TIP-UP question : New to Ice Fishing

[Need More Fish'n time]

Hi everyone,

Just a question about tip ups... I'm new to ice fishing & last year I think I did it all wrong. With a tip up do people use a mono leader of some sort? Last year I tied the heavy thick black line directly to a spoon. Somthing tells me a spoon was a bad idea and that I should use a few feet of mono.

Also, do people use pickerel rig off tip-ups? Do the regulat tip-ups work well or should I spend the extra $ on a windlass jigging kind?

Any general tip-up advice?

Thanks for yor input!

[iliketrout]

I wouldn't use a spoon on a tip up. I only use bait rigs or the occasional jig head on the bottom. A spoon requires motion to give it action so it's not well suited to a tip up. That being said, I'm sure there are guys who use spoons on tip ups with success...it's just not my first choice.

Pickeral rigs work great on tip ups. The controversial quick strike rigs with 2 trebles and a large mackeral, herring or anchovy works well for large pike.

I use 80lb braid that you can buy, by-the-foot, from any fishing store. It's the same price or even cheaper than the black stuff and is stronger. I use 80lb so the diameter is large enough to see on the ice, not necessarily for the breaking strength. I would always recommend using gloves though as braid slices skin very easily with tension and a big pike dragging line.

If fishing for pike on a tip up a mono leader is not required. You should be using steel leaders anyways so the mono would just be the weak link in your line conneting steel leader to main line and not serving any purpose.

Some guys run jig heads tipped with a smelt depending on species. In that case I'd use a fluoro leader.

I can't comment on the windlass, I've never used it.

Make sure to get a tip up where you can see the trip-bar spinning after the flag has been tripped. I cheaped out on my first tip up and had no idea if line was being taken after the flag tripped. If you know line is being taken, you can plan your strategy for setting the hook and not have to wonder if it was a false flag or not, and you'll know if the fish still has the bait or not.

Tip ups are a blast. Have fun!

[kinwahkly]

I use heavy braid on the spool then tie a swivel and add the proper line to the swivel depending on the fish I am fishing for.

[DarkAisling]

Never thought of using a pickerel rig on a tip up. Will have to try that.

I use the black nylon line, and depending on what I'm targeting I use a steel or fluorocarbon leader. I use either quick strike rigs or jig heads.

[Cal]

I've used pickerel rigs when Ice fishing, not sure what the regs are now but you used to be able to have 3 hooks on one line, so you just put another hook where you would usualy put the sinker, if you missed a bite you knew you had a couple more minnows on so you didnt have to pull it up and check/ re bait. Other than that they were kind of a pain and I now use a quick strike rig.

[ORV]

i have found that the pickeral rigs are only good for small
stocked trout for ice fishing. we fish out of a 8" hole.
remember the pic. rigs hold the hooks out to the sides of your line.
makes it harder to pull in under the ice. imo.
i love them for open water though.
another thing to keep in mind is they usually cost under a dollar.
not the heaviest duty gear to drag a big pike or wally onto the ice
i like the quick strike rigs for pike. they are pretty heavy duty.
most of the time we just use jig-heads with minnow or smelts.
hope this helps

orv.

[Big Schnizz]

I like to use some type of Dacron tip up line. I really like the HT Polar Ice blood red dacron tip up line http://www.icefish.com/catalog/item.php . If I'm fishing for Pike I'll attach a steel or titanium leader followed by my quick strike rig. If I'm targeting any other species I'll usually attach a barrel swivel followed by a few feet of mono/flouro followed by the hook of choice.

[pikester]

Originally Posted by Need More Fish'n time

Hi everyone,

Just a question about tip ups... I'm new to ice fishing & last year I think I did it all wrong. With a tip up do people use a mono leader of some sort? Last year I tied the heavy thick black line directly to a spoon. Somthing tells me a spoon was a bad idea and that I should use a few feet of mono.

Also, do people use pickerel rig off tip-ups? Do the regulat tip-ups work well or should I spend the extra $ on a windlass jigging kind?

Any general tip-up advice?

Thanks for yor input!

You have already got some pretty good info from others here but I will throw in a few comments.

About spoons; most of the time they aren't worth the effort but every once in a while they are the cats meow. I remember one trip to Gull last March when it was really slow for everyone. I threw a yellow & red 5 of diamonds with half a smelt on a Windlass tipup & ended up getting 10 hits & landing 5 pike & burbot! When using a spoon just throw on a regular 12" steel leader. Windlass tipups also don't work all the time but every now & then a little wind jigging action is the ticket for pike.

Pickeral rigs do work but there are similar rigs made of wire instead of mono actually called pike rigs which are more durable, & yes they are trickier to get through the hole sometimes but we fish 10" holes which helps. My buddy & I have been experimenting with pike & heavy pickeral rigs for 2 seasons now & find that these rigs usually outfish quickstrike rigs @ 2:1 for some reason. I guess sometimes the extra flash you get from the metal & coloured beads is more appealing to pike.

[maddwapper]

dont use any type of line just use braided wire with a treble hook at the end with smelt on ,,,for a tip up use some steel banding screwed to 2x4s crossed so they cant go through the hole,,youll catch fish and never lose a leader unless the fish swims upon the ice ,,sounds crazy but it works good,,,unless you hook lockness,,, 25 ft roll braided roll wire 50 cts liquidation world ,,this is a good way to catch pike,,,white streamers catch walleye when nothing else will...good luck to ya

[nicemustang]

X3 to the quick strike rig and hering on the business end of the tip up.

[Kim473]

Some years back the best hook for walleye at Utikima was a red devil in 4 fow. So there can be a place for some spoons in my ice tackle box. But can not be used on a tip up. It had to be jigged.

[Need More Fish'n time]

Wow, all this feedback has been very informative. It is much appreciated. Looks like a trip to the store to get some "quick strike" rigs.

THANKS AGAIN!!!

[nicemustang]

One thing we didn't talk about was tipup depth set. I don't know what others use, but I tend to stick near the bottom, sometimes like 3" from bottom, sometimes up about 12". I've heard guys who like to set it up at varying depths, but I'm not sure how one would define where to put it....

[iliketrout]

A quick strike rig is basically two steel leaders and 2 trebles. No need to buy the "HT" brand in the shiny package, just get packs of steel leaders and trebles. I put a large swivel off the main line, then attach the steel leaders to that (obviously).

Then for the trebles, when you bait up, take them off the leader, drive the shank of the treble through the bait (go through the belly and try to catch the spine) and push it through just far enough for the loop of the treble to poke out the back of the bait. One of the hooks on the treble will grab the bait and the other 2 will be exposed. Now attach it to the leader. Repeat for the second hook. If you bait up this way it's almost impossible to get stripped or for the bait to come off, as the bait has to thaw and then degrade enough that it falls off the hook. Usually the only time you have to re-bait is when you catch a fish or if you want to switch baits if there are no bites.

X2 on mustang's height. Fished directly on bottom and it looks like a dead baitfish. Fished just off bottom just looks like a baitfish suspended there, the "quick strike" rig holds the bait horizontal and upright giving it a life-like appearance.

If fishing for pike I rig up my rod this way as well.