Tip up Spool

[thomasthepikehunter]

Ok this question has been burning in my mind for a long time, and I just don't get it. Why do 95% of tip ups you get at a store have tiny 200' spools? I've been spooled 3 times with them (4 if you count a month ago when I was fishing with someone who loved the cheap tip ups), and I know it has happened to most people I talk to. All mine have big spools capable of 100 yards of line or more now, and there are nothing but advantages. I mean why would you purposefully use not enough line? I understand some people don't want to spend money like that (even though tip up line is the cheapest line there is, and people rarely change it), but why not just put 50 yards of line on a big spool? Why do they even sell 25 yard spools of tip up line. Lots of pike take 25 yards in about 15 seconds. Since I have put on 100 yards of line, I have had 2 fish take at least 75 yards of line before I got there. Its not like I wait, Its at most 5 minutes before I spot a flag. Sure walleye fisherman don't need it. Walleye I've got rarely got more than a few yards from the hole. The walleye fisherman who use tip ups are a very small portion of the market. A strong majority of fisherman use tip ups for pike, and 200' spools are not enough. I just don't get it.

[thomasthepikehunter]

You don't get a choice how much line you pull in, the fish does. By the way, using such a short line will never work. I've heard of the rubber band trick, but a fish of any size will break your knot every time. Of the tip ups that got spooled, one broke the line clean off, and the other was a cheap plastic HT that broke in half and I never saw again.

[thomasthepikehunter]

I fish alone a lot. I don't run to tip ups for many reason of my own. Still it seems the number of people who set immediately are less than the old school thinking of wait for the second run. The market should reflect consumer demand.

[Loudmouth879]

I've been waiting to get spooled on my 40 ups since I've purchased them years ago... still have the original spools on them.... 2 years ago upgraded the spools to the heritage laker plastic spools because some of the trip mechanisms were starting to break on the 40 ups and this year upgraded to 5 heritage lakers... now the 40 ups are for perch/crappie/ and walleye fishing and the hl's are for pike and other toothy critters. I've never had a problem being spooled with the small 40 up spools

[thomasthepikehunter]

I've never seen a 40 up in a store. Just from google, it looks like they have decent size spools. You guys have to know what I'm talking about. You go into cabela's "the worlds foremost outfitter" and see a nice long row of 15 variations of plastic junk. Other than the plastic garbage you have some weird tip ups, a few beaver dams, and once in a while you find one good tip up that almost always is gone before you come back to buy it. I understand the principle behind beaver dams, and like them myself. Besides beaver dam why on earth would you ever purposefully go out and buy a brand new tip up and get a tiny little plastic spool?

[captain54]

I use standard Polar tip-ups and put 50 yard of braided line on 27 lb test, only been spooled once and got the pike. We only fish pike with these tip-ups but we are under control of them. We don't set them hundreds of yards away and we are always looking to see if there up while jigging for panfish. We have got several pike over 40 inches through the years and have had no problems with 150 feet on line on the spool.

[thomasthepikehunter]

So you have been spooled? Give me one reason why the small spool is better than a big spool.

[captain54]

I'm not saying a small one is better,I just don't see the need for a big spool unless your fishing 100 fow for lakers. I use a quick strike rig for pike and they don't need to run with the bait and they only make a handful of short runs even if they weigh 20 lbs. 50 yards of line has been plenty. The fish that spooled me was 37 inches and there was no tention on the spool when I got to it,I spooled 20 yards or more back on the reel ( slack line) before  I knew he was there.

[1moslab]

I have been close to being spooled quite a few times and if I had 50yds on I would have.but I don't fish with the tip up at my feet.like all ready stated what is the downside?the extra weight to carry?get a 4ft musky on there and let me know how that 150ft is working for you

[thomasthepikehunter]

I don't have a problem with my quick strikes. Nothing worst than not being prepared. It happened to my dad in december. He had a fish on, got to the flag right away, and had to watch his whole spool get taken. When he had about 10' of line left he set the hook because he had no choice. He missed the fish. That was a single hook, and the only way we have had success is to wait a bit to make sure the fish has a good hold of the bait, and be moving slowly. When the fish is hitting the speed of light towing out 50 yards of line, you will miss them more times than not unless you have a quick strike.

