they are not put back into the hole. Large ice blocks can be very dangerous for vehicles and snow-mobiles if not well marked.
Many lakes in South Dakota do not contain a lot of weedy structure. Still, a heavily weeded area would be my first choice to locate my hole. Weeds provide cover for baitfish, drawing pike in for a meal.
Other features to consider when selecting a fishing spot include the presence of flooded timber, or submerged roadbeds. Commonly you will find a sandy/silty bottom, along with rushes, and possibly scattered sunken trees.
I have set up in as little as 4 feet of water and as deep as 11 feet. Pike will commonly cruise very shallow underneath the ice searching for a meal. I like to pick a depth that is close enough to the shoreline that a pike can see your decoy if he is shallow, while still fairly close to deeper water if possible.
If the lake is new to you, try scouting likely areas by putting out tip-ups and fishing for a while to see what kind of action you get. This will burn up some time, but it could save you from cutting holes in a poor location.
Most South Dakota lakes con-tain northern pike and, similar to carp, many anglers are not afraid to share tips on where you can find them.
A small population of ice fishermen target pike because they compete with walleyes for food, and they eat yellow perch, SD’s two most popular species to ice fish for. Pike can also destroy light tackle and cut fishing lines, so it’s unlikely that you will be led astray when seeking inform-ation about Northern Pike.
Would you enjoy trying your luck at this very unique oppor-tunity in SD? You will need a fishing license and a $5 gamefish spearing permit. Both can be pur-
chased online, at most bait and tackle shops, or through license agents throughout the state.
I believe that bowfishing for pike in South Dakota is something that serious bowfishermen from around the country should add to their bucket lists. It's a very unique experience that I would urge anyone to try their hand at. The opportunity is typically there from December to March depend-ing on winter conditions each year.
This year AMS Bowfishing launched a new slogan which reads, “Bowfishing is not a sport, it’s a way of life, it’s in our blood”. These simple words struck me the moment I read them because they have so much meaning to me.
I sincerely hope that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of others out there that agree with these words. If so, you can truly understand that we are the lucky ones. I hope to see you on the ice!
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Obscure Adventures Magazine
Fish points with good holding power like the Ankor from AMS help keep soft-skinned fish like pike on the arrow. Although this fish wasn't going anywhere
The pike's curiosity towards the decoy keeps it's attention as the author makes a successful shot in this video.
The sheer darkness of the shelter is critical as it allows the angler to move around without being seen.