standard wooden tip up verse polar style tip up

[SALMONEMIA]

Any thoughts regarding "resistance" to line coming off the spool.? I use standard wooden tipups big green 40 up type,  Ive heard that when a fish takes line off the spool on this type of tip up they can feel it and potentially drop bait. Ive heard the polar style tipups have less resistance as the line comes off the spool. Im talking finiky fish here like rainbows. Anyone have any thoughts? I may get a few for next year to see for myself. Thanks,

[haightdaddy]

the line definitely comes off the polar style tip ups smoother. but they are harder the see in snowy conditions.  I know last time I was at dicks they had a couple on clearance for cheap money

[BHardy]

Pick up some white lithium grease(its waterproof) Salmonemia, take apart your hardware and coat the shafts with this stuff.  You won't believe the results, I had to add a drag system to my traps after doing this because the spools spun so fast they created rats nests on my first outing. 

[sgthoskins]

You won't believe the results, I had to add a drag system to my traps after doing this because the spools spun so fast they created rats nests on my first outing.

That literally made me laugh out loud.   

[bngalloNHVTfish]

Polar tip ups move faster i think, not to mention they're wind resistent! I'd buy a few! worth the buy

[bandit1]

i use both,  and i loose fish on both

[PoolGuy]

I've never had an issue with wooden tip ups...the drag system for the 40 up types is great 

[Hounded819]

iv got both i use my 40's for bass and perch where they arent very line shy. and i have my polars set up for lakers. dont realy see the diffrence between the two, only reason i did this was cause the polars had 500 ft reels. but i do like not getting wind flags allday. and down fall is the flags are kinda short.

[SALMONEMIA]

Thanks for the tips everyone, I like the lithium grease idea, sounds interesting. I like my 40 ups I bought them back in 2001 after moving back to NH after serving in the Navy. Missed out on years of ice fishing, first winter I was back home I went right to Wildlife and bought all new gear. I just put new flags on all my tip ups last year. These traps have held up well over the years. Maybe Ill try a few polars for next year, I always have room for more ice gear.

[dunphy11]

I bought some HT Windlass tip ups this year and mix them in on 6 line waters , on 2 line waters I love them and seam to get more action and they are educational. You see first hand how the fish are reacting to baits on that certain day. They are more maintenance but fun to me.  40 ups are the tool as far as tip ups go, never could generate much action on polars for the finicky type fish. Just have to feel comfortable with what your fishing with.

[JoeGG]

One thing I have found is that when you fish for bows in shallow water, Polars  are the only way to go. The line will go in any direction the fish wants to take it as a result of the guide it has. I used to lose fish on a standard tip up because if the fish decides to take the line on an angle other than the front or back of the spool, the line gets caught and won't go out freely. The fish can either snap the line or feels drag and drops the bait. In deep water it doesn't  matter because the line is so far down that it flows freely. In tight, the line will go north, south, east or west right away. Hope this makes sense.

[SALMONEMIA]

makes sense thanks, Ill def get two for next season.

[JRFlatlander]

Good points brought up .  If your looking to target bows they are great, another good thing is  when fishing early season, the ice isn't that thick you can adjust it so the spool doesn't sit below the ice at the bottom of the hole.  I think if your fishing real skinny water this can make a difference. 

[fishlessman]

if i were going to up grade a 40 up it would be with a jack jr. theres more dropped bait from the release mechanism of those springs on the polars and heritage type spring traps with the initial resistance and the bouncing jerk when the spring goes up. the jack jr has the lightest and smoothest release for rainbows and brookies.  i pretty much set the spool parallel to shore with the wood section towards shore and havent had a problem with the line going towards the side