IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Tipups => Topic started by: ShantySl on Jan 05, 2017, 10:16 PM
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what do you guys use for tip ups or prefer? im using my great grand fathers tip ups and they have about had it so looking to buy new ones
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Used heritage Lakers for 15 years then tried automatic fisherman and then switched over to all them they work great and fun to fight pike in on small rod
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I love my green Hi-flyers, but they have to have the correct flag trap on them.
You want the ones where the flag is set to a hook off the tipup and not the ones where the flag sets to the metal arm. Because that metal arm can get bent and not allow the flap to trigger when the spool spins and hits it.
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Worked at a fishing shop used alot of brands and the best is the Frabill insulated round tip up. stores small easily stack 7-8 in a bucket...has multiple settings for trigger pressure from strong for big bait- to light as a feather trigger pressure... hole never freezes (without buying extra hole covers), no light penetrates the hole so it doesn't spook fish, it has attachments for lights. They are the only ones I ever use anymore. Only time i take out my heritage tip-ups anymore (which i have a whole set) is on Nice days (Sunny no wind).
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I swear by my Heritage Laker tip ups. I've used a lot of different tip ups over the years and they are by far the best I've used. I recently purchased and IFishPro and I'm anxious to try that out.
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I fish pros are fun to fish with i just dont like them blowing away when there is no snow. I agree the heritage are the best for quality make but they rule in big deep long distance situations. My vote is still Frabill insulated when you don't have to spread out over 100' FOW.
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Simple HT Polars. I still use my grandfathers and theyre still catching fish. Plenty of parts available if you want to repair/customize them. Really like being able to see the top spin from a distance vs the heritage style. Personal preference
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Jack Traps
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I swear by my Heritage Laker tip ups. I've used a lot of different tip ups over the years and they are by far the best I've used. I recently purchased and IFishPro and I'm anxious to try that out.
I presently also use the Lakers. And I'm also looking at the IFishPro (just to try something different). Would you please post back on how you like/dislike the IFishPro?
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polars
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I'm a fan of the heritage lakers!! Almost never get wind flags and are easily seen from a distance.
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Simple HT Polars. I still use my grandfathers and theyre still catching fish. Plenty of parts available if you want to repair/customize them. Really like being able to see the top spin from a distance vs the heritage style. Personal preference
just like adkrs said ht Polaris here too well priced too
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Beaver Dams, I have some that are over 30 years old, and they work as good today as the day that I bought them. High quality and low maintenance.
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HT original polars.
Lasts just as long as any BD, just as durable, handles the same fish, and is much more affordable.
Not considering round tip-ups, polars and BD seem to be the top 2 choices. Comes down to personal preference and budget. Both will get the job done just as well as the other. I've never been a fan of round tip-ups.
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HT original polars.
Lasts just as long as any BD, just as durable, handles the same fish, and is much more affordable.
Not considering round tip-ups, polars and BD seem to be the top 2 choices. Comes down to personal preference and budget. Both will get the job done just as well as the other. I've never been a fan of round tip-ups.
2x the polars, when i use tip ups
;D ;D ;D
RAT
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Simple HT Polars. I still use my grandfathers and theyre still catching fish. Plenty of parts available if you want to repair/customize them. Really like being able to see the top spin from a distance vs the heritage style. Personal preference
you can see that there is a fish on the heritage's from a distance... if you accidentally leave the drag set way too tight and the tip up starts rocking Around in the hole ;) ;D no but seriously I love my Heritage Lakers after trying a lot of other tip ups
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Question for the polar and disc users... what do you do if there's a foot and a half or two of snow on the ice? Can't you not even see those flags? I use the green 40 ups for that reason bc I still fish when there's snow. I really like the features of the polars and the discs but so far the snow factor has kept me from buying.
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I have many different traps from the grandpas old wooden with a nail that host the spool on , flat disc style, flat beverdam, and high stick wooden lakers.
