ICE-FISHING FOR GREAT PIKE 



their basements, summer and winter, so as to be pre- 

 pared for fishing whenever the urge is strong upon 

 them. 



While undoubtedly a live minnow is the most at- 

 tractive, a dead one may be used, provided the fisher- 

 man is willing to stand over the hole and "bob"-jerk 

 the line up and down. I have found that such a move- 

 ment, even when using live bait, is apt to attract 

 great pike from a distance. Three set hooks not over 

 twenty feet apart, in a triangle, were baited with live 

 shiner minnows, and the one I bobbed would take 

 fish, while the other two invited great pike in vain. 

 It seemed to make no difference which hook I manip- 

 ulated, the one I kept in motion attracted the "fresh- 

 water wolves." I have noticed the same thing when 

 ice-fishing for perch; therefore I assert that, all else 

 equal, it is the hook that is kept in motion which takes 

 the fish. And why not? Does not a moving minnow 

 attract more attention than a stationary one? Which 

 is the more attractive in summertime? Upon the 

 answer to the foregoing questions will hinge the action 

 of the eager winter great pike fisher. 



As to the locality for ice-fishing for great pike, all 

 will depend upon where the fish "hang out" in winter- 

 time. By and large, a water which affords good sum- 

 mer fishing should also supply winter sport. As has 

 been pointed out again and again in earlier chapters 

 of this work, members of the pike family do not hold 

 a roving commission, but linger in a given locality. 

 About the only thing that will impel any pike to 

 emigrate is dearth of food. Let me add here that 

 once upon a time all the pike fraternity of a certain 

 Wisconsin lake moved out along toward the last of 



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