Menards has JELD-WEN at a reasonable price. Vinyl is the way to go.

My 35 looks to be losing sensitivity as well. I’ll try these suggestions, if no change I guess I’ll order a new ducer.

I’ve fished lakes and reservoirs with aerators. Caught fish near the aerator and far away from it, doesn’t seem to matter. I do notice the fish are suspended way off the bottom later in the season on the reservoir. I’m thinking oxygen levels are higher in the upper water column. Any biologists on the site that might explain this?

When they won’t hit jigging I deadstick them on a Finicky Fooler Tip-up. I use a #12 or #14 treble with a split shot and a large fat head hooked in the back.

Built mine with steel panels on outside. Stud the walls with 2×2’s on 2 ft. centers. Insulate the cavities with 1.5″ pink foam panels (cut to fit).
Use 1/4 plywood or OSB for interior walls. Do the same for the roof.

I’ve used tip-downs for crappie and perch for many years. They worked great because you can balance them to tip with little to no resistance. We used the cheap jigging rods with the plastic spool set tight. What I didn’t like was having to watch them so closely and running to them once the rod started tipping. Here again you are pulling the fish in by hand and then you have to feed 4# test line back down the hole while it’s stuck on every ice particle within 10 ft. of the hole. Also very difficult to use a hole cover, you just don’t have time to remove it. These Finicky Foolers have eliminated all of that. Reel your fish in, feed the line back down the hole, and place your hole-cover over the hole. Much more efficient. I’ve caught a 4 inch perch and a 5 inch walleye on these.

Usually forget my reading glasses. Tough tying on hooks and lures without them. At least for an old fart like myself.

That’s a bummer. I would recommend the Finicky Fooler if you’re chasing panfish or any fish for that matter. You won’t be disappointed.

Pretty sweet. I’d like a set up like that when trolling for walleye on Erie in May. That way I would know when a white perch has picked my crawler harness clean.

With the ifishpro, ice rigger and Finicky Fooler, I’ve always used them with the bail open so there is no resistance when the fish is swimming off with the bait. The issue is the amount of pull resistance to trigger the device. Not so important when fishing pike, but a huge factor when targeting walleye and panfish.

I purchased more from their website. http://www.finickyfooler.com

I have the ifishpro as well as ice riggers. Used the ice riggers for years, with limited success for walleye and panfish. Purchased the ifishpro hoping for a more sensitive trigger, but still have limited success for walleye and panfish. If the hole starts to skim over with the ifish and a walleye strikes they must be feeling the resistance when the release loop comes in contact with the skim ice. They work well on pike, but not so much on finicky walleye and panfish. I found a new product at the St. Paul ice show that I really like called the Finicky Fooler. Unlike the ifish and rigger nothing is attached to your line. You can set the sensitivity very light or adjust it for larger bait. I’ve caught perch, crappie, walleye and pike on these with a very high hooking percentage. Very simple, versatile and compact. When teamed up with a hole cover works great.

I would like to see you guys target perch and crappies on some of these tip-ups designed to be used with a rod and reel combo where the bail is left open. Always looking for an alternative to tip-downs. The brands I’m looking at are Arctic Warrior, HT Ice Rigger, Finicky Fooler and Ifishpro. Would make a great product review.

Do you guys use any deadsticks like tip-downs or Finicky Fooler tip-ups for these jumbos?

Where can I get this Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultrasoft? I mainly deadstick with a Finicky Fooler tip-up and am always exploring new lines. I currently use Fireline and Nanofil.

We were up at Arnesons Jan. 9-11. They put us on a mud flat in 24 ft. of water. Jigging was unproductive. We tried many different presentations, but the fish would just follow and not strike. However, we did have a second rod set up on a Finicky Fooler tip-up and the fish would bite on this dead stick set up. Eventually we gave up on the jigging and set up more tip-ups. We averaged 50 fish/day fishing this way between two guys in one shack. We had a group of friends that don’t ice fish much in the shack near us and they also did well with this set up. This may not be the case when you go, jigging may be more productive. Just depends on the mood of the fish. I would suggest having a plan to set up dead sticks if the fish are not responding to jigging. A rattle reel, slip bobber or Finicky Fooler tip-up.

Spent 3 days in a sleeper shack last week at Arnesons on LOTW and jigging just was not productive. We had other rod and reel combos set up as a dead stick on a Finicky Fooler tip-up. The tip ups kept popping. Eventually we gave up on jigging and set up more foolers. On the second day we literally caught 50 fish by dead sticking with these tip-ups and were able to reel our fish in. Sometimes you just have to dead stick em.

Sorry to hear that. If you’re looking for a replacement tip up to use with your rod and reel combo I recommend you put your reward money toward a Finicky Fooler. Much simpler than the AW and nothing to attach to your rod or line.

I ditched my rattle reels and all my ice fishing tip-ups for a product I found at the St. Paul ice show called the finicky fooler. This product allows you to use a rod and reel with the bail open. Attached bells to the flag works great. No more pulling fish in hand over hand. I believe they have a web site.

Ive used the ice riggers for years before I purchased the Finicky Fooler last year. I was hooked from day one. Its incredibly diverse I use it for everything. It replaced my tip ups and my tip downs.

I use a finicky fooler tip up as my deadstick. Its a tip up that allows you to use your rod and reel combo and actually keep your bail open. It goes off smoother than any other tip up I’ve ever used. I just came back from a trip on LOTW and it was a real light jig bite and if it wasn’t for this product it would have been a long weekend.

I would look into a new product called the finicky fooler you can fit 6 in a 5 gallon bucket and they seem to be more user friendly than the ifish pro

not even a question!!! Flasher!!

ice cream…