finding bottom....minnow and tip up

[adipose]

I find it very difficult to find bottom and adjust with a minnow on a tip up due to the weight of the heavy dacron line and the lack of weight of the minnow.  Any ideas on what will help?
in conjuction with this question i would also like to know how to get the bait down the hole to the bottom faster and find bottom faster.

[appleye]

Take your graph with as you set the hole. Your depth finder should ping real well and tell you right where you are in the water column

[cold_feet]

Thats what they make those clip on sounders for. Clip it to the hook or line just above hook and send it to the bottom. Mark the Dacron line at the depth you want minnow and set the Tipup at that point. Pull line up remove the sounder and replace with minnow.  For sending the Minnow down faster pinch on a split shot a foot or two above hook.

[NYSporty]

Thats what they make those clip on sounders for. Clip it to the hook or line just above hook and send it to the bottom. Mark the Dacron line at the depth you want minnow and set the Tipup at that point. Pull line up remove the sounder and replace with minnow.  For sending the Minnow down faster pinch on a split shot a foot or two above hook.

2X for clip on sounders and when you are set use something to mark your line that when at proper depth it is just below the spool. It does 2 things if you get a flag you will immediately know how far it ran if at all.
It also lets you rebiat and send it down without resouding the depth.
I use buttons but bread ties or slip bobber stops and split shot work well too.

[eyesntightlines]

I really like to use the slip bobber stops on my rigs and they hold up real well, good info here on this subject guys!

[flags]

I use a very small split shot placed about one wrap back on the spool.  That way I can take it off when I'm done and not spend time looking for the bead and tread when I move to a shallower spot

[Vtgooseman]

I use a sounder sinker to find botton and have a small button on the tip up line to mark bottom, you slide the button on the line once bottom is found to mark it.  It is a simple set up that works great for a quick re set. 

[dkillay64]

I use a sounder sinker to find botton and have a small button on the tip up line to mark bottom, you slide the button on the line once bottom is found to mark it.  It is a simple set up that works great for a quick re set.

I use this too, works really well

[Capt J]

Yes yes clip on is the way I rool.  It takes a little guess work to allow for the distance the spool goes below the ice but it is very easy to confirm with the sonar as stated above.

[UP jigstick]

Quick, efficient and cheap. A couple of split shot above the minnow will help get it down faster, eh.

[33Canuck]

Sonars are the bomb but something to be said about old school random depths

[Hardwaternubie53]

Once you find the bottom depth with the sounder, use a button or a mimi bobber to mark the depth you want on your line so you can re-set quickly as needed. You won't have to re-sound each time.

[pullingills]

use a small botton to mark the spot where you want your tip up set every time

[ckfish]

Use a split shot sinker bout a foot from hook