Quick Strike Riging Tips Please

Here goes,

Well to start off I am new to the sport of ice fishing especially tip up fishing. I have not been successful in too weeks of fishing all day on Fridays. Except for last Friday I had a fish get off my tip up. I went to Gander Mountain in Saginaw and got some other gear for this week all day go at it. I had purchased a Dual Hook Quick Strike Rig from High Tech Fishing and I wanted to see how some people set them up to fish. As of right now I’ve attached it to some 20 pound test line about 8 inches or so above a sinker tied of at the bottom of the line.

First off, is this the right set up for a quick strike rig? And secondly how would you hook a shiner or any bait to the setup? I can only assume that the bottom hook goes just behind the head, underneath the back bone. I going to assume that the other treble hook is for another bait fish or do you hook it to the bait fish for the bottom hook?

Any tips or tricks from the masters would be appreciated

Thanks

Welcome, Fishing_4food! Glad to have you with us.

First of all… what is your target species of fish?

For tip-up fishing, I use those round Frabil tipups. I have 20 or 30 lb test tip-up line. I normally target Northern Pike, so I set a sinker about 12-18 inches up from the bait. I use a single red or gold #2 hook and hook them right behind the dorsal fin on the back. I have had better hooksets this way.

More importantly, what kind of structure are you fishing on? For Pike, just off the weedbeds is prime targeting area. The lakes I fish on, that is anywhere between 6 and 12 FOW.

Good Luck!!!

You did not give your location! Regulation differ, depending which state you are fishing in. What are you fishing for, Walleye, Northern? More info please.

Welcome to IDA!

Get us more info and we’ll get ya set up!

I’m no expert but I do a lot of tip up fishing. I only use a quick set rig when I’m using big sucker minnows. The bottom hook I place in the lips and the next hook up I put behind the dorsal fin. This way even if your bait dies it will still sit horizontal and look like it’s alive in the water.
When I use shiners or normal size suckers (4-6 inches) a single hook should do the trick if the fish is allowed time to turn the bait in it’s mouth after the flag goes up. (or bobber down) The pike will strike the bait and their first goal is to kill the bait and then they turn the bait head first to begin swallowing. That’s when I set the hook. After the pike is done running I’ll wait 45 seconds or longer if the bait is big then I set the hook.
Some people might disagree with me but like I said I am no expert. This is just how I do it. Good Luck!

To me is sounds like you are fishing Walleye. But, we really need to know what you are targeting to help you out. My Pike and Walleye setups are much different.

Sorry guys if I didn’t clarify enough things for you all. I am fishing in the Mid Michigan area but I have family at both ends of the state so one weakened I could be on a small back lake in Livingston County and another weakened I could be fishing on Houghton or Burt lake. The species for now is northern pike.
I guess the last two place we have been to only have pike and other assorted pan fish, but this Friday where going to try horseshoe lake just outside of Edmore on M-46. I have heard from a source that the spec’s are getting torn up out there so I have no idea if there are any walleye in the lake or not. If you guys give me tips on both that would be sweet

Thanks for the help thus far
Fishing_4food

For Pike I usually run dead bait but if you are using shiners or chubs get the biggest ones you can find. I hook like bait by putting on treble from the quick strike in front of the Dorsal fin and the other, in the tail. Hook then just under the skin so they can swim freely.

I used to hook them in the lip but usually that results in deep hooking them.

With dead bait I put one treble in the head and the other behind the dorsal fin as far back as it reaches.

In MN we need to have a spinner and a bead as part of our quick-strike rigs to make them a “lure” and thus legal.

Use as little weight as possible and make sure the weight is a barrel type of sinker that can run freely up and down the line. You will get a lot less drops if you do that.