Just got done making 8 “zero rig” style tip up rigs… Bought all the terminal tackle, saved about 35% the price making vs buying the pre packaged, branded rigs… Fun to make as well…
* 30lb coated wire braid
* sz 2 Gamakatsu hooks
* 80lb rolling swivels
* red and glow beads
* crimped ends
* hammered gold, silver and glow blades
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I love building tackle! We made some simple quick strike rigs using 80lb flouro last year. I had not heard of the zero rig before I found a bunch of the Clam rigs in the bargain cave at Cabelas for $3.
Very nice rigs. If you haven’t tried yet, I highly recommend floro or mono. I always hated wire because it gets bent up so quickly. I’ve been using 60 lb floro with great success.
Thanks for the replies… I fish tip ups on Lake Sakakawea, get some good sized pike… I will be building more, and some on some heavy gauge mono.
Note the white F-150 nosed in the lake over my shoulder… Pucker factor… Was not my truck. This was last January ice was about 30″ thick. That was my lesson that no ice is 100% safe ice…
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I know this will vary by state, but…
Question: do you need to blades to make the rig legal? If not why use them? I’m not sold that those two blades will bring in the fish, I feel like it would just weigh the minnow down and reduce the action. I guess it depends on the size bait you use.
If its not legal, how is it any different than putting down a bobber with just a split shot and hook?
With mine, I’m either using dead bait, big smelt, or big frozen creek chubs.
If I’m using live bait with them, it’s usually suckers that are at least 6-8″, the they move around pretty good all harnessed up. I would guess just the suckers struggling to swim would be enough to get the blade the flutter a bit, making a bit of a flash, which is kind of the idea.
I use strictly dead bait… Smelt and herring… I thought you needed blade and/or bead to keep it legal… Either way IMHO, when a pike is sizing up a dead bait I don’t think you are missing hook set opportunities with a couple blades. They are going to take it or they ain’t.
Josh I work by sakakawea and this will be my first winter out here I was curious on what baits you would use for eyes this winter
Hey Spencer!
I live in Dickinson so when I fish Sakakawea I fish out of Skunk Bay east of Mandardee, ND. I mainly tip up fish shallow for pike, but if I’m jigging for sauger and walleye, I tip a buckshot spoon with whatever the bait shops have in stock… usually crappie minnows. Shiner minnows are pretty scarce to find around here… I’m excited for this winter. I have a winter layoff so hope to do more ice fishing than the last couple of winters… That being said, it was 64* and 66* of the weekend… Gonna be tough to ice fish without the ice… I will be impatiently waiting…
Where will you be fishing out of?
Nice thanks for the quick response I work and live in Watford city so I’d be going out of tobacco gardens area mainly I work the good ole 6 to 6 shift is the lake pretty good at night in the winter or is it more of a day bite
Don’t you feel those blades without proper spacing from the hook cover the hook points and not allow for a good set?
Figuring one hook is in the bait, with the other two potentially being covered by the blades, how’s your hookup percentages with this style? Just an outsider looking in, I may be wrong 
All it takes is one!
+1…
All I know is that they work… Most times better than jigging a jig or lipless crank.
All it takes is one!
All it takes is one!
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