A specific tipup/trout line question

[troutcrazy]

I've never fished tipups before.  I own one funky tipup (that I got from my ex girlfriend's landlord's trash, along with the first jigging rods I owned).

I'm gonna rig it up and see if I can catch a rainbow trout.  I don't want to spend any money on line, so I'd like to use what I have.

It has some strong, white tipup line on it.   My understanding is that I'll need a less-visible leader.  Here's what I have available.  Which should I use?
10lb mono (clear)
6lb mono (clear)
15lb braid (moss green)... it's "fluropolymer treated" Spider Wire.

None of them are marked for ice fishing.

Thanks!   

[MadflyfishingVT]

Good luck with one tip-up...

[fishy1]

 i use floro for all of my leaders because i use my tip ups for walleyes alot and they are finicky. if your going to bait it with live minnows i would go with the lighter line . if your going to use crawlers either the 6 lb or 10 lb should work. i also make my leaders at least 3 to 5 feet long. good luck.

[troutcrazy]

Thanks.
I'm going to use crawlers on the tipup.  Yeah, just one.  I'll be jigging. The tipup is extra.
I'm thinking I'll also rig up a rod or two with crawlers and leave it, keeping a close eye on it.

Gotta start somewhere.

[MadflyfishingVT]

Thanks.
I'm going to use crawlers on the tipup.  Yeah, just one.  I'll be jigging. The tipup is extra.
I'm thinking I'll also rig up a rod or two with crawlers and leave it, keeping a close eye on it.

Gotta start somewhere.

Haha, have to say one is better then nothing. I use 6lb this lets me use them for trout and eyes. I like my leader to be a good 4 feet. Good luck

[spot]

Some of the stores are having clearance sales on equipment right now if you wanted to look for more tip ups.

Echoing those recommending the mono line for leader use.

[troutcrazy]

It's tempting to buy more tipups, for sure.  But I've already spent WAY more money on gear this year than I should have.  Also, I'm not really sure tipup fishing is my thing.

I might try to rig something with a spool of line and whatever odds and ends I can find. 

Despite my screen name, I've never caught a trout through the ice, unless you count the 7-inch laker I caught in Nelson.

[MadflyfishingVT]

One great thing about Vermont is on most lakes you can have 8 lines. Therefore you can be jigging two rods for perch, trout, etc.. And another 6 tip ups up for trout, pike, eyes, etc. So I find tip ups great to use along with jigging. More lines in the water normally means more fish...

[spot]

There's also this:

http://boyslife.org/hobbies-projects/projects/18131/how-to-make-ice-fishing-tip-ups/

I've made several somewhat refined versions of this and they work well.

[IPflagkickr]

I like to use 8lb flourish for bows, but if you're going to use what you have I would go with the 6 lb. Just play the fish, no horseing it and you should be fine. Watch your line on the edge of the ice,those bows like to do circles when they get near the hole

[fishy1]

you can use hand lines also especially if you have extra line hanging around. i still use them on the ice and have for years even though i have lots of tip ups. i beleive spot still uses hand lines also. sometimes when the conditions are right ill attach a bobber to the line or set my line on something with something light to put on the line to hold it and when the fish bites it kicks whatevers on it off. just leave slack line on the ice for the run. with your jigging sticks if your going to dead stick some of them do the same leave the bail open. i have seen some guys on the st lawrence river use rubber bands and dead stick them. hope this helps. if you were over this way i would let you borrow a few of my polar tip ups since there is no safe ice for me on the st lawrence or champlain. those trout can be fun. good luck.

[VTMatt]

I wouldn't go with 10 lb for trout unless there are good chances of a beast in whatever body of water you're fishing. I'd go with 3' of fluorocarbon for your best success. It's also going to resist ice frays  easier than mono. Pick up a spool of Seaguar fluoro for like $12, it'll last you years if you're just using it for leader material on tipups.

[tracker one]

ever heard of whips? A whip is a homemade rig using a 5 to 8 foot willow branch about the same look as  a fly rod.just anchor it in the ice at a 45 degree angle and drill a hole where ever the tip meets the ice when you pull it over and down.Attach line to the tip with a sinker and bait it up.when you get a bite the whip will bounce up and down and since it is so long and whippy if you get there quick enough you can land your fish

[peteinvermont]

I'd use the 6lb.  We use tipups exclusively...I've never caught anything but smelt on a jig. 

If you haven't fished with them before, here are a couple things to be careful of.  Some might disagree with me, so this is just opinion...

