Pike are aggressive fish that are exciting to catch. They tend to be on the prowl even when other types are tough to find in winter weather. Setting tip-ups in areas such as the previous summer's weed line or channel-edge flats will help anglers catch pike in the channels where they like to cruise, according to Nodak Outdoors. Several other tips can help land these fish, which usually ambush their own prey.
Proactive Approach
A mobile or proactive approach works better than a stationary one, in which you sit in a lawn chair after setting up a couple of holes, Noel Vick writes in "Fishing on Ice." Diversifying the location, depth and structures in which you are fishing throughout the day works better if you want to land more than one fish, Vick says.
Hole Cover
Use a 1-foot-square piece of tile or carpet with a slot cut in it to prevent your ice hole from freezing up and to keep snow out of it, Gene Kugach writes in the book "Fishing Basics." Cut the slot about 6 inches in, and run it about half the length of the tile or carpet.
Minimize Undesirable Scents
Scrub your hands with sugar before touching your lures if you previously handled anything with gasoline. Wash with salt if you have put bug spray on--this will cut back on the transfer of undesirable scents and maximize fish strikes, according to Twin Lakes Outfitters.
Line Play
If you are not near your fishing hole when the flag trips on your tip-up, don't panic. Most pike will grab bait and run before turning and swallowing it. When you get to your hole, look at the tip-up, and watch the spool turning the flag-trip mechanism while your pike runs. Keep watching it until the spin slows or stops, then grab the line. You also can count to 20 before grabbing the line. A pike probably is on the line if you can see the line angling off under the ice, according to Nick Simonson in a Nodak Outdoors article, "Northern Pike Ice Fishing Tips."
Line Care
Set your hook by pulling your line swiftly upward. As your fish nears the surface, lay your line next to the hole as neatly as possible. That way, if the fish makes a quick run, the line won't tangle on your tip-up, your legs or other objects, Simonson says. Instead, the line will flow smoothly back down the hole.
Watch for Teeth
Watch out for teeth when you land a pike. A pike can rip up your hands if you are not careful, posing a risk for infection, Ice Fishing World says.
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