how do you stop suckers from triping your tip up's? live bait questions??

[fish-kabob]

how do you stop the sucker or live bait from triping your tip up?

[wiredstone]

Check into the clips they use for down riggers.

[Tightlines01]

Cut part of their tail fins off. The larger the sucker the more I trim.

[fish-kabob]

Check into the clips they use for down riggers.

that what i was wondering i was thinking a clip like a battery clip did not even think of a down rigger clip set real light.


by the way thanks for all the suggestions. 

[Team Robinson]

Cut part of their tail fins off. The larger the sucker the more I trim.

Ditto 

[bluemountainlaker]

my tip-ups have a drag system on them. but trimming the fins works well to

[wiredstone]

A wooden clothespin.  This is what I use on my 40 up tipups.  You take the pin apart and gorilla glue it on the bottom of the tipup. When it sets up put the pin back together.  You only need to use the corner of the clip, cheap and works great. Have been doing it like this for a while.  You will reduce bait tripped flags almost 100%.

I like it!

[lightningz]

The method that I use is a small alligator clip with either heat shrink tube or small plastic straw fitted over the teeth on the jaws. I fastened a 4" piece of tip up line to the end where the wire would terminate and tied a loop knot at the other end of the line. The loop allows you to wrap the line around any part of the tip up and pass the clip through the loop. Since the clip hangs straight down it allows the line to pull off with out any chance of it hanging up. The farther the line from your tip up is installed into the clip the more resistance is needed to pull it out. I've used this set up with baits that some guys might consider keepers and they work flawlessly. These set ups can be kept in your pocket or tackle box and used only when needed. You can make these for about $3 and use them on any device any time.

[fishlessman]

i simply break the tail but if you want to use a big lively sucker cinch a light rubber band on the line up by the spool and attach it to the spool or a hook put on the trap. staples have big bags of rubber bands for cheap and anything big enough to grab a big sucker will break the rubber band.

[finlessbrown]

A wooden clothespin.  This is what I use on my 40 up tipups.  You take the pin apart and gorilla glue it on the bottom of the tipup. When it sets up put the pin back together.  You only need to use the corner of the clip, cheap and works great. Have been doing it like this for a while.  You will reduce bait tripped flags almost 100%.

  X 2    i make a small loop slip knot and put that in the clothes pin. i've had a few fish take the bait and the line stays in the pin but slides through it untill the fish spit the bait, the loop doesn't do that

[fish-kabob]

The method that I use is a small alligator clip with either heat shrink tube or small plastic straw fitted over the teeth on the jaws. I fastened a 4" piece of tip up line to the end where the wire would terminate and tied a loop knot at the other end of the line. The loop allows you to wrap the line around any part of the tip up and pass the clip through the loop. Since the clip hangs straight down it allows the line to pull off with out any chance of it hanging up. The farther the line from your tip up is installed into the clip the more resistance is needed to pull it out. I've used this set up with baits that some guys might consider keepers and they work flawlessly. These set ups can be kept in your pocket or tackle box and used only when needed. You can make these for about $3 and use them on any device any time.

i was thinking simular with the gator clips i am thinking about that ruber band method we used last summer on the down riggers on my brothers boat. that may work the best he switch to it from down rigger clips. any ways thanks for all the responces.and this has great tip to the new guys if they take the time to read this one.    

[fishermantim]

how do you stop the sucker or live bait from triping your tip up?

simple....don't let it see what's down the hole you're putting him!

But seriously, short of having a drag on the spool, trimming the tail tends to b most rpoductive alternative.

[boss j]

just how big of bait are you fishing with???

[fishfighter]

Alligator clips work well for me, I use that small rubber gas line (for chainsaws and such), and slide it over the teeth so that it does damage the line/and you get a smooth release.  I use this same method when I am using my planer boards in the summer-I straighten out one end of a paper clip, slide it through the pivot point hole of the clip-fold it over, connect the other end to your planer board line, and it slides down flawlessly.  You can make releases for next to nothing, they work better than store bought ones which normally cost at least $10.  I'll post a picture and you can modify it for your needs.

[michianafisherman]

I have been in the same situation, with bait to big for my style of tip up. I do use a pair of the Rapala pliers and they have a built in pair of scissors. Trimming the fins off the bait won't kill it. It actually makes them swim funny. I may have to make some of the release clips. My problem is, I don't get in places that I can use the larger bait more than a couple times a year. Most of the time I can use small bait for the target fish. Plus the larger bait costs more.

[Skipper]

It depends on what kind of tipup you're using, but you can file a notch or wrap in the part that engages the flag in black tape. Just make some sort of "speed bump" that the flag has to jump in order to pop.

[michianafisherman]

It depends on what kind of tipup you're using, but you can file a notch or wrap in the part that engages the flag in black tape. Just make some sort of "speed bump" that the flag has to jump in order to pop.

That's a great idea! I could use a piece of tubing like fuel line or vacuum hose, and stick it on the smooth side. I don't use the smooth side, only the one with the notch. So by putting a large piece of hose on there it may do the trick.

