Tip Ups??? What kid of fun is that

[Gator-Bait]

Sit around and wait for a flag to raise.What to do while you wait play checkers or plan where the next hole is to go at. Some one please explain and maybe I'll try one up on the lake. I have always been the one watching the flasher and jigging for eyes on Lake Eire. Once you got one on the hook what do ya do put the string over you shoulder and walk to sallow ground??? Maybe I am missing something. must be popular a lot of tip ups are sold. guess it for the lazy who don't want to hold there pole. Sitting there  in the warmth of there shanty waiting for a tipup to snag there prey

[camo_fish]

yeah, and you try and catch one of those big boys on a tip-up and have to pull them in by hand instead of a rod and reel.  There isn't a drag that you can set, if the fish is jerking back and you are still trying to pull them in the hook or line breaks or comes out.  It is an art to know when to let them run  and them to pull, not like then to set the drag loose or tight.  I set up my tip-ups and then go jigging around the area to find other fishies, but I'm always running flags, in NY your allowed to put out 5 tip-ups, now that is a lot of flag running. 
Is this shedding any light on the subject for ya.
Tight lines!

[north_shore]

Gator Bait: As a past tip-upper they are a lot of fun if you are trying to locate fish. You can put in 5 tip-ups here in NY and 2 hand lines. Gives you 7 in all. If you locate fish regular on a tip up leave it out and jig that hole. I have days where I may have a hot hole tip-uping but don't do anything on a jig.If they want a minner or what.I  have had times where my son was catching slabs on tip-ups and i was catching just gills on jigs. Gives you a variety of bait too.have a safe season.

[fastribs85]

i have 2 of them and had fun only caught like one or two fish but it was fun with them somethin differant then jigging but will never give up my pole

[north_shore]

Great reply camo-fish. It is a blast fishing tip-ups. I don't fish them all the time but there is a time and a place. Love the flasher and the 1-2 lb test,small jigs and spikes. So much fun. safe fishing

[Gator-Bait]

Ok That makes sense! Forgot about having another tool to help locate fish in ohio you are aloud two poles.Don't kn0w about tipups any other buckeyes know rule. will have to get some big chubs to check out my running legs. And order a few tipups if allow or try and convince game warden the my lab is fishing too. I should be OK now that I am out of vixox

[wyogator]

With two lines, I would stick with jigging rods. Where I live in Montana, we are allowed six, so I use four tip-ups. Actually, I think camo fish is right. It's kind of like reeling in a fish on a flyrod without a drag; quite a challenge. I lost a big walleye last year by not letting him run enough.

[billditrite]

i use 4 tipups and a jigging rod and some days the tipups keep me so busy i cant even jig. its not always waiting for a flag.sometimes its 3 flags at once. so you shove your jigging rod in the rodholer to tend your tipups only to turn around and see it dancing!!

[NAD42]

Sit around and wait for a flag to raise.What to do while you wait play checkers or plan where the next hole is to go at. Some one please explain and maybe I'll try one up on the lake. I have always been the one watching the flasher and jigging for eyes on Lake Eire. Once you got one on the hook what do ya do put the string over you shoulder and walk to sallow ground??? Maybe I am missing something. must be popular a lot of tip ups are sold. guess it for the lazy who don't want to hold there pole. Sitting there  in the warmth of there shanty waiting for a tipup to snag there prey

Ever drop a dead 12'' ciscoe on the bottom in 160' of water and.... notice that flag flying high? WHAT A RUSH!!!!

[TroutFishingBear]

well, here in colorado  you are only allowed two lines also, and that is IF you bought a special stamp that costs $4.00. I still use them every now and then if I am fishing for pike, I will put a tipup in a likely spot for pike and then jig for panfish to wait out the pike. So even if only 2 lines are allowed, tipups can still have their place. they don't work as well as in say new york, but they still work. just mo

[wyogator]

Right. I have used a tip-up and a jigging rod on Granby and some of the reservoirs in CO for lakers. It works pretty well. Hey FM. Lighten up on us flyfishers.

[Gator-Bait]

FM

What Kid of ignorant inflamatory remark is that. You must ba a fly fisherman
FM
I have never fished a tipup but would like the chance to learn, when I was in my teens the closest thing I had to a fly rod was a cane pole and can of worms no silver spoon here. Sorry FM if you thought I was attacking your manlyhood just your way of fishing. I would not call anyone stupid (ignorarnt) for playing a guitar I MEAN  using a tipup instead of a FL-18 vexlair flasher & graphite rod to guide a jig into  lurkers jaw!!! Just  info like what north shore and billditrite was talking about!   But FM you was right have fly fished before when I live in Idaho but even I know that those rods are to long to get in those one and two man shanties
                                          Good fishing all

[wyogator]

Hey Gatorbait. Why not include tipups in your arsenal with the FL 18 and graphite? A tipup is a great tool for locating fish, and catching fish on live minnows.

[Gator-Bait]

I am going to try the tip up thing it's got to be better then tying the string around my big toe and waiting for a bite but it did wake me up when i had a nibble or hit. It was a little nippy that way. I guess tip ups are a little better way to go

[Chucker]

In one word..... efficiency.

