What to do when your Tip-ups Freeze

Another shout out to the experts here.

I was out the other day for Pike on my local lake. Set the tip-up and didn’t have to wait too long before my first flag.

After catching the fish(little snake) I re-set the line but the shaft and spindle on my tip up had frozen so badly that I could hardly turn it.

I took it home and it was pretty dirty inside there so I’m not too surprised that it froze up.

My question is this: What kinds of lube can I put inside the shaft of my tip up to help it spin smoothly and prevent ice from getting in the way?

Thanks!

I take mine apart mid season and again at the end of the year when they get put away. Take apart, clean up, let dry, then apply Frabill Sub Zero grease. Probably can use a lot of different types of grease but this comes in a tooth paste style tube and is around $6.

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I take mine apart mid season and again at the end of the year when they get put away. Take apart, clean up, let dry, then apply Frabill Sub Zero grease. Probably can use a lot of different types of grease but this comes in a tooth paste style tube and is around $6.

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I have heard of products like this. Have you had any problems with it?

I have also heard of mineral oil working for some people. Is there any truth to this?

Kroger is spot on, by brother is religious about this and it works spot on for him.

I use Rem Oil on all my reels and tip ups. It does it all: cleans, displaces water, protects the parts, and lubricates with Teflon. Easy to find and multiple options for applying it.

keep a can of wd40,,,spray it down before use…

I cant help but think that things like WD-40 or maybe even remoil would be a little messy and get on your line and possibly damage your line or even be off-putting to the fish.

Any truth to this?

I re-pack my tip-ups every year with white lithium grease…don’t know if this is the same stuff as the Frabil Sub-Zero but it works well. I could most certainly decrease my re-packing frequency but why take the chance?

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I cant help but think that things like WD-40 or maybe even remoil would be a little messy and get on your line and possibly damage your line or even be off-putting to the fish.

Any truth to this?

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I suppose it would if you sprayed it all over and were sloppy about it, but truth is a small squirt is all that is needed.

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I cant help but think that things like WD-40 or maybe even remoil would be a little messy and get on your line and possibly damage your line or even be off-putting to the fish.

Any truth to this?

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I suppose it would if you sprayed it all over and were sloppy about it, but truth is a small squirt is all that is needed.

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But wd-40 has natural fish oils to attract fish….

What about beaverdam tipups, I havnt had one of mine freeze but I dont see how you could take them apart. Does anyone know if there is a way to go about taking them apart to clean/lube.
Should I just drip rem oil down the shaft while rotating it. And yes, I know how bad that sounds.

That is just a myth! I was curious about this but it is a petroleum based product with zero fish oil in it

Yea, I’ve been thinking of getting some beaver dam tip-pus but it’s hard to justify throwing in the towel on the other three that I already have with out some sort of attempt at making them work well.

I think I’ll get some stuff from the store and then test it out this weekend(If I have to…I guess). Should be cold enough to make a good test of whether or not it’ll freeze up.

I’ll make sure to write back and let you know how it works.

I know I’ll get beat up for this but relubing is exactly why I don’t buy Beaver Dams. They go bad as fast as the others. It’s not impossible but it is a pain. Take your tip up apart and run a coathanger thru it with a .22 gun patch on it a couple times to clean the tube. Put a SMALL squirt of blulube or Frabill lube in the tube. Put your finger over the top end and insert the rod from the bottom slowly. As the lube starts to come out around the rod on the bottom release the pressure at the top, then cover the top again and continue inserting the rod. If you keep getting lube coming out the bottom you probably have too much in it. When the rod is out the top clean up the threads and just reassemble the flag holder bar, spring, and nut. Too much lube is as bad as none in that it will firm up and turn hard. I learned this from the old guy(great guy)that has since passed away at HT many years ago and it’s served me well ever since.

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That is just a myth! I was curious about this but it is a petroleum based product with zero fish oil in it

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I guess my sarcasm didnt show through my post lol.

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I take mine apart mid season and again at the end of the year when they get put away. Take apart, clean up, let dry, then apply Frabill Sub Zero grease. Probably can use a lot of different types of grease but this comes in a tooth paste style tube and is around $6.

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I have heard of products like this. Have you had any problems with it?

I have also heard of mineral oil working for some people. Is there any truth to this?

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Have not have any issues at all but like a said I do it mid season then again when the season is over. I put as much grease in the tube is I can. Key is to keep as much moisture out as possible. Using a spray does not seal the tube from water coming in.

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That is just a myth! I was curious about this but it is a petroleum based product with zero fish oil in it

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I guess my sarcasm didnt show through my post lol.

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Oh haha sorry!!

Beaver Dams can be relubed but you have to unsolder them, kind of a PITA if you ask me. I have used HT’s for years with no issues, just take apart and relube as needed.

I have had 3 beaver dam tip ups for 4 years now and have yet to notice any change in the spin of the spool. They still work great as if I just bought them yesterday and use them a lot. They are defiantly worth the price!

all five of mine do the same, had them for 10 years and I have used my father-in-laws 30 year old beaverdams in 20below plus wind without issues, just wondering if there was any way of dismantling them short of un/re saudering them.

Buy a Beaver Dam tip up and problem solved I only own one and it was a gift and love it I also take all mine apart and use the grease it works also

I relubed a couple of beaver dams last year and it’s not that hard. if you look at the bottom of the spool you’ll see the solder. Hit it with a torch until the spool pops off and hit it with a torch again when you’re ready to put it back on. I think the older Beaver Dams were alot better than the newer ones. I have some old ones that spin effortless no matter how cold it is and the couple new ones I bought were a little sluggish in the cold.

If their was someway to take off that little bearing off the shaft greasing a beaver dam would be a easy . I think the new ones have a theaded shaft.

I have 20+ year old Beaver Dams… lubed maybe 3 or 4 times in the last 20 years and never a problem. I used 3 in 1 acouple times and rem oil last time.

You can buy replacement shafts for the Beaver Dam tip ups or at least you used to be able to. Years ago I picked up a few BDs at a flea market. First time I used them a couple of them wouldn’t turn that well. I found out that you could buy replacemnet spindles for $2.50 apc. I ended up replacing the sluggish ones and bought a few extras. At that time, you could buy a new BD tip up for about 10 bucks. (Yeah, that was a LONG time ago LOL. But you basically got a brand new tip up for $2.50 buying a replacement spindle.

Replacing spindles is an easy process. Remove the bolt that holds the spindle in, take the old one spindle out, put the new one in, replace the bolt. Easy peasy. Last I heard the cost of replacement spindles was like 7 bucks or so but that has been a while. If anyone is interested, contact BD and see if they still sell replacement spindles.