Pike bait

[Radar420]

To all of you pike anglers out there, what is your favorite bait/presentation? Live or dead? Smelt, chubs, shiners, etc?

For me personally, if I'm jigging I like to use a silver pimple tipped with a large, whole dead smelt. If I can't find smelt with the head on then I use golden shiners.

For tip-ups I like to use about a 6 in sucker.

[Mitch]

I like to use the biggest sucker I can get my hands on that doesn't trip the tip-up. Dead smelt work great, let 'em sit out a while to get good and stinky and pike go nuts for it.

Mitch

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Catch a 5" perch and put him on the tip up. Don't have to buy bait that way. I also use shiners when I have them, either bought or live trap.

[Radar420]

When you use the perch for bait do you fish it at a different depth (deeper) than you would the shiner or do just put it at whatever depth seems to be working?