bass flags

[Webguy]

I funny thing happened today while I was watching a friend sneak up on his tip-up (I don't know why he was tip toeing up to it, and neither does he) but as he did it tripped and he landed a decent largemouth bass. Later as we were pulling our tip-ups to go home I walked toward my farthest one and as I got there it also tripped and had a largemouth on it. We were in very shallow water (2-3'). It was as though they were watching it and when they heard someone coming they decided to grab it and run, either that or they had already eaten it and were just hanging out when we scared them away?

[Pasquatch]

Might be the sound,might be coincidence. But hey, it worked

[Oldfart]

They sucked it in and were  just sitting with it in their mouths, and  ran off  when you came up onto them. I've seen it a lot!  

[NAD42]

most bass flags I've seen were that they slammed it with no intent on turning back...almost lost a heritage laker tip-up on moreau lake 2 years ago that turned out to be a 5 pound largemouth.

[frozentoes]

My experiences with bass on tip-ups is they hit and then sit there. Very few take a second run. Last year I and a few friends caught well over 200 bass in February with tip-ups rigged with quick strike rigs and large shiners. That was the most fun I have ever had with tip-ups. We got alot of fish on camera, so hopefully we will catch them again this year. I am sure everyone has different experiences with them. One thing we all agree on is they are a blast to hook in the winter.

[acsacmboy]

ive had the same thing yet with a pike once. i was picking up the tipups in 3 feet of water with  3 feet of ice. i came up about 2 feet away, looked down the hole and saw the pike there, with the shiner in its mouth. so i just pulled him right up the hole, no fight... about 30 inches long..

the boy and the old man

[fishincrazy]

I wish I had this problem but I can't because I do not have any safe ice to fish on.  This really sucks.

[BuckShotJon]

For the most part the Bass that I have caught on tipups will hit it trip the flag but then just sit there. Most times I only see they have it ran out a foot. Actually looks like a pike hit that dropped it.

Jon