Leaving Tip Ups

[Will Vaughan]

So I know a lot of people leave there above water tip ups sitting if they plan on coming back within the next couple days. I would do this often if I intended on coming back in a couple days or the next but I do not anymore. Tonight while getting my feed of Ice Fishing videos on YouTube I stumbled upon a Video fishing with Tip-Ups!! I can tell they're mine because of the set ups and one of the kids there put on a ton of sinkers on that one Tip-Up because "It Shined". I was wondering what other people's thoughts are on this? I never knew people did this but it's on video now! I'll link the Video Below!

[tench]

Its illegal to leave a line unattended.

[Will Vaughan]

Its illegal to leave a line unattended.

To leave it unattended in the water yes, but with above waters a lot of people with shanties or just plan on returning leave their above waters standing with the lined wound up.

[tench]

After having my whole shanty stolen I wouldn't leave a few tipups on the ice, but thats just me. Never seen one left on the ice either.

Different strokes for different folks though.

[dickbaker]

  Looks like a bad day for fishemen not reading F&W regulations??
Vt.  regulations  specify that fishermen "must be in immediate control of ice fishing devices"!!   I don't think it matters whether they are below water or above water as long as they are baited!!

leaving a tipup out of the water overnight would seem just lazy and stupid!!

Dick

[pokholes]

Looks like a bad day for fishemen not reading F&W regulations??
Vt.  regulations  specify that fishermen "must be in immediate control of ice fishing devices"!!   I don't think it matters whether they are below water or above water as long as they are baited!!

leaving a tipup out of the water overnight would seem just lazy and stupid!!

Agree!X2!

Dick

[finlessbrown]

there are quite a few people o the southern end of champlain and some on bomoseen who leave their t style tip-ups in the ice for the season. most of them have a small plastic ring to mark the depth so when they go fishing all they have to do is drill a hole, hook on their bait and spool out line to the ring that they hang on the nail on the end of the tilt.

[fish on 33]

that is like leaving your riffle at your tree stand because you plan on being back in the am not a good idea in my opinion

[dave b.]

people used to leave their above water jacks (champlain style) out all the time. When I started fishing on Dunmore 25-30 years ago they where all over the place

[CJiceaddict]

I would never leave my gear on the ice overnight. Really wouldn't be psyched either if I got to a spot and found a bunch of yesterdays tackles sitting waiting to be set up....

[thebigwiggle]

Ok .. so i have to put my 2 cents in on this topic. There is a fisherman on Bomoseen , who  I see every single year put all these above water jacks up at an area , which is know as "the sandbar" on the south side of bomo and this fisherman leaves at least 30-40 of these jacks in the ice all year long.    but i always get the impression that this guy is like claiming his territory by doing this, it makes me feel like no one else can fish this spot because he claimed this whole section of the lake.
Personally i do not fish that part of the lake during the ice season but other local fisherman must be like **censored** 
Personally i believe if you are done fishing for the day, pack your stuff up and start all over the next day.  I know i would not leave my boat anchored in the middle of the lake with all my poles in it . I believe this would encourage theft , vandalism, or pissed off fisherman  who like to fish the spot i am in and cant because my boat is there. 

[shadylane]

finders keepers losers weepers no?  just kidding but no seriously haha

[captstevepc]

leaving your gear on the ice seems insane to me?  I am worried about leaving mine down in the basement at my own house!

[dave bartlett]

           Years ago(15) and beyond you could go from Whites Bay down to Benson Landing and count 5 thousand tip ups or more.Fisherman  DO NOT STEAL from other Sportsman and 99% do not steal at all.Everything that gets stolen in the woods or on the ice would be from a Punk or drug Addict who is looking to sell the stuff for a quick fix.Not only that now a days if you ever got caught stealing someones tip ups I'd hate to see the consequences.
           The reason you don't see it to much anymore with Champlain Tip Ups is you can't use methanol in the holes.I used to leave 150 tip ups in the ice all year long.We do not use that style of tip ups to much anymore.Now i use under waters which i pick up after every use. Never had a problem with anybody.Most Sportsman and Outdoor Enthusiast RESPECT others belongings.I still do leave some tip ups out in certain places and lakes,just not all year.   

