Watching pike behavior on underwater camera ice fishing last winter was an eye opener. I extensively used blue shiners with a small treble hook, 20# braid, no leader. They will slowly glide in, tap it with their snout, back up and repeat or sometimes leave and circle the perimeter. Others will come in so fast there is no time but to just hang on.

Yes, change it up! Oh and use a little Zebco disney combo🤣

Definately that!🤣

It doesnt happen often but it sure feels weird.

Anyone?

We must be related. I fish for them at least once a week. I’m now on my 2nd week of camping on hot prime muskie waters. Having a blast but none to speak of. I just need more time on this river.

Just this morning I anchored in a cove at 20ft out of the current. While casting I had 2 huge marks on my sonar and directly under my little bass boat in 5-6fow. I was tossing a super shad rap in golden shiner, the big one.

Two things in my muskie-less experience I know for sure:
-Muskies break all the rules.
-more muskie seem to be caught by accident than on purpose. And they all say it was on 8lb test🤣

I know pike will study and even bump a dead stick bait during ice fishing but do they nudge or bump a lure on the troll?

Sometimes the action of the lure momentarily stops and the tension of the line eases up and the rod tip is like a break off…just for 2 seconds maybe.

Anyone else experience this? Could it be pike nudging the lure forward to cause the slack line?

I’m up in northern lower Michigan and might try. My trolling speeds are close to this speed. Thanks, who knows maybe crappie will hit. Perch hit my jointed shad rap white perch coloration.

Trolling for crappie is a new one to me. What is your trolling speed and bait (the two are directly related)?

This particular size and model is my go-to so I have 2 in the box. Bought them last fall after losing one to a bite off. Yeah, I may have to replace all the original rings. Love fishing for pike😁

No kidding and these are not big pike. In the last 2 outings 27” pike on both nights have straightened the split rings on my rapala shad raps. Each time I recovered the buried hook and rings in their mouths. Just plain strange and strange how I netted them seemingly just in time.

I have never ever in all my years of lure useage has this happened.

Welp, dug out the split ring kit and fixed em good. At least until the next one hammers this lure.

Way to go!

That? Is muskie bait.

The whopper plopper just flat-out kills bass.

Send it. Enjoy that first ride!

I live out the Good News👍