Ever make your own?

[walpy]

So I recently inherited a TON of tools from my father-in-law (because he moved, don't worry).. and it got me thinking.

Have any of you ever bothered to make your own tip-ups rather than buy them? Worth the effort?

I think it'd be cool to have something I made myself! Didn't know if anyone bothered to make their own.

[MAINETROUTWHISPERER]

I made one when I was in boys scouts. I'm sure with quality hard wear it would be great. It's always cool to cath a fish on something you made. I let people borrow my "Boy Scout Trap" when they fish with me if they don't have traps. It's in pretty rough shape but still never fails to catch fish. My grand father made a bunch of perch traps way before I was around and they were just given to me, so hopefully try those out this year.

[Chris338378]

I've done it before, not much to it if you're making the traditional cross type ones but you have to get the hardware.  I for mine from 40 Up Tackle because they have good parts at decent prices.  As for other styles I can't say because I never made them.

 Here's the link to 40 Up Tackle:

http://40uptackleco.com/

[lion]

I made a set 4 years ago that use a combo of Heritage and Jack Traps hardware, mainly because there are things I like about both traps and I wanted to see if I could do it and they came out pretty good.  I've caught all the rout species, salmon, and all the warm water fish I could have ever hoped for on them....and it is pretty gratifying to catch something on a trap you built!  I was going to build my son a set of his own, but he won a derby and got a set of his own traps so there was no need since now I have upwards of 40 traps.

Anyway, if it sounds like something you would want to do then go for it!

[BlackDogAlpha]

Ive seen a lot of homemade jaw jackers and tipdowns, but I know they sell various components for regular tipups as well. Check the DIY section on this site also, lots of good homemade stuff there.

[chilly-willy]

Please do and don't forget the pictures for us.. if you need suggestions what about box style tip ups it is basically a box with no bottom the end with no bottom sits over hole..  people put every thing from candles to insulation to keep the hole ice free... they even put strobe lights on them and sirens to alert you when you get a fish.. sky's the limit but it all up to you.. and what you want to do.. line is held on by a small reel just like a rattle  reel and they add tons of accessories  to the box it's self like said before.. try google ing the words box tip up see if you can get some good pictures of one.. and best part is they are mostly made of wood..

[walpy]

Sounds like I'm going to give it a try! Probably next week once I get all these tools organized and set up. I'll post pics when I have something to show!

[bootsnthejeep]

Just depends on what your time is worth. If you have spare time, tools, and don't mind buying some materials, why not?

Years back I was buying my first set of traps, and thought I'd save a buck and get the plain wood Heritage Lakers. "I'll just varnish them myself!" I sez, "Won't take but a minute!"

Good lord, by the time I got them all taken apart, sanded, poly-d, sanded again, coated again, and reassembled in a semi-reasonable time period to avoid losing ALL the tiny parts.... I might as well have built them from scratch.

Next year, just bought the finished ones. I'm lazy like that.

But believe me, like Lion said, I see portions of traps that I like a lot, and think about picking and choosing and building one nice trap. GasBlaster and Gunner have done some of that, and made awful nice traps. More trouble than I want to deal with, tho. Again... lazy. I certainly admire ambition in other people. God knows I don't have much of it myself.

[cjg]

A fun part of fishing for me is making my own stuff.
Here's some I made for my nephew for Xmas a few years ago.





"What one man can do another can do"

I'm putting together some parts for some small traps for perch and stuff, maybe I'll get them done this winter.