[Oldfart]

While looking for crapie, you can set 5 tipups here over the weeds on the flats, and take your vex and jigs just off the dropoff to search for suspended fish.  Flats or deep, keep drillin! When you figue out whats going on at that particular hour, you got 6 lines all catching fish, not just a jig pole.  A flag is the same rush as a bobber going under in the open water. You know you got somthing, you just havent felt it yet! For me, jigging is just to pass the time waiting for the big strike on the live bait.

[PERCH_INC.]

I like tipups for Walleyes and Salmon. But hate to pick them up, my hands always get cold!! So I just jig for gills and perch. But  I always jig with or with out tipsups!! Got a 8lbs Salmon on Lake George jigging for perch, great fight and it was great eating!! Smoked it outside on my grill/smoker. 

[PERCHPULLER]

We always put out tip ups for pike while jigging for other fish some days its the only action you see.As for fun get 4 guys on the ice with 20 tip ups out yell 'flag' and watch the races begin.

[walleye1]

I've never used a tip up in my life and I doubt I ever will. I don't fish for pike and I think the run and gun approach for what I fish for is much more efficient. I am usually targeting either perch, eyes, gills or crappies. 

[Polar]

Tip ups are just another tool for catching fish.I put 5 in then set up my shanty start fishing and look out once in awhile to see if a flag is up.Nothing like a little hand to hand to get the blood flowing,no drag or rod to fight the fish just you and fish one on one.

[Pasquatch]

Ever drop a dead 12'' ciscoe on the bottom in 160' of water and.... notice that flag flying high? WHAT A RUSH!!!!

Yup, been there done that, up near the narrows on the King......its a rush alright

[Gator-Bait]

well the old gator just found out that your aloud two hand held poles and 6 tipups in ohio so I'll be looking for some tips on tipups and what kind to buy since I don't know jack about them.So I'll check here at the shanty and expanding my area of fishing horizons  8)  Just now I  got to come up with a way to keep holes open between bites. I saw an add on ebay that someone was selling plans for keeping your hole open.

[camo_fish]

the green jack traps are great, I've got a set of 10, but the laker hertage are the best, alittle pricey, that is why I have the green wooden ones.  I think the green ones go for about 10-12 bucks with the line on them. 
the green ones. 

and here is another green one in the background. 

And a little camofish jr. in the making. 

[fastribs85]

ive got a couple of black plastic ones for about 6 bvucks and put the line on myself work decent let us know how ya do

[Oldfart]

Hey Gator! Get a half dozen polars! No freeze ups, no loose parts, and the fact that you have to land a fish every 10 minutes keeps the holes open!

[Gator-Bait]

looking into getting some as we speak on ebay won a bid of something called a thunder bay octa-thermal ice tipups but the polars sound like a good idea will look them up!

[eyedoktr]

Tip ups are like trolling. It can be an effective way to catch fish. Personally, I want the rod (fishing rod) in my hand and feel like I did something to entice a strike, not just drag it by a fish as in trolling or happen to have a fish come by and eat my hanging bait, as in tip-ups. Yes, both can be fun when you get a fish but trolling and tip ups are extremely boring (IMHO) while you're waiting for a strike.

[hali-man]

And a little camofish jr. in the making. 

That is an impressive smallie!!!

I have to agree with the Eyedoktr on this one. I only own one tip-up I and don't even use it half the time.

[IceReaver]

Tip-ups are a way to expand your fishing area and put athleticism back into the sport of ice fishing.  Depending on the type of fish you target though and local regulations, they may not be an asset to you.  As it's been stated, NY allows 5 tip-ups plus 2 jig rods, so it makes perfect sense to set them if you're going to stay in approximately ONE area.  Often times, my spread will extend 100 yards or more from my first to my last tip-up.  If one goes hot...I either pull it or drill a new hole (hand auger) and jig.  You want exercise, humor, and excitement...try running full speed to a far-off flag on ice...then repeat multiple times!!

I exclusively use polar tip-ups...it provides you two settings for wind/fish control as well as an above water indication of how a fish is taking line.  They do freeze in if it's a slow, cold day but a skimmer easily breaks the ice that holds it in (that's why it's even more important to have the indicator above the ice).  Don't expect to wholesale move large distances with tip-ups thought, it's a lot of work to pull them up and reset.

Finally, on a bad day...you've drilled five extra holes...but on a good day...you can forget about jigging!!

[BuckShotJon]

I jig only to keep busy while I wait for a tip up flag to fly. Don't get me wrong I love to do both but just love to fish with tip ups. I currently own dozens of tip ups and plan to buy more. My favorite are the older ones with character behind them. I hate the windlass and polar tip ups.

Tip ups allow you to cover alot of water. I can cover sometimes as much as 1000 yards if I feel like I have alot of energy that day.

The thrill of not knowing what fish will come through the hole is just the same as with a jiging rod. The largest perch I have ever caught were on tip ups and pike minnows. I have caught crappies on tip ups, perch, bass, pike, walleye, pickeral and so on.

I was brought up from the first ice outing on tip ups and maybe that has had a effect on me as well.

I can count on one hand the times I have ice fished without tip ups in the water.

Flag Up!