homemade tip-ups

[acplumber]

Hello I'm Just new to this Hard water fishing and wanted to know how to make different style of tip-ups.  I already know how to make the see-saw balancing type but wondered what other types there are ie: for out side/windy conditions, springs etc... pictures would also be good. Thanks

[pike4some]

For the price of a tip up I would just buy them. It would not be worth it for me to try making them.

[deebsey]

Unless you really have a ton of time on your hand you would be better off buying them.....Once you buy all the supplies your right at the price of buying already to go ones.

[FISHFORPIKE]

Unless you really have a ton of time on your hand you would be better off buying them.....Once you buy all the supplies your right at the price of buying already to go ones.

You guys would miss out on all the "fun". 

[fish_finder]

I use homemade tip downs, easy and cheap to make, i prefer them over polars or others that you buy, these never freeze up, if they break chuck em and make a new one, work fine in the wind if you orient them correctly, only thing ive found is early in the season when there is no snow they are a pain to set up , but its easy to fix just nail a base to the bottom ...heres the best pic i got of mine...

[flyman1002]

Fish finder,

How do those tip downs anchor to the ice.  So you just pile shavings and snow around them?

[fish_finder]

Fish finder,

How do those tip downs anchor to the ice.  So you just pile shavings and snow around them?

Yup...right after drilling the holes i pile and pack slush and snow around them, it freezes and holds them in, you can still pull them out and then put them back in the holes after ur done. i have a bunch that are the same but have a plywood base attached for the first couple weeks whe there isnt much ice or snow

[jibbs]

i say if you want to make the traps go for it....my uncle made me a set when i was younger and they are very special to me.......i would think that would be part of the fun....if you go to the nh page there was a thread on what tip ups do you prefer and  they were a few examples of different ones

[flyman1002]

The best part is using something you made yourself.  I made a set from an old design from a friends grandfather.  It is all I have ever used.  They are dependable and work for my needs. I would post some pictures but my digital went down last week.  Have to buy a new one.

[SPARKYICE]

if i gave up 10 hrs of saturday overtime pay to make them, they'd be pretty expensive.
however, when i can make them at work on a saturday...

[deebsey]

I was not saying not to make them.  I ment that if you think you were going to save money think again.  I have made different thing to change the design to accomadate me better and I save money sometime and lose sometimes.       

[jibbs]

I was not saying not to make them.  I ment that if you think you were going to save money think again.  I have made different thing to change the design to accomadate me better and I save money sometime and lose sometimes.       

i agree with both sides.........you are surely right.......you can save money and more importantly save time.......l

[CMMahy]

I made my own to copy the old tip-downs my parents have, they always seem to out perform any other type of tip-up other people with me were using. They're surprisingly similar to fish_finder's set up, the only difference being I added a short loop of rope to hook over an ice anchor to keep big pike from pulling them down the hole. I'll post a picture tonight.

Here it is before sanding and painting.



Another design I have seen starts with about 36" of a hockey stick shaft, cut at a 45 at the top. Then a door stopper spring (the kind you mount on your homes base boards) is attached on the angled face, and a 12" long piece of wood dowel is inserted into the spring. Mount a rattle reel back on the hockey stick, or even just a peg for a spool of fishing line, and use small eye bolts or staples to guide the line out to the tip of the dowel. Stick it in the pile of slush/ice chips beside the hole and you're all set. Sorry, no pictures of that model.   

[Bellybuster]

I made my own to copy the old tip-downs my parents have, they always seem to out perform any other type of tip-up other people with me were using. They're surprisingly similar to fish_finder's set up, the only difference being I added a short loop of rope to hook over an ice anchor to keep big pike from pulling them down the hole. I'll post a picture tonight.

Here it is before sanding and painting.

(Image removed from quote.)

Another design I have seen starts with about 36" of a hockey stick shaft, cut at a 45 at the top. Then a door stopper spring (the kind you mount on your homes base boards) is attached on the angled face, and a 12" long piece of wood dowel is inserted into the spring. Mount a rattle reel back on the hockey stick, or even just a peg for a spool of fishing line, and use small eye bolts or staples to guide the line out to the tip of the dowel. Stick it in the pile of slush/ice chips beside the hole and you're all set. Sorry, no pictures of that model.   

correct me if I'm wrong please but is your anchor rope attached to the base? What happens when that big ole Pike takes the rod portion down the hole? 

[CMMahy]

The rod ends up pointing down the hole, pulling the rod down into the base (Hence the deep grooves for the pin to sit in) and rarely comes out. The drag on the reel buys me a few seconds to get over to the tip-up. Whenever I lost those old types of tip-ups, it was because the whole stand tipped towards the hole and everything went down, mostly because the line was wrapped around a tab at the base of the rod and didn't allow any give. It isn't fool proof, but I didn't want to tie the rope to the rod, it would limit motion when using the rod to set the hook, or jigging. If the drag stuck and a big pike was on the line, it's game over, but isn't that the case with most set-ups out there?

[fish_finder]

Nice CM, i like the rope/anchor idea

[ravinerat]

Here's one I made. I mostly use a rod but the odd day I get this out and play.

RR

[timschrots]

I made my own to copy the old tip-downs my parents have, they always seem to out perform any other type of tip-up other people with me were using. They're surprisingly similar to fish_finder's set up, the only difference being I added a short loop of rope to hook over an ice anchor to keep big pike from pulling them down the hole. I'll post a picture tonight.

Here it is before sanding and painting.

(Image removed from quote.)

Another design I have seen starts with about 36" of a hockey stick shaft, cut at a 45 at the top. Then a door stopper spring (the kind you mount on your homes base boards) is attached on the angled face, and a 12" long piece of wood dowel is inserted into the spring. Mount a rattle reel back on the hockey stick, or even just a peg for a spool of fishing line, and use small eye bolts or staples to guide the line out to the tip of the dowel. Stick it in the pile of slush/ice chips beside the hole and you're all set. Sorry, no pictures of that model.   

Believe me.  I'm not tying to be critical here.  I love home made devices. 

Do you find that there is too much resistance in the design you have where the line goes up from the spoon and through an eyelet?  When fishing for lakers if there's any resistance or any sign of something "fishy" the laker will spit out the bait before you know get the chance to grab the line.  I know perch and other sunfish are different so maybe this question is irrelevant. 

Either way.  Nice tipups. 

[CMMahy]

Thanks!
I haven't found the line sticking in the eye bolts to be an issue, they have nice rounded edges and the line slides through very easily, even rough line like Gorilla Braid. On my tip downs, I try and take some extra time to find the balance point for my intended bait so the rod is just slightly tail heavy (with the bait in the water! made that mistake once). When a walleye that's biting super lightly takes the bait, the tip down moves with the slightest bite, and the fish tend to hold on for some time before they feel any resistance. Can't vouch for lakers, haven't had a chance to try for them yet, but the design has worked for many a nibbling walleye and pike. The dowel spring set up did require a lot more attention when the fish were biting lightly.   

[pikeking]

Me and a friend made these last season and they are great. Made out of Oak and the flags are felt.