Fishing Forum

Can anyone tell me what kind of strike indicator to use ice fishing and how to set it up (how to use it)? Thanks!
Bigcat
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It is a 4 inch long piece of piano wire attached to the end of your pole and your line runs through it. It is very sensitive. They work very well, but you can't set your pole down if you are to be effective. The slightest movement of the tip and you set the hook. Most of the time, your pole doesn't even move during the strike. If you are one of those ice fishermen who sets their pole down, you might as well fall asleep as you will miss most oppertunities of catching a fish.
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You can pick them up at sportsmans for $.99 for 2. It also will show you how to put it on. They are a must for ice fishing
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I personally love indicators but still see a lot of people not using them. It's either you love'em or can't get used to them and stick to the old fashion way of watching your pole.

I rarely miss any fish and I almost always leave my pole just sitting there. I've got an unusual way of jigging on those cold days.
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In todays post about Rockport(it stunk) someone said this

"Yes we had strike inticators. I was using a wire bobber and the other two poles had bobber stoppers with small red/white bobbers."

Is this the same piano wire thing you are referring to????
Bigcat
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From the description of the bobbers, I'd say no. I've seen a lot of ideas, but I think the indicator (piano wire) is superior. One guy had some bells tied to his pole, but the pole has to move to make them work. A lot of strikes don't move the pole. There are these rod holders that can be adjusted to tip when a strike occurs. A friend took one to fish lake last year. It worked....sort of, but not as good as the indicator on the end of the pole. Some folks use bobbers, but if the wind is blowing, it is hard to detect movement in the bobber. A lot of fish "suck" the hook into their mouth and if it doesn't feel right, "blow" it back out. This occurs so fast that you get one chance and if the pole is anywhere but in your hand, the opportunity is lost. If they start tugging on the pole several times, chances are great that you will catch them. But for those fish that are "testing" the lure, one slight chance is all you get. That is the way my son fishes (waits for a good strike). We fish 4 feet apart in the ice tent. Last saturday at strawberry, I caught 8, my son got 0. Over the holidays, I got 155, my son 61. Up to current creek, I got 36, my son got 12, over to causey, I got 20, my son got less than 10. Luck? I think it is more technique.
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I've used both kinds before, and I prefer to use the wire strike indicators. The bobber stops are great if you are only targeting one depth, but I vary my depths according to the fish finder, so I can see that my bait is where the fish are. Then any slight movement of the indicator and I set the hook. They are cheap, easy to install, and they work. You can get both kinds at Hooked in Kaysville, or any of your favorite fishing stores. Good luck next time you head out.
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[img]file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/Desktop/JR'S%20STUFF/bobber/File0001.jpg[/img]jr8fish
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the last picture didnt work see if this does

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jr8fish
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That's true. It's amazing how many fishermen on the ice have brought along a 6-foot pole, set it down, and then come and ask you why you're catching them and they aren't. Spend $5 on a short stick, get a wire bobber, and start catching fish.
A friend has an Aqua-Vu. We watched his son's lure while at Rockport. We had his pole with a strike indicator (wire) right in front of the viewer. Those perch would come in and often move off to the side with the jig. The wire wouldn't even move! Only if they quickly sucked it in would you see the twitch. And it happened so fast . . . you have to be quick on the trigger. That underwater camera will increase your hookset percentage; no doubt about it. I like using a fish finder and wire. Even with all the tech that's out there, it's still a challenge. And great fun!
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There are several types of strike indicator, a couple were mentions but there is at least one more that uses a thin flat strip of metal. I've tried this type before with no luck because of the way they attach to the pole but last week at Starvation I saw Fuzzyfisher using it. He had permanently attached it to his rod by using thread and glue, just like you would do to attach a new line guide, it looked like a good idea.
As far as not using a strike indicator goes, that can work also if you have a super sensitive rod, I can't do it and most fishermen can't either but I've seen some people do good without a strike indicator. I have watched wiperslayer out fish me and anyone around us at Rockport and several other lakes many times and he won't use one. WH2
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ya know i was up to the berry with my buddy on monday. he was using a strike indicator and i wasnt. i was using a regular red and white bobber pinched on to a loop in my line. when you see the slightess movement in your bobber you are gettting hit. when you set the hook the loop that is pinched to your bobber pulls out and the bobber falls off. oh yeah my buddy spent about $50 bucks on his ice rod. the tip on that rod is more sensitive than any strike indicator i have every see, and it also has a lot of backbone on the butt. i use the stiffest rod i can find so i can get a good strong hook set but i still have more sensitivity in my bobber than he has in his rod. i can see the slightest bite down there through my bobber on the surface of the water. ya want to know the results, i out fished him 12 to 1. the bite was so light you could not see it on his 50 dollar rod. you could only see it through the bobber. he was hard headed and refused to use the bobber and that was prefectly alright with me. that bobber trick is by far the best tactic i have ever learned while ice fishing. i swear by it. i hope you guys are as stuborn as he was and not switch to this new technique. that means better fish reports for me and less for you. send me a private message if you want the tip.

