IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Tipups => Topic started by: pooley on Dec 29, 2008, 07:33 PM
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some of the threads for this are from 2005. i think with all the new tip-ups out there, and changes/dicontinuation of others, that this should be discussed/debated/argued/beat to death! :laugh: i have several type/brands, so ill start.
traditional, 3 piece tip-ups. they work, and can be modified easily.
continental tip-ups. plastic, made in new england. no wind flags. adjustable trip mech.,tough to wind up in deep water. unbreakable!
polar tip-up. short, but you can see fish running.
frabill bigfoot classic. tall, big, cool looking, you can see fish running.
heritage tip-ups. drag. well built. new plastic spool? tall. ( i just ordered 3, but my friends have them with metal spools )
ok, i will post some pictures tomorrow of mine. please try to add pictures if you have something different. be as specific as possible with likes, and dislikes. also add pictures of modifications that have worked for you. also, what species of fish are that tip-up best for, if you use different ones for different fish.
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What is the Best Tip-up, and Why
The best tipup is a high visibility heritage style tipup with the ability to see the fish running Frabill/Polar style. Of course it doesn't exist yet, but i think that's the best tipup. :tipup: ;D Make them available with a built in LED for night fishing, and i'll drop a check in the mail tomorrow.
Seriously: I do love the heritage style best, but currently own black Polars and will stick with that style until my fantasy comes true. Gotta see the fish running! :P They are compact and light (can fit 6 in an HT jigging rod bag). Downside is big baits and low visibility. Downrigger clips and telescopic masts can patch those issues to an extent. And this is the year i upgrade from the Polars to the Bigfoot Classics. Me likey big wooden tipups!
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The best tipup is a high visibility heritage style tipup with the ability to see the fish running Frabill/Polar style. Of course it doesn't exist yet, but i think that's the best tipup. :tipup: ;D Make them available with a built in LED for night fishing, and i'll drop a check in the mail tomorrow.
Seriously: I do love the heritage style best, but currently own black Polars and will stick with that style until my fantasy comes true. Gotta see the fish running! :P They are compact and light (can fit 6 in an HT jigging rod bag), plus i can see the fish running. Downside is big baits and low visibility. Downrigger clips and telescopic masts can patch those issues to an extent. And this is the year i upgrade from the Polars to the Bigfoot Classics. Me likey big wooden tipups!
yeah, the bigfoots are a nice tip-up. i too would like what you wish for! :laugh:
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I have had a bunch of different brands, but I rally like the Hardwater explorer. I've picked them up at the local fleet farm at the end of the ice fishing season for $5.
I like them because they are durable, dependable, and I can adjust the tension on the spool.
Heavy for pike / large bait, and free spool for walleye and trout.
The flag flips about 3 feet in the air, so I can see it from far away, and I have never had a flag because of the wind.
Hope this helps,
Wiener
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I used polar tip ups for the last 6 seasons (the orange ones). I decided to go with a taller tip up this year because I got tired of not seeing the traps at all when there was any snow on the lake. I compared heritage laker and jack traps side by side and purchased 6 heritage lakers back in October. I like the laker over Jack trap because the mechanism is easier to set than the little split ring on the Jack. Also I like the drag on the heritage for use with larger shiners. I have used the new traps 3 times and absolutely love the heritage quality and design. One trip was in a 40 mph steady wind with blowing snow and I could see them for a LONG way away! I would have never seen the flat polars. I do miss seeing the mechanism spin with a running fish. One thing I did was purchase white dacron braided line that has blue and red threads woven in........I can look down the hole when I get to the trap to see if line is going out. That has helped a little.
I believe Jack Trap and heritage are both high quality products. I chose the laker for the price and quailty combination.....Jacks are a bit more expensive.
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I like the concept of the reinheart tip-up it keeps the hole from freezing, but you cant see which way the fish is running until you pick it up. beaver dams and polars(wooden) work great but you have to bust ice when it is really cold. :tipup:
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Beaver Dam tip ups are hands down the best. The are the smoothest at allowing line to be taken out or reeling the line back in. You can see your line stop to see if line has been taken out when you get to the whole and they are durable. Only thing most of us run in WI.
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here they are.
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj218/pooley_photos/tip-ups001.jpg)
heritage
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj218/pooley_photos/tip-ups003.jpg)
polar tip-up
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj218/pooley_photos/tip-ups004.jpg)
traditional (modified)
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj218/pooley_photos/tip-ups005.jpg)
continental tip-up
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj218/pooley_photos/tip-ups006.jpg)
frabill bigfoot classic
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj218/pooley_photos/tip-ups009.jpg)
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj218/pooley_photos/tip-ups010.jpg)
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Beaver dam the only problem is they last a life time I own nine tip ups and only two beaver dams and take one guess which ones are in the outside of the rod bag.
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I love Beaver Dams and will stick by them for a long time. They will last you forever and it is nice to know that a quality product is still being made by hand in my home state. Use a foam hole cover if you have ice up problems. Two if its really cold out.
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I've been using heritage lakers for more than 20 years. Have bought and tried lots of others and although I use my Beaver Dams every now and then, the lakers are usually the only boys that get any action. They used to have a metal reel with a little red handle that was easy to see spinning underwater, but now the reels are black plastic and are harder to see. Painting little spots on the edges of the reels makes it easier to see them spin.
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i like using hertiage tipups cause there easy to install and sit up high i also use polar tip ups to
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Beaver Dam (Arctic Fisherman) -- without a doubt.
Use a 10" piece of armorflex with a slit the length of the radius to keep the hole from freezing (you can acutally buy these covers everywhere now).
Some of mine are 25 years old - I am currently looking for more, and I'll take used ones that are nearly 35 years old.
Just plain solid.
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Thw best tip-up is the oe with a fish on it. End of story.
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I like the heritage tip-up they are visible in deep snow and parts are available through their website
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I don't know...I kind of like them all...for different reasons...Polars are inexpensive, work very well, store easily, so for low dollar..I'd say polar...My heritage lakers are wood, I like the big plastic spool with the drag, no problems, and they are just beauty...for pike, lakers deep snow and wind I like those. The Beaver dams are like polars but wooden and just all around nicer...I love the Beaver dams...no Jack traps yet maybe next year...
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frabill polars..... :thumbsup: the artic fires aint too bad either.....gonna couple them up with my new pooley suffern slammer & the topher tip downs....all a boy could ever need.... ;)2 :flex: :icefish: :icefish: :icefish:
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Stick tip ups. Visibility, not to mention a little reflective tape and you got a great night tip up. We get a lot of snow, snow blows into the 10" holes, turns to slush then ice( i know im not the only one) after a full days fishing, not only would a beaver dam stylw plastic tip up be buried in snow, but all the parts not in the water would freeze over.
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Beaver dam no doubt about it. I have 7, 2 of which I bought used 20 years ago. they were beat up then, I have to have them re-lubed. not bad for tip ups that are probably 30-35 years old. Only thing I dislike is trying to rewind them. After having a couple polars freeze up (granted really freakin cold) I do not use anything else. Besides made in WI not china.
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I've been using heritage lakers for more than 20 years. Have bought and tried lots of others and although I use my Beaver Dams every now and then, the lakers are usually the only boys that get any action. They used to have a metal reel with a little red handle that was easy to see spinning underwater, but now the reels are black plastic and are harder to see. Painting little spots on the edges of the reels makes it easier to see them spin. i too have some pushing 20yrs. the white on the reel is a good idea and so is lighter colored dacron. mine are all the metal reels except for 1.
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My nod would have to go to Beaver Dams. Although a little expensive they are made tough, very smooth, all around excellent well made tipup. And like other guys have said, made in the USA!! Fin
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heritage's are the best
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Thw best tip-up is the oe with a fish on it. End of story.
I have had some junkie tip-ups with fish on them!! I don't like using them if I had a choice not too. I do like the polar style they store easy. I do have some of the round ones they work good but hard to carry around with you.
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I don't believe there is a best. It's all personal preference, excluding the cheapo junk of course.
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It are pleasant to me my home made Tipup ;) ;D
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Ilya, I saw your tipups on another link in here. They are really nice. I wish I could get some like you make. :icefish:
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I have the HT Fisherman black plastic tip ups. The were the cheapest ones I could find when I bought them. I catch fish on them, but I am not a big fan. The "trigger" gets bent out of shape and the flag spring is not consistent. I guess you get what you pay for.
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buy heritage!
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I own a frabill (Orange) and a beaver dam The BD is a lifetime tip-up and it's easy to set the flag with gloves on which I can't say about the others (heritage,polar and jacks) but i do like the looks of the jack trap
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40 Up's and heritages are both made in America. Both the best if you ask me. Simple, durable construction, no mechanical parts above the water = no freeze up preventing operation, increased visibility, storage. Heritages take the cake, but I'm not going to complain after getting 6 of the green 40's for x-mas today
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different tipups for diff fish polars are good all around though good for pike walleyes and even perch
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I've had my Hi Flags since 1980, had brass reels and plastic tubes, never froze or malfunctioned. Last winter I gave them a facelift with new oak wood.
I've been picking up new englanders and Hi flags on ebay for pike fishing, ended up with two real nice sets, great not to have to change leaders and stuff to fish different waters. I think what ever you use and have luck with are good for you!
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Beaver Dam tip ups are hands down the best. The are the smoothest at allowing line to be taken out or reeling the line back in. You can see your line stop to see if line has been taken out when you get to the whole and they are durable. Only thing most of us run in WI.
Here is another vote for Beaver Dam. I've tried a LOT of them and the Beaver Dam are the best .Easy set up, excellent construction and components.
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by far, the best for pike is the HT Polar tip-up-the wooden ones with the 500' spool. fished different ones all my life and they are the best. Plastic spool (won't freeze up outside the water when wet) and large capacity for coated tip-up line. I have about 9 of them. The only problem is sometimes the seal gets ruined with use/misuse and they freeze up inside the tube. Time to get a new one then!!!!!!LOL
EMT
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I use both beaver dam and heritage lakers. The beaver dam's can be hard to see in the distance or when you have a decent amount of snow, and the spool doesn't come close to the amount of line the heritage lakers hold. Otherwise I love them. I normally use a combination with the beaver dams closest to me and lakers further away so I have the best of both worlds.
