Am I crazy or is there a rhyme to the reason

[Mikey30067]

Last year was my first year that I really put a serious effort into ice fishing and caught the bug bad. I take notice to a lot of things and spend too much time thinking about odds and ends. But one thing I’ve notice and I just can’t figure out why it continues to happen is:

I get more fish/flags on my heritage laker tip ups then any other. Never really thought much about it until the end of last season when my buddy who has really nice tip ups of various makes and models got a heritage laker and he was catching a vast majority of his fish on that one tip up while the other 4 sat with much less action. I had pushed off the fact I caught a lot more fish on my lakers then the others because they were just cheapies.

This season I splurged on a lot of ice fishing gear including some cross style jack traps and a few more Lakers. I set up every tip up identically: same leader/leader length/same Weights/ hooks swivels etc.

I am having more fish/flags on my lakers then the jacks still. My buddy is still catching more fish on his laker then on the other traps......

Tell me there’s a logically reason behind all this? Easier trip? Less line resistance? Heritage puts a fish attractent in the wood? I’ve seen it too many times at this point that it almost can’t be just random coincidence right?

[Ramp 23]

I can't explain it but it's great to hear !
I just got a set of heritage lil lakers & haven't had them out yet , but very soon. Hope I have same results as you regardless of reason

[Kevin23]

The only thing I could think of would be easier trip. We talking pike or walleye or what here? Next time out, carefully inspect the baits on the non-laker trap and see if there are any signs that it got hit and the fish spit it because the flag didn't trip. Sometimes they are funny like that, especially walleye and bass. They'll eat the bait and sit there with it in their mouth and not move, and if they feel resistance they spit it right back out. Ever go running to a flag only to have one that you are running past trip and take off too? The fish was either staring at your bait and the sound scared the bait into moving and the fish hit it, or he had it in his mouth and the sound made it swim and trip the flag. I've seen it a bunch fishing for crappies with tipups... its to the point where if I have them out and I am hole hopping, I try to walk right by my tipups and give a good stomp next to each one. It's worked before.

[Mikey30067]

Yeah that could be just testing them by hand I would say the jacks trip with slightly less resistance then the lakers but then again it’s so close it’s just a guess.

Fishing for trout bass perch in shallow lakes typically 5-12 fow. They both sit about the same depth in the water perhaps it’s the poly black spools on the lakers in comparison to the off stainless of the jacks?

Not sure perhaps it’s just fluke chance just seems to be too consistent to be random and I have no legitimate answer to it.

Also let me know how you like those lil lakers I picked one up this year for the wife but haven’t put it to use yet. Neat little tip up though

[Kevin23]

Trout shouldn't care and should trip anything. Maybe that isn't the case! I've had perch sitting on a tipup with the bait swallowed when I pick it up to leave though, didn't even trip a polar in the lightest setting and spool tension all the way down.