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 Luke Seymour displays a northern pike prior to releasing the fish. |
Since pike relate to structure, an angler who concentrates his efforts
near structure dramatically increases his chances of success. Weed beds
are the prime pike-holding structure. The most productive spots are openings
in the weeds, the inside weed edge, the weedline, and deep water just
off the weedline. Other quality structures include points, shoals, and
dropoffs. When any of these structures also has weeds and/or boulders
present, the spot can be especially productive. Likewise, large flats
with weeds or boulders attract northern pike.
Knowing the specific locations of structures in a given area is a key
to successful ice fishing. Anglers can familiarize themselves with an
area by spending time there during the open-water season. Once an ice
cover appears, depth finders and underwater cameras can facilitate the
finding of structures. Charts, too, are extremely helpful. Although the
use of a simple lead sounder takes more effort, many anglers rely on
that device for determining depths and locating edges and structures.
For the most part, the first few weeks of ice mean excellent action around
near-shore structure. During mid-winter, many pike move deeper where
water conditions are most stable. At this time of the year, anglers should
concentrate their efforts on deep-water structures and structures at
the outer edges of bays. In late winter, northerns again move to shallow-water
structures where the action remains good until the season closes on March
15.
Tip-up Tips
Tip-ups are the traditional tool for winter pike. With the variety of
tip-ups on the market, an angler can find a style to suit his budget.
Regulations permit the use of five tip-ups, and this allows an angler
to cover a good chunk of water and affords flexibility when setting up.
Individuals can't go wrong by placing all tip-ups along a weedline,
but sometimes it pays to experiment by placing a tip-up in an opening
in the weedbed, on the inside edge of the weedbed, or even in deep water
outside the weedbed. Likewise, setting all five tip-ups along a dropoff
is a sound strategy, but again it sometimes pays to place one in the
shallows or the adjacent deep water.
When fishing points, a good option is to run the rigs in a straight line
from shallow to deep water. For shoals, set tip-ups on the edges, but
don't over look the top of the shoal and the adjacent deep water.
Fishing with a partner or partners creates plenty of opportunity to experiment
with where tip-ups are set.
Since a northern pike's eyes are positioned for feeding above,
baits should be set off the bottom. Some anglers place their baits a
foot above the bottom while others let their minnows swim freely just
under the ice. A distance of three or so feet off bottom works well most
days. Again, multiple tip-ups allow anglers to experiment with distance
from bottom.
Live shiners (4-6 inches) are the number one ice fishing bait; however,
live suckers or dead smelt will sometimes outperform commercial shiners.
As a general rule, smaller minnows produce the most action, but large
minnows entice the bigger fish. Again, experiment with minnow size. Anglers
can control the action of their baits in several ways. The most common
is the use of weight. By using heavier weights or by placing the weight
close to the minnow, anglers can restrict a bait's activity level.
On the other hand, by using lighter weights or placing the weight farther
from the bait, an angler allows the minnow to be more active. Anglers
should match their minnow action to the mood of the pike that day. Some
anglers like to clip a minnow's fin or tail to make the minnow
swim in an injured fashion. The use of beads or in-line spoons as attractors
can sometimes induce strikes.
Steel leaders or heavy monofilament leaders are the rule of thumb for
pike. Because of clear-water conditions in many lakes, more anglers are
turning to 30-pound mono leaders. To reduce bite-offs on mono leaders,
hook a small treble (No. 4) in the minnow's back and set the hook
firmly whenever the fish is taking out line. Bite-offs are rare using
this technique, but the leaders get nicks and abrasions, and have to
be replaced periodically.
When setting tip ups, place a small bobber below the spool. This allows
for a quick resetting of the bait without sounding again for bottom.
The bobber also lets an angler see how much line a fish has taken out.
When a flag goes up and the bobber is just a short distance from the
spool, a yellow perch is the likely culprit.
This is the famous ''perch flag.'' Now it's
time to get out the jig pole and enjoy another aspect of winter pike
fishing, catching a feed of yellow perch.