hooking up??

[whale1979]

just wondering what u guys use and how u rig your bait under tip ups?   im getting alot of flags, but they seem to be dropping the bait or getting off.    just looking for some options!  thx   

[stephensonswille]

Try smaller hooks i made the mistake of buying large treble hooks lastyear and had the same problem so i switched to smaller ones and success went up drasticly

[whale1979]

thx alot.   do u bury the hooks right in the bait?  what size hooks, ive been using #2.     

[stephensonswille]

no just hook on of the hooks thru the dorsal fin and the others seem to lay pretty tight to the sides. I'm not sure on the size all my hooks are sitting in my spear shack right now ill check tomorrow when i go out spearing and post it once i find out

[whale1979]

ok, thx man.   i dont know if i should wait till they stop running with the bait or hit em right away???         cheers

[stephensonswille]

i usualy grab the line and pull a bunch of slack and let em pull it till the line starts getting tight and then set the hook

[stephensonswille]

checked the size of my hooks today they are number 4's and 6's

[JDN]

I had a hard time hooking fish with trebles .I stayed with what I had luck with Octopus & aki hooks.The fish are probably small , just mouthing the bait.I whack them when the reel is screaming 3/0-5/0 hook red steel leader.If you keep missing fish try smaller bait with smaller hook.(single not treble)

[deadsmelthead]

# 6 eagle claw trebles.. Just one. Hook my bait through the tail, set the hook when they are on the run... I kinda let them set the hook, if there is line moving.. Just wait for it to get taunt and ease back and kinda try and drag them.. Usually catches them in the corner of the mouth every time, no teeth to deal with that way and there is a lot more tissue you can try to unburry your hook from for 10 minutes after the fish hits the ice...

[Water Wolf]

For smelts and minnows I like to center punch them with an appropriately sized treble hook, that way it sits nice and straight in the water.
This set up will work on a single hook too, you just may have to anchor it on the bottom with a piece of rubber jig or tubing so the smelt or other bait don't come off.

If you are using bigger baits{like big hearing, sardines or ciscos} a quick-stirke rig may be the way to go.

WW

[northernnyice]

Try a #6 wide gap for pike. I use crimped leaders, low profile, and the fish doesnt have that big bulky snap swivel in its mouth.. Just gotta change them frequently as they bend and kink, but its worth it. 

[northernnyice]

ok, thx man.   i dont know if i should wait till they stop running with the bait or hit em right away???        cheers

Depends on a few different factors. How fast are they running? How long since theyve been running, or, how much line have they taken? Have they stopped running, then started again? All answers you will find through a few trial and error runs lol. 

[bobbyfish64]

Pick up a copy of in fisherman ice guide theres a good article on tip up rigs

[Two Bobs]

Maybe you have a dirty bait bucket or the bait shop has a problem with there tanks


   The fish will spit you out  Ive seen seagulls spiy bad bait out


Bob