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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Tipups => Topic started by: whiteymalone on Jan 12, 2019, 06:00 PM

Title: Jack vs. BD vs HL
Post by: whiteymalone on Jan 12, 2019, 06:00 PM
The last few years on the ice have been spent experimenting with trying to find the "1" tipup. Here's the plus and minus of the big three tipups.

Heritage Laker: +good visibility in deep or drifting snow.
                       +great line capacity.
                       +very fast and easy to reel in line.
                       +easy to set with gloves on.
                       -spool wing nut fell off on two tipups first time out (fixed with nyloc nuts).
                       -not a very sensitive trip (even with the flag turned)

Beaver Dam:    +sensitive trip.
                       +the ability to see a fish taking line by looking at the spinner.
                       +Lighthouse tipup lights work with these and not the others.
                       +pack up a little smaller.
                       +the same trip if a fish runs down, or sideways.
                       -can get lost in blowing/drifting snow.
                       -poor line capacity.
                       
Jack Traps (31")+sensitive trip.
                       +great visibility in deep snow.
                       +4" reel picks up line the easiest and fastest of the three.
                       +best finish.
                       +great line capacity
                       +no wind flags at all
                        -accessory bait clip needs to be set PERECT, or it interferes with the trip.
                        -the vertical spool isn't the best in very shallow water, if a fish runs sideways it isn't nearly as smooth as a rail tipup.
                        -no visual to see a fish taking line.
                        -hard to put a light on the flag.

 This is from 3 years of on ice use with 3 of each.

 









Title: Re: +/-'s of different tipups
Post by: mr.clean on Jan 12, 2019, 07:57 PM
Thank you for the review seems each brand has it's own good and bad points.
Steve
Title: Re: Jack vs. BD vs HL
Post by: whiteymalone on Jan 22, 2022, 11:55 AM
Here's a TTT to add to the current discussion on the General Chit Chat "Does anyone make a good tip-up?"
Title: Re: Jack vs. BD vs HL
Post by: Gamalot on Jan 22, 2022, 01:07 PM
I will agree with your assessment with a few added points. For shallow fishing I do like the BD types with the horizontal spools and the bail that swivels in the direction the fish is pulling it. Both the Heritage and Jacks are vertical spools and can't do that but they do still perform very well and with the larger spools are much better for deep fishing. My Heritage lakers are about 15 years old so I have no idea if they still use the press fit spool shaft that I hated. I changed them to a through bolt with nuts on both sides of the upright so the spools can't work lose and if the wood swells they don't tighten up. Jacks come with the through bolt so no issues there. Sensitive trip or for use with large bait fish is another issue with all of them. On the Jacks I find shortening the flag makes the trip a bit tighter and I rarely ever get a bait or wind flag. I never have used any bait larger than a large minnow about 3" long but can see where the bait clips would be necessary if using larger suckers.
There are other good quality tip ups or traps as they are called elsewhere. 40 Up, Indian River, and a few of the big tackle companies like HT, Frabil and Husky. Picking which one is best for you is a matter of how you fish, where you fish and what your finances dictate. Some also have to consider the weight and room they have for transporting them. I have sets of each of the above mentioned styles and base which ones I use by where I am fishing and what conditions I will be fishing in. If I was just starting off on the ice fishing adventure with limited dollars to put towards my tip ups I think either the Beaver dam or disc types that are much cheaper might be a good choice. If you can afford to spring for the lifetime high quality traps then just go for the Jack Traps and be done with it or go with the Heritage Lakers and fix the spool stud right off.
Title: Re: Jack vs. BD vs HL
Post by: flagup! on Feb 11, 2022, 08:47 AM
I agree with it all::  My jack traps have a heavy spool (I feel like I get more drops) and the entire tipup is large and heavy.  They will last forever and they look great, but I don't use them much. 
To fix the sensitivity on the HL I took a small round file the same dia. as the flag wire and filed a much smaller notch right on the end of the existing notch; Works really well.  If you face the flag into the wind so it blows into the notch and not out of it you never get any wind flags.