Tip-ups?

[labbybass]

Does anyone ever use tip ups for crappie? If so, waht do you use for bait? Fatheads?

[livtofish]

Small Shiners!

[buckzone101]

we buy "perch bait" which is icecycles, shiners, fat heads, just a mix of stuff.

[mojobofo]

I've caught a few Big crappies with Tipups and fat heads.

[adkRoy]

I've caught crappie using small icicles to large smelt. Its amazing what they;ll go for.

[Fontona19]

I catch half of the crappies I catch on tip ups. Lots of fun for sure. 

[cousin eddie]

Tip ups (and tip downs during warmer weather) are dynamite on crappies at dusk and into the night where I fish a lot.  Rosie reds work well and even small emerald shiners.  Fatheads should work, too.  I like to use my old plastic polar tip ups for crappies, they are more sensitive/easier to trip (big key to reducing the amount of hit and runs) than my beaver dams.  2'-3' leader of 4 lb mono tied to colored #8 gamakatsu octopus style single hook, small split shot 10" above the hook.  Hang them over weeds to just under the ice.

[icejunky]

Not tip-ups, but automatic fisherman or jaw jackers for sure. And we use  small pinhead minnows or shiners. I like something that sets the hook as I missed a lit when trying a standard tip-up

[Loudmouth879]

we've caught a few on tip-ups but most of ours come from jigging. Either way we just fatheads or small shiners as bait.... tend to catch more perch on the tip-ups than crappies this way due to crappies being suspended for the most part

[boss j]

tip-ups are great for crappies if you find where the feeding flat is. i use polars with about 6-7 foot 6lbs micro ice leaders with 2 hooks. it you know how to snell a hook then make your snell about 8-9 inches then tie a small loop knot on the main line about 10-20 inches above the bottom hook. 1 med. splitshot between the 2 hooks, only use as large as is needed to lower the bait. bait all comes down to the size. i like 1 1/2-2 inch max! when they see 2 minnows not far apart then hear the dinnerbell, and im heatin up the oil...

[michianafisherman]

You can use tip ups for crappies, but it will slow you down. When the bite is on you want to keep the line in the water as much as possible. Only a rod and reel can do this. If you want to see if you can do it with a tip up, go for it.

[stripernut]

I catch a far number of crappie on the tip ups, I don't target them, but when I switched to quick strike rigs I start getting all the fish that were hit and run in the past... Most of the time I am using a med-heavy shiner and yet they try to choke it down!

[Fontona19]

You can use tip ups for crappies, but it will slow you down. When the bite is on you want to keep the line in the water as much as possible. Only a rod and reel can do this. If you want to see if you can do it with a tip up, go for it.

I have also seen days when they hit better on tip ups. My favorite crappie spot is a 100% tip up spot. Jiggers dont catch have the number or the size. It all depends on the body of water and that day.

[michianafisherman]

I have also seen days when they hit better on tip ups. My favorite crappie spot is a 100% tip up spot. Jiggers dont catch have the number or the size. It all depends on the body of water and that day.

I fish for crappies at night. I don't think a tip up would be a good choice for that kind of crappie fishing.

Most will say that the crappies caught on tip ups where by chance, and not the target fish they were aiming for.

If the tip up does better than jigging, a tip down would be preferred.

[Fontona19]

I fish for crappies at night. I don't think a tip up would be a good choice for that kind of crappie fishing.

Most will say that the crappies caught on tip ups where by chance, and not the target fish they were aiming for.

If the tip up does better than jigging, a tip down would be preferred.

Well fishing at night is a way different story.

I agree that tip downs are a very efficient way to target them, and I do use them quite often, but I absolutely hammered them last season with my 20" jacks. They outfished every other piece of I own (jig sticks, tipdown, deadstick) 3 to 1.

I guess to each their own. The best way to catch fish is how you know.

[Kevin23]

Does anyone ever use tip ups for crappie? If so, waht do you use for bait? Fatheads?

Yes. Yes.

Light of line as possible and set your tip-ups so it just barely takes any force to trip it. Also light of weight as possible so they hold on long enough for you to get there.

It works, but you will get a lot of bluegill or small perch that trip it and leave. But if you tighten it up so they cant trip it, the crappies will drop it when they pull.

[BudMan]

I use tip ups at night all in a tight grouping 2 inside my flip over which I jig between and 3 right outside the door . I have 2 minnows under each tip up. On some nights they only like the jig but when they are really hungry I'll have multiple flags going off in short blitzes.

[michianafisherman]

I use tip ups at night all in a tight grouping 2 inside my flip over which I jig between and 3 right outside the door . I have 2 minnows under each tip up. On some nights they only like the jig but when they are really hungry I'll have multiple flags going off in short blitzes.

Just so I'm clear on this two tip ups inside and three outside. Then a jigging rod in you hand. Making a total of 6 lines in the water. Not an option where I'm from (Michigan). I can only use three lines, and those have restrictions.

[Fontona19]

In NY we can have 5 tip up/downs and 3 handlines. 

[Loudmouth879]

In NY we can have 5 tip up/downs and 3 handlines. 

x2  although three hand lines is hard to do

[Fontona19]

x2  although three hand lines is hard to do

Haha! Very true. 1 jigger & 2 deadsticks.   

You should hit Champlain. 15 tip ups and 3 handlines 

[eriksat1]

I never tried tip ups for crappie but use tip downs with 2 lb test micro ice leader on 4 lb main line and a crappie shinner minnow. We are allowed 3 lines so I set up 2 tip downs and jig. When the bite is on I can hardly keep up with 2 tip downs, and it seems my big fish usually come on the tip downs. You need to be close also when a tip down goes down you need to get to it quick or they get off most of the time.

[mhodnettjr]

I have caught some incidental monster crappies on big shiners I had set for pike.

[oldred]

Wondering what size hook you use on tip-ups for crappie, single or that double rig 'boss jigs' mentioned? 'Cousin Eddie' wrote #8 thank you. Do y'all lip hook?

[boss j]

i lip hook, only through the upper lip, the bait will live alot longer this way.

 i use Gamakatsu octopus hooks in size 8 for my perch and crappie with flathead minnows that are about 1 3/4 to 2 inches in length. bigger gets more pickerel and bass for me.