Pike fishing rig setups

I use a 30lb up-trace with my set-up. Remember to include a link swivel for the lead link within the up-trace. Please use the weakest lead link you can because it can no longer slide off the line, in the event of a main line break. The second rig is for deeper water or fishing close in. Start by threading a float stop and snap link swivel onto the main line. Then tie a swivel on the end of the line. For the lead link, tie a length low breaking strain mono to the end swivel.

The lead link should be a couple of inches longer, than the hook trace wire when the trace is attached to the snap link. Use this rig in any situation, where the main line enters the water at a steep angle. Close to the bank or in deep water for example. Cast out into the river and feather the rig down hard as before.

Then trap the line completely just as the rig hits the water and allow the rig to sink down in an arc to the bottom. Both of these rigs are running rigs to reduce any resistance felt by the fish. The weight of the lead can also play an important part in this.

Use a lead that only just holds bottom. If the fish takes the bait far enough to move the lead, it will still feel very little resistance. Both of these rigs are fished with a tight line to the lead. This is especially important for the close in deep water rig. The bite indicator should be heavy enough, to hold everything up. With the line held tight on either rig, virtually any movement of the bait will cause a beep and a visual indication.

I like to use a cheap bite alarm and a monkey climber. Tip up fishing has generated more trophy northern pike than all other ice fishing techniques combined. It is by far the best technique for targeting big pike, since it allows you to set up multiple tip ups baited with extra large baitfish, and enables you to test a range of different depths.

When using tip ups, try to use baitfish that are at least 10 inches long, as this will produce bites from the bigger northerns, while avoiding the smaller ones under 6 pounds. Two good examples of this are the channel of a tributary creek that flows into a shallow bay, or an underwater drop-off zone next to a weed flat. In the interest of conservation, a good practice is to release all the big pike as quickly as possible, and only keep the smaller ones under 6 pounds if you plan to eat them.

The most important rig for pike ice fishing is the quick strike rig , which consists of a wire leader with two hooks that are about 3 to 5 inches apart. One of the hooks is attached to the head of a dead baitfish, while the second one is attached to the tail region. This setup helps to position the baitfish horizontally in the water, which is very important when using dead bait.

While you can also use a quick strike rig for live baitfish, a better option is to use a wire leader with a single hook, and to hook the bait fish just underneath its dorsal fin. This gives the bait more freedom of movement, which in turn helps to attract northern pike. While both live bait and dead bait rigs for pike ice fishing were traditionally made with a metal leader to avoid being cut by sharp pike teeth , many ice anglers nowadays prefer to use 50 to 80 lb test fluorocarbon instead, since this has much lower visibility underwater.

Fluorocarbon is also more supple, which gives your baitfish more freedom to move around. In many fisheries, northern pike are the largest game fish you can catch through the ice, making them among the most exciting species to target with ice fishing. If you take up the pursuit of these aggressive and beautiful predators, you might find yourself just as hooked on pike ice fishing as I am. Because of this, they are an ideal species to target during the hard water season. Check out our section below about rigging for more details on the best leader setup to use.

Where to find pike ice fishing Just like any other type of ice fishing, the first hurdle you need to master in order to catch northern pike through the ice is finding them. What depth should you ice fish for pike? Ice fishing techniques for pike The two best techniques to catch pike through the ice are: Tip up fishing Jigging Tip ups are baited hand lines that are set up with a flag that pops up when you get a bite, and after setting them up you can observe from a distance while waiting for a bite.

Tip up fishing for pike There can be no doubt that ice fishing with tip ups is by far the most productive method to catch northern pike in winter. Jigging for pike While tip up fishing produces more fish on average than jigging, many anglers feel that catching a big northern pike is more fun on a rod and reel. What is the best bait for pike ice fishing? They seem to have no proper use in my pike fishing setup. Plus a few drilled bullets to slide on the line to act as a weight for drifting inline floats.

Drilled bullets can also come in handy for wobbling or twitching. I also like to carry some swan shots, beads and float stops. Being much weaker than both the main line and trace, I use 6lb monofilament for making a weak link to the casting weight.

If the weight gets snagged while playing a fish, the link breaks leaving the weight safely behind. Ideal for Paternoster and running trace rigs. Forceps and long nose pliers are used to unhook the Pike. Side cutters to cut the hooks or trace wire when there is no other option. I use a 36 inch landing net that has a spreader block.

The arms of the net are not fixed, they pull out of the spreader block making it much easier to move and weigh the fish once landed. I use an electronic bite indicator in conjunction with a monkey climber. The bite indicator is simple and cheap, it just makes a noise, singing and dancing not required. The monkey climber is an old fashioned visual indicator popular in the last century.

It was originally developed in Europe and was then adapted and improved by ice anglers in North America. This is the traditional version of the quick strike rig, which consists of two treble hooks size 4 or 6 that are independently attached to a swivel with a 1 to 2 inch metal wire. The swivel is in turn attached to a 1 to 2 foot wire leader.

This rig has been successfully used for pike ice fishing by generations of ice anglers. It is generally used with dead bait, and one of its key advantages is that it results in a horizontal bait fish presentation. If you insert the two treble hooks at the head and tail regions of a deadbait, this automatically positions the baitfish horizontally.

Many anglers claim that a horizontal bait fish positioning results in more bites, since it looks more natural to pike. Traditional quick strike rigs are available from most tackle retailers, but you can also make them yourself with tieable wire.

This setup consists of a straight piece of fluorocarbon connecting two treble hooks, with a large circle hook threaded on the line between them. The circle hook is inserted into the gut of a dead baitfish, while each of the treble hooks are inserted near the head and tail of the baitfish, respectively. This version of the quick strike rig is ideal for a vertical presentation of a dead baitfish, with its head pointing down in the water.

While most ice anglers prefer a horizontal baitfish positioning, legendary Canadian ice angler Gord Pyzer swears by the vertical presentation, and claims it has caught the biggest pike for him.