Conference wahoo::fishing-v2

    Bruno,
    	HAve you ever tried Ice fishing for Pike with live bait??  If
    you're interested, that'd be the way to do it...

    Mr Wener,
         I have tried ice fishing twice, both times with salt water 
    smelt(about 6in long).Both times I had no luck what so ever,mind
    you I spent most of the time in the cottage not paying much attention
    to the lines.	
         Seeing as our winters last so long up here,I will give it a try
    with live bait.I guess I can get live shinners at my local Tackle shop.
    What are the prime spots for ice fishing? Would they be the same places
    I usually fish during the summer or should I be trying elsewhere?
    
                                               Thanx,
                                                    Bruno
    

    Bruno,
    	Try shallow bays (3 to 15 feet of water), points and dropoffs.
    basically anywhere there's structure and/or weed beds.  Careful to 
    set up over the weeds with the bait and not in it!  otherwise the
    pike won't be able to see it.   Use golden shiners 6"-8" long if you
    can get them (or bigger).  We usually set up a minimum of 2'-3' off
    bottom (pike look up to take the bait).  Use BIG tackle (no #6 hooks),
    at least 3/0 or 4/0 with 12" steel leaders.  You can try mono leaders,
    but you'll have to change often (use about 30-40# if mono).  Use
    underwater jacks so the reels won't freeze.  --  and Hang on!
    
    HAve fun, Rob
    
    P.S. you can fish the same place two days in a row - one day you'll get
    them, the next you won't.  Don't give up.

    Bruno---
    
    I've never fished anywhere that had a population of Great Northerns,
    but my father used to go to northern Minnesota and southern Canada
    twice each year for week-long pike fishing.
    
    His tackle box sported a lot of LARGE spoons, and I remember several of
    them being Red Devils. (I thought those were bass lures?)
    
    He told me once that when he first started fishing up there, he would
    cast and start reeling in at a steady pace after letting the lure sink
    for about 5 seconds. This seldom yielded a fish. Then he noticed that
    the guys who were hauling them in would crank the reel quickly for a
    few seconds, pause for about a second, and then crank the reel quickly.
    My father consistently caught pike once he switched to that method.
    
    I wasn't there to see it, and my father's descriptive powers were never
    legendary, so I'm not sure how well the above actually describes the
    technique.
    
    FWIW
    
    John H-C

    ROB,
        SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE HAD SOME SUCCESS. I CANT WAIT TO TRY IT!
    GOLDEN SHINNERS? NEW USED THEM. I GUESS IM GOING TO CALL THE SHOP AND
    FIND OUT IF THEY HAVE ANY. IF THEY DONT THERE IS A LIQUID YOU CAN DIP
    SHINERS INTO, IS THERE NOT? I GUESS THEY WOULDN'T LAST TOO LONG EH?
      IS THE PIKE FISHING ANY GOOD AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR? I HAVE NEVER
    TRIED IT.
                                                          THANX AGAIN,
                                                                  BRUNO.
    

      Re last few...
      I can tell you for a FACT that just about any lake ANYWHERE in
    Minnesota has some nice Northerns, and the Mississippi river also has a
    tremendous amount of them. I was born 'n raised out there, and my
    all-time favorite lure for Northerns is the "Daredevil" spoon. Red 'n
    white has always worked the best for me, but the black 'n whites are
    also killers at certain times depending onthe water quality.
    
      After reading that prolonged fighting with a fish of ANY type can
    stress it out so much that it may die after being released even though
    it may LOOK healthy, I threw away my ultra-lite and lite tackle, and I
    use heavy stuff now. For Northerns I usually take a bait-casting that
    can also be used as a pool cue stick, tie 45 pound nylon onto it, and
    tie a 50pound test steel leader about 12 inches long onto the end of
    the line....then hook a 4 or 6 inch Daredevil onto that and let 'er
    rip...
    
