Ice-fishing Friday: Your complete guide to catching big northern pike with tip-ups

TERMINAL TACKLE

When suspending a bait under a tip-up for pike, there are multiple options for hooks and rigs. Some anglers prefer a single large treblehook, such as size 4, while others prefer an even larger size 1 J-hook with a wide gap.

You can also use commercially made rigs for pike that sport a pair of trebles to hold the bait. There are a number of companies that make these pike rigs, including quick-strike rigs that allow you to adjust the spacing of the hooks to accommodate various sized baits.

In recent years, more and more anglers are using size 1 to 1/0 circle hooks when fishing with tip-ups. The advantage of circle hooks is that they typically get imbedded in the pike’s lip, which makes live-release quick and simple. It’s also easier on the fish, not to mention the angler’s fingers and hands (also see “Setting the hook”).

For tying my own tip-up rigs, I use eight inches of 60-pound fluorocarbon line, which is invisible, ties easily and typically won’t get cut by a pike’s sharp teeth. That said, I still retie my rigs with fresh flouro after each fish I catch, just to be on the safe side.