i have never used tip ups before and was wondering what kinds you guys sugest. i was leaning twoards the ones that look like a big + that unfold. also thinking more allong the lines of making some homemade slammers because they look very effective. these will be used for everything from panfish to lake trout. thanks and tight lines
The upright style of tipup that you describe is my favorite for most fishing situations. They are easy to see, and if you keep those spools spinning very freely they are excellent for panfish. People say you HAVE TO use tipdowns to catch crappie - that's nonsense. I catch a lot of crappie on these tipups. The only drawback I have ever had, with a tipup without a drag system, is that when large baits are used you get a lot of false flags with these, even after making the shortest arc that you can out of the flag band to increase the tension - this simply has a limit.
I have 3 of the polar style ( flat laydown ) type for rigging large live baits for pike fishing. The dual position flag set on these can be used for either normal size bait or the real big baits, and usually but not always prevents false flags. Another advantage this polar style has over the others is that you can see if the spool shaft is spinning, indicating a running fish, way before you get over to the hole.