      The Science folks state that a fish being fought will deplete it's
    oxygen supply in its muscle structure and replace it with uric acid.
    This will cause severe stress on the neurologica and respiratory
    system, and in many cases it will cuse the fish to swim off and die
    within a few hours of release. I like to get them into the boat or on
    shore, admire 'em a few seconds, and let'em go for future fun. However,
    a 12 pound Northern also makes for some GREAT eating if dipped in egg,
    rolled in flour or meal, salt, pepper, garlic and fried slowly in
    butter....and the bones in a fish that size aren't a big problem...
    
    John Mc

    Bruno,
    	There's also a few notes on this subject in the archived fishing
    notesfile (Wahoo::fishing).  I just did a dir/title="pike" and found
    notes 368,523,944, and 1276.  I think you'll find plenty more in there.
    As to pike this time of year... I never tried... I'm usually out trying
    to get a deer in Oct. and Nov.      I do know that first Ice (capable 
    of walking on of course :')  ) produces some good pike fishing.
    usually the goldens work well here.  Don't go to the big suckers until
    later in the season (March), when the big henfish come into the bays.
    But even at this time, we usually do very well with Golden shiners -
    the bigger the better!
    
    Good luck!!  - Rob
    
    P.S.  If/when you get one taking line on the tip-up, give them time
    to stop with the bait, than start up again.  If you yank too soon,
    you'll just pull it out of their mouth.

     Rob,
        Thanks for the tip,there is lots of info in the archieved fishing
    file. Hope you get a nice size deer.
    
                                                    Thanks again,
                                                            Bruno
    

    I hope this note fit's this topic. I recently caught a couple of
    pickrel (sp). I know it's suggested to lip a bass in order not to
    harm or at least do as little harm to the fish as possible but
    what about pike. How should they be handled so as not to do damage.
    They sure are squirmy fish.
    
                                                     Thanks

    I haven't figured out how to consistently remove a hook from a pickerel
    without doing gill damage.
    
    The thing is, I don't believe most folks feel any remorse about
    damaging a pickerel. So I don't think there's much hope for a good
    answer.
    
    I once watched a guy carefully try to remove his treble hook from a
    *large* pickerel. The pickerel suirmed free and took refuge under my
    canoe. Two days later, passing by the same site, I found the lure
    on the bottom. Nice lure.
    
    John H-C

    
    
               Grasp the fish with your hand or if its too large
               let it lay in the water.Grasp the hook shank close
               to where it goes into its mouth and yank that bugger
               out.Works for me.
    
    
    
                                                The Keg

Handling pickeral???

I know someone (no names mentioned) who puts back TWICE as many as he 
catches!

That Rapala fillet knife gets a good workout!

    ALTHOUGH I NOW LIVE IN CALIFORNIA, I GREW UP AND FISHED A LOT OF
    NORTHERN MINNESOTA FOR ESOX LUCIUS LINNEAS. I'VE CANOED AND FISHED THE
    SUPERIOR NAT'L FOREST, QUETICO PROV. PARK, AND NORTH TO THE TREE LINE
    AND FOUND THAT A LARGE DOCTOR SPOON, OR RED EYED WIGGLER WITH THE BELLY
    MEAT OF A FISH(SUCKER HIGHLY PREFERRED) WITH THE PECTORAL FINS TRAILING
    AND HOOKED TO ONE TINE OF THE TREBLE HOOK DOES VERY WELL.  THIS RIG IS
    USUALLY TROLLED, BUT CAN BE CAST.  IF CASTING, TRY LETTING IT SINK TO
    THE BOTTOM, BUT TRY DIFFERENT DEPTH, SPEEDS OF RETRIEVES, JERKS, ETC.
    THIS RIG ALSO WORKS VERY WELL ON LAKE TROUT(CHAR) WHICH PERHAPS THERE
    ARE IN QUEBEC.  FOR THIS RIG YOU'LL PROBABLY NEED SOMETHING MORE ROBUST
    THAN 8 OR 10# LINE.  THE COMBINATION OF THIS RIG, AND A FIGHTING FISH
    COULD LEAVE YOU WITH A LIMP LINE.  GOOD LUCK!!!!
    
    WALLY