Homemade tip-ups

[natebert]

Who of you fine folks run homemade tip-ups that you'd share a picture of?

I'm looking for ideas to improve upon my design.

 



And

[panfishman13]

honestly, it looks like you've go a pretty sweet setup there, the only things i might change would be to make the flag arm longer for better visibility, and possibly add a line spool of some sort so you don't get broken off by bigger fish (perhaps a modified schooly reel?)

all in all, i might make a few of those to use over conventional tipups when i'm targeting perch and panfish.

[elkstalker]

These look great, what species are you targeting and what bait?  Usually I hear about people using tip ups with live bait, but we can't use minnows here in ID.

[natebert]

These look great, what species are you targeting and what bait?  Usually I hear about people using tip ups with live bait, but we can't use minnows here in ID.

I've used them to fish for trout, perch, and crappie mostly, in ~20'-30' of water or less.  (hand over hand gets tough at depths greater than that)
Using earth worms, wax worms, meal worms, marshmallows, salmon eggs, power bait, ice flies, jigs, and dead minnows, on single and treble hooks, with and without weight.

honestly, it looks like you've go a pretty sweet setup there, the only things i might change would be to make the flag arm longer for better visibility, and possibly add a line spool of some sort so you don't get broken off by bigger fish (perhaps a modified schooly reel?)
...

If you get the pivot point just right, the flag end will stand nearly straight up with a 'fish on'.

And alas, you've pointed out something that in the ~2 decades of using this design I'd never encountered before.  Just 2 weekends ago some monster under the ice at Cascade actually broke off.  I don't know if it was a lunker, maybe a pike/musky, or if I had some prior abrasion in the line, but it was definitely 'the big one that got away'.  (don't we all have those tall tales?)

Anyway, I'm asking because of just this reason.  I'm thinking about changing the design up some how and I don't know if anybody even uses this type of design. 
(kinda fishing around for folks with similar ideas here.)

To me, the trick has always been to get the right balance.  For trout, you want them to be able to swim off for a bit while the tip-up tips over and then a hard self-set when the slack stops.  If they feel too much pressure before then, they'll reject the hook.  And when fishing perch you kind of want the same thing.  Very well balanced as they will quickly reject the hook if they feel much resistance.  Watch for the tip-up to wiggle and then you have to be quick to get to the tip-up and set the hook yourself.

If you're going to make them, with the right materials you'll find that they don't cost too much to make.  Just this season I recently made a set of 15 for a friend and family to the cost of about $10 each.

I do like how they fold down into a box/bucket.


They are efficient in squadrons.


And there is a certain satisfaction of catching fish with the tools you've crafted yourself.




Thanks for the feedback, and keep it coming!

[panfishman13]

If you get the pivot point just right, the flag end will stand nearly straight up with a 'fish on'.

i'm not concerned about that, i'm just thinking that a longer pole will hold the flag much further above the ice so you can see it further away.

with the way you have it set up though, that wouldn't be a concern. i usually set my tipups on the far edge of a spread of dead rods (60 to 100 feet away), so long-distance visibility is key for me.

love how neat and tidy they fold up, though. you might get a milk crate for a bit more durable carrying case for them than a cardboard box

[badger132]

I was shown a version of this tip up by a guy on Cascade. The advantages are that they are very sensitive, and very cheap and easy to make. I think I spend maybe 50 cents each. I made the last 10 in about 15 minutes.
The sticks are 12 inches long- I cut a 1X10 12 inches long, then cut a 1/2 inch groove down the center of both ends, then rip into 3/4 inch square X 12 inch long strips.
I use plastic coated clothesline wire from Home Depot for the wires, push a bent piece through 2 holes drilled in the stick, and bend a hook in one end and add a folded over piece of duct tape for the flag.
In use, I bend the flag out perpendicular to the stick, bend the hook out opposite, then up about 45 degrees- this reduces the moment of the line and sinker pulling down and keeps the weight alone from tipping up the flag. unwind the appropriate amount of line from the notches in the stick, then go around the flag wire, wind around the hook wire out to the end, and loop the line through the hook to hold it.  Set the stick at the edge of the hole, making sure that the hook end has room to go down into the hole when a fish bites. I like the idea of the pivots you made, but I just trowel the snow flat with  the stick and set the stick directly on the snow.
The biggest issue is that the flag is only 6 inches long, but if you are far enough that you can't see that pop up, you are probably going to miss a lot of bites in the time it takes to run that far.
 

