Tip up Spool

[MDeppe]

I dont have small spool tip ups but it would make sense to use some of that braid that is small diameter if you are concerned about being spooled.  They have 50lb test that is the same diameter as 10lb test.  You could use this as backing and put a ton on a small spool.  Just make sure you have your gloves on when you pull it in so it dont cut your hands.  There are some strong fish out there but the effort seems to justify the result.  Just my two cents.

[Kilbourn]

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 tip-up 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 tip-up 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!

We can't do that in WI. I've even heard of DNR sitting on shore and timing people on getting to a flag and if you take to long they can write a fine. I don't know what the time limit is but I'm sure it's something ridicules. Also I know a guy that left a beaver dam tip-up out behind his house in a private lake and he came back a few hours later to find the metal spool broken off the bottom of the shaft. Had strong line tied tight.

[Martian]

Thomas, you may have answered your question, in your post. why do cheap tip ups, have small spools?  ( at least I think that is what I read), if you take a tip up manufacturer, polar ice, who may make thousands of these, and then double the length of line, I think you retail price just went up. not saying it is better or not, But there are couple kinds of consumers out there, the guy who shops price, and buys the cheapest, and the guy who shops quality, and the guy, ( my son), who shops price, and buys the most expensive one there. I have been spooled, ( and caught my biggest to date). and I have had fish pick them up, and be 3 ft. from the hold. good post though

[thomasthepikehunter]

Thanks Martian, you just made the light bulb light up! They are not buying the best for the fish, they are buying the best price. A majority of people will buy a $10 tip up vs a $15 with a big spool. It makes sense. In the thought process of most people, being spooled once or twice in your life is worth the $5. Sometimes I forget most people don't get to fish every weekend. I guess I'll just always be in the minority with my big spool tip ups and size 16 boots. As far as super braid, been there, done that. It is not a good tip up line, but it does work. I have tough hands, and have never been cut by line, but I know some people it is a big problem. I simply can't put enough pressure on a 6# diameter line. 20# dacron is a good all around line, and I've used it a lot. I've gone to bigger lines because I need to set the hook hard. The other advantages are its easier to pile on the ice, and re spool. Also you get the added strength which comes into play if you ever hook a log (I literally pulled in a huge log that I had to cloverleaf some holes to fit it though but the fish was gone ). As far as coated vs un coated dacron, I prefer regular dacron. Coated line seems a good idea, but it really doesn't prevent any freezing. The problem is that it comes off the spool in coils, and does the opposite you want it to when fighting a fish. With Dacron, you throw it on the ice, it stays on the ice.

[B bob]

Just read all the replies and I agree with just a few.  Out here where we fish we land large40" plus pike and always get spooled.  Reason is we, meaning the group of 10 or so guys I fish with, don't want the fish to run half way across the lake.  Also I have never had a tip up break and only had a line snap maybe once or twice.  When the fish runs far logs rocks sticks weeds are all concerns of snagging up.  I never spool a tip up with more than 60-100 feet.  I agree completely with an earlier post of having to reel all that line back in on a cold day is a real pain in the rear!  Way too many tangles! So to get to the answer,  I think they are all made with small spools cause you really don't need too much line.  This is just how I do it but always have worked well for us out here

[thomasthepikehunter]

That's interesting because before this topic, I have never heard of anyone purposefully using too little line. If i works for you, don't change. As far as breaking them, have an aggressive pike go full speed away while connected to a 10 year old plastic tip up. They do break. I can't say I enjoy reeling in 250' of line in the cold, but I can't say I hate it considering the fish I just caught.

[fishermantim]

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.

2X

It's all about costs!
Smaller spools cost less to make, and they are rigged for "basic" ice fishing.
When you choose to target larger species, it's up to YOU to rig them, not the manufacturer.
(If you were to buy a tip-up pre=rigged for pike, it would probably have a larger spool and be spooled with more line as well!

[Loudmouth879]

Time for me to chime in...... Last year I caught a 44" muskie on this there is definitely less than 100 yards on this spool probably more like 50-70 yards and didn't get spooled and fought the fish for over an hour on 8lb fluoro leader and it made many many runs.... also caught an 8lb bass with about the same amount of line and didn't get spooled.... but now I use the heritage laker spools on my 40 ups and they hold 500 feet but I probably have 300 or so feet on them and still haven't been spooled but haven't had a big fish on them yet as I just got them in December.

Anyway I guess my point is as long as you know how to fight your fish and when to put tension on the fish to stop it after its hooked and goes on it's runs it really doesn't matter how much line you have on.... I would say have at least 50 yards on your tip ups though.

[1moslab]

ya okay 44in musky 8lb test and you just stop him when you need to,you the man.or maybe lucky

[thomasthepikehunter]

Assuming the 8# is for walleye, you problem won't have a problem. When your going after pike, some stop 10' away, some go until they get tired.  Maybe they just act different in the lakes I fish, but they take line. Most of the time 50 yards is enough, but I'm done having to watch a fish just strip line away and I can't do anything about it. 75 yards is about perfect, and I doubt any fish will take more than that, but nobody sells a 75 yard spool of line. 100 yards is more than enough for any fish, and you can find spools of it. As far as the 25 yard spools of tip up line, that has to be some kind of a joke.

[swampbuckster]

Have they EVER made a tip up with a large spool? I looked up a few vintage tipups and the spools are very close to the size of the ones manufactured today. 

[Ironeagle]

Have they EVER made a tip up with a large spool? I looked up a few vintage tipups and the spools are very close to the size of the ones manufactured today. 

Jack traps large spools are big. Mostly used for large lakers. I think 400? Don't quote me on that

[thomasthepikehunter]

I'll list as many as I can think of with spools that fit more than 200'.

Frabill big foot
Frabill straight line
Jack trap (spools vary by model)
hertiage lakers
HT predator
Indian hill

[Loudmouth879]

ya okay 44in musky 8lb test and you just stop him when you need to,you the man.or maybe lucky

never said I stopped him when I needed to just put enough pressure that it decided to come back the other way.... here's the vid if you don't believe me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1_BrU5eKXc

[1moslab]

ya they don't all run the other direction I wish you luck catching muskie on 8lb mono

[thomasthepikehunter]

You mention lake trout. I have always wondered about them, and I may try fishing them this year. I imagine they are very similar to pike, but prefer deeper waters. Pike like the 0-50' and lake trout seem to be caught 30-100'. I'm guessing if a pike can take 60 yards of line in 4' of water, a laker can spool you easy when you already have 30 yards out.

[snowman3406]

I spool all my tip ups with plain old fly line darcon backing in black or white, and a leader from there.  I use 20lb and have no problem putting 100 yards on those 200 foot spools.  If you buy the new gel spun lines, im sure you could triple that even, but would want gloves on to not cut your skin.  The dacron w/o coating works great and is easy on the fingers while fighting pike/pickerel as well

[kpd145]

I have anywhere from 100 to 150 yards on my spools. Sometimes I put tip ups out a good ways away from where I am setup, mostly because I fish with quite a few guys and we like to spread out.

I do not run to my tip ups. If I get a flag, I grab some bait and walk to it. Whether it is 20 yards away of 150 yards away.

100 yards should be good 90% of the time, 50 yards will go pretty quick on a good size pike or salmon.