good luck to all those using strike indicators because all those using the bobber technique will not need it

jr8fish
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oh yeah check out my report from strawberry on monday. it will give you good idea of depth and presentation.

jr8fish
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Goes to show how much of a difference mastering a technique can be worth. I for one wouldn't try the bobber technique because I know way to many tricks to a wire indicator to worry about something else.
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that is okay hedgesd more fish for us than. lol i am kidding may be you will see the light some day. than you'll thank me. ha ha ha ha

lol

jr8fish
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I'll have to try using a loop through the bobber. I have used a bobber on occasion, but been frustrated trying to get the bobber off when I have a fish on my line -- now I know a better way to attach the bobber.
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Just remember EVERYTHING has its limitations and down sides. Strike indicators are good, but they are not the be all and end all of ice fishing.

Focus and concentration are important tools strike indicator or not.

Lots of times you see a guy whos lure is so heavy the wire is bent to a 90 degree angle. Thats not all bad, for example, when a fish picks up the lure and raises a bit, the wire will raise up with the slack created by the fish, but the opposite downside is true when using too light a lure as many ice lures are very light. When a fish picks up the indicator doesnt move, you have to watch the line go slack, but sometimes the fish doesnt move enough to make visible slack in the line, or change in the indicator.

I dont like the bobber method for that simple reason. If the fish picks up rather than down or to the side you cant see or feel the slack in the line. However, if your lure is heavy enough to dip the bobber, you may see it pop up slightly. So its not all bad itself.

Like I said, theres good and bad to everything. Even the method of no wire, no bobber, just a good old pole. The main thing to remember is you are looking for a change. Sometimes its a heavy change, sometimes its a light change. Sometimes its just a change in direction. No different than vertical jigging for lake trout, or casting to the bank in search of a lunker largemouth.

Species of fish, and techniques for catching them are so specific and detail oriented, so should it be with your set up. No one way is the king of all ways. That being said, you definitley should give the strike indicators of various types a try. See what works for you and what gets the fish.
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preddator you are exactly right, i mean about the bobber trick. you have to use a bobber that is just bouyant enough to float the jig. the bobber must dip at least half way into the water otherwise you cant see the up hit that trout usually do. if you use the right size of jig and bobber i think the bobber trick is the best for seeing the up hit of a trout because it only has to raise the jig the slightest of an inch and you can see the bobber turn over on the surface. as for the trout moving it from side to side. what ever the jig does down in the water the bobber does on the surface. if the fish takes the jig to the side the bobber will move to the side that is if your hole is clear of ice chips from the auger and ice forming on the surface from the cold.

i can see two draw backs to the the bobber technique however. your hole has to be complete clear of ice chips and it has to be scooped often to keep the ice from forming. that is only a tiny set back. the other is it takes more time. with troout it works awesome. but with panfish, blue gill crappie and perch, it would be difficult. panfish always travel in schools and to take the time to let your jig down and then rig the bobber it has taken to long. the fish could have already swam through. if the bite is extremely fast like it often is with panfish, who would want to take the time and rig up the bobber?

there is one solution to all of this. use the bobber trick when fishing for trout, especially at the berry where the bite is lite, and use the rod indicator, piano wire etc. to fish for panfish and other spieces that the bite is extremely fast when the school is near.

thanks all for the posts

jr8fish
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Gotta love that bobber dancing in an ice hole! It's a great technique for light biting fish. Neutral boyancy is the key. You want your bobber to barely float your bait. It's good to have various sizes of bobbers on hand and/or adjust the weight of your terminal tackle to achieve this effect. Ice Buster bobbers have been designed to use a slip bobber technique, adjust size, and minimize freezing problems. [url "http://fishingminnesota.com/icebust/ice-buster-bobber.html"]http://fishingminnesota.com/icebust/ice-buster-bobber.html[/url]
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I grew up using bobbers as a kid. Catfish, carp, trout, blue gill, you name it we used it. For my type of ice fishing with the vexilar, the bobber will not work. I see the depth of the fish and am always adjusting to the fishes depth. Then there is the jigging. I jig a lot. It's amazing how much jigging attracts fish. We fished at Strawberry and Deer Creek last night and today. The fish came in at Deer Creek at all depths. Many at 7 feet and some as deep as 40 feet. At Strawberry today, the depth would vary also. I think the correct answer is as someone mentioned, it depends upon your method of fishing. When we fished Rockport the last time, I noticed that the bigger rainbows came in at 7 - 10 feet. The bottom was 23 or so feet deep. Everytime a fish marked at mid depth, it was always a large rainbow. At the bottom or near the bottom, it was perch or 6-8 inch trout (dinks). With all that adjusting, and the jigging involved, a bobber just wouldn't work for me. My son doesn't have a fish finder, so he is fishing blind. He asks me what depth the fish are most generaly coming in and then sets his hook at that depth and waits. The bobber would work just fine for him, but he only catches the fish that swim by at his hook depth.
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