[1moslab]

there are times I don't get bit with all that metal.but if they are biting good a quick strike rig is more foolproof,twice the hooks.

[frozengator]

I never been spooled, I RUN to the flag like a screaming schoolgirl, spastic and all...Everytime.  BTW I fish alone.

LMAO  seen many like you!!!  Always interesting

[tilted]

 Not everybody fishes for pike... There are a lot of dedicated crappie/white perch fisherman in New England that use tip ups. No need for a 100yds of line for that. I have been spooled by a 32in landlocked salmon. I saw the flag go and went right to it. That fish was flying!!! As far as a flag going up and you not seeing it....5 minutes is a little long don't you think?

[waterwalker1]

I'm having a hard time believing pike moving over half a football field away from the hole.  200' is a looong ways.

[1moslab]

its actually not really that long I don't think.i had a 4.5 lb LB take out close to about 80ft in 6ft of water the other day.

[thomasthepikehunter]

I think maybe I'm not asking the right question. Its a fact that pike often go more than 50 yards, and it can be in under a few minutes. I've never had one go 100 yards yet, but they can come close. As far as crappie fishing, maybe that's a regional thing. I know there is the "crappie box" that offers little resistance, but I don't know anyone who uses them. Still the HT's would be bad for that, a crappie would let go, too much resistance for them. Here in Minnesota I'm certain more than 90% of people that use tip ups use them for northerns. Maybe what I'm really wanting to know is why is there no variation? Honestly, they come in different brands, but most tip ups you see at a store are the same thing. Plastic frame, same spool set up, and come with at 200' plastic spool. Of the "beaver dam" type, The only ones I've found that offer a bigger spool are the HT polar therm with 500' (bought one, hated it), the HT predator (best plastic tip up if you ask me), and the Frabill big foot (possibly my favorite store tip up). Its rare you see any of those in a store. The only others I've found with a spool big enough have been the "jack trap" style, and the only one like this I can readily find in a store is the Frabill straight line. Maybe minnesota just has bad sporting goods. I'll have to take a picture next time im in the Rogers Cabelas, its a joke. They dedicate a whole row to them, and they are 99% garbage. I've not found much better at any gander or fleet farm either.

[captain54]

80 yards in my book is around 26 yards so you still had a ton of line, and the weedy areas you fish I'd doubt you could get a long run without a drop. I only set tip-ups for pike and I only use 5-7 crappie or gills I caught while jigging. I have not bought a shiners in 15 years or more. I get pike over 40 inches many times a year and (I guess I've been lucky) I certainly don't horse a fish,but the way I'm rigged I put the heat to a fish,I use heavy 27-35 lb braided and a 18 inch home made quick strike rig,two number 8 or 6 Lazar trebles,the one on the end is crimped the second one slides the a small piece of rubber tubing and will adjust to the size bait. First hook in the forehead of bait second hook behind the dorsal fin. I have never got any other fish ( but pike fishing this way) Last Thursday 34 incher while jigging for slabs,Friday 38 incher same place as thusday and Monday jigging a size 12 Lindy's toad (chartreuse) in 5 fow had and fought a huge 40 ish inch fish for 10-12 minutes on a 24 in. UL St criox with 3lb test line. I only put 50 yard of line on my little Ul reels but tie onto about 50 yards of old line as backing.This monster pike NEVER even got close  to taking the 50 yards to the backing.He run a short 10 15 yards and I gain line then all over again,only bad thing saw I did end up losing her 3 ft from the hole the little jig just popped out,the line was not even frayed and the knot was still strong no re tie,but the slabs where gone after jaws came in.

[pikeaddict]

I think maybe I'm not asking the right question. Its a fact that pike often go more than 50 yards, and it can be in under a few minutes. I've never had one go 100 yards yet, but they can come close. As far as crappie fishing, maybe that's a regional thing. I know there is the "crappie box" that offers little resistance, but I don't know anyone who uses them. Still the HT's would be bad for that, a crappie would let go, too much resistance for them. Here in Minnesota I'm certain more than 90% of people that use tip ups use them for northerns. Maybe what I'm really wanting to know is why is there no variation? Honestly, they come in different brands, but most tip ups you see at a store are the same thing. Plastic frame, same spool set up, and come with at 200' plastic spool. Of the "beaver dam" type, The only ones I've found that offer a bigger spool are the HT polar therm with 500' (bought one, hated it), the HT predator (best plastic tip up if you ask me), and the Frabill big foot (possibly my favorite store tip up). Its rare you see any of those in a store. The only others I've found with a spool big enough have been the "jack trap" style, and the only one like this I can readily find in a store is the Frabill straight line. Maybe minnesota just has bad sporting goods. I'll have to take a picture next time im in the Rogers Cabelas, its a joke. They dedicate a whole row to them, and they are 99% garbage. I've not found much better at any gander or fleet farm either.