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by far, the best for pike is the HT Polar tip-up-the wooden ones with the 500' spool. fished different ones all my life and they are the best. Plastic spool (won't freeze up outside the water when wet) and large capacity for coated tip-up line. I have about 9 of them. The only problem is sometimes the seal gets ruined with use/misuse and they freeze up inside the tube. Time to get a new one then!!!!!!LOL
EMT
Don't have to throw them away. Just have to relube them. None of mine have seals in them they are just full of cold weather grease. Use either Frabill Sub-Zero or HT Blu-Lube. I have the Frabill Sub-Zero cause it was the only stuff I could find locally last year. Had a couple of mine freeze up last winter and thought I had to throw them away, too. Just relubed them and they are still working great. Have to make sure the tube around the shaft is full of grease so the water won't get in though. Had one get stiff on me two nights ago because I didn't have enough grease in it.
I use the black Polars mostly. Have one Polar Windlass and that one has been doing the best this year so far for the pike. Have some problem if it is too cold that the line will freeze up a little on the spool when it gets wet. Still have plain black dacron on it. Need to change it for something a little more freeze resistant.
Steve
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Went from polar style tipups to heritage lakers 2 seasons ago and will never go back! They are awesome.
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I have used the Maine traps for 20yrs very good on a windy day, :tipup: you need to set them right.you can be spread out very far and still see the flags also use bells and lights at night
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I have always been a fan of Hi-Flag, 40 up's. Been using them for 25+ years and they have never let me down.
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For fit and finish, quality and durability it is pretty hard to beat the Jack Traps. They come in a few different sizes and woods but are all highly varnished and have the best mechanisms I have found on any tip ups.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gamalot/Fishing/100_0335.jpg)
The reels are a solid aluminum in a heavy gauge and the trip tube is stainless steel. All the hardware is screwed on and removable if you ever want or need to dismantle them.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gamalot/Fishing/100_0337.jpg)
The trip set is hooded from the weather and there is no such thing as freeze up or a wind flag with these.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gamalot/Fishing/100_0338.jpg)
I have a very nice set of the Heritage Lakers and like them just fine but there simply is no comparison between the quality here.
You get what you pay for and the Jacks are a life time tip up if ever there was one.
Gary
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Gary, No doubt that is a cadillac of tipups.. hell of a piece of furniture ;) hey, after having to barrow your chisel/scooper last saturday, I took your advice and also took advantage of the frabill deal on fish307 .. ordered three frabill pro thermal (walleye addition) for now..hoping to try into alittle night time late season on swb. ;D
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The Frabils are a good disc tip up but the ones I went with are the HT Polar Therm Extremes because they have the telescoping flag that is much easier to see from a distance. Keeping the holes covered sure does have an advantage when it is freezing and blowing.
Gary
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I'd like to put my vote in for polars 8) I love the way they fish ::) to get around the height of the flag issue, I will take a 10-12" stick and tie a small piece of flagging tape to it and stick it in the snow so it is in line with where my flag should be. Of course I use contrasting colors. I use red surveyors tape with my green flags and they really pop when you see them ;) I will say that I am also too cheap to spend a lot on my gear. I have had these polars since about 1990 ???
Tight lines in Maine!
Doug
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Ilya, I saw your tipups on another link in here. They are really nice. I wish I could get some like you make. :icefish:
jack Traps!!
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Gamalot, Can you post a clearer picture of how the flag trip works on the Jacktraps, I have never seen one in person but would like to know how it works with that gaurd over it.
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Gamalot, Can you post a clearer picture of how the flag trip works on the Jacktraps, I have never seen one in person but would like to know how it works with that gaurd over it.
Here you go Hillmann, Each flag has a loose split ring attached on the top that gets hooked to the trip mechanism. I used some good epoxy and glued the split rings solid which makes it easier to set with cold hands but does not impede the function.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gamalot/Fishing/DSCN2455.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gamalot/Fishing/DSCN2456.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gamalot/Fishing/DSCN2457.jpg)
Gary
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How senesitive is that trip mechenism? I like to set mine as light as possoble, I would prefer to have to deal with minnow tripps than to have a walleye spit it out because they felt resistence on the line.
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I fish exclusively for trout and I just matched my Jacks against the sensitivity of my Heritage Lake tip ups. Both are pretty sensitive when there is no drag on the reels and the Jacks seem to have a bit lighter and smoother release.
They are a well thought out design and with top notch quality and workmanship.
Check out his web site and the various models and sizes available. As far as your questions about function I can attest to the fact they work the best in my arsenal and are worth every dime in comparison to all the others I have seen and owned. I know he makes them in a few different woods and sizes but all have the same trip and high quality hardware.
Gary
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Over Christmas I picked up a BPS Extreme tipup and I would bet they are made by Jack Traps for them. It is nearly identical to their 26" standard trap and only $20 CDN at BPS Toronto. The only thing I dislike is the lack of the ability to easily change the spool friction. I really like the big aluminum spool and the quality of the tip up.
The epoxied split ring is a good idea too, I'll have to steal it. ;)2
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Over Christmas I picked up a BPS Extreme tipup and I would bet they are made by Jack Traps for them. It is nearly identical to their 26" standard trap and only $20 CDN at BPS Toronto. The only thing I dislike is the lack of the ability to easily change the spool friction. I really like the big aluminum spool and the quality of the tip up.
The epoxied split ring is a good idea too, I'll have to steal it. ;)2
I don't know if your BPS are made by Jack Trap or not. We share our ideas here so you are not stealing and hopefully making your gear work better for you.
If Jack Traps did make the BPS then here is how to fix the spool friction issue.
Jacks have a shaft through the wood that is a 1/4 X 20 common thread. The reels have a hollow shaft through them that is a standard hollow threaded lamp shaft. It goes over the 1/4 X 20 main shaft and gets nutted on each side.
Find some 1/4 X 20 NYLOCK wing nuts and some nylon washers. Look at these pics real close.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gamalot/Fishing/DSCN2458.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gamalot/Fishing/DSCN2461.jpg)
I can adjust the spool tension in a second with my set up!
Gary
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The tip up I use is based on what I'm fishing for: for trout I swear by Fish Brother tip ups. I can see what the fish is doing by watching the spool which is outside the hole. They pack nice and for me they just work! With Rainbows it doesn't matter they just run after picking up the bait anyway. For pike, picks and bass its Jack Traps.
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Hey guys,My name's Steve i'm from Michigan and i'm a brand new member to the site and just want to first of all say hello to everyone.
Has anyone ever used the round style tip ups? I am just trying to get some other peoples feedback on these. I keep seeing that the round style tip ups are becoming more and more popular lately...any input on these styles or pros and cons and why?
My reason for asking is my family was inherited my grandfathers business along with his own personal patented design of a round style tip up. I know a few years back they sold like hot cakes when he and my uncle were always up and able on the ice during "tip up town" in Houghton Lake in Michigan.Since he has gotten older and just recently passed the family business has been on hold obviously and/but we still have all of the inventory of tip ups,packaging,parts and instructions along with thousands of rods and stuff. I'm just curious on how to getting the name and product on the market again along with feedback on them. I know my grandfathers patten was never listed online...They've been in storage for quite a few years...does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks, Steven
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Welcome to Ice Shanty activity on this site is slow this time of year so it maybe a while before you see many responses to your question. The advantages of the round style tip up are ,they block blowing snow from entering the drilled ice hole along with blocking sunlight,depending on diameter they can be packed/transported in a five gallon bucket. I was given a few as a birthday present but have yet to use them so I can not report on their performance.
this website has members from all different occupations someone will have knowledge on patents. Good luck with this quest ,remember you must become a Militia member to offer items for sale. Contact site administrator Scott or one of the moderators for more details.
Steve
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Welcome Steve... I have a few of them and the only thing I dont like about them is they are hard to see unless the flag goes up...
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The first disc types I had as well as the Beaver dams I did not like because of the short flag and poor visibility.
I then found the HT Polartherm Extreme discs that have the auto antenna shaft that extends when in use and is about 24 inches high. Love them.
Post a few pics of the ones GrandDad made so we can see what style you are talking about Steve.
I think the very best tip up has not yet been made so there is always room for new stuff and better designs.
Gary
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Wow,thanks for the quick replies and warm welcome fellas.
I completely understand on being a militia member though mr.clean. I'm a member on a few atv racing forums and i sell a lot of atv parts on them ...same thing, kind of like a premium member thing to get the full use of the site.
I'm positive the tip ups fit in a bucket and remember reading something like a 7 or 8" hole.I'm pretty sure the flag is pretty darn long too when it pops up. I'll try and get a few pics for the heck of it.Maybe you guys can give me some personal opinions on what you guys think of them.
Thanks again guys!
Steve
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e-mail pictures to me, and i will post them for you, if you can't get them on here .
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Toppertipupman,
Glad to see you received a few replies to your question. I forgot to mention in my previous post that most of the round tip ups fall into a category called thermal tip ups by covering the hole they slow down and sometimes prevent the hole from starting to refreeze. Like Gamalot stated most models have short flag staffs and are best for use when there is little or no snow on the ice surface at a short distance from yourself.
Steve
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the best trap on the market is: what ever one you are presently fishing with! cause if thats all ya got it is the best thing going! I have all types but my heritage lakers are my go to traps
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the best trap on the market is: what ever one you are presently fishing with! cause if thats all ya got it is the best thing going! I have all types but my heritage lakers are my go to traps
i agree ;D
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Yes mr.clean that's one thing i did keep reading as an advantage over the other types. Here's a few pics i got.I think i'm off on the size of it diameter wise, also I'll have to get the length of the flag on it. Hopefully the pics show up.I know the one with the lettering/instructions is of poor quality but i think you guys can get the basic picture from the others.What do the round style tip ups generally go for now adays?...I havn't been ice fishing in years so am clueless. I was looking for some on ebay but didn't find any of the round style to compare to. Whatcha guys think?
-Steve
(http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt284/1996dragshee/topper3.jpg)
(http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt284/1996dragshee/topper2.jpg)
(http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt284/1996dragshee/topper1.jpg)
(http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt284/1996dragshee/topper.jpg)
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A different design from any round tip up I have seen ,a little puzzled as to the purpose of the T shaped piece sticking up in the second photo.(Also photo with instructions)
As for current prices here are two website for you to check.
Frabill www.frabill.com (http://www.frabill.com)
HT Enterprises www.icefish.com (http://www.icefish.com)
Steve
I just checked Frabill's website prices range from $20.00 to $30.00 depnding on model and features plus shipping and any taxes.
