Tip Up line guide question

[sturboy]

Sometimes a bigger bait fish unspools some line without tripping the flag. I usually fish a little off the bottom, so if the bait unwinds a foot or more, he can sit on the bottom and be much less visible. This happens because the line guide, or "eyelet", can spin around the spool either way. It only trips the flag if it goes the "right" way. The flag always trips when a fish hits the bait, but the bait itself can occasionally unspool a little line. I just read the eyelet is meant to freely spin on the shaft, so that must mean I shouldn't "jam" it to cause a flag whichever way the line goes out. What the heck am I missing?? It's tough being Norweigan/Norweegian/Norwegian. 

[crayphish]

what kind of tipup are you running? i use frabill pro thermals, and i don't believe what your describing is even possible. wish i could help.

[sturboy]

I just tested a Frabill Polar Ice and a Frabill Blackhawk. I set the tipup and raise it to about eye height, then grasp the braid and gently pull down and counterclockwise a little, and the spool stays stationary while the line guide goes around and around the spool without tripping the flag. If the baitfish swam to the side, he's stopped and the line doesn't unwind. Don't know if I explained this coherently or not...

[eriksat1]

I think what you are saying can happen with cheap polar tip ups. I use beaver dam tip ups and never had that problem.

[RapShack]

Don't overthink it.  You know what the problem is, now take a piece of electrical tape and fix it.  There should be a clear plastic collar on the shaft that you can slide down to in theory keep it tight, but they sometimes don't work as advertised. 

[matt12]

idk ive noticed that my minnows like to swim up. nver seen my BDs let the minnow unspool me tho.

[sturboy]

 They are indeed cheap tip-ups. Thanks for the advice.