Fishing with tip ups question

[TeamBlueGear]

I have a question about tip ups. Iv'e acquired 3 brand new HT (I think) tip ups over the summer (ex-employee left them at my shop). Ive never fished with tip ups before and just wondering how to use them. I'll be fishing in anywhere from 8 to 20ish fow in a bay off Lake Erie mainly for Perch. Just wondering what bait, how deep etc. Thanks in advance.

[Scooby31]

To me this is just my opinion but I prefer to use tip ups for bigger game and would rather use tip downs for perch since at times they can be such light bitters.

[hardwater diehard]

I use HT tip ups H style....I start with spooled Dacron 20# or 30# ..place a red button ( this is your line marker for depth) then a good barrel or ball bearing swivel ...then a light line under 6# test ...mono ..fire wire...fluorocarbon... then an octopus hook ..red if you can get them ...6-12 inches above the line I place some bb shot .  Add a small minnow after you have "sounded " your hole a foot off the bottom... don't forget to run your line through the bait holder (paper clip looking wire near the spool ) the "clip" is used for bigger baits for bigger fish .

 http://www.ehow.com/video_4954996_rigging-ice-fishing-tip-up.html

http://www.ehow.com/video_4954998_setting-up-polar-ice-fishing.html

good read on perch

http://www.in-fisherman.com/panfish/yellow-perch/fishing-ice-perch/

[TeamBlueGear]

To me this is just my opinion but I prefer to use tip ups for bigger game and would rather use tip downs for perch since at times they can be such light bitters.

Im sorry, thats what I meant.  I would be using them in conjunction with Perch fishing.

[hardwater diehard]

I am confused did you acquire and HT tip up (  http://www.fishusa.com/Product/HT-Enterprises-Deluxe-Polar-TipUps  ) or and HT tip down (  http://www.fishusa.com/Product/HT-Enterprises-Ice-Master-2-in-1-Deluxe-Tip-Down  )

[TeamBlueGear]

I use HT tip ups H style....I start with spooled Dacron 20# or 30# ..place a red button ( this is your line marker for depth) then a good barrel or ball bearing swivel ...then a light line under 6# test ...mono ..fire wire...fluorocarbon... then an octopus hook ..red if you can get them ...6-12 inches above the line I place some bb shot .  Add a small minnow after you have "sounded " your hole a foot off the bottom... don't forget to run your line through the bait holder (paper clip looking wire near the spool ) the "clip" is used for bigger baits for bigger fish .

 http://www.ehow.com/video_4954996_rigging-ice-fishing-tip-up.html

http://www.ehow.com/video_4954998_setting-up-polar-ice-fishing.html

good read on perch

http://www.in-fisherman.com/panfish/yellow-perch/fishing-ice-perch/

These were great, thank you!

[hardwater diehard]

If you can acquire a copy of In -fisherman Ice secrets ( http://www.amazon.com/Ice-Fishing-Secrets-In-Fisherman-Library/dp/0929384199)..its a great read tons of info ..you will find yourself going back to it before each ice season an acquire a new nugget of information

[TeamBlueGear]

I am confused did you acquire and HT tip up (  http://www.fishusa.com/Product/HT-Enterprises-Deluxe-Polar-TipUps  ) or and HT tip down (  http://www.fishusa.com/Product/HT-Enterprises-Ice-Master-2-in-1-Deluxe-Tip-Down  )

Im almost 100% positive they are tip ups. This guy was fired and I let him keep his ice fishing crap at my shop but when he was told to get his crap out of my shop he forgot these brand new tip ups. I just found them the other day while I was pulling my stuff out to check it all over. He cost me 177.00 for new locks and 9 hours I'll never get back so it's a nice find in my opinion
 

[TeamBlueGear]

Forgot to mention, these 3 are Yellow so they might even be Frabill's

[hardwater diehard]

Same type of rigging as I stated before ..forgot to mention the two settings on the trip ...you should see a wider notched end and a narrow pointed end ..for perch I recommend the narrow point end ..the notch is for larger baits and harder tip sets

[TeamBlueGear]

Thanks for the info!

[IceBalls]

Sorry to have to say this, but, those tip ups do not belong to you.  At the very least it is your responsibility to notify your employee that he left them at your shop.

[TeamBlueGear]

Sorry to have to say this, but, those tip ups do not belong to you.  At the very least it is your responsibility to notify your employee that he left them at your shop.

Guess I should have mentioned because I knew someone would be a bleeding heart. I did try calling this guy (cell phone disconnected) and I'm not a delivery service, we're still in business so he knows how to contact me. It's ok though that this guy cost me 177.00 for new locks because he was either too lazy to bring them back (after he said he laid them on a bench, which he didn't) or planning to rob my shop, and costing me about 800 bucks in equipment repairs due to his neglect...all in his 5 or 6 months of employment.