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That is an interesting design I would want to see up close and personal before assessing it's strengths/weaknesses.
From what I can see here I would consider it a small pond, small fish tip up.
Here is a link to the HT Polartherm extreme ones I like best. http://www.fishusa.com/HT-Enterprises-Polar-Therm-Extreme-Tip-Up_p.html
I bought an extra 5 of these this past fall at Gander and they came as a complete kit with hooks, line, sounder, night light and mouth spreader for $14.95 each which I found to be a real deal.
I highly doubt any one will get rich by making/selling tip ups. The Jack Traps I showed earlier in this thread are about as high quality as I have ever seen and they go for about $30-$35 each and every one is hand made and labor intense.
Your pics seem to show 2 versions, one with an added flag and one without. Most of the disc types have been designed to fit 5 in a 5 gallon bucket for easy transport and storage and this also allows them to cover a 10 inch drilled hole but JUST BARELY!
Gary
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probably right on the getting rich part from selling them...but then again if you have thousands of them and sell them fairly cheap or at least cheaper than any other tip ups on the market, i'm sure it would be a nice chunk of cash.Also i'm pretty sure they are a small fish tip up. They are stack-able too but they are only one design and that's with the flag. The pics are of one not complete. I believe they were designed/packaged to sell as a kit with directions and instructions for use.
When i personally have them in my possession i will be sure to get better details and pictures. Maybe even become a militia member and offer a few if anybody would be interested. I know one thing is for sure though, i go on the ice every season drag racing my quad and have been wanting to do some ice fishing again...this will be some motivation to get back into it for sure. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks again for the responses and links everyone's posted for the help.
-Steve
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Frabil Pro Thermals. End this thread now.
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6 posts in and your already making demands.....
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Frabil Pro Thermals. End this thread now.
Middle of June, dripping with sweat and sitting here at IS talking tip ups!
Apparently the traffic here has been too busy as of late.
I have buddies who find the rod, reel or lure they like and because they own it there is no need for further discussion. They won't even look at other terminal tackle in their tunnel vision.
Nice of you to chime in here Tipup Marathon. We get the message that you think the best tip up is the Frabil Pro Thermal and no more needs to be said but the thread asks "What is the Best Tip-up, AND WHY". Before the thread Gods grant your demands and close this thread would you care to elaborate on your winner and give some details as to the strengths and weaknesses of you pick for the Gold Ribbon.
Some of us here have actually seen, held, owned and fished with many of the ones be kicked around here and I won't be throwing any of my tip ups in the trash to go get the Frabils. What exactly makes them any better than the others?
Gary
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The best tip-up - Arctic Fisherman's "Beaver Dam Tip-up"
Why - Handmade and high quality in my hometown of Beaver Dam, WI ;D
I believe in supporting local buisness, I won't buy chinese made crap unless it's my only option. >:(
I realize BD's cost a lot more than the HT or Frabill board style tip-ups, but this is definitely a case of you get what you pay for.
The only drawback to BD's is deep snow, it's hard to see the flag, but more often than not in recent years deep snow isn't much of a problem around here.
Someday I may try Heritage Traps, or Jack Traps (made in Maine, I think, check me on that) so that I have a deep snow option.
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I will agree Tibs that BDs are a high quality trap.
When ever we try to assign the label "Best" to something we end up in useless wars because it is purely opinionated and based on each of our particular needs.
I have 4 sets of tip ups and each set is IMO the best ones for the job depending upon where I am fishing, what I am fishing for and what conditions I will be fishing in. Fortunately I am not in such a position where I can have just one set to meet all requirements of all the fishing I do. If this were the case then I would surely pick my Jack Traps because they are the highest quality tip ups, by far, in my box and again, IMO they would beat out my Heritage Lakers, HT's and Frabils and can be used in every condition and for every fish I target.
I liked the set of Beaver Dams I sold a while back but I hated that short flag that became near impossible to see in many conditions.
I am pretty sure if a fisherman had the best of each of these tip ups on a table in front of him and all priced the exact same, most would buy the Jack Traps if they would fit his fishing conditions. I have never seen a higher quality tip up yet! Solid oak that is highly varnished and stainless steel trip tube that is attached with SS screws and removable for maintenance and heavy aluminum reels that hold plenty of line for deep water fishing. The trip mechanism is well designed and adjustable for various size baits and there is never a wind flag. Even these are not the thread ender though.
Gary
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The tip up I use is based on what I'm fishing for: for trout I swear by Fish Brother tip ups. I can see what the fish is doing by watching the spool which is outside the hole. They pack nice and for me they just work! With Rainbows it doesn't matter they just run after picking up the bait anyway. For pike, picks and bass its Jack Traps.
how well do the fish brothers tip up stay over the hole ? they look like it wouldnt take much wind to blow them around.
I do like the design for fishing for rainbows, no reel in the water to spook them, and theres nothing for the bait to swim around and make a mess out of your leader.
Looks like i may have to try a set. :)
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Guys, you misunderstood what I said. I never meant that I wanted this thread closed, and I didn't see the And Why part. I like Pro-Thermals because they're relatively cheap, they store in multitudes very easily and can be seen from very far away and they have never let me down.
And Relheok, you only have some 40-odd posts, I don't count that as a lot either so quit thinking that your all big and important, I'm not and you aren't either.
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Some of us here are more impotent than we are important! ;D ;D
How high up off the surface of the ice are the flags on the frabils when they are up? I sometimes clear about a 3 foot circle around my holes if there is deep snow. If the resulting snow bank is say a foot then I would want my flag to be at least 24 inches high. The only disc type I have found that measure up in this regard are the HT Polar Therm Extremes with the retractable car antenna type flags. Like these.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gamalot/Fishing/100_0303.jpg)
Off topic but, I had a good day on Friday at my local stream. 5 nice trout 14, 17, 18 and 21 inches but the big one was a thrill. Tiger Trout Hybrid, cross between a female brown and a male brook trout. Awesome fish for sure on 2 pound test ultralight tackle in a swift running stream. First one I ever caught.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gamalot/Fishing/DSCN0036.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gamalot/Fishing/DSCN0040.jpg)
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The tip of the flag is up at around a foot from the tip up. The flag is very, very bright. For some reason our lakes never build up enough snow to block your view. And another plus is that the frame is bright too so they don't get run over as easily by snowmobilers or whoever. Believe me, I almost rolled mine going 60 mph trying to avoid one after some idiot planted it right in the middle of the ice road.
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If you look close you can see the flag I show still has two sections to get it up higher, 24 inches, and in the storage position they are 9 inches and fit right into a 5 gallon pail. Plenty of times all I can ever see is the flag and only when it is up. No machines on the ice where I fish but almost always 6-12 inches of snow.
Gary
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Some of us here are more impotent than we are important! ;D ;D
How high up off the surface of the ice are the flags on the frabils when they are up? I sometimes clear about a 3 foot circle around my holes if there is deep snow. If the resulting snow bank is say a foot then I would want my flag to be at least 24 inches high. The only disc type I have found that measure up in this regard are the HT Polar Therm Extremes with the retractable car antenna type flags. Like these.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gamalot/Fishing/100_0303.jpg)
Off topic but, I had a good day on Friday at my local stream. 5 nice trout 14, 17, 18 and 21 inches but the big one was a thrill. Tiger Trout Hybrid, cross between a female brown and a male brook trout. Awesome fish for sure on 2 pound test ultralight tackle in a swift running stream. First one I ever caught.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gamalot/Fishing/DSCN0036.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gamalot/Fishing/DSCN0040.jpg)
Good job on the trout, Those are some nice lookin fish.
I like the beaver dam's, Ive had them for over 20 years now and they never have let me down. Im finaly going to send them in and get them relubed for the first time. I do like the higher flag though, It probably would not be to hard to modify it.
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I agree Doug. If I still had my BDs I would have gone to the radio shack and figured a way to mount retractable antenna masts onto them.
I do know HT does sell replacement masts but I think I could get them cheaper at the Shack. Keep in mind, being antennas they are a bit fragile if you handle them rough but mine have been fine for 5 years now. I am not sure if they would work on the Frabil's but that is one of a few drawbacks I have with most of the disc or folding type traps, Short flags and very hard to see especially if you have snow. The others are small spools usually and that most of the brim able discs that fit in a bucket are a very close fit for a 10.25" auger hole if that's what you drill.
Gary
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Wow! June and we have a discussion on tip ups model/style pros and cons. I own three different types ,board style like the Beaver Damns , traditional three sticks that cross over ice hole (Jack Trap design) and a modification of the three stick with two of the sticks being horizontal and one vertical to the ice when set up (looks like a cross) the sticks are connected by metal plate at each end and the tip up folds flat for storage/transport. I'm sorry should have said four styles also have a few thermals similar in style to the one in Gamalot's photo.
Just my opinion Beaver Damns have two draw backs small line capacity spools and need to send back to Manufacturer for re-lubing since there is a soldered connection on them. The three stick styles i own have high flags when tripped but are also prone to false /wind set flags. I modified a couple of my board style with a telescopic flags only problem is this defeats the trip lever design. Most board style trip levers have four setting of various resistance . A tapered end for least resistance, smooth surface and two notches the diameter of my telescopic flag shafts will not fit into either notch.
What and when we each choose to use various styles will depend on many conditions and I feel it is a matter of personal preference since every style has its strengths and weaknesses.
Steve
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That's right Mr. Clean, the best tip ups out there are the ones you feel most comfortable with.
One of my fishing buddies is the one I began ice fishing with back in the early 1960s and he still uses the very same tip ups his father gave him back then. He likes all of mine but has no desire to change his own and he catches just as many fish as I do.
I am a gadget guy and like good quality gear and I am also an insufferable tinkerer who has to make every thing a little better to suit my needs. My wife thinks it is hilarious that I always find the best widget available and then get it home and start fixing it. OH WELL!
Gary
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this is why i started this thread! summer is a great time to discuss it too. please post pictures of any modifications you have made! that's another reason i started it! i tinker too! ;D
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Go back 0ne page in this thread to see the upgrades I made to my Jack Traps.
All I have done to my HT Polar Therm Extremes is to electrify the flags for night fishing.
