Tips for pike?

[Paradotical]

I believe I may need a view tips from a few of you old fishing vets. I've been attempting to target the pike out at burnstick for the past couple of weekends with no cigar. Last December I managed to catch two decent sized ones. I was using a small pike plug, 4' down in about 6' of water. Don't know if it was just luck. Anyways any small tips or tricks would do, looking to catch a big hog, C&R of course.

[WayneChristie]

switch up your baits, big and small, lures do work but bait catches way more winter pike. check out a few different depths as well, look for perch the pike shouldnt be too far away, they like to eat perch just like the rest of us

[Paradotical]

Trust me, I've found the perch any suggestions on bait? I've had some luck with frozen minnows In the past, but not recently.

[tacklerunner]

Try smelts.

[fish gunner]

I find pike a little deeper than 6' at burnstick . 10-15'- I find gets a little more action. I feel a sloping bottom to produce better than flat . Imo it lets fish from various depths skylight the bait . We fish one on bottom and one at 4-5' up . Then switch as fish show a preference. I have yet to beat 6lb at burnstick but have seen a few fish that might make 10lb. Good luck . We notice if the perch suddenly shut off, a smelt free falling to bottom will illicit a pike fairly often. Hope that helps. Pm over the holidays I'm sure to be on burnstick at least once. Give you some pointers.

[Paradotical]

Well ill be out there this weekend, ill be sure to let you know how it's goes. It's nice to hook onto something bigger than a perch here and there

[Geezle]

Originally Posted by Paradotical

Trust me, I've found the perch any suggestions on bait? I've had some luck with frozen minnows In the past, but not recently.

Think bigger...much bigger!

Smelt, herring, mackerel, sardines, anchovies etc...

[Gumbi]

in burntstick ive used 2 to 3in shiny silver spoons tipped with frozin minnows or jig head and white mr twister tipped with frozin minnow. i give big jigs ever so often to get attention then just give it a little quiver most of the time....
7 to 15 feet

[dragon]

When pike are in the mood, dangle anything. When they are not its gotta be bait. My personal preference is white jig head and smelt. If its super slow i switch to an airplane jig to give it more action. Sometimes I use a silver spoon type lure with a minnow in one hole and the jig in the other. The spoon seems to bring them in but they usually go after the jig.

[Cal]

Almost all my best winter pike have come on a herring under a tipup, I've had the best luck with the Windlass jigging tipups. On the jigging stick just about any old spoon or jig will work, but over the years I've had the best luck through the ice with Mepps Cyclops spoons and Airplane jigs tipped with minnows, and Rattling Rapalas fished bare.

Dragon is on to a good system with his two lines. Typicly I spread my lines out to cover more area when fishing for pike but fishing them close togeather and using a jigging lure to bring fish to my tipup has worked well also.

[fergy]

Big dead baits

[EZM]

Pike are strange creatures under the ice .... sometimes they sit and stare at your stuff then the next outing they are all over it. I think the trick is to give them some variety and see what's working that day ........ big greasy herring on a dead stick, then little minnows jigged the next day, sometimes the flash of a spoon, other times ............... you get the picture

Cameras are a good way to drive yourself crazy sometimes ............

[WayneChristie]

watched mine down the hole today, had some come in like a rocket, and some just nip the bait then leave it. jig with a strip of sucker was working best, they would stare at it for a while then decide to eat it if I jigged it just a bit. also had a couple take herring, just sitting a foot off the bottom. every fish is different, but for some reason they seem to turn on all at once then shut down pretty close together too. if they seem to vanish sometimes drilling a couple holes near where you are fishing will draw some back in. also jigging a noisy lure like a rattling rap will usually get some interest, they may not take the lure but they just might hit your other line. Just keep throwing stuff at them, one will eventually get mad or hungry enough to grab what you are throwing at it. or not, thats fishing