The 2 things I dislike about the flat style is 1. Winding the line back up on the spools, I can never seem to keep tension and the line gets sloppy . 2. Sight in deep.snow.
I use these tip ups for shallower water ( 20' or less )
The laker traps are good for deep water .
2 dislikes on them are
1. They are big and heavy as well as pricy
2. I have had them not always trip and have had to do some tweaking.
There are pros and cons to both styles so you have to choose what type of fishing you will do most and your price point.
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Jack Traps and polars
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Jack traps, very east to adjust.
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any of you guys that use the polars and beaverdams, all mine eventually get water in the shaft and start freezing up when its cold out. Had this happen with original beaverdams, ht polars and ht polar therms. I've since swore off any of the submerged shaft tipups completely off because of this.
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you can see that there is a fish on the heritage's from a distance... if you accidentally leave the drag set way too tight and the tip up starts rocking Around in the hole ;) ;D no but seriously I love my Heritage Lakers after trying a lot of other tip ups
Shhhh people are going to start asking what was on the other end ;)
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Question for the polar and disc users... what do you do if there's a foot and a half or two of snow on the ice? Can't you not even see those flags? I use the green 40 ups for that reason bc I still fish when there's snow. I really like the features of the polars and the discs but so far the snow factor has kept me from buying.
It's still easy to see the flag when they go off, they also make extendable flags for 3$ if you live in tug hill and get 46ft of snow a year
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any of you guys that use the polars and beaverdams, all mine eventually get water in the shaft and start freezing up when its cold out. Had this happen with original beaverdams, ht polars and ht polar therms. I've since swore off any of the submerged shaft tipups completely off because of this.
It's all about how you take care of them. Take the shaft apart, clean, and refill with subzero lubricant and you will have the most sensitive, free spooling rigs out there. I use Frabill Arctic Fires with hole covers. I regrease them every two years or as needed
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any of you guys that use the polars and beaverdams, all mine eventually get water in the shaft and start freezing up when its cold out. Had this happen with original beaverdams, ht polars and ht polar therms. I've since swore off any of the submerged shaft tipups completely off because of this.
Never had that happen (yet). Lube mine at the start of the year every year. The spring on top of the shaft keeps tension in the shaft so everything stays buttoned up. Perhaps that got loose? Just tightened one of mine down last night.
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Gotta go with the fish crafters. I've got a set for everything that swims. Been collecting for a few years now and have 35 rigged up in various ways. Gotta be prepared!!!
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Many people like the Lakers. I am an ice fishing addict and have or have owned every type of tip-up I could find. The Laker is a good tip-up with some tweaking. The real question is should you have to tweak some of the more expensive top end tip-ups to make them work well? Once I bought a set of Indian Hills, I sold my Lakers. They fish great out of the box and no need to "tweak" anything. JMO
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Heritage Lakers are the way to go. They sit nice and tall so you can see them from a distance. They are well built and durable. With their design you hardly ever get a wind flag. Worth the $$$. :tipup: :tipup: :tipup: :tipup:
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I use tip ups kind of just as experiments while I focus on jigging so I scatter them pretty far apart, might leave them for a long time if they don't get bit. It helps to have a tall flag with some motion to it so they can be seen from far away. Also something that is easy to chip out of the ice without breaking if it gets frozen in. The Laker style has worked well for this. To keep the holes open longer this year I plan on cutting discs out of a black rubber mat and putting them around the bases.
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The real question is should you have to tweak some of the more expensive top end tip-ups to make them work well?
Exactly. I am still using my dad's 40 ups that he got when he started ice fishing back in 1974. Never had a problem, still trip smooth as glass. Don't have to worry about greasing some shaft or having it freeze up on you on a cold day and missing that potentially special fish.
