Well, I’m sold on tip downs

So after watching the wonderful episode where the boys utilized tip downs for finicky crappies, I thought to myself, “Hmm, there may be soemthing to that.” I made one up and took it out last week. I caught a couple nice crappies on it when nothing else was working. This peeked my interest even more, so I made up two additional tip downs (They’re not pretty, but they work great. If you want to see what they look like/know how I made them, just ask). I got out on the ice today and set up three tip downs just to see how they would do. No jigging. Let me tell you, they were phenominal! I got one crappie as I was settting up my second tip down. Never even got the slack out of the line. I brought home a dozen 11″-12″ inchers plus a bonus 15″ largmouth. That one was fun hand lining it in on 4lb test. I heard numerous people talking about how slow it was all day and how they only caught three or four small ones. I couldn’t help but smirk a bit. I was the only one using tip downs. That may change now though. I’m 100% sold on these things. I’m going out tomorrow again to try the same thing. They work when nothing else will. If you haven’t tried them, DO IT!

A few things I noticed:
When you clean the ice out of the hole, lift the line up about a foot and let it flutter back down. This gets the minnow kicking and can be enough to trigger a quick strike.

Watch the rod tip. When it starts twitching/vibrating this can be a good indicator that something is interested in your bait. Moving the bait a bit can entice a hit.

When a fish spits the bait before you hook it, get your bait back down ASAP. A lot of times, they come back.

yeah tip downs work awesome. my dad and i killed the perch with them when we were up north. we learned to use them after we got schooled by people that had them and we didnt.

Great tips, sounds like fun

nice work!!!

What exactly are Tip downs and how do they work? Picture would help.

Go to the top of this page and click on Videos and view the Season 5 Tips for Heavily Pressured Crappies. It will show you what they look like and how to fish them. If you are interested in buying, Fleet farm sells them for about $21, but the look like they would be pretty easy to build.

Here is my tip down set up for night fishing. I have add strike sensor and a hole cover. I also add some beads and a blade to the line for some flash.Also notice the wire rod so a larger fish don’t collapse the tip down and lose your pole.

Not sure what others do, or what is actually the correct method, but I use a heavy black tip-up line for the bulk on the spool, adding a light leader of whatever line you want. This way I have heavy, easy to see and work with line on the ice. Nothing worse than trying to hand line and then get back to being set up with a spool of 2# clear line. Snagging it on the ice, in the snow and everything always leads to a mess.

When making your own is there a certain angle a guy needs to have when making these to make it “balanace out”

use em all the time this year getting way more perch than crappie though. pry like 20 to 1. same thing though nobody doin anything out there and we are runnin after em all day. do u use a hook with a split shot or a jig? im using a hook and sinker about 18″ off the bottom.

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Go to the top of this page and click on Videos and view the Season 5 Tips for Heavily Pressured Crappies. It will show you what they look like and how to fish them. If you are interested in buying, Fleet farm sells them for about $21, but the look like they would be pretty easy to build.

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Thanks for the ff tips, I’m sure they probably are easy enough you to make $ 22 is worth the time and effort.

If I get done running errands for every one else…I’ll try them out. I think I have the perfect lake.

You have to make sure your fishing pole is balanced (where you place the support rod) so when you tip it down towards the hole it slowly tips back up.

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Not sure what others do, or what is actually the correct method, but I use a heavy black tip-up line for the bulk on the spool, adding a light leader of whatever line you want. This way I have heavy, easy to see and work with line on the ice. Nothing worse than trying to hand line and then get back to being set up with a spool of 2# clear line. Snagging it on the ice, in the snow and everything always leads to a mess.

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I put a large wood screw in the base of the handle to give it some counter weight and if that is not quite enough a wrap a little solder around the handle.

The tip up line will work but it freezes up way to easy because it absorbs water. I use a Hi-Viz backer line in 6 or 8# test and then a 2 to 2.5 ft leader of 3# florocarbon. It’s easy to see the hi-vis line on the ice.

Here is a link to pictures of the ones we make and a link to a video of my son catching a crappie on a Tip Down. We have been using them for over 10 years. If you would like instructions on how to build them send me an email.

[email protected]

http://s947.photobucket.com/albums/ad317/cmherrmann/Tip%20downs/

http://s947.photobucket.com/albums/ad317/cmherrmann/?action=view&current=fishing032.mp4

man I really need to make me some of these things. all I hear are great reviews on them. When using them is a person limited as to how deep they can fish. My guess would be that you wouldn’t want much more than 15′ of line out but just a guess

Okay, so here’s a question. I have watched the episode and wonder why it works? Your just fishing with a minnow. If you don’t get them biting on a dead stick why will this work? It’s still a minnow bite. I’m not doubting it I just wonder if there is more too it? I’ve just seen so many days where a minnow is ignored on a dead stick or bobber.

Thanks

For one thing, less resistance for a foot or two of line feed if properly balanced.

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For one thing, less resistance for a foot or two of line feed if properly balanced.

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Exactly the reason, plus you just cover more ground. You can spread them out and see each pole. Try watching a bobber from 30 yards away. If one is not producing like the others it’s very easy to move it to a new location and keep an eye on it.

There is no real limit on depth, I hand line the fish in. If you try to reel them in it just takes to much time with those small reels. I fish a lake where our normal fishing depth is 20 to 25 ft and can be 35 at times.

Okay, I’ll have to make a couple this weekend. For rigging, what do you recommend? I would be using them for crappie or perch. Hook type and size? Is any weight used? I’m guessing not, maybe a beed…

Thanks

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Okay, I’ll have to make a couple this weekend. For rigging, what do you recommend? I would be using them for crappie or perch. Hook type and size? Is any weight used? I’m guessing not, maybe a beed…

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I use 6 or 8# Hi-Vis Backer line, Suffix has a nice Tangerine/Neon Orange.

http://www.sufix.com/usa/fishing_line/ice_magic/

http://www.sufix.com/usa/fishing_line/siege/

Then a very small swivel and 2 to 2.5 feet of 2 or 4# fluorocarbon. Then #14 Mustad Treble for Crappies and Perch.

http://www.sufix.com/usa/fishing_line/100_fluorocarbon_invisiline/

I use a sinker just big enough to get the minnow down.

Thanks for the detailed reply. This helps me get started. I will do some experimenting I’m sure with other things if needed. I think I will make a few for my dad. He lives on the Mississippi River and could cover more area using these. Looks like he can set up 3 of them and still have 2 jigging rods by Iowa rules. That could get busy.

Iowa allows 5 lines? That could get real busy if they are biting. I have had occasions where I could not keep up to 3 Tip Downs when the Crappies were really biting.

That’s on the Miss. River. On waters inside the state you’re allowed one tip up/tip down and one jigging rod.

Yeah on the miss only. That’s how I read it.