My Heritage Lakers drove me crazy until I repaired them. The have a pressed in reel shaft and a tension drag from the factory but when the wood swells from being wet the drag tightens up so a fish can't pull line out. Many guys have said the reels can actually fall right off if the pressed in shaft loosens up enough. I repaired them similar to what I did on my Jacks by changing the shafts to SS threaded rod and nutting them on both sides of the wood. Now the wood can swell all it wants and my shafts and drag remain exactly where I set them.
The perfect tip up has not been made yet but I am pretty comfortable with all of mine after tinkering with them a little. I still feel I need at least 3 sets of good tip ups to meet the requirements of the fishing I am doing on a particular day. I don't use my discs when I am fishing deep for lake trout and need a couple hundred feet of line. I can use either the Heritage Lakers or the Jacks for deep water but I have different leaders and hooks on each of these sets to accommodate the bait and fish I am after. No need to change my rigging when I change the fish I am after or the size of my bait. I just bring the set that is right. Some days I bring a couple of each because I might be fishing where I can target trout in the shallows while I target Lakers in the deep or Pike and Pickerel that need heavier leaders. Those are the days when the shallow disc tip up with 6 pound mono leaders set 8 feet down for Browns or Bows will be hit by the 10 pound Pike that bites me off! It is good if the fish wins every now and then, makes it a fair contest.
Gary
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Great fish. I have tip ups that were made in Maine, but a small shop type deal. FishRiverTackle.com I agree with the statement of supporting American made products. Almost impossible to find anything American made anymore, it sucks. I am looking for two more tip ups this year, been thinking about getting Jack Traps but they are pricey as hell.
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I've found that if u take any of the large wooden traps and take the spool off, go to the hardware store and buy bolts that fit the spools only about a 1/2 to 3/4 inch longer put a washer against the wood of the trap, then the spool ,then a washer, then a small spring ,then another washer,and lastly a wing nut to fit the screw you can put the right amount of tension on the spool for the kind of fishing u want to do! that way you can use ur favorite traps and have them completely versitile .as far as all of you that want lights at nite thats easy too. put ur flag all the up solder a wire to the bottomof the flag metal at radio shack u buy a battery holder for the size batt.u want to use aa,c d so forth and the kind of light bulb u want to use.run the wire from the flag to the batt. holder run a wire from the other side of the batt. holder up to the top of the trap, heres the tricky part ,take a metal coat hanger roll one end to fit the light bulb snuggly and make sure that the paint is scraped off the inside of the loop that holds the bulb,bend the loop so it points up measure the rest of the coat hanger to as high as u want it,cut it off about 1/2 inch longer ,drill a small hole into the top of ur trap and insert the coat hanger piece, solder the wire from the batt holder to the bottom of the light bulb,then bend a small "u" bend into the lower end of the wire that holds the bulb so it hits the wire of the trap flag making sure the paint or any lacquer is scraped off the flag wire and coat hanger. when the flag goes up the flag spring hits the coat hanger completes the electric circuit and the light comes on!!! u can also get buzzers at the shack that u can hook in paralell so when the flag goes up the light and buzzer goes off at the same time!! jibbinfool55
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I found some Frabil Arctic Fire tip ups stashed in the back of my local tackle shop. I guess because of the florescent
base frames, nobody was interested in them ? I checked them out, the frames are thicker and longer than the Polars, the spools are coated metal and the spool posts are heavier, the pivot bolt locking thumb screws don't need pliers to be loosened or tightened, the flag trip mechanism has more adjustment for lighter or heavier settings and the flag arms have stronger springs and The best parts for me are that the spools have holes in the outside edges that the flag stick into to lock the spools from unraveling and they give me a place to secure the hook while protecting the hook points and my personal favorite, No body wanted
them ,so I bought all 4 for $12 bucks apiece ! ;D So far I've used them with no problems and great success for Panfish, Rainbows and Lake Trout ! I've owned most of all the popular brands over the years and these Frabil Arctic fire tip ups are the most user friendly, rugged and dependable traps I've found yet !
(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l113/lael19533/summer%20fishing%202010/100_2636.jpg)
(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l113/lael19533/summer%20fishing%202010/100_2637-1.jpg)
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When im home in CT i use Artic Fires mostly pike fishing. When i go up north 2 NH or ME i use my jack traps. This is based on weather up north i need a more visable tip up when it starts snowin and blowin. Just my 2 cents
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This is a Great discussion.
We cannot really decide on an "Absolute Best" before we define some parameters.
What are you fishing for?
How deep is the water?
How deep is the snow?
How far away is your tip up?
How cold is it?
Is the snow blowing and do you need or want a covered hole?
Does weight matter?
How high do you want your flag to be when the magic words are hollered, Flag up!?
Is quality craftsmanship and made in the USA important to you?
Are you OK with plastic made in China?
The Original poster here asked what might seem to be a simple question, "What is the BEST tip up and WHY"?
Apparently not such a simple question with this many responses and going from garbage tip ups that work to Cadillac tip ups that cost some $$ and also work extremely well.
Let us define a few of the parameters and put an end to some of this threads confusion.
If-----------I---------------Could only have one set of 5 tip ups to meet every requirement above, Quality, Made in the USA, Deep or shallow, High flag, Wind resistant, and pretty much fail safe.
I would have to go with my Jack Traps. Followed close by my Heritage Lake's.
Beaver Dam's are great but the flags are too short.
When the snow is blowing I love my HT Polar Therm Extremes with telescopic flags and they cover the holes.
If I have to do a long trek in to the pond and weight is a major factor then I guess I will have to get a set of plastic, light weight traps for this trip and hope for the best where quality is concerned.
I think I said this early in this thread but if a man could only have one set of tip ups that would do it all and last a lifetime then you won't go wrong with Jack Traps or Heritage Lake's and a few other very similar traps that have some real beef and all the most important attributes a tip up needs. Quality, durability, line capacity, functionality, good flag height and wind resistance.
I do, at times, buy China or import stuff but I would never consider any of it in the "BEST" category. Keep in mind what the original question was, "What is the Best Tip-up, and Why". It does not ask what is your personal favorite or what is the cheapest decent tip up.
I could easily build the greatest tip up known to man after 50 years of hardwater fishing. No one would pay the price for them but they would last a few hundred years and be Teak wood that never rots or light weight aircraft aluminum or titanium with stainless steel, fully machined reels and mechanisms and have all the great trip gadgets we have ever seen. They would do better in an ice fishing museum of fantastic and very expensive gear. We are not going fishing on the moon or mars but there are a few outstanding tip ups already on the market that could.
Gary
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mine...when theres fish on them.... :tipup: ;) ;D
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how well do the fish brothers tip up stay over the hole ? they look like it wouldnt take much wind to blow them around.
I do like the design for fishing for rainbows, no reel in the water to spook them, and theres nothing for the bait to swim around and make a mess out of your leader.
Looks like i may have to try a set. :)
I bought a set of Fish Brother tipups at the beginning of last season. I used them quite a bit and really like them. When the sun is out it will heat up the black base ever so slightly and melt a shallow channel in the ice which helps to keep them from moving. I got into some wind last season and they didn't tip over. For extreme cold you may run into icing issues but I didn't run into any problems. I have them spooled with 20lb plastic coating tipup line which is thin and fairly manageable. Going to pick up another set for this season.
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I bought a set of Fish Brother tipups at the beginning of last season. I used them quite a bit and really like them. When the sun is out it will heat up the black base ever so slightly and melt a shallow channel in the ice which helps to keep them from moving. I got into some wind last season and they didn't tip over. For extreme cold you may run into icing issues but I didn't run into any problems. I have them spooled with 20lb plastic coating tipup line which is thin and fairly manageable. Going to pick up another set for this season.
Thank you for the help dkfry, its much appreciated ! I think i will try a set this winter.
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This is a Great discussion.
We cannot really decide on an "Absolute Best" before we define some parameters.
What are you fishing for?
How deep is the water?
How deep is the snow?
How far away is your tip up?
How cold is it?
Is the snow blowing and do you need or want a covered hole?
Does weight matter?
How high do you want your flag to be when the magic words are hollered, Flag up!?
Is quality craftsmanship and made in the USA important to you?
Are you OK with plastic made in China?
The Original poster here asked what might seem to be a simple question, "What is the BEST tip up and WHY"?
Apparently not such a simple question with this many responses and going from garbage tip ups that work to Cadillac tip ups that cost some $$ and also work extremely well.
Let us define a few of the parameters and put an end to some of this threads confusion.
If-----------I---------------Could only have one set of 5 tip ups to meet every requirement above, Quality, Made in the USA, Deep or shallow, High flag, Wind resistant, and pretty much fail safe.
I would have to go with my Jack Traps. Followed close by my Heritage Lake's.
Beaver Dam's are great but the flags are too short.
When the snow is blowing I love my HT Polar Therm Extremes with telescopic flags and they cover the holes.
If I have to do a long trek in to the pond and weight is a major factor then I guess I will have to get a set of plastic, light weight traps for this trip and hope for the best where quality is concerned.
I think I said this early in this thread but if a man could only have one set of tip ups that would do it all and last a lifetime then you won't go wrong with Jack Traps or Heritage Lake's and a few other very similar traps that have some real beef and all the most important attributes a tip up needs. Quality, durability, line capacity, functionality, good flag height and wind resistance.
I do, at times, buy China or import stuff but I would never consider any of it in the "BEST" category. Keep in mind what the original question was, "What is the Best Tip-up, and Why". It does not ask what is your personal favorite or what is the cheapest decent tip up.
I could easily build the greatest tip up known to man after 50 years of hardwater fishing. No one would pay the price for them but they would last a few hundred years and be Teak wood that never rots or light weight aircraft aluminum or titanium with stainless steel, fully machined reels and mechanisms and have all the great trip gadgets we have ever seen. They would do better in an ice fishing museum of fantastic and very expensive gear. We are not going fishing on the moon or mars but there are a few outstanding tip ups already on the market that could.
Gary
Excellent points here Gary. Some posts get started with the idea that there is only one answer but in reality there are so many methods to use tip ups in ice fishing that there really is no perfect set of tip ups. I chose Heritage lakers because they work well in most applications for me. Are they perfect in all applications.....heck no. I think they are more suited for Large species like Pike / Bass / Pickerel which is what I use mine mostly for. When I do occasionally target trout I do wish the trip mechanism was smoother and quieter but these do get the job done. So all in all you need to research tip up purchases based on what you will be using them for and realize that what is right for you may not be good at all for another angler based on their methods.
