Detailed Guide on Ice Fishing, What Size Hooks For Ice Fishing

In this piece, I’ll be discussing the subject of “What Size Hooks For Ice Fishing?”, and I’ll do my best to cover as much ground as I possibly can in terms of content.


small hooks

in the size #8 to #14 range will serve well with

small delicate baits

like mousies and waxies. For minnows, start with hooks of size #4 and #2, adjusting with larger or smaller hooks to match the size of minnows you are using.

downsized jigs

will be the lures of choice for the majority of your

ice fishing

.

Ice Fishing: What is the best bait for ice fishing

For

ice fishing

live bait, try wax worms (bee moth larva), maggots, spikes (fly larvae), wigglers (mayfly larvae) or minnows You can drop your bait and leave it alone, or you can slowly jig to attract the fish. Ice fishing jigging also works with artificial ice fishing bait.

Pike Ice Fishing: What size hooks for pike ice fishing

Size #6 hooks are, in my opinion, the

best starting point

when ice fishing for pike. A quick strike rig with a pair of #6 hooks can handle most dead baits.

What size hooks for walleye?


Walleye:

The best all around hook size for walleye fishing is a size 2 to 6 single hook, or a size 8 to 10

treble hook

In some cases it’s better to use smaller hook sizes, since walleye can be shy biters in lakes with a lot of fishing pressure, and often respond better to smaller finesse presentations.

Size Hook: What size hook is bigger 4 or 6

The tricky part here is that unlike the ought sizes where the larger the number, the larger the hook- now it becomes reversed; the larger the number the smaller the hook For example, hooks sizes from smallest to largest would be #10, #8, #6, #4, #2, #1, 1/0, 3/0, 5/0, 6/0 etc.

Hook Size: How do I choose a hook size

Fishing hook sizes are generally referred to by a number from the smallest (size 32) to the largest (size 19/0). For hook sizes from 32 to 1, the larger the number, the smaller the hook For fish hook sizes from 1/0 (called a one aught) to 19/0, the larger the number the larger the hook.

Ice Fishing: What time of day is best for ice fishing

The best time of day to ice fish is during the first couple of hours after sunrise, and for about 2 hours both before and after sunset These are the times when most fish are heading to their feeding grounds, and when most species are active.

What depth should I ice fish?


Depth:

In my experience, I’ve found that most of the best ice-fishing action comes in water from 3-to-20

feet deep

I like to set up my traps so that they cover a variety of depths. Areas with rock piles, weed beds, or dramatic contours are all good spots.



What depth should I ice fish for pike?


Depth:

On small lakes, early in winter, we commonly see big pike with cameras or visually around weed edges and shallow wood like fallen trees and brush piles in 6 to 12 feet of water. The tip-ups placed there produce best, with baits suspended 5 to 6 feet down in 8- to 12-foot depths being the most typical array.



Circle Hooks: Can you use

circle hooks

for walleye

Jones found two reasons that make circle hooks a walleye’s friend. When swallowed by walleyes, circle hooks don’t cause as much damage, and likely kill fewer fish, as traditional J-style hooks , in part because anglers don’t set the hook with a circle hook.

Do offset hooks catch more fish?


Hooks:

The truth is, you can put a lot more fish in the boat with the tackle you already have by making one of the easiest, most low-drag modifications on the planet to your existing hooks. It’s so simple, in fact, that many anglers don’t even have this tweak on their radar.

How big is a size 6 hook?


Size:

A #6 hook will generally have a shaft about five-eighths to seven-eighths of an inch long If the number of the hook is followed by another number and an x, it signifies that the shaft is either longer or shorter than normal.

Ice Fishing: Do worms work for ice fishing

You can use worms for ice fishing and they are extremely effective for trout, perch, walleye, crappie and other species of fish. While it may not be the primary winter forage for fish, worms should not be over looked by anglers as one of the top live baits for ice fishing.

Ice Fishing: What month is best for ice fishing

March is the best month of the winter for ice-fishing in most of the Ice Belt, but anglers are never sure how the ice conditions will impact access to the lakes.

Ice Fishing: Does Powerbait work for ice fishing

Re: power bait under the ice Occaisonally it does work better than worms or other natural baits So if you have sucess with it, keep using it I say. I have seen it catch brookies and cutts as well. Even saw a guy catch a laker on a small ball of powerbait.

How many yards of line do you put on a tip up?


Line:

How much line should be on a tip up? In most cases, around 75 yards of line on a tip up is plenty. The main exception to this is if you’re targeting fish in deeper water (such as lake trout), in which case you’ll want to spool 100 yards or more.

