What's a "decent" tip up?

[TipupTerror]

I agree, Indian hills are for the money the best trap on the market as we speak.

[bait trap]

Every body has their opinions on what the best trap is.  I say what ever works for you and your style of fishing is the one.

[deadsmelthead]

Ive got an assortment of traps about 30 in all, days i know holes are gonna freeze constantly i bring my frabil thermals.. Typically cold days like that i fish in close proximity of them especially if we have some snow...

Decent days i use my south bend version of beaver dams, ive had these for about 15 years and have put a beating on the and they still work great...

Those are my main 2 styles i use...

The rest are an assortment of Heritage Lakers, Hard water explorers, the green wooden tip ups everyone has one of LOL...

All get the job done and basically i have certain styles rigged different ways for different species as ill fish for anything from lakers to walleye and pike and some waters i fish i can target all 3..

[icehook17]

I bought a set of HT hardwater explorers for $12 each about 4 or 5 years ago and they have served me well with no issues. They are all wood with a metal spool and even have an adjustable drag. The only improvement I made was to add a little nail polish at the end of the spool shaft to keep the drag screw from possibly backing off. They were cheap and so far have passed the test. No complaints.

Never had any problems with HT's either.

[Jrmcd282]

I would go with 40 ups.

ditto

[linquata]

I have been using Heritage Lakers for 15-20 years with a little maintenance they work great and are visible in all condition
I have started to notice the post that the spool is on is loosening and have been considering replacing them with screws

My bigger problem is weight, I don't want to go to plastic ones but I am considering the BD or the HT husky - are these any lighter than the Heritage?   I mainly fish for RT, LT and LL Salmon with WW fish thrown in so I will most likely go with the HT husky because you can get a bigger spool for it.

I don't like the wicker baskets and over the years have experimented with several methods and even considering a bag, then I saw a caddy that carries 6 of the BD or HT tip ups and there are a lot more bag options for this type of tip up. 

[river_scum]

been running ht polars since the 80s.  same ones!

[clmiller]

Love the Frabill Arctic Fire

[esox_xtm]

Good grief! There's a zombie alert... Last post in 2013.

[Gamalot]

I love tip up fishing and have or have had all the various types. After crossing off the cheap Walmart junk ones there are basically 3 standard types, cross sticks such as Heritage, Jack Trap, 40 Up and Indian Hills.
Flat board folders like Beaver Dams and a few other makers and the disc types like HT and Frabil. They all have their place and I use them all depending on the type of fishing I am doing and the conditions I will be fishing in.
Deep water with a heavy snow or windy conditions I tend to stick with my cross sticks, Heritage and Jack Traps. Shallower waters with no snow and I usually go with the BDs. On bitter cold days with some wind and snow I go with discs to keep the holes covered.
I think those who fish big lakes for big fish that could be deep will always go for cross sticks with the larger spools. I never have fished much for big Pike or Lake trout so I can only surmise which tip ups I would use if I do go for them, Jacks or Heritage. I like my disc type HT Polar Therm Extremes with the retractable antenna flags and a small tackle box for extra terminal gear on board and they travel easy in a 5 gallon bucket called brimable. The trip mechanism on each style is what I consider most important. Wind flags and big bait flags are a PITA so the Heritage and Jacks win that battle every time. Frozen over holes are another PITA so the discs win that battle IMO. I love my Jack Traps over my Heritage Lakers for the quality and build but both perform fine as long as they are cared for properly. The Heritage ones had to be upgraded from the pressed in spool stud to bolts because the spools could loosen up and fall right off. If you are just getting started then decide what type will work best for your conditions but do spend the money on the best quality ones you can afford. I have not checked prices in a long while but buying in the off season seems to always be the best deal.

[Fishingjg]

It seems to me that it depends on what part of the country you live in. Also, what you were exposed to or what was available at the local bait shops. Of course, this was before the big box stores and the internet. That being said I have been using the HT Polar tipups for well over 20 years without an issue.

[Hard_H2O]

Love the Frabill Arctic Fire

Those are also my go to. I will second the Frabill Arctic Fire.

[MT204]

Firehouse "R-Tec Claw".
Easy to store and transport.