Ice fishing Pike questions

[Biscuit]

Hello

I want to go fish for northern pike through the ice this winter. I live in southeast Iowa and would like to go on the Mississippi River backwaters.

Does anyone have information for a beginner on how to do this, such as tackle (rods or tip-ups)?

Where is a good place for a beginner to go to catch a few fish? I know I will probably need to drive to pool 10 or above.

I will take any other advice and thanks for the help.

[AKAL]

Up here in MN, pike are typically adjacent to or are in the weeds. Live suckers on tip ups or dead sticks are awesome, as well as big flashy spoons. If you are allowed more than one line, get a jigging rod with a rattling buckshot or some other loud flashy spoon with a minnow head on it and for your remaining rods I would use tip ups with a plain treble (nothing too terribly big) with a live sucker or large live shiner or shad.

[justaguy2454]

I use a quik strike rig, basically attach 2- 12/18 inch leaders to one swivel, then on the end of each leader put a treble hook. I then put on a 4-5 inch unfrozen hearing. I have it level, some guys out it upside down some guys put it on nose down. Then put that on a tip up about 2-5 feet of the bottom.

The pike will hit it and the flag will go up, they will do a run with it then stop. When they stop the pike is positioning the bait to swallow. Pull the line slowly if its swimming or if it stops you can set the hook a bit harder.

You may thing a 4-5 inch hearing is to big but on a 6 inch i catch 2-3 pound pike and i caught one that pulled a 40 lb test leader apart. One treble got caught on the ice and when it took off it pulled the other leader apart.

[justaguy2454]

Here is a video, the pike doent bite but you get the idea

https://youtu.be/IuqtNFeP1Yc

[justaguy2454]

This also extremely well in the spring and fall, just use a big float on the top

[That Minnesota guy]

Like mentioned let them run before setting the hook. Wait until they stop and then when they go again hit 'em.

[PRO-V16]

If you have deep water with ciscoes or smelt present, don't ignore that. I have caught alot of big ones over 50' to 100' feet of water suspending a minnow or ciscoe on a quick strike rig about 30' down or near wherever the baitfish are holding.

[Ricky Spanish]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPzNuDyUzU8

[PRO-V16]

Just heard about that this year but haven't tried it yet.