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I get a kick out of threads like this. It's kind of like asking "What is the best color hair on a girl or what is the best half ton pick up truck".
I'd have to go with Brunette and Ford because I have both and picked them for a good reason! ;D
I have owned a lot of tip ups over the years and to be very honest I never owned any that I didn't have to fix to my liking before I used them.
The same goes for my Ford pick up to get it just right and I am still working on the Brunette. ???
Gary
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My favorites are the Polar Ht Extreme Big Game tip ups. 6 fit in a 6 gallon bucket, they have an extendable flag, cover the hole and have tackle storage on the top of the tip up.
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Hey GAMBELL, I like them too and have a set for when I go to shallow ponds. Real nice design and the antenna flag makes all the difference.
I used to live in Hilton on Parma Center Rd.
Gary
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indian hill tip ups look wicked nice too. check em out online. they look really high quality!
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indian hill tip ups look wicked nice too. check em out online. they look really high quality!
Agreed! They look to be in the same line and quality as my Jack Traps and right around the same price structure as well. I do hope to see one in the near future so I can do a real comparison but I sure don't need any right now with all the nice sets I already have. I think the key here is the right materials, Solid wood-Oak, stainless steel hardware and large aluminum reels. They should be a set of tip ups that will easily last a few lifetimes and can be handed down to your sons/daughters and the grand kids. Nice find and go check out the Jack trap site to see very similar ones.
Gary
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i started this thread to see what everyone liked about their tip-ups, not to find the ultimate tip-up. it doesn't exist! this thread is going just the way i hoped for! keep posting guys! ;D
p.s. More Pictures Please!!!!!
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I always have wondered if there are good quality and different types of ice fishing tip ups and gear in other countries where ice fishing is common. Most of what we have seen here in this thread are the types we use here in America but I know they ice fish in Russia and Poland and in many other countries.
You never know. They might use some antiquated gear that is nowhere near as sophisticated as what we now have but then again, they might have some nice stuff we have never even seen. Wish I had a HS connection so I could do some searching on the net about ice fishing in other countries.
Gary
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Agreed! They look to be in the same line and quality as my Jack Traps and right around the same price structure as well. I do hope to see one in the near future so I can do a real comparison but I sure don't need any right now with all the nice sets I already have. I think the key here is the right materials, Solid wood-Oak, stainless steel hardware and large aluminum reels. They should be a set of tip ups that will easily last a few lifetimes and can be handed down to your sons/daughters and the grand kids. Nice find and go check out the Jack trap site to see very similar ones.
Gary
As I have posted earlier,I have 12 of the Indian Hill and love them. Workmanship is great.The main reason I bought them over the Jacks is that I often to fish at night for eyes, and most of the tip-up lights sold are designed to attach to the rod type flag rather than the flat spring steel type. It was the deciding factor for me. They work great, The drag works well for big baits too.
Hawk
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Excellent point there Hawk and although it is not a complaint about Jack's from me I would have to agree the flag on them is the weakest part.
If you can, I sure would like to see some close up pics of the Indian Hill traps and particularly the reel tripper and the flag tripper mechanisms.
I also like how the Jack Traps have all these parts fastened on with screws rather than staples so they can be removed for refinishing. Lets see some pics if you can.
Gary
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yeah jack traps are nice. best finish of any tipup, no doubt. but i dont like the trigger mechanism. my fishing partner has consistant wind flags while if i have one its super rare with my lakers.
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I find that amazing Northernnyice! I have never had a wind flag with my jacks and if you are using larger bait you just don't raise the flag as high which puts more tension on the tripper. My Jack's have a slot cut in the trip hood where the flat spring flag goes and there simply is no way for a wind flag to even happen. I can't speak for older designs if there are any but on my Jacks I can use my leaf blower from any direction and never make a flag pop up.
Check out the pics in reply #45 in this thread. If your buddies are the same then it is not wind flags!
Gary
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i have nothing against jack traps i love all quality tipups i wish i could own a set of them all haha. stiffening the flag would prevent the wind trip, but i saw with my own eyes he most certainly did have wind flags if he didnt stiffen the flag. plus he has the H-style, so if you took a leaf blower to them they would probably tip over haha.
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there was a guy from russia posting pics of homemade tip-ups last season.
http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=120635.0 (http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=120635.0)
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These are my favorite:
(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd30/Kb211/Misc%20Photo/Tipuponwhitespond.jpg)
Probably 35+ years old, purchased by my Father for his PITA son. I dont know the brand, but they work year after year. I put reflective tape on the uprights and the flags for night fishing, but I also made some lights for them. Nothing beats homemade stuff. They simply work, and are cheap enough that I picked up more for friends and family.
They are the best because my Dad got them for me, and even though he cant make it out onto the water with me anymore, he's with me in spirit.
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Beaver Dam tip ups. Hands down. My son is using his great grandfather's and they are still awesome!
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Im a huge fan of the Heritage lakers and the ice bears. you can see the flag for 200 yards with the naked eye and have never gotten a wind flag on them. 40 ups are ok for a nice calm day but are terrible on windy days. Im working on making my own as well ill post some pics when im done :tipup:
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I agree with Gamalot, there are special preferences for each design tipup. For ex: I bought the black flag walleye addition frabills and although they are stubby little flags, they are designed for the dark of night. The light is definitely an advantage when there is a take. And the insulated pie plate design is another special feature I enjoy for a 17.00 tipup.
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I would be a lot more interested in this thread if the title was "What are the high quality tip ups and why".
This entire idea of "BEST" is so subjective it is not worth discussing much further. What is the best to one may be trash to others and all sorts of variables come in to play when deciding what to buy.
There is probably between 5-10 excellent quality tip ups on the market right now and I have or do own at least half of them. They all have their quirks and some are much better then others in particular fishing conditions. Every time I go fishing I have to make a decision of which tip ups I will bring based on where I am fishing, depth I am fishing, species I am fishing for, conditions on top of the ice, how long a drag it will be with weight and all kinds of other little things. There simply is no Best single tip up that fits every condition and every pocket book. We also need to understand that many contributors to this thread are speaking from their joy of owning a certain brand and being very happy, almost boasting that I have these so they must be the best.
Excellent quality tip ups that I have owned or not and are mentioned here are certainly worth looking at. These include but are not limited to Jack Traps, Heritage Lakers, Beaver Dams, 40 up, Polar Therm Extreme Discs, Frabil Discs and a few others. You probably won't find many of these at your local WalMart store but they are around and plan on spending between $15 -$35 for each good tip up. Just because you buy the most expensive ones does not automatically mean you have the Best!
I have 5 sets of excellent tip ups here and I still can't tell you which set is the best until I know where we are fishing and all the other things I need to know to pick which ones I will take on the trip. I don't need a Jack Trap or Heritage laker to fish a shallow pond with no snow on a calm day. I would never take a Beaver Dam on a deep lake with big fish, deep snow and a good wind blowing. If you can only have one set there are a couple mentioned above that can do it all and do it all very well.
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Jack traps!! :thumbsup: :icefish:
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I imagine there is a tipup made for specific conditions. I know from experience you want to be as compact as possible..the disk style tipups fit nicely folded and stacked in a five gallon bucket.. the only con i found is they are low profile and last choice for tipup where distant visability preferred. Otherwise, this tipup has all the features for most conditions. But you want a quality rated product and that shouldn't be hard to find these days on the internet.If I buy something online, It better be a good made in china or wherever product or else I request an exchange or money back.If I am not happy with a product, I call the toll free # ;) It is that simple.
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i like the bd for crappie the heritage does not have as smooth a release.i like the heritage for pike muskie
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jack traps
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I use Arctic Fires and Heritage lakers. I like them both for different reasons. :)
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Ask pooley, best tipups are made in CHINA blahahaha!!!! :tipup: :'( but seriously, HT disk extension tipup in china bs all the way.. thought i was getting a deal at buying a prepackaged deluxe kit.. wapos!!! it broke when i was spooling it!.. what broke was the cheap alloy antenna like a panasonic pos made in china. buyers beware.. this thing will not last a day on the ice.
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they don't icefish in china do they? ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Be careful with made in china crap when it comes to tipups especially, my hertiage/continentals are three decades old and still fully functional.. the new crap is engineered to break.. the HT deluxe kit was an orange disk with an fm antenna and cheapest plastic flag.. it came with a spool of 20lb. ice braid/ sounder/stoppers and nightlight snap on for 19.99 lmao.. in my room spooling it, i extended the antenna (same exact antenna on my portable radios) IT bent first attempt pushing it back down to store the thing. Anyone knows once bent , it snaps off this crap metal.. what garbage we are dealing with as americans,.. we really are heading into troubled times... poisoned dog food and now this! China is going to own us someday!!! just a matter of time..lol i see it in the presidents face! lol i'm off to go fishing now ! later fello yellows! lol
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I too have the HT Polartherm extreme tip ups with the radio antenna extend-able flag poles. I have also broken one as you mention. This taught me to be careful when pushing the antenna back in and has not happened again in 4 years. With the disc type tip ups the alternative is to live with low flying short flags so I do like the extend-able ones much better. The rest of the tip up seems to be OK and I am not at all a fan of China junk by any stretch. These tip ups are OK and do fine on small waters where I don't have a need to fish deep. Covering the hole seems to keep the top freeze to a minimum and blowing snow out.
I only included these tip ups because lots of guys like the disc type and these are the only ones with a high flag that can go 5 in a bucket. Go to radio shack and you can buy a much better antenna mast to repair the broken one.
I always look to "Buy American" when ever possible but it is getting more difficult every year. HL's, Beaver Dams, and Jack traps are still made right here but I won't be surprised if some of the hardware on them comes from China. We can't manufacture all these little parts here any more with all the government regulations and taxes driving our plants off shores. I double dare you to try to find a good American made boot for ice fishing. There is only one that I know of and it is twice as expensive as others that are in many ways warmer and better.
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I doubt I could have explained it in such detail, ty gary for pointing out that we may need to improvise when and where if possible the need. Albeit, it was just a heads up ..when an if I'm using :tipup: I will know what and how for modifications. Still like the frabile walleye addition but as you say they are short flags. Today was tough in the way of locating fish, tomorrow we try again! gl up there, john
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The one that has a fish on the end of the line!! Cause that's why we go... ;D
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Because I regularly ice fish a lake that has very high potential of an Illinois record Muskie and Walleye I figured out a way to use a rod and reel with these HEATED AUTO JIGGING tipups. You can see the video showing the set up and full operation by going here:
When I was younger I landed a 40" 18 1/2 lb. Pike by hand on a tip up and it is very tense and has a high potential of losing the fish without the give of a rod and drag of a reel. Now I am looking forward to hooking a giant with this set up. So far 2 days with 2 setups both rigged with 10" plus herring and still waiting for first monster. I just hope someone else is close by to use my camera to video it so I can share the moment. Lance.
