Hawger pro

[NoMe]

Anyone else have these? Trying them out for the first time this season. Your thoughts.

[Curley]

Never used that model, but I have a set of polars that have held up real well. That model looks like it's pretty well built. Good Luck.

[Flypopper]

Looks like a copy of the Beaver Dam only with slightly different parts. If you put the flag on 1 side of the spool shaft and hook the bail on the "Tee" on the other side of the spool shaft it makes it windless.

[NoMe]

Looks like a copy of the Beaver Dam only with slightly different parts. If you put the flag on 1 side of the spool shaft and hook the bail on the "Tee" on the other side of the spool shaft it makes it windless.

Hey thanks for the tip Flypopper, I thought it was windless the way I had it set up but what you suggested definitely makes it windless 100%. These are the first tip-ups I have with those bails on them. Something else I'm learning is that if you raise the tube so that the reel is closer to the board and place the flag on the proper side of the tee (so that it has to ride up the flag pole) it will take a good strike to trip the flag. Also if there is a lot of snow I could set them like that on top of the snow with the reel out of the water. Sounds good in theory but would have to try it in the real world.

[bigern02]

Also if there is a lot of snow I could set them like that on top of the snow with the reel out of the water. Sounds good in theory but would have to try it in the real world.

One possible problem i see is that tip-ups in less than perfect operating condition(ie. in need of lube job or water soaked line) will have trouble spinning freely.  I think this is because when the spool is in the water it is actually warmer(slightly above freezing) than the outside air temp.

If you're line were free and dry this would probably be fine upon set-up with a properly lubed shaft.  After a fish strikes and runs, a bit your line would then be soaked with water when you reel up to proper depth setting.  Being that the spool is out in the air where temps are usually below the freezing mark i believe there is a chance of the line freezing on the spool.  You then run the risk of getting your bait dropped by spooking the fish with the resistance of the line on the spool.

Also theory on my part because I always keep the spool in the water.  So just my $.02.
Good luck with your set up though, look good.

[NoMe]

I hear ya bigern, that's just what I was thinking also, some guys I know build their own traps that the reels/spool sit outside the water. They usually don't have a problem but their spools never get dunked under water and they use mono line so their set up stays fairly dry. If I were to use these with spools out of water I would have to make sure the spool was totally dry. Sometimes I have to set spool in the water so it can thaw before setting the trap. Good point.

[bigern02]

Sometimes I have to set spool in the water so it can thaw before setting the trap. Good point.

Ya me too.  After setting tip-ups day after day after day they get pretty froze up on the spool.  Alot of the time I just rip out line, set to depth, and set tip-up.  In a few minutes I check em and they are usually freed up and running smooth.

[Curley]

Keeping the line in the water will keep them from or un freeze them. If you set them so the wind is blowing the flag onto the shaft you will not have a problem with wind flags.

[gooseblaster49707]

big and heavy. bought 2 a while back.  wouldn't buy more.  there are better out there but, only gave $7.00 each for mine. the tacklebox on each is a plus as well as the metal high capacity spool. the line guide is big, heavy and stays in place.   
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my biggest problem is/was the finish and wood cracked/busted the first year. an email to HT got a fast reply.   seems they had a ''bad batch''. i was offered new ones but, by the time i stripped line off the old ones. sent them back (postage) and replaced the line on the new ones, i'ld have lost money.   
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i'll stick with the polars, fish dams, etc.

[surflizard]

  My buddy grabbed me 4 of the HWP-500 Hawger pro tip ups from Mardens for $4.99 each !  These must have a different wooden base on this model, it doesn't weight any more then my plastic polars ! I can't tell what kind of wood it is because of the red paint, I don't believe it is any kind of hardwood, its way too light !
  So far this season I've used them for panfish and lakers and they have worked well ! I really like the height adjustability of the spool shaft for restraining big 10" tip up suckers for big Laker ! The new Polars I saw this fall didn't have the sliding spool shaft on them ?
  So far they seem to work fine, time will tell, I tend to be wary of HT products because so much of it has turned out to be Junk ! Hopefully these traps will prove me wrong, if they do, then I'm only out 20 bucks !