Tip-up Question

[angola_guy22]

I recently found tip ups on sale and would like to try to use them this winter the only problem is that i havent used one before. I was wondering how to rig them up (leader size hook size ect.), how many FOW water to start in and how deep to fish in relation to the bottom.  Any info will be greatly aprreciated. Thanks in advance.

[hardysf]

we use 2 different rigs.

One of them has just a single treble hook and 3 sinkers about 1.5 feet up from the hook. Hook a chub through the back just below the dorsal fin, or even more effective is to use a 4-5 in bluegill.

The other rig has the same set up with the sinkers but tie another treble hook on a leader and put that hook through the baits mouth.

if you only jig with one pole, in indiana you can use two tipups as well. Usually i am fishing with a partner and we can put out 4 tipups. We rig them all over the water column. most fish come probably around 2-3 feet of the bottom in 10-20 FOW.

[taxi1]

Hardysf,

Are you sure the treble hooks are legal down here in Indiana? Last I knew they weren't legal with live bait. Not even sure a quick strike rig is legal. But maybe that's changed? Just brought this up as I don't want you to get you in trouble.

[hardysf]

When ice fishing, no more than three lines may be used at any
one time. Each line may contain no more than two hooks (single,
double or treble) or two artificial baits.

[taxi1]

When ice fishing, no more than three lines may be used at any
one time. Each line may contain no more than two hooks (single,
double or treble) or two artificial baits.

Welll good! They obviously changed it a while back. I remember when treble hooks were not allowed to be used with live bait. And a quick strike rig was not allowed either. Made no sense to me as a quick strike rig caused less mortalities vs. a northern swallowing a hook if you wanted to release one.

You ready to catch some more perch after ice out like you did last year? I need to start producing my own perch from here on out as the Fed and state gov. have made it uneconomical for my perch supplier to sell to me. It's a long story but another typical example of a government knee jerk reaction that solves nothing but put people out of business.

So the I need to transfer four or five female perch to a pond with up to 15 males so they will spawn and produce fry. Then a little while later I will feed train them. The rest we catch will be killed and sold whole for my niche market. I need to drain that pond and start over.

[frog eyes]

Fishing w/ a treble hook is illegal in MN. The warden told us to tie a flipper like the ones that come w/ a swedish pimple and it becomes a lure and is legal. They still recommended we don't use a treble if we're catch / release. The reason was if you set the hook in the top and bottom lip and get a break off the fish will starve to death as it can't eat.

[taxi1]

I raise bass that I sell whole frozen to other taxidermists. I harvest them by hook and line. I would never think of using an artificial bait with even one treble hook on them as it really tears up their mouths and sometimes even the sides of their heads. That reduces the value of the fish.  When I see lures for sell with one or more treble hooks I have to wonder how many fish are mangled to die later once they are released.

[EGR David]

The best method I have found is to spool nylon ice fishing line.  Slide a regular button thru two eyelets on the button.  This will act as a depth marker after you need to reset it.  Tie a 20lbs steel leader, 12 -18 in, to a number 6 or 8 red treble hook.  Hook a pike shiner or sucker thru the back.  I always fish anywhere from 10-18 feet of water and have the minnow 4 feet off the bottom(it depends on the presence of weeds if I go higher in the water column).  Slide you button just past the eyelet on your tip up and it marks your depth everytime your flag is tripped.  There many different schools of thought on when to grab your line.  If you see the spool spinning fast, pull the tip-up and grab the line and the hook will set itself.  If it a slow steady pull, pull the tip-up and apply a little resistence to set the hook.  If it spins and stops, wait a minute, he may be sitting on it, or as we like to say turning it over in his mouth.  This may take a little getting used to, grab the tip-up feeding line into the hole.  Grab the line and slowing retrieve it as soon as you feel weight, set the hook and bring her in.  Hope this helps, may be too much info for you, not sure.  best tip up are plastic Polar tipup.  I stay away from the wooden ones and the cross ones.

[river_scum]

another tip i been useing for years in cloudy water. put a spinner blade(small willow) on the line just up from the hook. a bit more attraction cant hurt! 

[Jigmup]

It totally depends on what you are fishing for. I do a lot of walleye fishing with tip-ups. I like the basic HT Polar tip-up rigged with Dacron. I usually use a 14" leader of good 8 pound mono with a number 6 gamkatsu (orange, pink or chartruese) and a couple of split shots 8 to 10 inches up from the hook. This basic setup will work for Perch and crappie as well but you may want to drop the diameter of your leader. I fish this rig about a foot off the bottom and use a small float off of a floating crawler harness to mark my depth. This provides quick referrence for re-setting and the tiny float offers almost no resistance to the fish.