# Anybody not use live bait for pike on tip-ups?



## rosencra38 (Oct 6, 2006)

Just wondering if anybody has ever tried anything other than live baits on their tip-ups for pike? I'm growing tired of putting a minnow on my hook and freezing my hands in the process.


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## sea nympho (Aug 7, 2006)

The_ In-Fish_ crew rarely uses live bait for pike, instead using large deadbaits on 'quick-strike'(tandem treble) rigs,as it works much better with their highly-mobile approach to ice fishing. No bait buckets, etc..., just frozen dead suckers in ziploc bags.

I've tried several times w/ limited success versus livebait fished simultaneously, and as scientifically as possible. Livebait works better according to my tests.


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## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

I use alot of dead bait, depending on the lake. Dirty water and rivermouth lakes such as PM, Manistee, Muskegon, ect, seem to be good lakes for dead bait. I use mostly smelt, sometimes alwives that I either catch or pick up off the beach. Alwives and smelt are nice because they are alot cheaper than live bait, easier to transport, and you don't have to try to keep them alive! Dead shiners or suckers work too. Other guys I know have used frozen herring and done well. It is like anything else, sometimes it works better, other times live bait is better. I use mostly large swedish hooks but quick strike rigs work well too.


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## FISH21 (Mar 13, 2004)

I use frozen dead suckers on my tipups and have pretty good luck with them. The other day the hole with the dead sucker was gettin all the flags and the one with the live sucker didn't get any.


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## house (Mar 22, 2001)

Nice football Fish.


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## PoleHolder (Dec 28, 2002)

dead smelt plus quick strike rig works well for me, especially later season.


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

I've used smelt that I bought in the grocery store before,,, cleaned and every thing. They were just chunks of meat,, no scales, no heads or tails. I couldn't keep that thing in the water,,, the pike and bass were smackin' that thing before I even set it down.


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## roger23 (Jan 14, 2001)

PoleHolder said:


> dead smelt plus quick strike rig works well for me, especially later season.


Me too


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## Radar420 (Oct 7, 2004)

For the people who use dead smelt, how do you keep them from floating up or does the quick-strike rig prevent that? I've used frozen smelt and they're awesome but they always seem to float back up a little until they thaw out a bit. I know the swedish hook would prevent this but I don't want to use one.


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## PoleHolder (Dec 28, 2002)

I have jammed split shot in the gullet when frozen, but I try to thaw several in the microwave or on the heater in the truck on the way to the ice. Once thawed, ziplocked and kept in a pocket works well.


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## FISH21 (Mar 13, 2004)

To make them sink u need to pop the air bladder. I just stab the sucker 3 or 4 times with a knife...plus it helps release scent into the water which attracts more pike


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## sweetblu (Dec 18, 2007)

wartfroggy said:


> I use alot of dead bait, depending on the lake. Dirty water and rivermouth lakes such as PM, Manistee, Muskegon, ect, seem to be good lakes for dead bait. I use mostly smelt, sometimes alwives that I either catch or pick up off the beach. Alwives and smelt are nice because they are alot cheaper than live bait, easier to transport, and you don't have to try to keep them alive! Dead shiners or suckers work too. Other guys I know have used frozen herring and done well. It is like anything else, sometimes it works better, other times live bait is better. I use mostly large swedish hooks but quick strike rigs work well too.


i could be wrong but with all this bs about baiting and minnow use is it still legal to pick up dead fish say from lake michigan and use them on inland lakes?


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## icefishermanmark (Mar 2, 2005)

FISH21 said:


> To make them sink u need to pop the air bladder. I just stab the sucker 3 or 4 times with a knife...plus it helps release scent into the water which attracts more pike


Bingo. Or you can just squeeze them and the air should come out.


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## A_Outdoorsman (Oct 20, 2005)

minnows from Lake Huron aren't aloud in other lakes including inland.


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## shadow (Feb 14, 2005)

A_Outdoorsman said:


> minnows from Lake Huron aren't aloud in other lakes including inland.


especially dead :rant: look up VHS, thats the whole reason minnows are so expensive right now


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## TUCKER (Nov 1, 2002)

is too find a big heavy nail, cut off the head of the nail, and ram it inside the belly of the dead minnow letting it lay along the belly. This usually makes them sit perfect in the water. I swore I would never tell anyone of my secret but it is Christmas time and I am feeling generous


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## TrekJeff (Sep 7, 2007)

Cool, I do a simular thing...the flexable lead/pencil I use when steelhead fishing


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## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

Radar420 said:


> For the people who use dead smelt, how do you keep them from floating up or does the quick-strike rig prevent that? I've used frozen smelt and they're awesome but they always seem to float back up a little until they thaw out a bit. I know the swedish hook would prevent this but I don't want to use one.


I also use nails, even with swedish hooks a big smelt will ride head high. You want them to sit level in the water. I don't bother cutting the head off the nail or any of that, just slide one in the mouth or inside the gill plate. Helps get them to sink and sit level.


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## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

shadow said:


> especially dead :rant: look up VHS, thats the whole reason minnows are so expensive right now


 
yeah, well that wasn't a big concern 10 years ago when we used to have alwives to pick up on the beach. They aren't around anymore, so I don't do it now. If a big school comes in, I may thrownet some out of the channel for the freezer. And as far as an inland lake, PM lake may be inland but is connected to Lake Mich though the channel (where I net the alwives) so I am pretty sure I am not introducing anything. I see where you are going, but no need for your :rant:.


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## bentrod (Nov 27, 2004)

What about using a dead perch, easy enough to get? How about sucker, carp, or dogfish strips from summer caught fish, or even a pike belly caught recently? Are smelt caught on, say Crystal Lake, legal?

bentrod


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