[Will Vaughan]

Ok .. so i have to put my 2 cents in on this topic. There is a fisherman on Bomoseen , who  I see every single year put all these above water jacks up at an area , which is know as "the sandbar" on the south side of bomo and this fisherman leaves at least 30-40 of these jacks in the ice all year long.    but i always get the impression that this guy is like claiming his territory by doing this, it makes me feel like no one else can fish this spot because he claimed this whole section of the lake.
Personally i do not fish that part of the lake during the ice season but other local fisherman must be like **censored** 
Personally i believe if you are done fishing for the day, pack your stuff up and start all over the next day.  I know i would not leave my boat anchored in the middle of the lake with all my poles in it . I believe this would encourage theft , vandalism, or pissed off fisherman  who like to fish the spot i am in and cant because my boat is there.

I know exactly what you're talking about.. Tried fishing down there last year during mid week when I was out of school and you know who came out onto the ice and talked to me about setting up near his tip ups even though he wasnt even fishing... . They aren't nice people but if anyone wants to know just about every year the winning Pike for the bomo derby comes from them.

[dave b.]

I think it dates back to a time when people made their own gear,fished on the local lake only, put a shanty out for the season, knew their neighbors on the ice etc. I can see some advantages to it. If you are coming back the next day or whenever it is easy to get fishing.  The downside is your gear is out there to be run over, vandalized, stolen etc.

Not saying if it is right or wrong.  I hope this thread doesn't turn into a discussion if it is right or wrong or ethics.   I know some people feel that their fellow fisherman who do this are claiming territory and so on. I see it as fisherman carrying on a the tradition that they were taught by their mentors. My sense is that it will probably be gone in a generation or two. A snapshot into what ice fishing in VT used to be.

[MikeVT]

I have no problem with it, however, it would only take one wingnut on a snowmobile to ruin your day.  I have had them run over while I was standing in the middle of them, I would hate to see what happens when no one is around.  My 2 pennies.

[fishermantim]

If the region has no history of trap thefts, then that is not an issue.
If, on the otherhand, the owner of those traps gives you any BS about setting up near his traps even when he is not using them, that is an issue.
As we all know, NO ONE OWNS THE WATER THAT THEY STAND ON. It's typically first come , first serve.
Setting up like this is akin to placing a "reserved" card on an entire section of ice, which you cannot do.
If you are actively fishing those traps, then you have staked your "daily" claim to that section of ice.
Once you pull your lines and leave, regardless of whether you left your "calling cards" or not, you are done and anyone else is free to fish that area.
Sure it may be a "tradition", but then so wasn't poaching, but we try to prevent that nowadays.

Bottom line: Leave your traps where ever youi want, but don't get your panties in a bunch if you come back 5-10 days later to find someone fishing around your traps. 

[booner1108]

When ever we put our shack out whether it be Champlain or Bomo we always left our above water jacks out. We never had any issues with
theft or vandalism. I just jig perch now, but I remember having to spud the jacks out they were in so long.  We also did this to claim some of the same real estate every year as those guys that Capt. Joe refers to do.  We fished those spots year after year and so do those guys on the south end of Bomo. As always they are the first ones out and the only people that b***h are the guys that decide they want to fish that spot for a day. Back then everybody on the lake knew where the venison was cooking and the beer was cold. My 2 cents.

[CrappieVermonter]

Ive seen people leave them out of the water but still above the holes the night before a derby or tornement and it makes me mad cause its them saying this my spot dont fish here. I dont think it should be aloud even if the lines r out of the water. Get ther early then set up just my thoghts

[Smelty88]

Its illegal to leave a line unattended.

THANK YOU!

[thebigwiggle]

If the region has no history of trap thefts, then that is not an issue.
If, on the otherhand, the owner of those traps gives you any BS about setting up near his traps even when he is not using them, that is an issue.
As we all know, NO ONE OWNS THE WATER THAT THEY STAND ON. It's typically first come , first serve.
Setting up like this is akin to placing a "reserved" card on an entire section of ice, which you cannot do.
If you are actively fishing those traps, then you have staked your "daily" claim to that section of ice.
Once you pull your lines and leave, regardless of whether you left your "calling cards" or not, you are done and anyone else is free to fish that area.
Sure it may be a "tradition", but then so wasn't poaching, but we try to prevent that nowadays.

