crappies on tip up

[gillmanwi]

i was wondering how you rig a tip up for crappie and what type of bait and what type of hooks i like to fish for panfish and thought about placing tip ups out for crappies after i herd about some one elese doing it    thanks any info will help   

[gair-z]

I agree with Slipbob..  a tipup would have to set super light..  we started using tipdowns and found them very productive...  we use 4 lb test, size 14 treble hook with a minnie hooked under the dorsal.  a littel bb splitshot a foot above the minnie..
good luck!

[CrappieGuy]

Have to agree with everyone else, Tipdowns are the only way to go from Crappies, Perch, and they even work for Walleyes.  If you would like pictures and a material list of the ones we make send me an email at [email protected]

[gillmanwi]

tanks for the info any places i can buy tip downs or how to make them would be great thanks what size minner do u use like the normal crappie size or what thanks single or trebel and mono line or like spider line thanks  gillmanwi

[gillmanwi]

thanks for the help guys i made a few from designs i thought of after looking at some on this site and i came up with a simple design i basicly make an H out of pvc and add a t on the bottom for legs and i took a piece of thin aluminum rod and curved it so the rod sits in it (make  shure that it is long enough to span the distance of the H) drilled a hole in each of the risers on the H and stuck the rod in those holes if the rod dosent pivot try turning the risers so that it lines up perfect 

any help on how to rig the tip down would help

gillmanwi

[P Gottshall]

Hey gillmanwi,

Could you post a pic?

Paul

[pmjasper]

What is a tip down?  Could someone explain the design to me?  Thank you.

[P Gottshall]

Check this link to see pics of a tip-down.

Paul

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=18760.msg159782#msg159782

[pmjasper]

Thanks Paul.  Much appreciated.

[Boob Dinkelman]

I plan on going out tonight to try a bit of crappie fishing.   I don't have time to build tip downs at this exact moment, so I'll be using a pair of Frabill Arctic Fire tipups with 15 lb test on them, and setting them as light as I can.

Questions for you to sound in on:

1.   Leader -- mono?   what?
2.   Hook -- treble of what size?
3.   Minnows of what size?   Or other bait, and if so, what?

I plan on jigging in my porta shack and watching 2 tipups.   For jigging, I was thinking  of trying a variety of things.

What's your favorite?

[CrappieGuy]

On my tip downs I start with about 50-75 feet of 8 or 10 LB Stren Floresent Yellow line and then tie a small swivel and then about 2 to 3 ft. of 2 or 3 LB florocarbon and then a small #12 treble hook.  You can also use a small single circle hook.  The Yellow line makes it easier to see the line on the ice and it's also strong enough that it won't break real easy if it get's caught on the ice.

[CrappieGuy]

Forgot, we use small crappie minnows.

[reelbigfish]

  I like using small bobbers on my poles for crappie.  I'll use a combination of larger
glow jigs and hook and sinker rigs. (tiny trebels or #6 hooks both work).  The fish will
spit your minnow if they feel resistance, that's why I don't use a spring bobber on
them.  When your bobbers begin to slowly sink down your icehole it usually gives you
plenty of time to set the hook.  Tipdown rigs will outproduce tipups but I perfer bobbers.





Ted

[camo_fish]

Questions for you to sound in on:

1.   Leader -- mono?   what?
2.   Hook -- treble of what size?
3.   Minnows of what size?   Or other bait, and if so, what?

#1. I would use 6# mono leaders
#2. I would go with #12 or #10 trebles
#3. I would use icicles or sm. shiners or sm. hunts or fatheads or rosie reds or the most natural bite for the lake/pond/area

Plus, BEADS seen here: http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=26767.30

And remember that crappies will mostly suspend some where 2-5 feet off bottom or somewhere else in the water column.

Good Luck.

[fiesty]

And remember that crappies will mostly suspend some where 2-5 feet off bottom or somewhere else in the water column.

Good Luck.
[/quote]

you figure that out yourself?...sorry I had to....

