 feet down. pike are cruising deep in the winter and are usually 1-2 ft off the bottom anyway.

also try a can of salmon flavored cat food dip your bait in that then drop the contents of the can down the hole (pike chumming) has worked wonders! I couldnt believe it would work until I tried it!

[Whit1]

Golden Shiners.........10 lb. mono (no steel leader)......#01 single hook.......bait about 1/2 way to the bottom

[GoneFishin]

Buy yourself some "Sevenstrand" (brand name) wire, some proper sized crimp sleeves, and a good pair of crimping pliers. Place one treble on the bottom, a slider on the leader, and a swivel on the othe end. Believe they called this a "quick strike rig". Can hook the minnow lip/dorsal, lip/tail, or dorsal/tail whichever you prefer. With this rig you don't wait til the fish stops ya can hit 'em on the run.

Sevenstrand wire is uncoated thin, lower poundage wire (believe I have 8#,12#, and 17#) that is thinner than 20# test mono. I believe I bought mine at Fishing Tackle Grab Bag just north of Davison.

[MSUICEMAN]

agreed on the quick strike rigs, ya don't have to wait on the fish to swallow the bait and my hookups have increased quite a bit. with pike i don't think they are too shy of that setup. now, maybe for walleye you'd have to go with a mono or flouro leader, and trout definitely, but for pike I haven't much of a drop off in flags if at all.

steve

[booktens]

Never tried circle hooks, sounds like a good idea !!!

[Can't Touch This]

Golden Shiners for quantity, Chubs for quality is what i found.

Pike as usually plentiful in winter because i guess there metabolism don't slow down as much as other fish, so, they are still very active and feeding. Just go to Houghton lake, you will catch pike all day long.

DON'T use a steel leader, use a flouracarbon leader, when we started doing this, our results were MUCH better. You will lose quite a few pike, but, you will get A LOT more bites, A LOT more. In fact, a few of our tip ups are spooled with 8lb test line.