I have 24 of the HT PTU-50's.  They come with a 500ft METAL spool. 

[thomasthepikehunter]

I'm not asking if you have problems with pike spooling you. It is a fact for me that they do go more than 50 yards and do it fast. I'm asking why they don't sell at least half of the tip ups with bigger spools. Every body I talk to on the lake has plenty of stories of pike spooling them before they get there. As far as what google has on the HT PTU-50, I have never once seen that in a store.

[frozengator]

I have seen a tiger muskie rip some line out. If I wouldn't have been just sitting there watching it I would of guessed it would have spooled me. He was hauling but too.

[rambo51]

I don't see why anyone doesn't want to be spooled, around here we leave our tipups out for days and when pick your tipup and the line is spooled it means it is a fairly big fish, also it seems to set the hook for you. And when it's -30 the tipup line will expand and freeze so you have what's seems like 500 feet of line but it's actually 100 or 50 feet. But I do agree the little spools suck!

[bobby1772]

Ok this question has been burning in my mind for a long time, and I just don't get it. Why do 95% of tip ups you get at a store have tiny 200' spools? I've been spooled 3 times with them (4 if you count a month ago when I was fishing with someone who loved the cheap tip ups), and I know it has happened to most people I talk to. All mine have big spools capable of 100 yards of line or more now, and there are nothing but advantages. I mean why would you purposefully use not enough line? I understand some people don't want to spend money like that (even though tip up line is the cheapest line there is, and people rarely change it), but why not just put 50 yards of line on a big spool? Why do they even sell 25 yard spools of tip up line. Lots of pike take 25 yards in about 15 seconds. Since I have put on 100 yards of line, I have had 2 fish take at least 75 yards of line before I got there. Its not like I wait, Its at most 5 minutes before I spot a flag. Sure walleye fisherman don't need it. Walleye I've got rarely got more than a few yards from the hole. The walleye fisherman who use tip ups are a very small portion of the market. A strong majority of fisherman use tip ups for pike, and 200' spools are not enough. I just don't get it.

Ive gone up to several of my tip ups and there not be any line on the spool but my not is still there holding the line on ive never had an issue with it even with one tip up I had nothing but ten pound mono on what kind of line do you use

[1moslab]

10lb mono spooled would not hold a lot of fish around here.but I don't usually use tip-ups for panfish

[thomasthepikehunter]

I have 30# coated line right now because I got it for free. I'd much rather have 50# dacron. I like thicker line so I can hang on to it. The fish that broke off, and the one that broke my tip up was with 20# or 30# dacron.

[mpike2day]

Its cheaper for them to put the smaller spool with less line on.  With my 40 ups I probably only have 60-70 yds of 36 waxed.  Never been spooled and I takey time getting to them. 

[thomasthepikehunter]

How could it possibly be cheaper? 70 yards is probably enough.

[mpike2day]

How could it possibly be cheaper? 70 yards is probably enough.

The smaller the spool the less metal=cheaper.  The less line on that smaller spool=cheaper.

[thomasthepikehunter]

The difference between a 200' and 500' spool has to be almost none in terms of price. Especially when you consider bigger spool=more line. The more line they sell, the more money.

[JiggerDan]

I have 30# coated line right now because I got it for free. I'd much rather have 50# dacron. I like thicker line so I can hang on to it. The fish that broke off, and the one that broke my tip up was with 20# or 30# dacron.

No kidding, the 20 # braided nylon I have on one of my tip-ups is not easy to hang onto & cuts my finger every dang time I set the hook.

[thomasthepikehunter]

50 yards is not enough as it is, using thicker lines, you can't even get that much on them. I almost perfectly fit a 100 yard spool on my 500' spools.