[Skipper]

Sounds like you just made my idea better.... I'm replacing the black tape with fuel line!

[fish-kabob]

i got a couple ht threamals and frabills that hav a line guid on them that is perfect for this spooled up like normal i will have a wire leader to a quick strike rig attached to the line. now here come the fun part hooking the rubber band to the leader swivel eye by knoting threw the eye. then attching it to the line guide of the tip up. it should slip right in to it no problem then you got a  banjosucker lol's every time it trys to swim down it will be drug back up by the force of the rubber band. = banjo sucker..   

[mjk67]

I've taken a small piece of duck tape, and rolled it over the trigger mechanism - creates just enough drag that the sucker won't trip the flag.  Then remove it, if using smaller bait.

Edit:  speaking of Beaver Dam or Frabill Artic Fire tip-ups.  Too bad Frabill cheaped out on their newer round tip-ups

[fish-kabob]

Edit:  speaking of Beaver Dam or Frabill Artic Fire tip-ups.  Too bad Frabill cheaped out on their newer round tip-ups

so true on that statement i found a way to rig it with just a rubber band one of the thin one i will get pick later when i find a bag of them for sale. any ways it can't dive it turns a suckers into a bungee cord leashed sucker. this way they dive down and it pull them back to the surface.

[pfscott]

On my Beaver Dams I put an o-ring on the heavy side so it has to pull pretty hard to trip it, and if we are using ridiculously large bait, we sometimes wedge a stick under the flag tip down to the board for extra help.

[esox_xtm]

It depends on your tipup style. On my Polars, similar to BD, Frabill and others, I simply tilt the spool shaft off 90 degrees. This does two things:

     1.) It makes it harder fro the cross member to trip the flag and
     
     2.) Changes the angle of the line coming off the spool so it tends to not pull off as easily.

Don't forget that those horizontal styles have 4 basic tension settings depending on which side of the cross member you use (smooth or notched) and which side of the shaft you set the flag on.

For stick type tippys, there was a thread awhile back that used a rubber band around the stick with the line slipped under it (I think).

/m

[Martian]

A wooden clothespin.  This is what I use on my 40 up tipups.  You take the pin apart and gorilla glue it on the bottom of the tipup. When it sets up put the pin back together.  You only need to use the corner of the clip, cheap and works great. Have been doing it like this for a while.  You will reduce bait tripped flags almost 100%.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  I like this idea, but sure would like to see pics, mostly as to why you have to dis-assemble, before gluing, thanks

[fish-kabob]

what do you guys think of this i use a rubber band around the line guide to prevent the sucker from diving on a 24 inch long quick strike rig should hold it right ware the pike are looking on the lake.  see the blue gill on the lake dive when pike come around so do the suckers if they figure it out if not their bait! any ways this is how i am thinking of preventing this. could use those down rigger clips for deeper water if need be on this style tip up.  but i am only fishing up to about 8 foot down ware i am at in the flats so not needed.   any ways tell me what you think will it work?

[fishm_n]

The rubber band trick is popular!! and can be used for any depth. But it can provide too much resistance, especially for something like pike. The rubber band offers 5-8 pounds of resistance witch is more than enough to set  a hook or rip bait out of a preditors mouth if it is not hooked on the inicial strike. I like to let pike swallow the bait and then bring them in. Trout though seems to take it all or not on the first big hit.

[model8]

What i do is trim the right or left fin about halfway that way they r still lively and just swim in circles it works well on th larger suckers but the xl suckers u have to trim the tail and fin my old 40ups would always go off unless i did this

[fishlessman]

what do you guys think of this i use a rubber band around the line guide to prevent the sucker from diving on a 24 inch long quick strike rig should hold it right ware the pike are looking on the lake.  see the blue gill on the lake dive when pike come around so do the suckers if they figure it out if not their bait! any ways this is how i am thinking of preventing this. could use those down rigger clips for deeper water if need be on this style tip up.  but i am only fishing up to about 8 foot down ware i am at in the flats so not needed.   any ways tell me what you think will it work?

(Image removed from quote.)

seeing what you have there, you could replace the elastic with with verry light mono, maybe loop each end for easy attachment and tie an overhand knot in the middle to further reduce the breaking strength. just a thought

[fish-kabob]

that is another good point abouitthe mono i forgot to mention it. thanks ! guys for the tips i will try to cut the fins but who know mite not have too. who knows i do like the point about letting them swallow it but i am useing trebble hooks. i have not gone to circle yet cause it is not required under our law. but am willing too just got to find a good way to get them to swallow it with out pulling out the hook lol's like stated. any ways thanks for all the tips.

[ALMA0930]

i use a weak downrigger rubber band. just loop the band around the line and hook the other end to the bottom of your ice trap. use a screw eye and open it up a little. your bait can still swim but when the fish takes it he will snap the band. you can also weaken the band by cutting half way through it, but they do come in different strengths. very easy....