tip-up rigging for pike

[fish-on]

anyone have any ideas on rigging for pike or walleyes with tip-ups?never fished with a tip-up and could use any ideas on hook set-ups.:confused:

[outdoor addict]

I do it simple fire line the spool then down to treble hook with splitshot about a foot above hook. Have never been broke off as some would argue steel leader. Simple but works. ;)

[therapy]

I use a swedish hook and dead smelt.For me it's the best and also fairly inexpensive when you consider the price for tip up bait.

[Sailor]

therapy, Where do you buy your smelt? Catch your own? Want to sell some??

I tried the Fireline thing and did have biteoffs. Also have had biteoffs with short (8") wire leaders. Big pike (I assume that's your target) don't seem to be line shy
and I use long wire leaders. Wallhangers have been caught on 2# test and teardrops-but don't count on it. Re: hooks, it's pretty much standard to use treble hooks (they don't have to be very big) for live bait and Swedish hooks for
deadbait. If you're using live bait put a couple of large split shot 6" or so above the hook. I's also helpful to have some sort of adjustable marker on the line to be able to easily return to the same depth, I use a small button, some others use small "strike indicators" as flyfishermen call "bobbers". Also I would suggest
10" orange thermal tipups. They fit in the bottom of a bucket, don't freeze up,
don't tangle, are easy to see, help keep the hole open, and work flawlessly.
AND have some kind of gaffhook that can handle a very large fish. Hope some of this helps. Good luck!!!

[skulldugary]

Might be over kill but I use 30lb.black Dacron with a 18" 20lb mono leader,seldom use wire leaders but in a lake where I get a lot of amll pike in a day I'll use one because of line fraying......I don't know if they still carry them but Miejers(sp) used to have them in the frozen food section....

[MOMS]

i also use 20-30 lb dacron line, wire leader of at least 6" or more, a large split shot, and a #6 treble hook, but no mono leader. the pike do not seem to care about the line. i like to mix up between shiner minnows and suckers. i have had sucess on both. if you were to target walleye, then a light mono line would be in order. also a smaller hook and minnows. they seem to need a little more finess. also like sailor said ...the thermal tip ups are really the way to go. that is only a personal opinion. set the tip up on or near a transition on the lake. a drop off is a good place. set your minnow just above the weedline, or about 4-5 foot off bottom. good luck.
moms

[just tryin to fish]

i use 30lb dacron line with a 2-3foot 12lb mono leader with a large split shot about 1foot above a #10 treble hook. i love to use sucker minnow because they last so long you can pull one out of a pikes gut and it will still be alive. another note and i see alot of people do this is when you get a flag you don't have to run over to it and grab the line and pull it. more often then not when the pike grabes the bait he wont have the hook in his mouth. walk over to your tip up and just whatch your spool let the fish keep going then a pike will usally stop to swallow the minnow and when the spool starts to move after it has stoped then set the hook and i have about a 90-95% hook up rate. and as long as you let the pike run when he wants to you shouldn't have any trouble with break offs.

good luck

[fairview253]

;)
A buddy of mine turned me on to this stuff called "American Fishing Wire." It is steel leader that behaves just like fishing line. You can tie it very easily. You can find it at Cabela's in the saltwater tackle section (if memory serves). It comes 15 feet to a small spool, can't remember the price. I have been nothing but pleased with the stuff. I use the regular green tip up line (dacron?) and tie ~2-3 feet of this fishing wire to that for my leader. Fish don't shy away from it and I have never had a bite-off. :)