Setting Up Your Northern Pike Tip Up Rig
Getting your northern pike tip up rig dialed in is truthfully the difference between the day spent staring at an iced hole and the day where you're constantly sprinting across the ice. Generally there is something distinctively heart-pounding about seeing that little orange banner pop up against the white snow. But if your rig isn't right, those flags won't mean much if you find an empty catch in late your collection.
Northern pike are aggressive, toothy, and—let's be real—a bit mean. These people don't nibble like a perch; these people smash and grab. Because of that will, your setup needs to be tough enough to take care of those razor-sharp teeth while still getting subtle enough that the big, weary "water wolf" doesn't obtain spooked.
The Foundation of Your Setup
Most people start with great braided line, usually Dacron . It's the conventional for a cause. It doesn't have got much memory, it's easy to handle with gloves on, plus it doesn't tangle nearly as much as monofilament when it's sitting down in a put on the ice. I usually proceed with 30-pound check for the main line. It's thick enough to pull on without trimming your fingers, which is a huge plus when you're hand-lining a twenty-pounder.
Now, a person can't just connect a hook to Dacron and call it per day. Pike will see that will thick black rope from a mile away, and also if these people don't, they'll nip right through it. This is exactly where the business finish of your northern pike tip up rig arrives into play. You need a leader that can stand up to their teeth without having looking like the steel cable.
Steel vs. Fluorocarbon Leaders
This is the age-old debate in the ice fishing globe. Some guys recommend thin, multi-strand steel wire. It's bulletproof. A pike isn't biting through this, period. However, steel can be rigid, and in clear drinking water, it may definitely spook fish.
I've personally moved towards large fluorocarbon leaders over the particular last few years. A 40-pound or even 50-pound fluoro leader is remarkably abrasion-resistant. It's nearly invisible underwater, which usually is a substantial advantage on all those bright, sunny days once the water is crystal clear. If you're worried about break-offs, stay to the steel, but if the bite is gradual, try switching in order to fluoro. You could be surprised at the number of even more flags you get.
Quick Strike Rigs
If you're serious about pike, you've got to discuss the quick strike rig. Back in the time, everyone used just one big treble fishing hook. You'd let the particular pike run along with the bait, wait around for them in order to stop and take it, and after that set the hook. The problem? A person ended up gut-hooking a lot of fish. If you're planning on releasing that pike, a gut hook is basically a death sentence.
A quick strike rig utilizes two smaller treble hooks spaced a few inches apart. One goes close to the dorsal b of your baitfish, as well as the other will go near the tail. The beauty of this is that as soon as that banner pops so you notice the line relocating, you can fixed the hook immediately. You're almost assured to hook them in the mouth area, which is much better for the fish and much easier for you when it comes time to unhook them.
Picking the Right Tow hooks and Hardware
Don't go overboard with all the hook size. A common mistake will be using giant tow hooks that weigh lower the bait and appear unnatural. For most northern pike tip up rig setups, a size 4 or 6 treble catch will be plenty. They're small enough to be hidden but sufficiently strong to hold onto the monster.
I additionally like to add a bit of "flash" in order to my rigs. The small silver or even gold spinner knife or a few of bright beans right above the hook can produce a huge difference. When the particular baitfish swims close to, those blades sparkle, which little bit of vibration can draw a pike in from a distance. It's like a dinner bell under the glaciers.
Balancing Your own Bait
Pike are predators, and they also usually hit lure from the side. If your bait is definitely hanging at the weird, vertical angle, it doesn't appear like a natural, dying fish. A person want your lure to sit flat. If you're making use of a single lift, try hooking the minnow just at the rear of the dorsal fin. If it tips forward or backward, adjust the hook slightly until this sits level.
With a quick strike rig, this is easier to manage since you have two factors of contact. A well-balanced bait remains alive longer plus looks much more enticing to some starving pike cruising the particular weed edges.
Where to Fall the Line
You can have the greatest northern pike tip up rig in the entire world, when you're in the wrong spot, you're just washing your bait. Pike love structure. Appear for weed lines, drop-offs, or the particular mouths of bays.
During the early wintertime, they're often in shallower water—maybe five to 10 feet—hanging out where the final of the natural weeds are. Because the season goes upon and oxygen levels drop, they may move a bit deeper, but they're hardly ever far from a food source. I set my rigs at different absolute depths to see what's working. I'll put one right off the bottom, one particular halfway up, and perhaps one just a few feet below the ice. You'd be surprised exactly how often a big pike is cruising right under the particular surface looking for a snack.
The Art of the particular Hook Set
When that flag finally goes up, don't just operate over and yank the line. Approach the hole quietly—pike can hear a person stomping on the ice. Look at the spool on the tip-up. Is it spinning? If it's screaming, the fish is usually on the move.
Gently lift the particular tip-up out of the hole and grab the line. You need to feel regarding the fish. In the event that you feel tension or a steady pull, it's time to set it. Considering that we're utilizing a northern pike tip up rig—hopefully a fast strike one—you don't need a massive, bone-shattering hook set. A strong, steady pull is normally enough to drive those trebles home.
Working with the "Toothy" End
As soon as you get the particular pike to the particular hole, the real fun begins. Their heads are wide, and they have a habit of trembling just like they notice the light. This particular is when most fish are dropped. When you can, use the pair of long-nose pliers or a dedicated hook cleaner. Never, ever stick your fingers close to a pike's mouth. Even a small 1 can do some serious damage to your hands.
I constantly keep a "jaw spreader" in the pocket. It keeps their mouth open up so you can see what you're doing and obtain the hooks out quickly. The much less time the fish spends out of the water, the particular better its chances of swimming away solid.
Final Ideas around the Rig
Building your own northern pike tip up rig is half the particular fun of glaciers fishing. It gives you something in order to do on all those long, dark Tuesday nights when you're just wishing you were on the lake. You are able to customize your leader lengths, play around with different bead colors, and locate what works best for the local waters.
There's no single "perfect" way to perform it, but if you focus on making use of quality components and keeping your demonstration natural, you're going to see a lot more action. Simply remember to maintain your blades sharp, your bait new, as well as your boots cozy. The best ones are in that area waiting—you just have to give them something they can't resist. Now, move get those flags popping!