Bottom line: Leave your traps where ever youi want, but don't get your panties in a bunch if you come back 5-10 days later to find someone fishing around your traps.

well Said 

[thebigwiggle]

I know exactly what you're talking about.. Tried fishing down there last year during mid week when I was out of school and you know who came out onto the ice and talked to me about setting up near his tip ups even though he wasnt even fishing... . They aren't nice people but if anyone wants to know just about every year the winning Pike for the bomo derby comes from them.

Just to be A***holes , we should get a get a bunch of guys together and jig all around his tip ups  ... Just to see what he would say or do. But you know what, it would even be worth my time , because i would not catch any perch any that area of the lake anyways . I snorkel that part of that lake in summer and i never see one perch,  only a sandy bottom.. 

[finlessbrown]

THANK YOU!

i don't think he wants to leave a line in the water, i didn't read that anywhere, i think he just wants to leave them upright in the ice next to his holes

[Smelty88]

i don't think he wants to leave a line in the water, i didn't read that anywhere, i think he just wants to leave them upright in the ice next to his holes

Screw that you leave the ice for the night your forfeit your spot, im not gonna take your tips but if is how up and your traps are there and there's not a soul on the ice your gonna find them in a pile on the shore line!

[thebigwiggle]

Screw that you leave the ice for the night your forfeit your spot, im not gonna take your tips but if is how up and your traps are there and there's not a soul on the ice your gonna find them in a pile on the shore line!

 

[woodab17]

Last year when I went to Glenn Lake I noticed what I would call an even worse disgrace.  Fake Jacks that are just made out of wood with no reel on them but just so from a distance you would think someone was fishing there.

That is so classless.  If you want a spot then you need to beat me there.  Be classy enough when you leave the ice to take your gear with you.  If you want to protect a spot that badly then you should be there every day dark to dark.

[fishnmachine]

Just to be A***holes , we should get a get a bunch of guys together and jig all around his tip ups  ... Just to see what he would say or do. But you know what, it would even be worth my time , because i would not catch any perch any that area of the lake anyways . I snorkel that part of that lake in summer and i never see one perch,  only a sandy bottom.. 

Then what's it to you?!? Those families have had their shanties and tip-ups there since before you were old enough know what a fish is. Did you ever stop and ask if you could fish with them or are you just being pompous? 

[thebigwiggle]

Then what's it to you?!? Those families have had their shanties and tip-ups there since before you were old enough know what a fish is. Did you ever stop and ask if you could fish with them or are you just being pompous? 

First of all, i may look young  in my profile picture but i have been ice fishing a very long time, and since i can remember this guy has set up his tip ups every year in the same spot thinking that This is his own personal spot and no one else has the right to fish anywhere near that spot , and you call me pompous.. **censored**  Personally i would not fish that area because the fish i target don't seem take up residence in that area.

[gogetthegaff]

I think it dates back to a time when people made their own gear,fished on the local lake only, put a shanty out for the season, knew their neighbors on the ice etc. I can see some advantages to it. If you are coming back the next day or whenever it is easy to get fishing.  The downside is your gear is out there to be run over, vandalized, stolen etc.

Not saying if it is right or wrong.  I hope this thread doesn't turn into a discussion if it is right or wrong or ethics.   I know some people feel that their fellow fisherman who do this are claiming territory and so on. I see it as fisherman carrying on a the tradition that they were taught by their mentors. My sense is that it will probably be gone in a generation or two. A snapshot into what ice fishing in VT used to be.

Dave's right. We used to leave 45 above water tip-ups ( they also called them "jacks") in the ice at Singing Cedars back in the 70's  - 80's. That's what people used back then, and everybody seemed to have their own design. There is even an article in a 1970's Field & Stream or Outdoor Life, written by a Vermont outdoorsman and writer named Harold Blaisdell, about walleye fishing on southern Champlain and the tactics and tip ups used. It was that arcticle that got me all wound up about fishing for walleyes on Champlain, when I was just a young lad. If you can find the article in the archives it's very good, and will give you an idea of what it was like "way back then".