[BaitBucket]

Ugh perch, such an annoying fish. Cant keep them away from my bait some days. Good pike bait tho.

[52isntbigenough]

I've seen perch out of Erie, they get bigger than some states walleyes. Get youself some dacron backer, a swivel, some 10-12 lb flourocarbon and red size 10 trebels. Small golden shiners or Emerald shiners and you a good set up for eyes or big perch.

[Loudmouth879]

I've seen perch out of Erie, they get bigger than some states walleyes. Get youself some dacron backer, a swivel, some 10-12 lb flourocarbon and red size 10 trebels. Small golden shiners or Emerald shiners and you a good set up for eyes or big perch.

The 10lb-12lb flourocarbon is overkill in my opinion and would scare the possible walleyes that you could catch away.... At most I would say 6lb flourocarbon but definitely use a octopus hook I think I use size 6 on my setup with a small shiner or fathead and you'll be fine. I catch perch in the 12"-15" size regularly on this setup and haven't lost one yet. Most have the hook halfway down their throat

[spikes]

I purchased three orange frabill round tip ups 4 years ago and they work great and early last season bought two more and the keeper/ notch are not the same and don't hold well.    Like everything getting cheaper. 

[thomasthepikehunter]

I love perch fishing when the pike season closes. I have also used tip ups just for the fun of it. I used 10# mono because thats what I had. The lighter the better. 12# fluoro is going to turn off possible walleye? I doubt it. I've caught walleye using a steel leader. I would use a small octopus hook. I used crappie minnows, and they worked great when they were biting well. Its not the most effective way to do it, but it works. One thing I had to do was mark my tip up depth with split shot. That served two purposes. One, perch bite fast. When you are on fish, you will reset the tip up a hundred times a day. The other is to it takes all the resistance out of the tip up. I added enough so when the flag tripped, the weight actually pulled line out so the fish never felt anything. Perch dont go far. They move off a few feet and sit there and swallow the bait. The other thing is used the light trip setting, and turn it so the flag is just barely under it. That way any nip sets it off.

[twincities86]

Ugh perch, such an annoying fish. Cant keep them away from my bait some days. Good pike bait tho.

If there big enough, there really good eater fish

[spudsaway]

If you are perch fishing then there is probably pike around so we rig the tip ups for Pike..  Real simple....   Get 8 to 12 inch black wire Leaders and small trebles 1/2 inch across attach treble to clip end of leader tie the other end to 40 lb black Ice fishing tip up line ... Looks like old Nylon...  put on some Split shot to get the bait down and hold it there if it is alive..

 bait  Minnows live or dead , Frozen smelt thawed enough to get them on a hook ,  Some folks get away with Hot dogs..    3 to 6 inches depending on what swims in the area  ^ inch bait use two trebles one behind head one behind fin...

 You are better off with quick strike rigs if you google that you will find instructions..   

 Set bait in the water above weeds if you can find them.. Pike ambush Minnows around weeds , allot of small fish in the weeds so the predators are just waiting for small fish to spook out and get snapped up..

 When A pike has your bait and is swimming away then just give it a tug with the wrist to get that little hook in his mouth then pull him in but keep the line tidy in case he runs and you got to give him line through your fingers ( they are your drag ) don't cut your  fingers.. 

 Good luck

[Loudmouth879]

If there big enough, there really good eater fish

He's from Massachusetts.... nobody likes perch there for some reason 

[52isntbigenough]

The 10lb-12lb flourocarbon is overkill in my opinion and would scare the possible walleyes that you could catch away.... At most I would say 6lb flourocarbon but definitely use a octopus hook I think I use size 6 on my setup with a small shiner or fathead and you'll be fine. I catch perch in the 12"-15" size regularly on this setup and haven't lost one yet. Most have the hook halfway down their throat

It's fluro, the size doesn't factor as much because it's practically invisible. Also, Erie is a walleye factory, you're not going to find Perch and not find Walleyes. If it were 12lb mono, I'd say you have a case for visibility. Not a fan of single hooks for ice fishing, but hey, if you're way is catching fish, go for it.

[fishlessman]

He's from Massachusetts.... nobody likes perch there for some reason 

could be the worms busting out of their gills, been noticing it big time in eastern mass and southern nh in the last couple years

[TeamBlueGear]

Thanks for all the advice! At least Im good on bait because all I seem to catch is the 3-5" Perch. My 8 year old Daughter catches the big Perch....WTH!

[hardwater diehard]

Thanks for all the advice! At least Im good on bait because all I seem to catch is the 3-5" Perch. My 8 year old Daughter catches the big Perch....WTH!

Kids are secret weapons for catching Big and more fish ...bring a kid and bucket for your haul ...on my "pan fish/perch" tip up rigs a length of fire line crystal and a single  octopus or circle hook and a small minnow ...not the greatest for the toothy critters but works more often then not  for bite/cut offs