What depth should I set my tip up?


Depth:

How deep do you set tip ups for pike? The best all around depth to set your tip ups for pike is in the middle of the water column, halfway between the bottom and the surface For example, in 20 feet deep water, set the depth of your tip up to 10 feet.

Wide Gap Hook: Why use a wide gap hook

The main advantage of fishing with a

wide gap hook

is that it accommodates larger jawbones so you can catch bigger fish It’s also easier to thread your bait into the fishing position than it is using a hook with a smaller gap.

Pound Test: What

pound test

should I use for walleye

For regular sized walleye lures and live bait, 4-6 lb is ideal. For large swimbaits, rattle baits and extra large live bait, you can go up to 8-10 lb. Choosing the right pound test line for walleye can be extremely important, especially if you’re fishing in

clear waters

that get a lot of fishing pressure.

Stinger Hooks: What are stinger hooks used for

A stinger hook can be used anytime an angler is fishing a jig tipped with a minnow or plastic , but clearly the biggest advantage comes when fishing in cold water and lethargic fish.

Hooks Good: What are size 6 hooks good for

Use a smaller #6 or #4 for 1-2″ minnows and small leeches to target Perch and Crappie Use the medium size #4 & #2 on larger 3-4″ minnows and jumbo leeches for Walleye. Lastly, the 1/0 is great with larger 4-6″ minnows used to target Pike and Bass.

Which hooks for which fish?


Fish:

Longer shank hooks are good for teaching kids to fish , while shorter shank ones are often used in snells. TREBLE HOOKS feature three bends and points in one hook. Trebles provide more hooking potential to many artificial baits such as crankbaits, jerkbaits or topwaters. Bait anglers also use trebles.

Treble Hooks: What are treble hooks used for

Treble hooks feature three bends and points in one hook. Trebles provide greater coverage for artificial baits such as crankbaits, jerkbaits or topwater baits Bait anglers also use trebles. Cut bait for catfish or threading minnows for trolling salmon or trout are examples where trebles are regularly used.

Right Hook: How do I choose the right hook

A good rule of thumb is to always use the biggest hook you can easily fit into the main body of the bait – and look for at least a half inch of gap once rigged weedless. There are hundreds of hooks on the market these days, so choosing the right hook for almost any plastic bait shouldn’t be hard.

What is bigger a 1/0 or 2 0 hook?


Bigger:

For example, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, here the larger the number the larger the hook therefore, the hook size breakdown from smaller to larger is 3, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0.

Better Circle Hook: Which is better circle hook or J hook

A J hook is better than a circle hook when you’re trolling for aggressive fish species such as Wahoo or Tuna When you’re trolling, you’re essentially looking to hook anything that comes near your bait and a J hook is a very reliable hook for it.

Ice Fishing: Is ice fishing better before or after a storm

Weather does affect ice fishing. Generally, ice fishing is best before bad weather and when barometric pressure quickly drops. On the other hand, fishing can be tough during clear, sunny skies when air pressure is high.

Ice Fish: Is it good to ice fish at night

Less fishing pressure Most anglers are active during the day, so fishing at night will mean fewer anglers hovering over that hot brush pile or creek channel The reduced the number of anglers crunching across the ice and the potential fish disturbance won’t hurt either.

Ice Hold: How many pounds can 4 inches of ice hold

Ice is not considered safe to walk on until it is at least 4 inches thick. At 4” the ice is suitable for ice fishing, cross-country skiing and walking and can support about 200 pounds At 5 inches of new clear ice should be enough to hold a single snowmobile or ATV or about 800 pounds.

Do Nightcrawlers work for ice fishing?


Nightcrawlers:

Nightcrawlers can be an excellent bait for ice fishing , depending on the fish species you want to catch. They are one of the best ice fishing baits for all kinds of trout, and also work well for crappie and other panfish.

Where do big pike go in the winter?


Winter:

Large bays also gather traveling baitfish and pike. If there’s enough deep water and enough combination habitat, pike may use a bay all winter. The biggest pike tend to use bays during early and late season, however, and prefer main-lake habitat during midwinter.


How deep are northern pike in the winter?


Northern:

Often northern pike can be found in less than 10 feet of water during the winter months, so start shallow and gradually work your way to deeper water.

Citations


https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/the-top-ten-ice-lures-of-all-time/154708


https://www.walmart.com/c/kp/ice-fishing-jigs


https://www.purefishing.com/pages/shakespeare-ome-ice-fishing-fundamentals