Bluegill on tip ups

[bobkane23]

Ive just started targeting pan fish thru the ice and was wondering if people use tip ups for gills and if so what kind of set up and any other tips or tricks.

Thanks, Bob

[big bobber]

jig for panfish in the shanty...put tip ups out with live bait..minnows...shiner s...if no bluegill....move shanty...leave tip ups in same spot....just seems like alot of work for gills...the funnest way to catch them is jiggin...then getting that 35 in walleye or pike on your tip ups.

[Van_Cleaver]

I almost never fish tip ups for gill; I love to jig and always employ jigging tactics whenever possible. One day, I was struggling to put together a catch on a lake that is chock full of gills. Being over two hours from home I was really hoping for a couple fresh fish dinners. Anyway, it is shallow lake, the sun was out, and the fish were totally negative. I put out a Windlass tip up with 4# leader and a small horizontal jig with a wax worm. Was steadily jigging nearby but the Windlass still caught more and bigger fish. It was however right around freezing with a light breeze; optimal conditions for that set up. Now, I usually will use a Mr. Jigger and a light or UL spinning rig in those situations; a lot more fun handling the gills, especially the bulls.

[Townie]

Way to switch it up VC; never caught a gill on a tip-up...

I almost never fish tip ups for gill; I love to jig and always employ jigging tactics whenever possible. One day, I was struggling to put together a catch on a lake that is chock full of gills. Being over two hours from home I was really hoping for a couple fresh fish dinners. Anyway, it is shallow lake, the sun was out, and the fish were totally negative. I put out a Windlass tip up with 4# leader and a small horizontal jig with a wax worm. Was steadily jigging nearby but the Windlass still caught more and bigger fish. It was however right around freezing with a light breeze; optimal conditions for that set up. Now, I usually will use a Mr. Jigger and a light or UL spinning rig in those situations; a lot more fun handling the gills, especially the bulls.

[Van_Cleaver]

It was a desperation move but a lesson I won't  forgot.  Had a similar situation on the same lake this year; two nice fish, a gill and a crappie early, then nada. Couldn't even mark anything. Put out Mr. Jigger and he showed me the way; I did jig a couple more good ones as well. It's a lot more easily to be confident when you have several on the ice.

[panfishman13]

i don't fish tip ups, but i do set out 4 extra rods as dead sticks, then i jig from a good vantage point. that way i can catch active fish that go for the jig while my dead sticks pick up the ones that aren't feeding as actively, and maybe take my lures to be snails floating up from the bottom.

i think with tip-ups the hardest part would be setting them with a light enough trigger to go of when a bluegill takes the bait, and i HAVE considered fashioning my own miniature tip-ups for perch or crappie.

[HUNTnFISHSD]

 I don't know if a bluegill could trip a tip up.

[pparobek]

First year I ever caught them on tip ups. Set them up for the occasional crappie and wham-o! bull gills!

[PDubs/NH]

First year I ever caught them on tip ups. Set them up for the occasional crappie and wham-o! bull gills!

Ive been ice fishing for 25 years and this was the first year I caught 'gills on tip ups as well. Two different locations, and two trips to one of those...


 

Global warming??

 

[Ironeagle]

I have caught 2 on tipups both were on smaller sized fathead. It was nice sized gill inhaled them. I'm sure if you had dandy gills around it could be done. ESP pumpkinseeds. They seem so much more aggressive.