[elkstalker]

Looks like you've had good success on them, I'll have to look into making a few of these myself.

[natebert]

...
In use, I bend the flag out perpendicular to the stick, bend the hook out opposite, then up about 45 degrees
...
 

That's a VERY light weight version.  I like it.

Do you feel that the wire will hold up to multiple deployments without breaking due to metal fatigue?  (Have you had any break?)

[natebert]

i'm not concerned about that, i'm just thinking that a longer pole will hold the flag much further above the ice so you can see it further away.

with the way you have it set up though, that wouldn't be a concern. i usually set my tipups on the far edge of a spread of dead rods (60 to 100 feet away), so long-distance visibility is key for me.

love how neat and tidy they fold up, though. you might get a milk crate for a bit more durable carrying case for them than a cardboard box

* To address the flag length issue, I've often thought of using those long lawn sprinkler head marker flags that the landscaping guys use in the summer to mark the heads, pushed into the butt end with a pre-drilled hole, so when it goes off, its another 12-18" longer.  Also, the use of taller blocks helps them stand up higher too (I have 2 sizes).  I use them when the surface snow is deep.

* and I do use a plastic tote box to hold them (and the blocks) when on the ice.  Cardboard doesn't survive very long during those wetter days.

The blocks do get a little heavy and I've thought about ways to make them smaller/lighter, but it's hard to beat the price of a 2x4 cut up into 4" or 6" lengths.

[badger132]

THat is the one remaining problem to be solved- This wire is better than the coat hangers of the first examples I saw, but it last me about 3 seasons before it breaks. I suppose if you did not bend them out and in every time, they would last forever. Also, I think a dark color of duct take would work even better than orange.
You could scale them up if you drill a big hole and want to be sure they do not fall in- I use a 4.5 inch nils, and have to put the stick about an inch from the edge of the hole so the hook drops down into the hole when they bite. A 12 inch stick with a 6 inch arm is about as big as I would like to go for that.
 

[natebert]

I do like that design and wonder if some type of peg board hanger (or something similar) could be sourced that would allow for them to swing into position without bending, and a mechanism to keep them from swinging freely implemented to provide the rigidity when needed...  (time to visit the local hardware stores as i like that idea.)

The tip-ups I recently built are 16"x16" with the top dowel offset about an inch longer towards the hole side.  This is to provide more balance vs the weight of the bobbin at the butt end.

[badger132]

That gives me an idea!
If I make the flag and hook separate, and just bend them over underneath the hole, they can pivot in the holes instead of bending 90 each time. . I may make one like that to try. The trick will be some kind of bend at the bottom that pinches enough to keep it from swinging freely. If you have an idea for that issue, let me know.
 

[natebert]

That gives me an idea!
If I make the flag and hook separate, and just bend them over underneath the hole, they can pivot in the holes instead of bending 90 each time. . I may make one like that to try. The trick will be some kind of bend at the bottom that pinches enough to keep it from swinging freely. If you have an idea for that issue, let me know.
 

Yah, I could see that too.  Might need a more rigid wire though.  I wonder if stainless steel wire is available in an appropriate gauge.  (but then it might wear on the wood too much... *hum*)

[Woodland]

i like your design. it is a lot like a tipdown,  i tried making my own but settled on innovation tip downs for ease of use. One way to upgrade would be to get one size bigger pvc that you could slip over your existing knobs, wrap the line and you have a  simple reel, secure with the existing wing nut and washer for some added drag.

[Raquettedacker]

What happens when you have no snow to secure the pivot blocks in?

[the chief]

i have some tip pic but having trouble post them i use 1 1/4" pvc pipe 1/2" dowel and a thrumb screw to lock in the dowel . after i drill  a 1/2 hole in pvc pipe  centering it  and the screw is use to set the bite from light to heavy  they do not stick and set on the ice great and snow if you have any question pm me

[natebert]

What happens when you have no snow to secure the pivot blocks in?

They stand up pretty good on their own on flat-ish ice too.

[natebert]

...
One way to upgrade would be to get one size bigger pvc that you could slip over your existing knobs, wrap the line and you have a  simple reel, secure with the existing wing nut and washer for some added drag.

That's a good idea.  Like maybe use a pipe end-cap so that you could attach a little handle-knob, kinda like a smaller-ish fly reel.