1.  when the flag goes up, if the fish is running, I try to set the hook THEN.  (only with rainbows though)  There are a few tricks out there for rigging tipups I'm sure you can dig up.  Shoot me a PM if you want.
2.  Even a 2lb rainbow pushes the panic button when it sees the hole.  I guess with 6lb test it won't matter much, but when we use 4lb, rainbows can shake that hook loose and snap lines like a much bigger fish.  Let it run if it turns and goes.  You won't have that bendy rod to take all the heat...it will come down to your fingers on the string. 

[TRT]

  I would use the 6 pound line but when time, money permit get 10 fluorocarbon leader.
VT is blessed with big fish. 

[spot]

i beleive spot still uses hand lines also.

Definitely. I have a jigging rod and use it sometimes, but most of my ice fishing is with hand lines. I've got 6 tip ups that I bring out on the ice with me- I know I can have more legally, but 6 is a good manageable number and they fit in the sled with everything else, and I'm not claiming a football field worth of ice to myself since on Champlain we're allowed up to 15.

Hand lines can easily be made using even just pallet wood. Select a pallet with solid (not cracked) maple- oak is good too, but tends to have hairline cracks hiding in it when it's been subjected to pallet use and use a hacksaw or a reciprocating saw to cut the nails and disassemble the pallet (prying the nails will usually crack the wood). You can cut out the basic blank with a coping saw, jig saw or band saw and then use a file and sandpaper to round it and smooth it.

Ice fishing can be expensive but it doesn't have to be.

ever heard of whips? A whip is a homemade rig using a 5 to 8 foot willow branch about the same look as  a fly rod.just anchor it in the ice at a 45 degree angle and drill a hole where ever the tip meets the ice when you pull it over and down.Attach line to the tip with a sinker and bait it up.when you get a bite the whip will bounce up and down and since it is so long and whippy if you get there quick enough you can land your fish

My grandfather used to use bamboo poles in much the same way. I've also seen people use old fishing poles with the line from a hand line tied to the end with a flag.

[fishy1]

lots of good advice here trout crazy so this should help you reach your goal and fish for trout with what you have available. take it all in and go catch some trout.

[troutcrazy]

This is great!  I'm gonna rig up like crazy!  Lots of good ideas here!
I guess I may as well bring my summer rods, too, and try to rig them with some kind of flag. 

I know there are both rainbows and big crappies in this particular lake.  It would be really great to catch both!  I've got a particular bay in mind that looks promising.

[spot]

To keep the tip up from tangling up with everything else in the bucket (like other tip ups when you've got them) wind the line onto the spool, leader, hooks and all and then wind an old shoelace over it to hold it all in and tie it off. This extra step will save you from a nightmare of tangled line and hooks.

[varmonter]

To keep the tip up from tangling up with everything else in the bucket (like other tip ups when you've got them) wind the line onto the spool, leader, hooks and all and then wind an old shoelace over it to hold it all in and tie it off. This extra step will save you from a nightmare of tangled line and hooks.

double sided velcro works great as well.

[flagfishon]

I made something like the green ones at the bottom of this page.  http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=239470.0  I bought a 3/4 inch velcro spool from amazon and a 1/2 inch grommet kit.  They work great.


Here you can see them stuck to my pants.  Works great when setting up and breaking down.

[spot]

I have some velcro ones too and they definitely do work well, but troutcrazy was worried about money so I floated the old shoelace plan which also works and doesn't cost anything.

[shadylane]

I made something like the green ones at the bottom of this page.  http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=239470.0  I bought a 3/4 inch velcro spool from amazon and a 1/2 inch grommet kit.  They work great.


Here you can see them stuck to my pants.  Works great when setting up and breaking down.

That's a great idea!  I always just hooked the tightener screw, and tightened my drag.  but they always get tangled up in that 12" of line that's outside my spool.  this would work great

[putback]

Thought "whips" were long since forgotten. Was shown by old guys back in the '70s. Fact is they are simple, effective and cheap. Old fashion hand stick, long very limber whip & a bucket of bait. Set the depth w the hand line, quick loop around the tip of the whip, small piece of bright cloth on the tip of the whip to clearly see whats happening. With a little experiance you can tell what has taken your bait & how well by the action of the whip. Perch bounce around, walleye slow and steady draw, pause half way down,[thats when you set],  pike you better be close or it all goes down the hole! Rainbow similar to pike, big lakers like walleye, small lakers like pike but a bit slower. We use beech whips and leave one small branch stub about half way up to hang the hand line on. Give it a shot it really is fun. Variation, need a light breese.  Deck of cards, close pins, cut or dead bait, Pin a card near tip of the whip facing into or away from the the wind, depends on wind speed. It will give your offering motion. How well does that work? Father Tom caught a rainbow on one using an old fasion pull tab from a beer can back in the day!!!!!!!