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SORRY USE THIS TO SEE VIDEO: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LrIyrbr4gk)
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Beaver Dams they out wit out last and out play all others.
That is the most ridiculous statement I have seen here so far!
I have owned them all and Beaver dams are a nice tip up. I never owned one that had any "Wit" and I never owned one that "Played" my fish for me. None of the ones I have ever owned will "Out Last" any of the others if not properly maintained.
We are happy you love your Beaver Dams but you might want to come with more ammo in this thread. I did sell my BD's shortly after I found better tip ups that fit my particular fishing needs much better.
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I talked to a buddy that owns a bait shop about Beaver Dams last week - he said he is stunned at the decline in quality. He's sent back numerous units right out of the box this winter, bent shafts, and other issues. Unreal - they used to be the best, now I hope they aren't turning into the worst!!!
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I counted the votes Heritage 1st Beaverdams 2nd Jacks 3rd so far. Relax dude and as far as ammo how about 40 inch minimum for pike here.
Heritage's are available just about anywhere and on sale for under $20 right now at a lot of places. Beaver Dams were at a time the best around but not necessarily great for deep water, deep snow or long set ups-------Flags are low and very hard to see for us optically challenged old koots. Jack's used to be available ONLY from the maker in Maine and not widely advertised to the masses. I do understand that they can be purchased through LL Bean now and possibly a few other outlets.
I own a very nice set of Heritage Lakers and like them just fine. I sold my set of BD's a few years ago as they did not fit my fishing needs. They were a good tip up for particular circumstances. I can't comment on their current quality. I also own a set of Jack's that are the Cadillac's, actually Roll's Royce's in my arsenal.
It does stand to reason that, of the top three tip ups we are discussing, the least expensive one would have the most votes and the most expensive would have the least. Just because more guys own and are satisfied with Heritage Lakers says nothing for which tip up might be judged the "Best". Most guys don't need a Mercedes to get to the lake and they also don't need Jack Traps to catch fish. Those who appreciate the finer gear will certainly be very happy with a nice set of Jacks. HL's will get the job done but you can keep your BD's.
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;D Just my .02 cents,,,,but I have a set of Frabill Classics that I'm VERY happy with.
Joe :icefish:
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Yes I will keep the Beaver Dams they are over 30 years old and still going strong
They are certainly the good ones from BD but believe me, a very long way from the "BEST" Tip Up!
I am sure they do a great job for you but I highly doubt many hardwater fisherman who fish deep lakes for big fish and in nasty conditions would even own them.
As I have continually said in this thread, there is no #1 best tip up that will serve all the various conditions and fishing needs of all who read this thread.
I have four sets that I use all the time depending upon the conditions and species of fish I am going for. I love fishing with tip ups but if the truth has to be claimed, I am sure a good jig rod with a good reel and excellent drag would be my first choice for over-all best set up.
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Polars,because of the 4 setting and the reel turns in the direction the fish runs.I've caught crappie,perch ,eyes and trout on the lighter settings and pike,bass musky on the heavier settings.As for the short flag,that's the only drawback I see in deeper snow.
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what are you fishing for deep and how deep? The swish rod can go way deeper than your rod and reel and is also used as a tip-up
I'm not changing a thing! I always know where I am going before I go and take the right gear. I did loose one of my BDs on a day when the wind kicked up and it got covered over with snow.
I will always go with a stick tip up over a flat or disc when the weather is questionable and winds might blow snow over them. I do like the disc types with extension antenna flags for visibility but they can get covered over too.
We don't need to argue this. What you like is what you should own. As for quality built tip ups, the Jack traps are the best I have ever owned and I am a very capable cabinetmaker and have made a few sets of nice tip ups that sold real fast. Teak is the best wood and if I could buy the Jack Trap hardware they would be around $50 each.
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I've fished Lakers any where from a few feet under the ice down to 120 feet. If you tie into a runner and are not paying close attention or on another flag you want as much free line as you can get.
More than any other issue I have with the Beaver Dams, the tiny squat flag is a major draw back to me. I get caught in the middle with them when there is deep snow on the ice. You certainly want the reel to be in the water so you have to dig some snow away to get the tip up down with the reel in the water and then you have the short flag hardly above the snow. I did meet one guy who loved his BDs and fashioned some invisible fence dog flags to go over the top ball and get them much higher. With the Jacks or the Heritage the flag flies almost 3 feet above the surface.
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Are you familiar with swish rods at all?
Swish rods have been around since I began ice fishing back in the early 1960s. I have used them and they were fine. I just happen to appreciate nice tip ups and prefer to fish with them.
The place I fish at most has good trout and I do best fishing 4 -6 feet below the ice. I use a set of HT Polar Therm Extremes that are disc types with the antenna flags that stand about 20 inches in the extended up position. They are fine as would be the Beaver Dams if the flags were higher. When we get deep snow or I go to the bigger lakes I always switch over to my Jacks or the Heritage Lakers. Both are excellent tip ups but hands down the Jack Traps are the best quality of the two.
I still have a couple old Swish rods and use them now and then but I usually just go out to sit in my shanty with the dog and relax while watching for flags. I do not fish for pan fish and very rarely even bring a jigging rod. I don't even care if I catch a fish unless it is a Trout or Walleye I want to eat. I have had all the gadgets from Vex's to Aqua Views and still just prefer to relax and go as light as I can these days. Dragging the gear is the hard part when we get snow like we had this year. I turn 59 on Monday and wish I had treated my knees much better along the way.
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The place I fish at most has good trout and I do best fishing 4 -6 feet below the ice. I use a set of HT Polar Therm Extremes that are disc types with the antenna flags that stand about 20 inches in the extended up position. They are fine as would be the Beaver Dams if the flags were higher. When we get deep snow or I go to the bigger lakes I always switch over to my Jacks or the Heritage Lakers. Both are excellent tip ups but hands down the Jack Traps are the best quality of the two.
Well, one thing about this thread is clear. Everyone has their own opinion about which tip-up is best, and it seems to me to have a lot to do with where you live more than anything else.
Those of us who live in the western great lakes area seem to prefer the board style tip ups. (HT polars and BD's)
Those of us who live in the northeast seem to prefer the the tripod or standing stick style (Heritage or Jacks)
I'm sure there's a lot of exceptions to this general rule, but from what I read on here and what I see out on the lake, this does seem to be the case. I'm in Wisconsin and I've NEVER seen a Heritage or Jack setup, in stores or on ice. You can't buy them here, except on the internet. About the only thing you can buy here that isn't a board style tip-up is Windlass style tip ups.
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Well, one thing about this thread is clear. Everyone has their own opinion about which tip-up is best, and it seems to me to have a lot to do with where you live more than anything else.
Those of us who live in the western great lakes area seem to prefer the board style tip ups. (HT polars and BD's)
Those of us who live in the northeast seem to prefer the the tripod or standing stick style (Heritage or Jacks)
I'm sure there's a lot of exceptions to this general rule, but from what I read on here and what I see out on the lake, this does seem to be the case. I'm in Wisconsin and I've NEVER seen a Heritage or Jack setup, in stores or on ice. You can't buy them here, except on the internet. About the only thing you can buy here that isn't a board style tip-up is Windlass style tip ups.
Great observation Tibs! If you head north from me toward Maine and NH about all you will see on the larger lakes are Heritage, Jacks and 40UP stick type tip ups. All good traps for sure but it does seem to be a geographical thing. When I lived up near the NY Finger Lakes the big thing there was jigging rods and pan fish. Where I am now near the NY, PA and NJ borders I see just about every design and type there is but mostly just the WalMart junky plastic stuff or cheap wood ones. Only ever saw one other guy here with Jacks but quite a few with Heritage and BDs. 6 years ago I was one of a very few who had a clam trap and now just about everyone has some sort of shelter out there.
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the idea of this thread was to profile the good things about your favorite tip-up, not to highlight tip-ups you don't like. the reason for the regional differences are where the tip-up is manufactured, more than anything else. they were introduced before the world wide web. ;)
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the idea of this thread was to profile the good things about your favorite tip-up, not to highlight tip-ups you don't like. the reason for the regional differences are where the tip-up is manufactured, more than anything else. they were introduced before the world wide web. ;)
I got a chuckle out of that Pooley! With a few exceptions of the better ones made here in the northern states, most of the others come from China.
I think you do have a point though. Discussing what attributes make a particular tip up better than others is a worthy discussion. What is "Best" to me is certainly not "Best" for us all and we all have to consider what conditions we are using them in. I have my favorites for each situation I fish in and even the plastic tip ups from China get the job done pretty well.
There would be a lot of variables to consider when deciding what is the "BEST" tip up. Materials, function, fit and finish, price, weight, durability, line capacity, availability just to name a few.
I do know we both own a couple sets of the better ones but I also think we take the ones we own fishing based on what we are fishing for and what conditions we will be fishing in. I have my sets rigged for the fish I am after and I usually don't change the rigging, just take a different set that is ready. @)
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Very true gamalot.
I have a mix of traps and I don't dislike any one of them. Some are better suited for this while others are better suited for that, but they all catch fish!!
I've got some Frabill pro-thermals which are the most compact and easiest to carry around, you just drop them in a bucket. They're great for when holes ice up quick as well. Not so great when there is 3' of snow on the ice....hard to see the flag.
I also have frabill bigfoot classics, and one of my favorite things about these are that you can usually hear a noise from the metal holder thingy dropping down onto the spring once the flag pops up. The pro-thermals and the bigfoot classics have the added bonus of being able to see if the spool is spinning before you even get to the hole. If it's not spinning you know that it might just be a flase alarm before you even get there. They are solid and hold way more line than I need them to! They are kinda bulky and not as easy to transport though.
I've got a bunch of heritage lakers which are all around good. I've done a few mods to them to make them a little better with better hardware, etc. Good tip ups for moderate money, and parts are readily available.
