Size #6 hooks are, in my opinion, the best starting point when ice fishing for pike. A quick strike rig with a pair of #6 hooks can handle most dead baits. In heavily pressured lakes, small #10 trebles are not unreasonable.
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What do you use for pike ice fishing?
What hooks are best for pike?
The best hook sizes for pike are 1/0 in partridge style hooks and 2/0 or 3/0 in treble hooks. Using larger hooks increases the number of fish that are hooked and landed. Also, larger hooks are less likely to bite pike deeply in the throat making it easier to safely release fish.
What is the best size hook for ice fishing?
Small hooks in the size #8 to #14 range will serve well with small delicate baits like mousies and waxies. For minnows, start with hooks of size #4 and #2, adjusting with larger or smaller hooks to match the size of minnows you are using. Downsized jigs will be the lures of choice for the majority of your ice fishing.
How deep do you ice fish for pike?
The tip-ups placed there produce best, with baits suspended 5 to 6 feet down in 8- to 12-foot depths being the most typical array. Most tip-ups are placed 10 feet off the cover, but one is placed in a 3- to 4-foot clearing or pocket and another is set well off the sharpest break over deeper water.
Are Circle Hooks good for pike?
What depth of water do pike like in winter?
Agreed, however, that in most prime lakes, most bigger pike come from 15 to 35 feet of water during midwinter. Granted, too, depth is relative. Twelve feet is relatively deep in a body of water where weedgrowth ends at 6 feet and maximum depth is 25 feet.
How do you jig pike through ice?
Do you need a leader for ice fishing pike?
In order to be able to safely land your ice pike, you either need a strong fluorocarbon leader of about 50-60lb or a titanium wire leader of about 25-30lb.
What colors do pike see best?
The ability of slower retrieve along with a softer underwater tone gives you the injured fish action northern pike prey upon. Best pike lure colors: Red/Black or White (sunny days), Chartreuse/Blue (cloudy days).
What is the best time to fish for northern pike?
Regardless of where you fish, late May and early June is a prime time to target big pike. The majority of pike will spawn around the full moon cycle in April whether under ice or open water. By mid-May the spawn is over and the big fish look to regain all the weight they lost during the spawn process.
What is a Northern Pikes favorite food?
It eats mainly fish and frogs, but also small mammals and birds fall prey to pike. Young pike have been found dead from choking on a pike of a similar size, an observation referred to by the renowned English poet Ted Hughes in his famous poem “Pike”. Northern pike also feed on insects, crayfish, and leeches.
What is the difference between a #2 hook and a 2 0 hook?
As Tim explains, this is a question without a clear answer, as there is no industry standard. What is consistent, though, is the relative relationships among hook sizes: the bigger the number, the smaller the hook, except once you get larger than a size 1. So the difference between a size 2 and a size 2/0 is important.
What is a size 6 hook good for?
The smaller size is perfect for worms around 6 inches, while the larger is better for 8-inch worms or 6-inch lizards.
Do offset hooks catch more fish?
The truth is, you can put a lot more fish in the boat with the tackle you already have by making one of the easiest, most low-drag modifications on the planet to your existing hooks. It’s so simple, in fact, that many anglers don’t even have this tweak on their radar.
How do I stop deep hooking pike?
To summarise, the best way to avoid deep hooking pike is to use good bite detection, to pay attention to it and to strike as soon as you can. Placing the hooks towards the rear of the bait will further reduce the chances of a pike swallowing them.
What time do pike feed in winter?
Best Time of Day for Pike Fishing in Winter Ideally, this would be the hours between early morning and noon. Winter, much like spring and fall, equals cold nights and, quite often, somewhat warmer temperatures during the day, which is when the pike will be feeding this time of year.
Can it be too cold for pike fishing?
Pike will remain active and feeding during the colder months of the year but have a harder time handling really cold weather conditions. Frosty nights, sudden temperature drops, or a prolonged period of a cold front are all unfavorable weather conditions for pike and should hence be avoided.
Where do big pike hang out in winter?
Winter pike haunts Focusing on weeds might work in shallow, small to moderate-sized lakes that are typically choked with wall-to-wall vegetation. And it might work on larger lakes at last ice when the pike are migrating toward shallow bays, coves and rivermouths to spawn.
Where can I find pike while ice fishing?
During early ice Northern Pike can be found in fairly shallow water accompanied by weed edges, points and bars. Combined with inside turns or other structure is even better. As winter progresses Northern Pike follow the food and move further out. Start by fishing outside weed edges and offshore humps and bars.
How do you fish northern pike in the winter?
To target northern pike specifically during the winter months the gear and the strategy look different than in open water seasons. Pike follow the bait schools during the winter into shallower waters. Large bays are some of the best spots to target winter northern pike.
How do you rig a tip up for pike?
What pound line should I use for northern pike?
You’ll need a stiff rod, 14 to 17 pound test line, and 9 to 12 inch steel leaders. Every pike fisherman has caught his share of northern from 4 to 10 pounds. Most of these fish are caught in shallow water.
What leader is best for pike?
For pike, a 60-80lb test fluorocarbon leader should be used.
Should I use a steel leader for pike?
Both stainless steel and titanium wires are great choices for northern pike, as they will be able to withstand those ultra-sharp pike teeth. Such wire leaders are extremely strong, smooth, and flexible, allowing for an optimal bait and lure presentation.