herring for pike

[catchandeat]

Was out at gull lake yesterday out in birch bay, fished for about 5 hours and didn't catch anything. Saw two nice size walleye, a small perch, and about a 5 pound pike. None of them were interested in my bait, a big dead herring, or a storm wildeye perch. I also tried using a jighead with smelt but that didn't catch anything either.
anyhow, I have a question about rigging herring for pike. I set mine up on the tip up yesterday, but quickly found out that the herring just floats, so I added a bunch of weight to my quick strike rig, which worked, but the weight just sat at the bottom while the herring was suspended a few feet above, upside down because it floats. I have no idea if this will affect the presentation, but does anybody know how to fix this problem of having the bait float?
thanks :)

[Lefty-Canuck]

Pop the air bladder in the herring?....

LC

[WayneChristie]

stick a knife in it and break the swim bladder. poke a few holes, doesnt hurt to let some scent out either. I dont seem to have that problem with the smaller herring, the weight of the leader and hooks keeps it down near the bottom. the more weight you have on your rig the more resistance the fish feel and the quicker they will drop it. (sometimes)

[rocky97]

poke holes in the bait with your hooks and squeeze it pushing the air out of the swim bladder also i find that ice collected on the bait can sometimes cause it to float so rubbing that off may also make the difference. hope that helps

[catchandeat]

Never thought of that... that makes sense!
Thanks for the help, will have to try it out next time :)

[Saltmania]

I've found that sometimes an ice crust on the outside of the bait can make it buoyant. Once this melts and if the bladder is pierced it should sink. Herring is my best pike tip-up setup. I use 2-way bait spreaders and remove the junk snelled hooks they come with and put on some decent trebles. One through the eye of the herring and one through back near the tail. Red hooks seem to work well. Pike candy that works like magic.

[Gust]

rip open the guts of the herring so it looks wounded and try having your bait hanging so that the herring is nose down/tail up,, and by nose down, i mean nose to the lake bottom,, the water movement with the nose just touching bottom will provide a nice, odd little action to your bait, but you gotta have some entrails moving about too.

[Fishabs]

My father-in-law uses a nail which he slides into the herring. I was teasing him that the big girls would smell that nail a mile away until he pulled a 26 pounder out of the hole. In your face you say?

[anthony5]

If your bait is old it may be (freeze dried) and it will not sink without soaking it for awhile:mad0100: if it is coated with ice, as said earlier this will be an issue:sign0176: The fresher the bait the better, but not always an option, if you have to add a little weight and your good to go:sHa_shakeshout: Hope you catch the big one.

[catchandeat]

Thanks for the help, you guys rock!:sHa_shakeshout:
Have yourselves a Merry Christmas :)

[Cal]

I use a big trebble with the shank pushed through the herring in front of the dorsal fin and a smaller stinger hook run further back towards the tail. Maby its the big trebble or maby when I push the shank through the herring it pops the swim bladder, either way it sinks and it stays on the hook. If they dont want to hit the herring try smaller bait.

[Kyle]

My father-in-law uses a nail which he slides into the herring. I was teasing him that the big girls would smell that nail a mile away until he pulled a 26 pounder out of the hole. In your face you say?

Horrible idea, do you really want fish eating a herring off the bottom of the lake with a nail in it?!?

[Guitarplayingfish]

I had a lot of trouble getting my large herring to sink the last few weeks.

The solution is simple.. Scratch off all the ice you can from the body and the head, poke a few holes in it and it will sink.

[Kevwood]

I wouldn't think putting Spikes in your bait is a great idea either...check the freezer for that package of moose steak or old heart that somehow eludes the freezer rearrange...I have had some great action on chunks of deer or moose meat...