Posted 12/26/2006 9:17 AM (#227760 - in reply to #227628) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike Will Not Eat
Posts: 32954
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin
If everything goes well, I'll be back out this afternoon, trying to get those big girls to eat a tip-up minnow. I saw one muskie, but didn't get the record switch hit in time. It was a pretty good fish, maybe 45 or so, and simply slid through.
Posted 12/26/2006 4:55 PM (#227842 - in reply to #227628) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike Will Not Eat
Posts: 785
Thats awsome, I use a flasher but never tried an underwater camera before. Still waiting on ice hear too. Can't believe those big pike just swim by that struggling little shiner. When I do get on the ice and I see fish on the flasher that won't bite I'll be picturing those gills staring at your jig.
sled
Posted 12/26/2006 5:30 PM (#227845 - in reply to #227628) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike Will Not Eat
we picked up about a 4lb. largemouth today and then about 6 pike .... they are either full on or totally shut down the past few days ... hope it's decent tomorrow. now that i learned to filet out the y-bones really well, it's become a weekly fair of nice pike for a meal. got a new ice-armor yukon shelter and love it.
bn
Posted 12/26/2006 5:50 PM (#227851 - in reply to #227628) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike Will Not Eat
lets see some pics of the pike sled! i'm glad you know how to get the y bone out now...we'll have to hit the ice...cpainter and i will be up friday afternoon looking for eyes, panfish and maybe pike...he thinks we are gonna try to go shoot some grouse but i bet we just waste shells on that project
Posted 12/26/2006 6:17 PM (#227853 - in reply to #227628) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike Will Not Eat
Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi.
word is there are going to be a bunch of musky guys up this week and into the weekend for some ice action so i hope we can all hook up. Andy and his two kids are coming tomorrow and i plan to be out all week and weekend .... with my 4 kids and me we can put out quite a spread! here is my crew ...
not sure if this link will open, and if it doesn't i suggest any ice fishermen or winter outdoor enthusiasts to go to musky101 or whatever laura's site is to view the link ... i'm glad i watched it and made all my kids watch it a couple times. we really are as careful as we can be but this type of information is just what you need to help you understand what to do if you go in ...
bn
Posted 12/26/2006 6:47 PM (#227861 - in reply to #227628) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike Will Not Eat
bring the kids down for the best fajitas in the north saturday nite...you know where we'll be!
Posted 12/26/2006 7:14 PM (#227870 - in reply to #227628) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike Will Not Eat
Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot
Cool video!!!
Steve, try hooking that shiner in front of the dorsal fin instead of behind. You'll get way better action, longevity and hooking out of your shiners and suckers. Also, get rid of that steel leader. I was experimenting this weekend and the flourocarbon got bit 3-1 over steel including 2 of the biggest 3 of the trip.
We got 19 pike in 2 days this weekend. I got the biggest @ 8#. Not bad for a hammer handle lake.
Posted 12/26/2006 8:10 PM (#227885 - in reply to #227628) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike Will Not Eat
Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi.
i'm also using fluoro and don't concern myself with getting bit off ... i just have lots of leaders rigged and i wrap them around a piece of pipe insulation. the ball-bearing 2-way swivel gets pushed into the seam and then just wrap the line around it and put the hook into the foam ... they fit nice into a plano tray and are easy to carry around. i'm also using shiners and hook them through the dorsal .... never worried about where to hook, but i suppose hooking behind makes the bait struggle and get noticed more? and in front keeps them alive longer? ... i'm no monster pike catcher (not sure there are a lot of big pike in these waters), but always seem to do pretty well. i've got the advantage of coverage with 15 tipups out when i've got all the kids with me. today we got probably 10 flags for 4 hours out with only one to keep, but on wednesday we kept 4 nice pike 22 - 25" i'd guess with fewer small ones.
you gave me something to think about with where to hook bait ...
Edited by jonnysled 12/26/2006 8:11 PM
bn
Posted 12/26/2006 8:12 PM (#227887 - in reply to #227628) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike Will Not Eat
I have seen them hooked on the bottomside rear of the shiner too....anyone else try that?
Posted 12/26/2006 8:17 PM (#227894 - in reply to #227885) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike Will Not Eat
Posts: 32954
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin
The fish were not going at all on this lake today, not even the gills, but the Pike chased some and bit twice. If I wanted better action, all I'd have to do is head into the shallow stuff and fish the smaller ones. Ths area kicked out 4 for me in one hour last winter from 35" to 43", and is sort of 'testy'. I fished a shiner with NO leader today on a jig stick, and didn't get a chaser on it. The leader on the tip up is 20# seven strand, and I've not noticed any difference in action on my tip-ups VS others using Fluoro, but I'll give it a try. I hook the shiners just ahead of the dorsal.
Posted 12/27/2006 9:15 AM (#227948 - in reply to #227628) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike Will Not Eat
Posts: 333
Location: menasha wi 54952
In deep clear water flouro is the way to go. Use a good 4' leader with a split shot on the main line. That gives the minnow the freedom to swim around. This set up is killer on the great lakes and will even fool brown trout every time out. I have caught pike as deep as 40'.
I agree with Steve that hooking the minnow between the tail and dorsal in deep water is best. The minnow is always kept off balance and this forces it to try and swim upwards all the time.
Posted 12/27/2006 10:11 AM (#227966 - in reply to #227628) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike Will Not Eat
Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi.
steve ... when comes the part of telling us all where you are seeing the big pike? ... we'll be on the ice in about an hour ... 6 kids and 2 adults ... i don't own enough tipups to cover that math! ... life is good in the northwoods!
Posted 12/27/2006 10:33 AM (#227970 - in reply to #227628) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike Will Not Eat
Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin
Drop some of those tasty smelt down on a single big treble attached to steel!! It is all we use here on the flowage, though things a bit slower on the dead stuff on the clear water yet here and the shiners pick up the bonus eyes' which is nice. Nice vids!
Posted 12/28/2006 7:59 AM (#228137 - in reply to #228091) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike
Posts: 5874
Ooh, yah. The annual trek with Jo and Tomcat! Gonna rock this year! Lake X, you best be good to us again. 5 years running, and we've had pike over 35 each year. This is the year for a 40+!
Posted 12/28/2006 8:48 AM (#228144 - in reply to #227628) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike
Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi
I'll have to watch the vids at home. Can't see them at work.
Sled, sorry I didn't catch up to ya. Busy 2 days for me up there. Got out for a while on Christmas Eve and we popped some nice 'eyes, a bunch of 16-17" largies and a couple of snakes. The 'eyes were going nutz for a while from about 1:30-3. Off a deep point tipped with sandgrass. Cool to get on the ice. None down here though.
Posted 12/28/2006 8:58 AM (#228150 - in reply to #227628) Subject: RE: Another day on the Ice, Big Pike
Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi.
no problem ... got out yesterday with Andy Grimm and his two young boys along with my crew of 4 ... slower day but imagine the tipup spread we can put out! tonight i heard that jj, rozanski and long are coming up and then nelson and corey up later this weekend ... make sure to give a shout anyone that's up in the area and wants to hit the ice ... i got all the crap and could always use another mule.
Another day on the Ice, Big Pike