ice fishing for northerns?

Question

this winter, im gonna try ice fishing for pike instead of crappies and gills. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

fish live shiners,chub or green suckers suspended and dead ones right on the bottom!Use a tip up with these baits!
Jigging rapala's #11 with a shiner strop skin on on center hook we use long rods with a med soft tip or short stout rod fishing in a shanty.

Answer 2

The newer round tip-ups would be my recommendation. They keep the hole from freezing over. I've always used a live shiner with one prong of a size 8 treble hook hooked just under the dorsal fin. I've had these minnows stay alive for 6 hrs or more in a hole that wasn't getting any hits. Of course a wire leader is a must due to the teeth of the pike. Good luck on the ice this winter.

Answer 3

Injun knows his stuff.

I have never jigged for the northerns, so I am not sure about that method. Although, while jigging for perch, it is not uncommon to catch northerns.

Northern (ice) fishing here in Lake Champlain is mostly done with tip-ups. We use the live shiners (3-4" long, and they sure aren't cheap - about $8 per dozen here). They tend to die quick, but that is okay. If your shiner dies, let it lay near the bottom, the northerns will suck it up anyway.

As far as areas, the shallow, weedy bays are the best in the winter. However, even off of my beach last winter, we set up tip-ups just for the heck of it, and caught a laker and a northern, and these were in areas that are not typical for catching them.

My best advice to you is, buy some shiners, and go out in a bay where there are other fisher(wo)men, lol. Set up your tip-up with shiners near the bottom, go into a shanty with a stove to keep warm, and HAVE FUN :-)

Happy to see you back around :-)

Answer 4

Jessica, i will adhere with my unique answer. The lures i discussed will artwork for many varieties of fish. the only element i will characteristic is that if he does not have a jigging rod, lures at the instant are not lots use. some ice fishermen do all their fishing with traps or tip-ups. you may get a valuable jigging rod with a reel for about $25 and a few jigging lures won't fee you a number of of money. The address field does not could be crammed to the brim. 2 or 3 jigging Rapalas and a pair Swedish zits will make him very happy. no might desire to bypass overboard.

Answer 5

Go with larger minnows chubs, Golden roaches, blue gill that you have cought which is not legal in some states check your regilations for the state your fishing. The larger the minnow the better look at it this way naturaly after 8 to 9 months of growing the minnows are going to be bigger in waters and that is what they are looking for good luck and leave a few for me

Answer 6

Injun is right on. During early ice I fish them in less than 5 feet of water. I look for small openings in weedbeds. For some reason the lake i fish them on has a best bite time of 3-5:00 pm.

Answer 7

when ice fishing for pike i always use a tip up or you can jig. use a medium size jig or even a live minow on a plain hook will work. set up on the edge of a weed line. about a foot off the bottom. good luck

Answer 8

SBF, long time no see! Good to see you hangin' out in YAnswers for a change!

I agree with the rest.(Nice in-depth answer Sharon!)

6" Shiners or Big minnows. Weedy bays and Bottle-necks.

Good to have you back SBF.

Answer 9

i hve use one lure, the rapala jigging rap and i catch very big pike like around 30-32" pike with that one lure i would realy suggest it use the color glow fire tiger red or glow firetiger

Answer 10

Jigs, Jigging Rapala and Cisco Flipper spoons for lures.
http://canadianwiggler.com/ecom.asp?pg=products&grp=24

Live minnow early and dead minnows latter, just rig the minnow so it hangs normal and if you are using more than one line rig one floating belly up.

Make sure you have warm socks... several pairs.. :-)