Don't understand tip-ups

[calvin21]

Tip-ups for walleye, does everybody use regular pike tip-ups.  And aren't walleye to light of biters to hold on to a shiner that long.

[Skipper]

How long does the fish have to take the bait before you notice the flag is up?

I catch walleyes on tipups, it is a common practice.

[calvin21]

How long does the fish have to take the bait before you notice the flag is up?

I catch walleyes on tipups, it is a common practice.

Do you set it up next to you or set it up away from you like when pike fishing

[Skipper]

I usually put my tipups in a specific spot, then I either jig that spot or go to other near bye structure. I try to stay as close as I can because state law dictates that I must stay within 200 feet of my trap. I always try to face my traps so every time I look up from my hole I look at them.

[Scientist]

I use polar and thermo polar tip-ups for walleye. Here is the web site: http://www.htent.com/Tip-UpPages/tip-up.htm
I have been using them for years and are soo much better than the traditional stick (X) tip-ups because you can adjust trip setting for the flag for light biters. I use the stick ones as “extras” if friends that don’t have ice fishing gear feel like going out on the lake.

[adewilde]

i have better luck in small lakes with tip ups for walleye with a 3' mono leader small red treble hook and shiner. as far as the kind of tip up i don't waste my time with anything other than an artic fisherman from beaver dam.  there is a reason you can get a polar tip up for under $10

[penna]

Ive been using polar tipups for over 20 years caught lots of eyes on them i think they are top of the line.

[4cator]

When I see a flag , I give em plenty of time to swallow it.

[trapperman]

All we ever use for walleye are tip-ups. very rarely do we jig. I use the exact same set-up for pike as I do for walleye. 5-6 ft. mono leader with small treble hook. We catch pike during the day and as soon as the sun starts to go down the eyes start hitting out of the same holes.

[busler15]

Trapper man,
You say you catch pike during the day and eyes at night on the mono. Do you lose a lot to pike with mono? It seems to me I have to use steel leaders for pike or they will just snip the line too easy.

[reich607]

What size hook is the best to use? I heard a size 12 treble hook. Is that too small?

[trapperman]

busler15 ,
Once in a while you will lose one. I think the only two fish I lost this year were on 8 lb fire line that I was trying out on one tip-up (switched it after that). My other ones have 12 lb trilene XL smooth casting and 10 lb X-tra strong copolymer P-line (all left overs from summer fishing). You just have to bring them in slow and let them do what they want and re-tie if needed.
No sure on hook size but they are pretty small.

[GAMBELL]

The key to walleyes on tipups is florocarbon leaders and small trebles (size 8 or 10).  I found I got a lot of drops with trebles bigger than size 8.