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never had a polar freeze or give me a problem,im exclusive to them, here is my issue with any sort of high flyer tip up such as the "heritage laker"...
if a fish wants to peel off line in a direction not properly oriented with the spool, that is going to create an awkward resistance with the line and the spool. (depending on what kinda fish u are after, this may or may not be an issue) where as the polar has a guide that swivels 360* to accommodate...i dont own a heritage, but i do own other styles of high flyers, and wind trips can become an issue, i have never seen a polar wind trip. just my opinion on this
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but i do own other styles of high flyers, and wind trips can become an issue,
I don't tipup fish a ton, but the first time I was shown how to set up a tipup, I was told to make sure the wind "blows the flag back on" in terms of how the tipup is oriented with the wind. I've never had a problem with wind flags.
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Where I fish we get swirling winds so where you place it in comparison to the wind changes constantly. I like the Polars as well
for the exact reason as well. I have had a big pike rip line out fast and the line gets wrapped around the reel on the stick type. You also have to be really careful putting them down as the leaders may get wrapped during the putting down process.
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I guess my main point was that when you pay good money for any ice fishing equipment you should expect to be able to use them the way they are and not have to make changes to them to work properly. There has been this complaints on Lakers for as long as I can remember.
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check out the jack traps---big bob---biggest tipup on earth
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I don't tipup fish a ton, but the first time I was shown how to set up a tipup, I was told to make sure the wind "blows the flag back on" in terms of how the tipup is oriented with the wind. I've never had a problem with wind flags.
yep, i agree 100% always set them that way from day 1. just so many more pros to the polar
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Arctic fires for small pond and lake fishing, Polars orange ones I think they have the large 500 ft metal spools for Lake George. Never had a problem with freezing up but I do take the shafts out and lube them every year. I like seeing the top tee spinning to know when the fish is running
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I have Heritages and I have been very satisfied!
(https://i.imgur.com/BwxTppEh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/jyAtcUKh.jpg)
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Most of the guys I fish with use Heritage Lakers, including myself. We have all had them for several years.
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I've got one lake I use for setting up for pike ,lakers or a salmon but I always thought that they were too heavy to trip for light bighters like perch and crappie. No doubt they are nice tip ups though
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Heritage lakers and jack traps.
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40 ups with the bar, not the hook are my favorite. I've had polars, round frabils, beaver dams all fail on me. I still use a lot of old school fish crafters too.
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40 ups with the bar, not the hook are my favorite. I've had polars, round frabils, beaver dams all fail on me. I still use a lot of old school fish crafters too.
totally ;D
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Gotta go with the fish crafters. I've got a set for everything that swims. Been collecting for a few years now and have 35 rigged up in various ways. Gotta be prepared!!!
A fellow fishcrafters nut. I love it. Same here, been collecting them for years. Everytime I see some for sale, I buy them. Have about 30 myself and rigged all different ways.
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I love my green Hi-flag/40 up "Green ones", but they have to have the correct flag trap on them.
You want the ones where the flag is set to a hook off the tipup and not the ones where the flag sets to the metal arm. Because that metal arm can get bent and not allow the flap to trigger when the spool spins and hits it.
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jacktraps
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I dont know? My 40 years old Original Tall Boys have done a fine job all these years! Shortly after buying them for less than 5 bucks each, I got spooled a few times fishing for lakers deep. My local Mom and pop bait shop had big spool conversion kits, for about 4 bucks. They have worked flawlessly since. with over a hundred yards of backer on my spools. The spool tension can be adjusted for big baits, or small baits. Yep Ive replaced a few flags and have put a couple coats of paint on them over the years but they are still in great shape, and are up to the task. Cant beat cheap and simple! :tipup:
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I use Heritage Lakers and could not be happier with them. Pretty much the 10 or 12 guys i fish with all use them as well.
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I have wide assortment but i use my Frabil discs and beaver dams the most
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HT Polars, hands down -- being able to see the top 'T' spinning whenever the reel is turning before you even get to the tip-up is a huge advantage in my book...!!
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Totally agree with Hess. I have HT Polars and being able to see the fish running is great. Looking for some new wooden tip ups that have the same type of setup
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40 ups with the bar, not the hook are my favorite. I've had polars, round frabils, beaver dams all fail on me.
