Is it ever too windy for tip ups?

[WalleyeAssasin22]

I was out with a buddy of mine and it was so windy that we were worried that it would set our tip ups off. And I was just wondering if we were right.

Please share.

[frogmaster]

Dependends on Tip Up Design...  I have HT-Polars and to eliminate the wind from causing false flags I place the Tip Up Prepidicular to the wind and then use the deep notch and the flag arm on the wind-ward side.   Any pike will have no problem with the slight increase in tension.   You can also pile up snow & ice Up-Wind of the hole too.  Bless

[SDfisher]

Yes & No, It depends on your style of tip up. Cross traps I personally don't have any experience.

Flats like Beaver dams or Heritage Lakers then No, wind is not an issue. You just have to set them up so the wind pushes the flag against the t-pin. Personally I like to run them at a 45 degree angle against the wind. So that when you do have a flag in extreme wind. The flag is pushed away from and not into the trap making them more visible.

Only issue with high wind in cold temperatures is the rate at which the line freezes on the spool from being out of the water. When fishing with a buddy have him spool any excess line while your fighting the fish. This way you reduce the chance of the line becoming a frozen mess on the ice.

[Alex Delarge]

If you have the tip ups that have a [ type of thing on the flag. It may be called a bracket but it looks like this [ . The trick is to put the flag pole on 1 side and the [ on the other. Look at this pic do it like that and NEVER get a wind flag, and yes the flag does still trip.

These polar traps are very versatile, a lot of people don't realize it.
So the answer to your question is NO, never too windy.

[Whopper Stopper]

Yes & No, It depends on your style of tip up. Cross traps I personally don't have any experience.

Flats like Beaver dams or Heritage Lakers then No, wind is not an issue. You just have to set them up so the wind pushes the flag against the t-pin.

I use Beaver Dams and never have any wind issues.

         WS

[wyo969]

Just build a wind break with you slush from the hole and set into the wind like what was already said. If the wind gets to the point where tip ups start blowing out of the hole then you should probably just call it a day lol.

[ctownfisherman]

One option is jack traps no wind flags ever and I have actively fished in winds up to 50. I don't suggest that but it's doable.

Flags up!
Ctown

[jthod]

wrapping up the flag and putting a rubber band on it has help us out.  it also makes it more difficult to see a flag, obviously. 

[Fishingjg]

Before I invested in Polar tip ups I had wooden ones. The older style were not spring loaded, so you just had to face the flag into the winds so you won't get a wind hit.

[rabbittrapper]

wrapping up the flag and putting a rubber band on it has help us out.  it also makes it more difficult to see a flag, obviously. 

Not to be mean but there's not point in it. Unless ur tip ups are right next to you.

[jthod]

ours are usually within 30 yards or so.  Better than chasing wind flags all day long

[32footsteps]

Nope...echoing what others have said about setting it in such a way where the flag is blown into the spindle (thinking rail type here..Polars, Beaver Dams, etc.)  Even with the other stick type tip-ups that are more touchy you can leverage the wind effect against the wire trip. 

In windy conditions I'll make sure to clear off the ice chips on the down-wind side of a hole.  When retrieving a flag I'm standing with my back against the wind on the upwind side.  By clearing ice chips, snow, slush, etc. away and standing like that, the wind will blow your line away from you as opposed to against you and any fish that you catch.  It eliminates a considerable amount of line tangling up and getting hooked on that stuff when it blows around.  Plus...when it's windy that line can just blow away as it pleases, it doesn't get bunched up and frozen to your boots which if using mono can cause leaders to break or have their strength compromised. 

[thndrvlly]

never a problem with Heritages, I always try to turn them so the wind is pushing into the tip flag, not in a way were the wind wants to catch it and trip it

[winnisquam guy]

in extreme conditions, i've had heritage traps blow outta the hole. tried to re set and my house got blown downlake

[kpd145]

Before I invested in Polar tip ups I had wooden ones. The older style were not spring loaded, so you just had to face the flag into the winds so you won't get a wind hit.

i do the same thing and have not had any issues.

[thndrvlly]

"

in extreme conditions, i've had heritage traps blow outta the hole. tried to re set and my house got blown downlake

lmao now that's windy

[punkinhead]

I've been using the cross style tip-ups for years.  Like others have said face the tip-up so the wind blows the flag into the trip.  On colder days I have put a small drop of water where flag meets trigger.  It had been just enough to stop the wind flags and still be able to pop the flag.  Facing tip-up according to the wind usually works pretty well though.

[J_Edwards]

in extreme conditions, i've had heritage traps blow outta the hole. tried to re set and my house got blown downlake

I've had my lakers blow out of the hole too.  50+ gusts on the rocky mountain front.

[J_Edwards]

Too windy   

[thndrvlly]

on those lakers that blew out of hole, betcha the flags never tripped lol

[fish_finder]

I remember a few years ago I fished a day with over 60km/hr wind gusts...it was warm 8C but the wind was UNREAL! There was no snow on the ice that was to windy for tip-ups because it would blow them right out of the hole..i tried packing slush around them but the wind was blowing water across the ice that was funneling down the holes and taking out the slush..so I just fished in my hardside,. My hardside shack was froze into the ice but I still was worried the walls were going to detach and go flying down the lake

[winnisquam guy]

on those lakers that blew out of hole, betcha the flags never tripped lol

you got that right

[lunkahville]

Never had a wind flag with my heritage lakers.... But have found fish at the end of the day cuz the wind was blowing the flag into the t-bar

[beershanty]

for me yes, I hate the wind, I work outside and love the outdoors but when the wind gets to whippin I get to jiggin. I can deal with anything but extreme winds, I like to have fun not chase my gear across the lake

[Fishingjg]

I had a similar experience Fish Finder. We were fishing Promised Land in NE Pa. a few years ago. The wind was blowing so hard it actually moved me about a foot across the ice and I had ice creepers on. Not to mention blowing my sled across the lake. I will tell you that our Polar tipups worked like champs and we caught fish.

[rink 610]

Never had a problem with my Frabill thermals, but I have a MT TIPUP windlass that has gotten blown down on occasion.

[Iceman05]

As much as I hate wind...... I can fish in it. Lakers work good in wind. When it it gets in the 45 to 50 mph I get like Dorothy, clicking my heels together and whispering............ . you know the rest of the story.

[Fishingjg]

Oh My!

[LeeDoo]

If I didn't fish in the wind, I'd never go at all... icespikes are for army-crawling back onto the ice, right?

[beershanty]

If I didn't fish in the wind, I'd never go at all... icespikes are for army-crawling back onto the ice, right?

ha ur da man, I've always wondered what they were for