[lester]

Here's what I do on our local lake to fish crappies on tip-ups.  Not wanting to make or buy tip-downs, and since i have a bunch of standard tip-ups from my lake trout chasing days, I use them.  Instead of rigging it normally I open it up, pull out the flag wire all the way, take out the line, bait the hook with a minnow, lower it down to the right depth.  Once it'e there, tie a loop in the line, slip the loop over the extended flag and lay the tip-up on the ice WITHOUT the reel in the hole, with the flag over the hole.  When a crappie sucks in the minnow, the flag bends down towards the hole, and voila, you grab the line and set the hook.

Set up your tip-ups just before dark in a half-moon arc, light your lantern, cut a couple jigging holes to keep yourself busy betwen bites, and have at it.....works like a charm.

Lester

[sled-in]

As far as using tip ups I was wondering if there would be any difference between a windlass and a standard tip up, does a windlass have enough give not to scare a crappie? I have two windlasses and two standards and since I can only use two at a time I don't really want to build a tip down.

[dwayne]

I have had luck using the polar style tip ups set on the lightest setting for Crappie.  The spool on the polars are extremely well lubricated and fish feel little to no resistance once the flag is tripped. 

In fact I caught a few Saturday evening on tip ups   

[crappieslayer22]

dont us tipups for them

[seaweed01]

Tip downs are the way to go.

[PondPro]

tipdowns are the way or no way

[crappieslayer22]

tom did u see my tipdown
     or my costomized tipup

[PondPro]

yea i saw ur tip down, did u see my homemade tipdown, its in my journal

[Brooks]

In

Here's what I do on our local lake to fish crappies on tip-ups.  Not wanting to make or buy tip-downs, and since i have a bunch of standard tip-ups from my lake trout chasing days, I use them.  Instead of rigging it normally I open it up, pull out the flag wire all the way, take out the line, bait the hook with a minnow, lower it down to the right depth.  Once it'e there, tie a loop in the line, slip the loop over the extended flag and lay the tip-up on the ice WITHOUT the reel in the hole, with the flag over the hole.  When a crappie sucks in the minnow, the flag bends down towards the hole, and voila, you grab the line and set the hook.

Set up your tip-ups just before dark in a half-moon arc, light your lantern, cut a couple jigging holes to keep yourself busy betwen bites, and have at it.....works like a charm.

Lester

In New York a tip up rigged this way is considered a hand line so you can use only two.Dec talked to me today about this.

[esox slayer]

InIn New York a tip up rigged this way is considered a hand line so you can use only two.Dec talked to me today about this.

Did they talk to you nicely or did they talk with book and pen busy?

[Brooks]

Did they talk to you nicely or did they talk with book and pen busy?
[/ quote]  They talked nicely , no ticket.  These boys are like night and day.This one was only interested in how many and how large my catch was because he wanted to fish the next day.So the DEC is out on the ice and a State cop pulls in -he came out to see what we were catching . Just a slow day for them I guess.

[Snapper]

I move around a good bit so tip-ups are ran but on a limited basis.  They can at times be very productive yet at other time not worth it.

I buy very cheap wooden tip-ups from http://www.peterson-outdoors.com for pan fish like crappie or perch because they fire off easy and fast in wind they are a big pain.  I rune 4 pound fluorocarbon line, a very small barrel swivel (keeps line form twisting),  a small split shot then a red hook or a green glow ball just above the hook, at time I will run a jig with a minnow if I find they are color specific.  Dead minnow work better at time than live ones.  I put line markers on my line if the fish are running 10 foot down in 25 foot of water I can re-set the rigs to whatever depth they are in with minimal time.

Snapper   

[cavedave]

In New York a tip up rigged this way is considered a hand line so you can use only two.Dec talked to me today about this.

I wonder if the "Slammer" style rigs are considered hand lines in as well. Anyone know?

[Brooks]

I wonder if the "Slammer" style rigs are considered hand lines in as well. Anyone know?

The best way to find out is talk to your local DEC-the ones you are most likely to see on the ice. I think they just changed a lot of the wording on tip-ups and tip downs.

[Brooks]

go to New York State DEC web site - look at summary of possible changes to sport fishing regulations. They are looking for input