Ice Fishing for Pike

Ready to take on the big boys? If you’re looking for a fight, pike is your fish. Remember these bigger fish need bigger holes. Normally you might cut a six inch hole in the ice, but I’d advise a 10 inch hole for pike. Some may fit through a 6 inch, but let’s set our sights high!

Pike are aggressive eaters even in winter, so they’re more likely to take your lure, and they hang up closer to the ice, verses the bottom. You can fish with a jig lure, but tie ups are more common. Whatever you use, ensure it has larger, sharp hook.

Just a warning about pike – their teeth can tear your hand up, and any kind of animal/fish bite can get infected pretty easy. This means you need a steel leader on the end of your line. These fish can fight too, so double check your knots connecting the lure and the leader to the line. Check the line as well for any fraying. If the line looks fuzzy, switch to a new one.

These larger fish will give you more of a fight and they’ll also be more work. You need a good ice fishing pole, along with 15 pound test line, ice fishing tip ups, jigs and frozen bait.

Pike are fun because they’re so aggressive, making them a good species to start with if you’re new to ice fishing because they’ll grab your lure if you get it close. The trick is finding them. Some people employ a fish finder, but you can be more adventurous and rely on your knowledge of the lake or pond. Using GPS will show you where the drop offs are, and you want to cut holes by vegetation lines where pike hide. They will grab a lure close by.

About Author
Jason Pitcock has been fishing for over 30 years and ice fishing for more than 10.He enjoys passing on his
fishing tips to his young daughter while
fishing in their farm pond.
Jason is also founder of http://www.worldsfishermen.com for more information on ice fishing please check it out.