tip up trick???

[grizinidaho]

does anyone have agood tip for when a pike gets into the weeds and gets all wrapped up.  This happened to me a couple times last year and ended up breaking off twice.  Happened again the other day and was lucky enough to break the weeds off...kid I took put the flag on the wrong side and it never went off hahaha found it when we were picking up to leave nice pike for the lake, not huge but fun just wondering if anyone had a good way to deal with this.  thanks in advance

[TheGreenHornet]

I'm no expert but this year I shortened all of my tip-up lines to about 45-50 feet.  I figured if I'm fishing in 15 feet or less there was no need for 200 ft of line...this definetly reduced my snags last time out.  Down side is I think a few fish don't swallow it before they hit the end of the line and it get's ripped out of their mouth.  So short answer no...good luck.  I've heard of guys drilling holes and using their gaff to grab the line behind the snag if they think they have a wall hanger on...

[Mt.Bucket]

Heavier line.

[bottlefed]

Run the lake in the summer with a fish finder and steer clear of heavy weeds and willows. I know this isnt an option for everyone but its the easiest solution we have found. Or like said before shorten up the line on your tip ups. I have not learned the lakes very well but luckily my father in law is usually there to point me in the right direction.

[oldflatlander]

being from massachusetts all we had was thick weeds and snags. using a roped line and a steel leader worked best  for them toothy critters.good luck

[Garnet]

dont really catch pike, but i have had that problem with pickerel.  What i do is once i feel im stuck on the weed i let go of the line and let him work himself out, then once i see the line go out a couple feet i grab it and hold on.  The fish freaks out and starts thrashing about, thus pulling the line out of the weeds and at the same time giving it slack so he doesnt cut your line.

[Cornbread]

I use 80lb braided dacron on my tipups, with a 60lb or 80lb steel leader. I have had them go around logs and have reefed them in anyway, never had a broken tipup line,  knock on wood.

[IcemanZ]

I use 80lb braided Dacron on my tipups, with a 60lb or 80lb steel leader. I have had them go around logs and have reefed them in anyway, never had a broken tipup line,  knock on wood.

Grizinidaho,

Braided is the only way to go with pike & eyes; but the key is the leader & knots.  When I first started running  's for pike & eyes I use the pre-made leaders in all length's.  Those cheap china-mart sweat shop made leaders always seem to pull out of their couplers.  Try the Berkley spools you make yourself.  That way the coupler you squeeze on there, you know it's on there; I've tried re-crimping the pre-mades and it just weakens the cheap steel they use.   
Knots, I used this site  http://www.animatedknots.com/improvedclinch/index.phpCateg=fishing&LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com / the improved cinch knot has never broken or pulled out.  Tied on a heavier snap swivel with a 18" or so leader you make and you'll start pulling more pike/eyes that wrap they selves in whatever with this cocktail.  Good luck

Z

[grizinidaho]

thanks everyone, I thought the 30 lb braided line and steel leaders was enough, guess i'll have to upgrade, at least it isn't my knots that are coming apart, that always used to make me feel like poo, knowing it was my fault I lost a good fish because of a crappy knot.  got the right one now though

[Cornbread]

IceManZ is right I make my own leaders too, the store bought ones are made with cheap parts, and when you make your own it costs less and you end up with a higher quality product.

[mthuntr]

Iceman...do you have any pics of your leader setups?  I'm not much of a tip-up person but last year lost a couple and that is enough to make a guy throw an epic tantrum on the ice.