keeping large bait from setting tip-ups

[Papa Sly]

What does everyone ust to keep large bait from setting off tip-ups. Ive tried clothes pins, aligator clips but I heard downrigger clips??

[PikeKing23]

That's what I use. I just take a small screw and screw them to the bottom of my tip up

[fishall30]

You Tube Video  -  Tip-up setting tricks - Why didn't I think of that?!    Target Walleye Channel

[Papa Sly]

Thanks I saw that but I use the cross traps also.

[hardwater diehard]

Papa Sly...do you have a line guide?

[Papa Sly]

Papa Sly...do you have a line guide?

yea but its a solid ring like on the beaver dams not one I could put the line in the slot

[nbourque]

Rubber bands

[hardwater diehard]

yea but its a solid ring like on the beaver dams not one I could put the line in the slot

That is gonna be a challenge ..I believe I've seen this topic before ..and no good solutions were found . Down rigger clips ...should work ...but may be a PITA .

[Sandcountrylivin]

First thing I do is take a big bite of the tail fin!

[HWeber]

First thing I do is take a big bite of the tail fin!

Best solution

[thomasthepikehunter]

Back when all I could afford was HT tip ups, one nice thing about them was you could raise the shaft in them. The higher you went, the more force it took for that trigger to get over the flag.

Other common methods usually involve propping up the flag. Beer and pop cans are common. I've used snow to build myself a little mound that worked. Recently I stated I wish the new Firehouse tip ups had an adjustable trigger. Well it turns out they kind of do, and I don't know why I didn't figure it out sooner. Their flag has a U shaped end. All you have to do is point that U down, and you can then bend it out slightly to increase resistance. Being as you have a beaver dam, you are probably best propping up your flag.

Bait clips/ down rigger clips work too if you want to go that route. They have an adjustable tension, so you can set it however you need. The reason I don't like them is the best way to use them is to attach them to your eyelet which is tricky. Many just put a split run on there and call it good, but I hate the idea of having something there dangling. I would not mount them any higher up the shaft due to risk of tangles.

One other somewhat questionable method I've seen is on tip ups with a thin coil type eyelet such as HT tip ups, you can bend that eyelet so that the line will barely pass through the gap with some force, basically turning it into a bait clip. I'm not a fan of this method, plus it only works on a few kind of tip ups.

[mugsy]

jack trap bait bands......used regular rubber bands for years
6/$3     easier than rubber bands, no doubling over for proper fit, just slip on and go

[Iceassin]

I put a nylon washer/spacer on each side of the spool and use a wing nut (instead of a standard nut) to tighten/loosen the drag. Very easy to adjust the tension needed. May need a longer screw to do this.

[esox_xtm]

What kind of tippys you runnin' Papa? If you've got Beaver Dam/Polar style rigs you can make it trip harder or easier by tilting the shaft toward or away from the flag spring. Tilt away and it's harder, toward it's easier.



Additional fine tuning can be applied by which half of the crossmember (smooth/notch) you use AND which side of the shaft it's on.

[beerduck]

i also scissor the tail fin

[Adironzach]

I too am in the cut the tail off camp. Even just taking half off seems to do the trick.

[esox_xtm]

Tail cutting works sometimes. I've had chubs so lively that they can still pop a flag with pretty much no tail left.

[fish/hunt4ever]

For the polars you can also use a oring on the T and put the flag behind that, have used up to 8 inch suckered this way with no false flags.

[musky-man]

Cut the tail. Rubber band below the spool, button on the main line. Put the button under the rubber band. Or just fish dead bait

[PikeKing23]

Here's some pics Sly. Didn't know you were so close. We'll have to get out this season.

[hardwater diehard]

Here's some pics Sly. Didn't know you were so close. We'll have to get out this season.

That clip seems very unique ..where dis you locate them ..that seems to be the ticket

[Timmer]

When I use large bait I add a slip knot and large bobber to my set up.  Only a fish will be able to pull down the bobber and then set off the tip up.