Ice Fishing Tips for Northern Pike in Minnesota

Rig Properly

Use a wire or steel leader since pike have rows of sharp teeth, and fishing line is no match for them. Attach the hook or lure to the leader, then tie your regular fishing line to the leader. While other fish, like walleyes, are leader-shy, pike are not. The best ice-fishing rod is a heavy action spinning or baitcasting rod, paired with a spinning or baitcasting reel. Spoons are the best lure option. If pike are not responding to your spoon, try a sucker minnow fished on a hook and presented beneath a bobber.

Location

Pike in Minnesota eat smaller fish like sunfish, perch and suckers. Throughout the winter, pike can be found roaming around the lake, searching for a meal. Active pike generally are about halfway down in the water column and often can be found around schools of other, smaller fish. To limit the search for pike, focus on green vegetation or structural elements like drop-offs, humps and reefs. The edges of all these areas are most likely to attract pike.

Pay Attention to the Spawn

Northern pike are one of the earliest-spawning game fish in Minnesota, beginning the process of reproduction in the weeks and months before the ice leaves the lakes. Pike begin the early stages of the spawn by starting to move toward their spawning grounds, which are shallow or boggy areas with muddy bottoms. These places often have cattails growing in and around them. The bay itself likely will be too shallow to hold many fish under the ice, but vegetation, points and drop-offs that are near the bay are good options. The fish will feed in these areas as they prepare to spawn.

A Moving Lure

One of the best ways to target northern pike under the ice in Minnesota is by imparting a jigging action on jigs and live bait or a plastic trailer, or a spoon. Make sure to keep the jig or spoon moving so that it imitates a wounded or dying fish. You can try dropping the lure all the way to the bottom, but a better bet is to jig about halfway between the ice and the bottom, since pike often roam around the middle point of the water column.

Mobility

The most successful anglers do not stay in an area if they haven't caught a pike within about 60 minutes. Move to new spots and drill holes until you find pike that are aggressively eating, or at least willing to bite.