tip up tips,,,

I was ice fishing tip ups this weekend. we had three flags, and no fish caught, what we did was when the flag poped we ran to the flag and let out some lines until the fish stopped running. once it stopped we set the hook but no fish to be found, only a plain hook back. any tips would really help. am I doing anything wrong.

I like setting the hook when the fish is moving away. Whether that is right or not I do not know.

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what we did was when the flag poped we ran to the flag and let out some lines until the fish stopped running. once it stopped we set the hook but no fish to be found, only a plain hook back.

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When the fish stops moving, most of the time it is letting go of the bait too turn the bait so it can swallow it head first. Wait until the fish starts to move again before slowly tightening the line and when you feel the fish, set the hook.

Now what kind of hook and set up are you using?

Ron

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had three flags but no sunnies or crappies.

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You mentioned in another post that you were targeting sunnies on the tip ups. Is that the case? Typically most guys only use tip ups for pike and walleye. Most of the time with a sucker minnow or shiner. Pretty hard to get a sunny on a tip up….

-J.

I was using a plain bait hook, not too big, and I was not targeting pannies on the tip ups. only pikes. i hooked the sucker behind the dorsal fin, I was thinking it is too far from the head, or maybe my suckers are too big…

That’s tip up fising !! Sometimes you miss every flag, sometimes you get a fish every flag. Sounds like you were doing it right. I’m no expert and keep I keep it pretty simple.

My typical tip up is set up like this. I’ll use the stock nylon braid line that comes on most tip ups. To that I’ll attach a barrel swivel. From there I use either 6 or 8 pound mono for walleye or 14 pound fireline for pike. (about a 5 foot section for the leader) I’ll hook the bait behind the dorsal fin with a plain sharp hook. Sometimes a bead or 2 on the line to add a little color.

Good luck next time out.

-J.

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I was using a plain bait hook, not too big, and I was not targeting pannies on the tip ups. only pikes. i hooked the sucker behind the dorsal fin, I was thinking it is too far from the head, or maybe my suckers are too big…

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Hook them in the lips, and set the hook when the fish is still running line out. I normally pick up the tip up while its spinning and set the hook right away. Good luck on the pikes, they are a blast through the ice

try using a ‘quick-strike’ rig of some sort. I use a small treble on steel wire with a tiny spinner blade on it that makes the treble hooks legal for minnesota. You want to set the hook while the fish is moving, hence the term quick-strike, it reduces swallowed hooks as well. There are many different types of quick-strike rigs out there, or you can make your own, make sure they are legal for use in the state your fishing in however.

Heres a link to the DECEMBER 06 IN-FISHERMAN QUICK-STRIKE RIGGING ARTICLE

Very good information, notice there is 4 pages to go through. Good Luck.

One thing I had success with last year is hooking the minnow parallel to its body on either side of the dorsal fin with the hook toward the minnow head vs hooking perpendicular through the back.

What brand tip ups are you using?

There are days especially like this weekend when even the toothy critters can be picky. If they feel something wrong, such as resistance they will drop the bait.

If you are using Beaver Dams or for the guy that are…….make sure to use steel wool and polish things up. Polish the T on the top and the metal arm that holds the flag down. You should be able to trip the flag without feeling any grit while the spindle turns. Also polish up the top of the spool where the line tender turns around, that thing should move around with ease and will if you keep it clean with a little steel wool. Even crappies will take and hold a minnow off a tip up as long as everything is cleaned and they can’t feel resistance.

These are just a few tips to keep your tip ups in good shape and the odds in your favor. There will still always be the days when the baits seem to get dropped often.

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When the fish stops moving, most of the time it is letting go of the bait too turn the bait so it can swallow it head first. Wait until the fish starts to move again before slowly tightening the line and when you feel the fish, set the hook.

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That’s what has been explained to me also many years ago. When I approach the tip up if the fish is still running I will set the hook immediately but if the rod isn’t spinning then I will wait until the fish starts moving away and then set the hook. I never set when the fish is still. That’s in general.

Also if the fish is just sitting there, not moving, I will pick up some of the slack until I barely feel the fish. Once the fish feels that little resistance it will start moving again. Then I just feed them a little line to make sure they are fully turned away from the hole and then I set the hook.

We’ve all had bad days tip up fishing and it gets frustrating.

Hopefully that made sense.. Good Luck

I think it’s also very important to be using the proper hooks or your tip/barb can be obstructed by the bait. I use quick strike rigs whenever chasing the toothy’s.