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IceShanty Main => General Ice Fishing Chit Chat => Topic started by: Esox fisherman on Jul 11, 2020, 01:27 PM
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I have several frabill pro thermal tip ups and wad wondering if i could remove the old spool and attach ht enterprises tip up spools
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I think most any mod is doable with the proper amount of planning and work. My question would be, "Why?". I have not seen the Frabill spools in person but pics seem to show them a little thicker than the HT plastic ones. I am a big Polar fan but my one knock is their plastic spools. They can be a little "flimsy" and I've broken a few over the years. On the up side, they are cheap and easy to replace.
If you're looking to jump ship so you can get HTs little wind up handle I think there are solutions to use the existing Frabill spools. If you've broken one and can't find Frabill replacements, well, that's a little different.
Do the Frabill spools unscrew or are they pressed on? Could you post a pic of the spool and how it is foxed to the shaft? Now IS a great time to go over ice equipment, implementing mods or repairs ;)2
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I plan on getting larger spools ht tip up spool 1500 ft so i can have them set up for pike but if i ever want to go deeper i dont have to be concerned
(https://i.postimg.cc/0r8Mtw7H/883-C6-F14-87-A0-4-F89-A9-F1-86-FFDEFF4-A6-D.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/0r8Mtw7H)
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When i removed the spool shaft it appeared to be built in but was curious if you guys knew also im using power pro would i ever have to worry about replacing line
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A better solution HT Enterprises FRT-1 Frontier Tip-up..has a drag system ..get two... set up with large baits and some closed cell foam hole covers. That 1500 ft spool is huge 4 in diameter ..not gonna tuck into the thermal base .
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Is there anything i can do to attach them became i love the tip ups I have and already learned how to not get false flags
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When i removed the spool shaft it appeared to be built in but was curious if you guys knew also im using power pro would i ever have to worry about replacing line
Cant comment on the Power Pro ..but tip up line ie Dacron is pretty resilient lasts a lot of years.
Is there anything i can do to attach them became i love the tip ups I have and already learned how to not get false flags
If the spool is pressed on ..not certain there is much you can do ..I guess you could get the Frabill spool off and attempt to press on the 1500 foot spool ..or may be tap some treads onto the shaft ...my concern is the diameter of the hole in the 1500 ft spool . I think it is way to large for it to fit snugly on to the Frabill shaft. Do you have any other tip ups with a threaded spool end ..maybe able to Frankenstein some pieces to accomplish the task.
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Good point
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Most stock spools hold around 50 yards of 30 - 36# Dacron. That's 150 feet give or take. I'm not sure why you would need a 1500 foot spool for pike. I do a pile of pike fishing and only twice have I been nearly spooled. If you're watching your rigs and have appropriate tackle a regular spool should handle 99% of your needs. Besides, as noted by hwd, it is a giant spool and won't have the low profile when you store your tipups.
You can use a superline (PowerPro etal.) for your spool but I've never heard a good reason for that. Especially if you're looking at filling a giant spool the cost alone would be prohibitive. For me, unless you went to 100# or better (to get an appropriate line diameter for handling) superlines are too thin to handle well in the cold. There's good reasons for the 30# Dacron standard: a 50 yd filler spool roughly fills a regular tipup spool, it's thick enough to handle well in the cold without too much tangling and it is comparatively cheap. Additionally I've got some Dacron on tipups that has been there mebbe over 10 years. Dacron doesn't dry rot like nylon or breakdown like mono. Sure, superline will last for probably 5,000 years but I don't need that. So replacement for you would mean not in your lifetime ;)2
I am curious as to your reasons for wanting such a huge spool capacity for pike and how you got talked into using a superline on your rig.
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I just think it would be because the finger lakes get deep or should the flag freeze and not trip I don’t have to worry and I would be set for life with those tip ups
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Mono will cut you up fluorocarbon is expensive and ive used braid also has little memory while mono or fluorocarbon will end up with like bird’s nest have actually had success tying straight to the hook with braid
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(https://i.postimg.cc/9DZ1LcK2/2-DC4-C00-A-23-E3-4050-A99-A-6-ACA28959242.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9DZ1LcK2)
Here is image of spool with shaft
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Esox fisherman I have an older HT Enterprises Windlass tipup the bolt/shaft used on that tipup is 3/16 inch. I may be wrong but hopefully HT uses the same size shaft on all their tipups so spools will be changeable between tipups. Now that you have one Fabrill disassembled you could try putting the shaft into a vise to hold it while you try to unscrew the spool from shaft if the spool will not move then it is probably press fit or glued to the shaft. I have also heard of folks getting bad cuts with braid if the line gets wrapped around a finger or they apply to much pressure to the line while passing the line between thumb and index finger and using those fingers as an improvised drag.
Steve
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I think it is press fitted do you guys have any ideas
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I do also have one ht predator pro thermal tip up and was wondering if the spool shaft came off that one so i could see if they are the same size
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I do also have one ht predator pro thermal tip up and was wondering if the spool shaft came off that one so i could see if they are the same size
HT may be bolted to the shaft as opposed to being pressed on ...this may be the answer your looking for ..you may be able to swap out the entire shaft ...