Then, there are the Indian Hills!! Not that any of the others that I have are poor quality, but when you hold one of these things in your had you can tell that no corners were cut in making these traps! From the stain, to the rounded edges to the nylon washers on all the bolts they just scream high quality. I don't usually have many wind flag issues, but with the design of the Indian Hills, it is a non issue. If anything I would say that the spools are way overkill!! They're not cheap, but you definitely get what you pay for. Hold one in your hand and you'll know you got a good deal for your money. Also, despite being totally wind proof, the trip mechanism is totally seamless...there is no increased resistance right before the flag trips. I hear that years of trial and error went into the final designs and it shows. Here are some pics I stole from other people on IS to show you guys from outside of new england that haven't heard of them yet. http://indianhillicetraps.com/
(http://lh6.ggpht.com/__rg2qYyo0tk/TRAqas6nrCI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/tNYmd3TC8nc/s512/Traps.jpg)
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/__rg2qYyo0tk/TTIrtWRxrYI/AAAAAAAAA70/rHi59pQEo88/s640/100_2559.JPG)
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m170/bobbydaddy8/Picture017.jpg)
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m170/bobbydaddy8/Picture025.jpg)
I saw that someone asked about the trip mechanism, so I found some pics of it as well.
(http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l609/626101/tripmech001.jpg)
(http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l609/626101/tripmech002.jpg)
(http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l609/626101/tripmech004.jpg)
The white piece that you see below the mechanism slides up and down on the tube and keeps the flag from tripping while in storage/transport.
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http://indianhillicetraps.com/
(http://indianhillicetraps.com/)
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this will help for the heritage owners.
http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=157537.0 (http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=157537.0)
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HT polar II with wood base and metal spool
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The Indian Hills look like a good design and right along the same lines of the HL's and Jack's. They must have been reading posts from Pooley and me from years back where we upgraded the reel shafts to be through bolted and added drag systems for large bait. I did the upgrade to my HL's probably 10 years ago and when I got my Jack's a few years back I did the same to them.
Seems to me that each new arrival is striving to one up the currently available high end stuff by reading the threads and employing some of the ideas we come up with. That's a good thing for the newcomers looking to buy good equipment ready to fish.
My Heritage's came with pressed in reel shafts that got loose, fell right off or got real tight when they swelled and the reel would not spin free. My Jack's never had any issues like that but they did not have a reliable way to fish very large bait. Jack said to lower the flag which adds more pressure to the trip but I found nylon washers and a Nylock wing nut that does the trick perfectly. The Indian Hills ones have all that covered and are a nice looking rig right out of the box.
The Jack's have a nice little feature not many know about. Under one of the trip shaft holders, you just unscrew it, there is a grease port for re-greasing the shaft. The grease gun to do it is for chain saw bars and has a tiny needle tip that pushes the old grease out while the new goes in.
Lots of great choices here and I love seeing the newest models. I will certainly ad the Indian Hills to my personal list of the best ones. I never have seen a 40 UP close but they do look like a well made rig.
Great thread that's been going for a long time now!
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Seems an earlier post by Mungo 544 talked of inferior steel poor customer service( or should I say rotten customer service) no service for used products. No Jacks for me Beaver dams will service even if your not the original owner. Never had to service mine. Want a name plate they make them too. Does anyone have an earlier patent? or a better patent? need a glow in the dark tipup Beaver Dam makes them. Got to go back to the willow stick before the beaverdams for an excellent tipup. I think about 70 yrs.
I watched that entire thread by Mungo544 and stayed out! Go to page 3 of this thread where I posted high res. photos of the trip mechanism of my Jacks. You can see the flag steel has some rust. Big deal! I ride them hard and put them away wet all season long. At the end of the season I pop the flags off, rub them down with a scotch brite pad and oil them. I consider it normal maintenance and the steel will rust a lot more from all the tears and crying! The time he spent bashing them here could easily have solved the issue with a quick and easy clean up. Every other part on the tip up is top notch stainless steel or high grade aluminum. I could call Tim Jackson today and never get a foul attitude from him and get any part I need. We have to remember most guys never say a word unless they have a complaint. I will grant there is probably better steel for the flags but it is such a minor issue I would not waste my time crying over it. Every one of the tip ups we are discussing have their good and bad points and I don't sell any of them.
I am very happy with all the tip ups I own and have kept even after I had to do some upgrades on them. If Beaver Dam made a cross stick tip up with a higher flag I would probably have a set of them too!
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use what you like and have woked for you regardless you aint gonna see a stimulus bill to get you what you want unless you like carp....oppssss
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use what you like and have woked for you regardless you aint gonna see a stimulus bill to get you what you want unless you like carp....oppssss
good post Hazzy! ;D
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WOW :o :o :o alot of reading here, Old thread but interesting. What is the best tip up and why Usually I use my beaver dams for everything but trout in deep water. Then I use Jacks. Before I seen them though I did use BD's successfully on trout up in the bay. I really don't know if there is a "best" one or not. All have there goods and bads. Kind of the ford and chevy thing. I guess whatever "floats your boat" is best for you. Steve
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I'm waiting on my order for 4 Frabill Bigfoot classics, I really like all the features, Bigger flags that are easier to see, extending flag arms for deeper snow, Metal spools and shafts that are easy to relube, the dual trip setting and I use hole covers, so being able to see if the fish is running even if the trap is covered in snow, I think is the best feature of them all !! :thumbsup:
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I watched that entire thread by Mungo544 and stayed out! Go to page 3 of this thread where I posted high res. photos of the trip mechanism of my Jacks. You can see the flag steel has some rust. Big deal! I ride them hard and put them away wet all season long. At the end of the season I pop the flags off, rub them down with a scotch brite pad and oil them. I consider it normal maintenance and the steel will rust a lot more from all the tears and crying! The time he spent bashing them here could easily have solved the issue with a quick and easy clean up. Every other part on the tip up is top notch stainless steel or high grade aluminum. I could call Tim Jackson today and never get a foul attitude from him and get any part I need. We have to remember most guys never say a word unless they have a complaint. I will grant there is probably better steel for the flags but it is such a minor issue I would not waste my time crying over it. Every one of the tip ups we are discussing have their good and bad points and I don't sell any of them.
I am very happy with all the tip ups I own and have kept even after I had to do some upgrades on them. If Beaver Dam made a cross stick tip up with a higher flag I would probably have a set of them too!
I too have never had an issue with attitude when I called Jack Traps, in fact; they've always been very helpful to me. Rust on the flag spring has shown up at times but it hasn't been bad for me. Having said that, Jack Traps has upgraded to stainless steel or nickel flag springs now and I'm going to replace all my flags with the new ones.
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I just won the bid on two vintage Beaver Dam tip-ups on ebay. They are in Excellent condition, came with the box, and I gave $46 for the pair. These will be my 1st tip ups.
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That's a good deal Bill, I mean Don. I was bidding on a few as well, and can you believe the price of those "special editions"?
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Yea, I wasn't interested in them, or especially the 50th, which was after the sale of the company to Uncle Josh, from what I read. I wanted a little history with something from the past. They just look cooler then plastic offerings, that many companies are offering; I'm tired of plastic and Made in China.
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ht and frabill hole cover ones are good for not refreezing holes and not spooking fish especially walleyes
heritage lakers are built well and are good for big fish and fishing in deep snow
never owned a beaver dam but they look really nice but are like 40 bucks a piece
but all the cheaper ones i've seen or used work pretty good either way there is no clear cut winner
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This is a Great discussion.
We cannot really decide on an "Absolute Best" before we define some parameters.
What are you fishing for?
How deep is the water?
How deep is the snow?
How far away is your tip up?
How cold is it?
Is the snow blowing and do you need or want a covered hole?
Does weight matter?
How high do you want your flag to be when the magic words are hollered, Flag up!?
Is quality craftsmanship and made in the USA important to you?
Are you OK with plastic made in China?
The Original poster here asked what might seem to be a simple question, "What is the BEST tip up and WHY"?
Apparently not such a simple question with this many responses and going from garbage tip ups that work to Cadillac tip ups that cost some $$ and also work extremely well.
Let us define a few of the parameters and put an end to some of this threads confusion.
If-----------I---------------Could only have one set of 5 tip ups to meet every requirement above, Quality, Made in the USA, Deep or shallow, High flag, Wind resistant, and pretty much fail safe.
I would have to go with my Jack Traps. Followed close by my Heritage Lake's.
Beaver Dam's are great but the flags are too short.
When the snow is blowing I love my HT Polar Therm Extremes with telescopic flags and they cover the holes.
If I have to do a long trek in to the pond and weight is a major factor then I guess I will have to get a set of plastic, light weight traps for this trip and hope for the best where quality is concerned.
I think I said this early in this thread but if a man could only have one set of tip ups that would do it all and last a lifetime then you won't go wrong with Jack Traps or Heritage Lake's and a few other very similar traps that have some real beef and all the most important attributes a tip up needs. Quality, durability, line capacity, functionality, good flag height and wind resistance.
I do, at times, buy China or import stuff but I would never consider any of it in the "BEST" category. Keep in mind what the original question was, "What is the Best Tip-up, and Why". It does not ask what is your personal favorite or what is the cheapest decent tip up.
I could easily build the greatest tip up known to man after 50 years of hardwater fishing. No one would pay the price for them but they would last a few hundred years and be Teak wood that never rots or light weight aircraft aluminum or titanium with stainless steel, fully machined reels and mechanisms and have all the great trip gadgets we have ever seen. They would do better in an ice fishing museum of fantastic and very expensive gear. We are not going fishing on the moon or mars but there are a few outstanding tip ups already on the market that could.
Gary
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i've gotta toss in 2 cents here along with this post quote.
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i must say, there is no such thing as a ''best tip-up''. each has their positives and negatives. that's why we get to buy a few/bunch of each.
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polars for the nasty cold days with a hole cover, for pike/bass fishing. the kids can see the shaft spinning and a cheap way to outfit a bunch of occasional fishermen. they fit into a bucket or tool box and travel well. remove the flag and replace it with a flo red/orange bobber and they'll never freeze down. can be seen from quite a distance and, with a surveyors flag/tape tied to a stick, stuck near the hole, usually, don't get run over if you are near-by.
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beaver dams - made right here in the good old US of A. two to three times as much money as a polar. i've got some, like them very much. modify and treat like a polar. i feel the ones i own are not as ''tuneable'' as a metal spooled, orange polar. sorry, my opinion.