Glad I'm not the only one
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Totally agree with Hess. I have HT Polars and being able to see the fish running is great. Looking for some new wooden tip ups that have the same type of setup
Just got ht's "deluxe" polar. Nice wooden tipup. BeaverDam knock off at half the price. Will get more
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Anyone make their own?
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pikie- I have to ask. How did the Beaver Dam tip up fail you? I have had mine for over 35 years and they have never, not once, as in never ever fail me.
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Jack Traps
There isn't a better trap on the market.
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pikie- I have to ask. How did the Beaver Dam tip up fail you? I have had mine for over 35 years and they have never, not once, as in never ever fail me.
Mine randomly started freezing up so that the shaft wouldn't turn.
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any of you guys that use the polars and beaverdams, all mine eventually get water in the shaft and start freezing up when its cold out. Had this happen with original beaverdams, ht polars and ht polar therms. I've since swore off any of the submerged shaft tipups completely off because of this.
these are sealed shafts they can't take on water
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these are sealed shafts they can't take on water
Then how come the shafts wont turn after being in the water for a few hours, only on below freezing days? and how come this only happens on submerged shaft tipups? A few people on this thread have already said that it is expected that you have to change the grease every year... :sick:
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most likely the solder joint has been breached somehow. Most BD never need to change grease ever. The makers of the BD worked about 60 years on just the grease they put in them.
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i thought so too until (http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h179/Morgano5/a0c55c79-6057-4764-a63d-eb7b7a3e57eb_zpsua0qqkes.jpg) (http://s64.photobucket.com/user/Morgano5/media/a0c55c79-6057-4764-a63d-eb7b7a3e57eb_zpsua0qqkes.jpg.html) i got theses and took time to learn them and adjust them?
GOD BLESS
mo
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Nothing but Beaver dam tip ups for years
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HT Polars for perch
HT Fishermans for bluegills
Frabil Arctic Fires for pike
Plastics like these are lighter than wood which makes a difference when you bring a couple dozen on the ice with you. They are also cheaper. A $40 Beaver Dam lasts just as long as a $10 polar when it gets run over by a snowmobile.
No performance issues on the polars and some are pushing 30 years old. They get re-lubed every off season.
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beaver dam, anything that has been properly maintained should work for a long time
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beaver dam, anything that has been properly maintained should work for a long time
how does one "properly maintain" a beaver dam? Some have said on this thread you need to change the grease yearly, others said the seal should be good forever...
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how does one "properly maintain" a beaver dam? Some have said on this thread you need to change the grease yearly, others said the seal should be good forever...
grease and clean spool shaft with artic tip up lube. make sure all components are in proper working order
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Frabill thermal round :tipup:
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grease and clean spool shaft with artic tip up lube. make sure all components are in proper working order
Yeah, i just watched the video, there's a lot more to it than that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=850iICoBZIQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=850iICoBZIQ)
I can't believe an angler should be expected to do that to each individual tipup every year or two. WHAT A JOKE
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Yeah, i just watched the video, there's a lot more to it than that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=850iICoBZIQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=850iICoBZIQ)
I can't believe an angler should be expected to do that to each individual tipup every year or two. WHAT A JOKE
Tbh it's kind of fun..like...cleaning your guns after a good day of shooting fun. I do it after hunting season and it gets me in a ice fishing mood. Also retie my leaders and hooks with fresh stuff. It's basic maintenance. I havent watched that video, but all i do for my polars is pull the shaft out, wipe off the old grease, put some new grease in the tube and youre good to go. Takes 5 minutes a tipup.
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Tbh it's kind of fun..like...cleaning your guns after a good day of shooting fun. I do it after hunting season and it gets me in a ice fishing mood. Also retie my leaders and hooks with fresh stuff. It's basic maintenance. I havent watched that video, but all i do for my polars is pull the shaft out, wipe off the old grease, put some new grease in the tube and youre good to go. Takes 5 minutes a tipup.
