Tip up fishing for pike

[NDhunter7]

With the ice season approaching... what depth do you guys like to fish with your tip ups? and how high off the bottom? Ive heard everything from 6 inches off the bottom to 6 inches below the ice.

[Niles Short]

I rig a 8-12 inch wire leader with 2 trebles—one on the snap and another looped and threaded about the length of the other end of a large smelt—then about a foot of fireline [this is to keep the leader a ways from the one ounce sliding sinker and then a open ended barrel swivel—this all rigged like a funky lindy rig—fish it right on the bottom as you would cats. Spring or winter works perfect

[NDhunter7]

Thanks for the Input.
I have heard that you do not want to place your bait too close to the bottom because pike cannot look down but can only look forward and up. Therefor it is possible to have your bait too low and impossible to have your bait too high. Opinions?

[Nick Roehl]

Thanks for the Input.
I have heard that you do not want to place your bait too close to the bottom because pike cannot look down but can only look forward and up. Therefor it is possible to have your bait too low and impossible to have your bait too high. Opinions?

That's not true. Pike will shovel bait right off the bottom. But it's never a bad idea to set multiple tip ups at different depths. Some days they will be hugging the bottom other they are taking them 3 ft. off the bottom.

[Sask hunter]

I usually fish for them like picks, just a few inches off the bottom. With that being said up here I usually have the tip ups set about 6" off the bottom and have a jigging rod about 2" off the bottom

[NDhunter7]

Thanks for the help guys

[Niles Short]

try a heavy egg sinker [half to one oz] and I jimmy a quick set outfit with 2 trebles tied to a 10-12 inch steel leader--hooks about 6-9 inchs apart. myself right on the bottom, unless weeds are present. As in the summer-same in the winter edges, weather depth or weeds-structure. Run several lines in a pattern trying different depths. The fish will tell you what they want. Then concentrate in the area with most activity