Best dead bait for pike?

[adam]

I want to hear everyone's opinion on what type of minnow you think is the best for early spring dead bait fishing for big pike, and what is your preferred way of rigging it?

Thanks
Adam

[Pikeman]

In the spring on Lake Diefenbaker here in Saskatchewan we use dead bait rigs for pike. Smelt seems to work very well, but ussualy i have Herring left over from ice fishing, and end up using it.
I rig it "pickeral rig" style. I do not use the average pickeral rig though. I make mine out of wire.
The only time i use dead bait however, is as a last resort. Most of the time you can get some good size pike in the boat using artificial lures.

Hope this helps,

Pikeman

[Ketchenanny]

Using a big bobber and a good size trebble hook with red yarn wrapped around the stem, hook the white skin of the belly of a walleye (left over after cleaning ) so it hangs below the trebble hook. Cast it next to a weedbed and let it float with your bail open. Once a pike takes the hook, let them run with it giving it some time to swallow the hook, then close the bail and hang on. This works real good with a current running along the weedbed.

[derrek]

It depends on where you are, I guess, but most of the time bait for pike is unnecessary. Len Thompson spoons, jigs & twister tails, spinners or cranks will do just fine. Pike seem to hit on motion, they could care less what it is. Bait, be it minnows or whatever won't hurt you, but unless things are really slow, their benefit might not be tht great.