It involves melting the old solder off the spools, then re-soldering them. I have no problem with doing the basic stuff, I redo my hooks and leaders on my traps and jigging rods every trip. The whole soldering part is just a bit much. Don't you think?
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It involves melting the old solder off the spools, then re-soldering them. I have no problem with doing the basic stuff, I redo my hooks and leaders on my traps and jigging rods every trip. The whole soldering part is just a bit much. Don't you think?
Old BD design has solder, new ones have a nut... I have had my BD for a number of years and have never had a problem...of course last two years ice fishing pretty much has been a bust in NW Pa, maybe next year
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It involves melting the old solder off the spools, then re-soldering them. I have no problem with doing the basic stuff, I redo my hooks and leaders on my traps and jigging rods every trip. The whole soldering part is just a bit much. Don't you think?
yeah ht's have a nut. I dont solder anything.
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Worked at a fishing shop used alot of brands and the best is the Frabill insulated round tip up. stores small easily stack 7-8 in a bucket...has multiple settings for trigger pressure from strong for big bait- to light as a feather trigger pressure... hole never freezes (without buying extra hole covers), no light penetrates the hole so it doesn't spook fish, it has attachments for lights. They are the only ones I ever use anymore. Only time i take out my heritage tip-ups anymore (which i have a whole set) is on Nice days (Sunny no wind).
I've bought a couple of these within the last month and am yet to bring them out on the ice. I love the design of them and really hope they perform well for me. Hope mine work as good as yours do!
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Mine randomly started freezing up so that the shaft wouldn't turn.
would you like me to take a look at this? Post a pic of your BD
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I have never re-greased mine. I have a tube of Beaver Dam No Freeze Grease. I did do one for a buddy. Stored his vertically in a west window. The solder Came off easy with a Propane Torch. Re soldering was easy too. That is the only one i ever had to do. Don't know anyone else that has had to do it ether. :tipup:
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How about frabil classic wood tip ups ?? Similar to the beaver damn tip up.. but half the price I think the classic wood tip ups are better then frabil or ht brand polar tip ups cause those got the plastic spool on them.. were the classic wood has a all metal spool.. 200 foot to be exact for capacity.. Jacks traps are nice to cause there light and packable same with hearitage lakers..
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How about frabil classic wood tip ups ?? Similar to the beaver damn tip up.. but half the price I think the classic wood tip ups are better then frabil or ht brand polar tip ups cause those got the plastic spool on them.. were the classic wood has a all metal spool.. 200 foot to be exact for capacity.. Jacks traps are nice to cause there light and packable same with hearitage lakers..
Some if the hts come with metal spools. Can also buy them separately. Im starting to prefer the plastic spools. They seem to turn smoother and the line doesnt freeze to them
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For years I have used wooden tip ups with a spring on the trip lever which eliminated wind hits they also have a second flag to show when a fish is running. These were the poor-mans polar tip ups. About ten years ago I upgraded to the HT polars and never looked back. It doesn't matter is there is just ice, snow, or wind these things work well.
JG
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I have never re-greased mine. I have a tube of Beaver Dam No Freeze Grease. I did do one for a buddy. Stored his vertically in a west window. The solder Came off easy with a Propane Torch. Re soldering was easy too. That is the only one i ever had to do. Don't know anyone else that has had to do it ether. :tipup:
Thanks UFCreel it's obvious what the best is Watch for it Next time you watch Grumpy Old Men the movie people did their homework.
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i got 5 heritages that are 25 yrs old. I've replaced the flags and sometimes the trip plate but I've never had to regrease the trip shaft on them and never had one freeze on me even at -25-30f! they've took a beating but still work as good as new. polars are great but our deep snow limits us to taller tip ups.
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i got 5 heritages that are 25 yrs old. I've replaced the flags and sometimes the trip plate but I've never had to regrease the trip shaft on them and never had one freeze on me even at -25-30f! they've took a beating but still work as good as new. polars are great but our deep snow limits us to taller tip ups.