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heratige laker/indian hill/cross stick. unless modified, jump on the ice and rock/slap/twang. a sure shut off for the walleye. the heratige lakers need that stupid stud and drag removed. the center stick drilled thru and a stainless bolt epoxied in its place. a nice nylock wingnut serves as a drag and will NEVER work loose and cause your spool to fall off. (get a grip on this people). it's a simple fix the factory should have been doing for years. they stand a whole bunch above the ice but, are raw wood that needs to be finished with linseed oil/poly/spar varnish/etc. i've got a set and love them dearly! ! ! modified and finished for sure. wonderful equipment that will last 5 lifetimes when taken care of. i've gone as far as to remove the cross sticks and make my own ''H frames'' for them to stop them from rocking on the ice. hole covers are recommended in nasty weather.
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fish brothers. a neat little set of tip-ups that nest 2 to a box. the box serves as a hole cover for bad weather, blowing snow. $20.00 a pair at my local bait shop. Made in USA, Michigan to be exact. the problem is the POS spring/flag set up they have. i've modified mine to use a ''wand'' style flag. if there is too much drag with the existing system, go to your local ACE hardware and buy 8-32 x 3'' long screws and nylock, metal wingnuts. $3.00 will fix the pair. this allows full range of drag from totally free spooling to cranked down tight enough to hold an F-250 4x4. keep the original spool spring and don't cut it down. save the 2 1/2'' screw and plastic wingnut. use them to modify the reel/spool on the windlass tip-ups.
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polar windlass tip-up - great jigging tipup when fished under mild conditions. keeps the bait moving. don't pay wal-marts price of $20.00 each. can be found for under $10.00 each on sale/wholesale. the factory spool drag will give up after a few outings and need to be ''repaired''. toss the 3mm metric "China'' screws, nuts and plastic wingnuts. replace with 6-32 hardware from your local ACE, screws, nuts, washers and nylon wingnuts. you can save the 3mm nylon wing nut that was original and carefully thread it onto the 6-32 screw. you make/cut new threads this way in the nut (instead of using a tap) , they'll last for a while. saves you $.70 if you are careful. a better repair is to drill out the spool to 3/16'' and go with a 10-32 screw, nut and nylock metal wingnut. i much prefer using the small size spool (200 feet) to the 500 foot spool as sold.
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IF I COULD ONLY OWN 5 TIP-UPS, i'ld cry like a little girl. why can i only own 5? painted into a corner, i would want a set of fish-bro's, 2 polars and a windlass. all modified as there is no such thing as a perfect/factory tip-up.
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my posting, my comments, my thoughts.
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Awesome stuff here!
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Yea, Lots of good info here on most of the currently available tip ups. We each have our favorites and to go a step further we each have particular features we demand.
Gooseblaster added his opinions and I can't argue since it is his personal opinion and he is entitled. Some guys here think my pick for "My Best" stink and I also think theirs stink.
I think I have tried just about all of them and sold or trashed the ones I did not like. Of the sets I kept I still had to do some tweaking on every one of them to get them working the way I want them to.
The one thing that shines throughout this entire discussion is that one guys opinion of "Best" is another guys garbage and that is just the way it is. I still always decide which set I will use based on the conditions where I will be fishing and no opinions here will change that.
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XJMA, I looked over the Indian Hills website, very nice stuff there! There were several sizes listed there, which size would you recommend for walleye, perch and the occasional pike? I do like the H style more than the cross style.
Thanks, Otto
Very true gamalot.
I have a mix of traps and I don't dislike any one of them. Some are better suited for this while others are better suited for that, but they all catch fish!!
I've got some Frabill pro-thermals which are the most compact and easiest to carry around, you just drop them in a bucket. They're great for when holes ice up quick as well. Not so great when there is 3' of snow on the ice....hard to see the flag.
I also have frabill bigfoot classics, and one of my favorite things about these are that you can usually hear a noise from the metal holder thingy dropping down onto the spring once the flag pops up. The pro-thermals and the bigfoot classics have the added bonus of being able to see if the spool is spinning before you even get to the hole. If it's not spinning you know that it might just be a flase alarm before you even get there. They are solid and hold way more line than I need them to! They are kinda bulky and not as easy to transport though.
I've got a bunch of heritage lakers which are all around good. I've done a few mods to them to make them a little better with better hardware, etc. Good tip ups for moderate money, and parts are readily available.
Then, there are the Indian Hills!! Not that any of the others that I have are poor quality, but when you hold one of these things in your had you can tell that no corners were cut in making these traps! From the stain, to the rounded edges to the nylon washers on all the bolts they just scream high quality. I don't usually have many wind flag issues, but with the design of the Indian Hills, it is a non issue. If anything I would say that the spools are way overkill!! They're not cheap, but you definitely get what you pay for. Hold one in your hand and you'll know you got a good deal for your money. Also, despite being totally wind proof, the trip mechanism is totally seamless...there is no increased resistance right before the flag trips. I hear that years of trial and error went into the final designs and it shows. Here are some pics I stole from other people on IS to show you guys from outside of new england that haven't heard of them yet. http://indianhillicetraps.com/
The white piece that you see below the mechanism slides up and down on the tube and keeps the flag from tripping while in storage/transport.
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REALLY GREAT,
I JUST like polar,but you must have a love of what you are using,and every PERSON is different,it is what you like,what
works for you,the way you use it,WHAT A PLACE TO GET DIFFERENT thoughts,you know what you like and why
;D ;D ;D ;D
RAT
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big spool tip ups, suttons bay MI
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Whew! Long thread to get through! :)
With my tax return I decided to spend crazy unnecessary money. Jacktraps were on sale at Cabela's, so I bought one. It just came in today. I'm going to try it tomorrow after work.
I did notice that the wood is very well varnished and heavy. That split ring design seems as though it will be a pain to set, though. Yeah, I was trying it at work today, inside with unfrozen hands. I'm thinking a modification might be in store. ;)
All I've ever had were hand-me-downs....I especially love the ones that don't trip. ::) lol
After reading many posts about the Jacks, I don't feel so silly about spending $35 on it. Thank you all for the information!
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Whew! Long thread to get through! :)
With my tax return I decided to spend crazy unnecessary money. Jacktraps were on sale at Cabela's, so I bought one. It just came in today. I'm going to try it tomorrow after work.
I did notice that the wood is very well varnished and heavy. That split ring design seems as though it will be a pain to set, though. Yeah, I was trying it at work today, inside with unfrozen hands. I'm thinking a modification might be in store. ;)
All I've ever had were hand-me-downs....I especially love the ones that don't trip. ::) lol
After reading many posts about the Jacks, I don't feel so silly about spending $35 on it. Thank you all for the information!
I don't like the split ring either. Get a pack of PC 7 2 part epoxy. Clean the area around the top of the flag where the split ring goes through with alcohol or acetone to remove any grease or oil. Set the flag, mix a small dot of the PC 7 and with a toothpick just put enough on to close the hole and hold the split ring in place. This makes it much easier to set with gloves or frozen hands and I have not found it to impede the trip process at all.
I had no idea Cabela's even sold Jacks and thought the only retail place offering them was LL Bean. They really are an excellent trap and Tim Jackson pays very close attention to quality and finish.
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It took me a while to find this thread again. Search feature leaves a bit to be desired!
Gamalot, I wanted to thank you for your input. When I got out the next day, I understood what you meant about the epoxy!
Sitting at the computer the night before I was a bit perplexed...but now I get it!
I "borrowed" epoxy from work (yeah, I brought it back lol) and did what you said. The Jacktrap is a perfect rig now!
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You are welcome and you can go back in this discussion to about the third page and see close up pics I took of how I glued the split rings.
What I like most about Jacks is the quality of all the materials and the rock hard finish he uses. Stainless steel, aluminum and hard woods plus his slotted cap over the trip is the best I have seen. There are very few tip ups that are sure to be generational hand me downs but Jack traps are at the top of my list. Short of pure neglect I can't see any reason why they will not last a few life times. I'm sure in the future they will come out with some sort of remote controlled, digital do hicky but the Jacks will always be ready to catch fish.
Beaver Dams, if you like that style are great tip ups too. As I have said a few times here, they all need a little personal tweeking to get them to your liking. Most work pretty good right off the shelf but with a little added ingenuity they can be perfect for our own needs and desires. If you buy just one full set of Jacks, Beaver dams or Heritage lakers and fix them up you will be good for your life time. I have a full set of each plus a couple other pretty good sets and they all suit my needs depending on where I fish, what I am fishing for and the weather conditions I am fishing in. If I could only have one set for all conditions the Jacks would be my preference hands down.
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I just looked at your pictures (you were right, page 3 lol) and that's exactly what I did! Great advice.
Of course, with the warm temperatures now I won't get to try it out with frozen fingers until next year!
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what about moosehead traps
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Jack Traps by far. They don't freeze and they work for all species. I own a 26" inch standard dark center with a hunter green flag. I am going to use it for largemouth bass and crappies this weekend. Last weekend I caught 3 decent pike using fathead minnows. The reels are silky smooth and they will last you a lifetime.
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I bought two Beaver Dams last year and have landed a few large pike on them. They work great and are very smooth. I've used a similar plastic HT or Polar and they worked fine. There is a bit
of aesthetics involved with the Beaver Dam. Uncle Josh's owns them now, and according to some reviews, don't have as nice a finish as the originals.
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Giving it a.bump for Hawkeye moosehead were my first set of traps, now it's heritage lakers.
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I like Frabil Pro Thermal. The hole never freezes over and you can see the reel spin when your flag goes up. FLAG!!!
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this thread is following the course i had hoped it would. pictures of any Modifications you made would be great! maybe i should have worded it differently, but it's too late for that! ;D
Sorry Guinea, it is long, but i knew it would be. LOL!
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I bought two Beaver Dams last year and have landed a few large pike on them. They work great and are very smooth. I've used a similar plastic HT or Polar and they worked fine. There is a bit
of aesthetics involved with the Beaver Dam. Uncle Josh's owns them now, and according to some reviews, don't have as nice a finish as the originals.
Arctic Fisherman (Beaver Dams) has changed hands multiple times over the last few years, with quality suffering and price increasing. I will not buy a Uncle Josh era tip up unless they go back to the brass spools and guide eyes. Sucks to see my hometown tipup go downhill.
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There are lots of good tip ups out there. they all have their pros and cons, just what ever works best for you.