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So i have to but several new spool shafts do you know where i can buy them
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I know you like your Frabills but I'd blow 'em out and go get me these: PREDATOR PRO THERMAL HOLE COVER TIP UP HI-VIZ GREEN W/500 FT SPOOL (https://www.franksgreatoutdoors.com/ht-enterprises-pro-thermal-tip-up-029333001461?gclid=CjwKCAjwjLD4BRAiEiwAg5NBFnYIQ3cfV5cIy3YhY8hctRbSS_KC6BGbykd9f18zyjUmVLEHHSwIjxoC_mYQAvD_BwE) and be done with it. Unless you feel like doing a lot of modifications. Kinda like droppin' a Mopar big block in a Ford Pinto.
Shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Just my opinion...
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I actually have one of those and i still get false flags with those and the frabill makes it much easier to spool and im a stubborn person As well as got a sweet deal i have a total of 6 tip ups with 5 of them being the frabill
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I also got 2 of them free
I have also asked frabill
I have talked to ht enterprises and they were going to look into it
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I know you like your Frabills but I'd blow 'em out and go get me these: PREDATOR PRO THERMAL HOLE COVER TIP UP HI-VIZ GREEN W/500 FT SPOOL (https://www.franksgreatoutdoors.com/ht-enterprises-pro-thermal-tip-up-029333001461?gclid=CjwKCAjwjLD4BRAiEiwAg5NBFnYIQ3cfV5cIy3YhY8hctRbSS_KC6BGbykd9f18zyjUmVLEHHSwIjxoC_mYQAvD_BwE) and be done with it. Unless you feel like doing a lot of modifications. Kinda like droppin' a Mopar big block in a Ford Pinto.
Shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Just my opinion...
If you are dead set on a insulate hole cover style tip up with 200 plus feet of line this would be the way to go ..but as stated above I have had issues with the Frabill hole cover style tip up ..flags not tripping ..for numerous reasons . You have limited trip settings as well . If my prey was large fish I would like multiple trip settings and a tall flag and a drag . The link for the HT Frontier above has all that.. add a hole cover and your set . But also 1500 ft of line is a lot of line ..and if your adding the Power Pro line (which is not recommended) that an expensive venture .
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What line should i use because tip up lines are junk they tangle
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I have the best performance with power pro also will be a while before i get the money
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All I ask of my spool line is:
1. Thick enough to handle well with cold hands
2. Durable over half a dozen seasons or more
3. Relatively tangle-free if you mind what you're doing with your line and the wind
4. I'm a value minded guy (call me a cheap smack if you like ;)) and see no reason to spend $10 or more to fill a 50 yard spool
when I can do it for <$5
As for the real performance, a coupla feet of suitable leader on the business end takes care of that. Please don't say you're convinced that PowerPro, or any superline for that matter, is a great leader for pike. Guaranteed disappointment at some juncture. Guaranteed.
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I have 100 lb fluorocarbon but I could straighten it if i tied iy to two bulldozers and them drive in opposite directions
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once you figure out how to remove the spool and if you can get a new spool on, the line guide will not let you use a larger spool. you will have to replace that as well.
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Thank you guy with perch photo
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Another option to consider ..not certain how much larger the spool is but a Email to Clam can get you some answers
https://shop.clamoutdoors.com/trophy-thermal-tip-up.html
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If you guys have both the frabill thermal and a beaver dam tip up could you guys please test something
Its just I thought this would be an interesting project and I would never have to about being spooled
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If your going to Frankenstein your tip up I would lean toward HT ...H style ..buy a complete tip up . Look for ones with a spool that is attached via a nut ..and has a flag with a anti wind trip which i would replace from your frabill . These can be found fairly inexpensively and alot easier to locate...even locally ..and if your mod fails you could always reassemble and still use the tip up.
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Good info..go to In Fisherman YouTube channel tons of good info
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Great idea however i like the frabill thermal because it insulates the hole ,fits in bucket and is the one with best reviews most of the terrible reviews are because people dont know how to move the spool shaft
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I understand you like the Frabill ..but I thought you were trying to accomplish adding a 1500 ft HT spool to that set up ..I believe you can remove the guts of the H style HT tip ups ..and remove the spool to boot ..giving you a better trip mechanism ..and a way to add the 1500 ft spool ..as I believe the HTs have a nut to detach the spool . Still my only concern is the center hole diameter of the 1500 ft spool ..
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Ok however beaver dam does sell their spool shafts separately and would be cheaper as the spools can be removed do you guys think that will work
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I dont know if id go thru all the trouble but i will add that the new beaver dam spool are not held on by a nut On the bottom anymore.theres a allen screw in the side of the spool that holds it on now.
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https://www.oelmag.com/quick-change-interchangeable-spool-from-hts-polar-tip-up-2/
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Do i remove spool shafts of those tip ups put them on mine and replace the 200 or 500ft spool with the 1500ft spool
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(https://i.postimg.cc/JnFxZVXy/Good-Grief.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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Im only going to do it if i find the extra money
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Frabill used to make the Bigfoot flag for big game fish. It came with a huge spool. IIRC, it held 500 ft of 30# dacron. You can still find them on EBAY, hell I have 2 I used on LOTW for pre-spawn pike. I'd get one or two of these and use an insulated, foam, hole cover.
(https://i.imgur.com/2A5fbSF.jpg)