THIS ^
Polar style are ok and relatively inexpensive but when you actually have snow on the ice you can't see the damn flags so stick type ones are in my mind a necessity. My ancient polars sit in a bucket to loan out to family when they stop by. You'll hear a hundred guys go back and forth about heritage laker vs jack traps. Both are excellent and last forever (my hl set is 20 years old never let me down).......jacks a bit better but you need to decide if they are worth the extra cash.
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(https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15400328_1715497958476223_2086769404460912578_n.jpg?oh=4f3be81a94d9d131af52a5380522a7ab&oe=59350631), my favorite, home made for the blind, can see it 1/2 mile away.................
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Jacks
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Yeah, i just watched the video, there's a lot more to it than that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=850iICoBZIQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=850iICoBZIQ)
I can't believe an angler should be expected to do that to each individual tipup every year or two. WHAT A JOKE
Those are the old school BDs, as was said, the newer ones (last 20 years) have a nut and it's much easier. If you don't like the maintenance of the old ones, then send the shaft into BD and they'll replace it with a new shaft/spool at cost. I've run every tip-up imaginable for walleyes in winter, nothing has compared in cold weather like the BD Arctic Fisherman.
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I'm in the Jack Traps camp
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Question for you guys running JTs or Heritage flags....Do they make lights for them for night fishing?
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Not that I'm aware of for JT... but maybe you should use something like these?
https://www.amazon.com/PARTY-DOTS-Assorted-Stick-Light/dp/B006ZN1XD4 (https://www.amazon.com/PARTY-DOTS-Assorted-Stick-Light/dp/B006ZN1XD4)
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I use home made Ice Rigger style with frabil lights . Some have a chime if I am inclined to turn it on and my fav one has a Blue Tipz blue tooth transmitter that sends an alert to my phone so I am the only one that knows when I get a strike.. I also make my own insulated hole covers.
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Anyone make their own?
Yes
(https://s17.postimg.cc/jgjvptq0f/Picture1374.jpg)
(https://s17.postimg.cc/z2179t4jf/Picture1366a.jpg)
(https://s17.postimg.cc/ug531i10v/Picture1317a.jpg)
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RE: Gasblaster...Where did you source the spools? They look like fly rod spare spools?
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Beaver dam for me
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For what its worth, my fifteen forty-up tipups were handed down to me from my father...he purchased them USED in 1973. They still catch fish to this day. they have never failed, and never needed any maintenance. http://40uptackleco.com/ (http://40uptackleco.com/)
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I had a couple of these in the mid and late 70's. They worked quite well. I would think they would be yard sale treasures.
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In over 50 years of "walking on water" I've tried just about very type of tip up out there...
every one of them had at least one quality I liked.. and most had qualities I disliked ( even if it was only the cost)... I used 40 ups for years...my basic design was a beefier version of them...I used jack trap triggers... beefed up and redesigned the spools of the 40 up... my spools hold 300 yards of line and backing ...the weight of the line filled spool has a "fly wheel" effect it makes tripping and spool rotation fluid ..the spools ride on a nylon bushing to keep them smooth and eliminate chatter... I also have made the spools interchangeable... a large tangle goes in the box to be dealt with at home.. and a new spool is installed in just a few seconds.... I used the wind deflectors from the laker style traps... the flag spring is from from the 40 ups.. flags are from the polar tip ups.. love that bright orange.....cross pieces and uprights are made of rock maple... soaked in a 60/40 mixture of urethane and mineral spirits and then painted hunter green... the lower half of the upright is wrapped with black electrical tape to absorb UV rays and prevent the tip up from freezing in...... the high brace had a spacer block on each end to keep the tip up from rocking....I don't have any pictures here at work... I provide some in the future if needed..
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I have been using Beaver Dams for the last 15 years or so. Don't intend on going back to anything else ever. Tough as nails. I just regreased mine even though they weren't that bad.