Tip-ups or tip-downs, you be the judge
Ice fishing is a time-honored outdoors activity going back thousands of years. The use of unmanned fishing apparatus are likely only predated by the hand line. Modern fishermen have many choices as to which system best suits their fishing needs.
I love feeling a fish on a rod. The only thing more exciting is hand-lining one in. There are several methods of fishing, that as an end product you will have to pull the fish in by hand. Tip-ups and tip-downs are the most common forms of fishing in which you pull the fish in by hand.
The way you fish them can be a bit confusing to the beginner, but to the experienced ice angler, they can be a fish-catching machine. The time you fish them, how you rig them, what bait you choose, and how far away you sit from them will all impact your success level. Although, the most important thing to take into consideration is how you set the hook and pull them in. The truth is, if you fight the fish wrong, you will likely come home emptyhanded.
Tip-ups and downs are much like snares used on land. In the old days, they used a sharp cigar-shaped bone hook called a gorge. The hook or toggle would be hidden in some form of bait. When the fish swallowed it and swam away, it would be pulled into a “T” shape in the fish’s stomach. The fish would be unable to spit out the hook, and could be retrieved at any time. The fish traps would be set and left for hours, even days, before being checked. This way a single person could catch as many as several people hand-fishing. It's not legal to leave unmanned fishing devices on the ice these days. Back then, it was much more of a necessity to catch dinner. I believe the reason for this practice being illegal is the effectiveness of the system. Large numbers can be caught, and the protection of the fishery had to be accounted for.
To start with legal issues would be smart. You may not use more than five unmanned fishing devices at one time. You may use up to five hooks per line not to exceed 15 hook points. Your name and address must be clearly written on all unmanned devices. You must be on the ice watching them at all times and they all must have a flag or audible signaling system. They can only be used between Nov. 15 and April 30. You can be ticketed if all bases aren't covered, so make sure to do this first!
Tip-ups are much like poles in that you have to rig them up according to what species you intend to target. The size of the hook or jig, and the bait you use is of utmost importance. Although, they aren't super effective at catching small fish, it can be possible if you downsize. Minnows are the most common bait chosen because their movement will trigger strikes, and it's what's on the menu. Most fish prefer moving forage, but stationary baits work well at certain times and on a few species. Anything in the catfish family will readily eat dead or cut baits. I won a fishing tournament a few years back on such a setup.
It helps to set up where you know there are fish or have been fish in the past. I like to use a small treble hook with a split shot sinker at least 12 inches above it. The treble increases your hook-up ratio, and the sinker helps keep the minnow in place. If you have sonar, use it to set the depth of your bait, if not, do it the old way. Drop the bait down until it rests on the bottom, reel in about two feet of line, then set the flag and get ready. The same goes for tip-down.
The major difference between the two devices is how close you should sit to them. A tip-up has a spool of line on it, which allows the fish to run long distances with the bait without detecting danger. A tip-down is typically a balancing system that starts to tip down when the fish pulls the line. The fish will only be able to run a few feet before the line goes tight. If it doe,s the fish will typically spit out the bait. For this reason, you should be close and ready to set the hook on tip-downs.
Both of these systems will catch nearly any fish on the water if set up right. On super cold days, they can be more work than they are worth because of freezing issues. Although, for the most part, they work great and are fun to use. Remember you are the drag, so let the fish run when it want,s or it will bust off.
Good wishes, and experiment to figure out what system works best for you.
I love feeling a fish on a rod. The only thing more exciting is hand-lining one in. There are several methods of fishing, that as an end product you will have to pull the fish in by hand. Tip-ups and tip-downs are the most common forms of fishing in which you pull the fish in by hand.
The way you fish them can be a bit confusing to the beginner, but to the experienced ice angler, they can be a fish-catching machine. The time you fish them, how you rig them, what bait you choose, and how far away you sit from them will all impact your success level. Although, the most important thing to take into consideration is how you set the hook and pull them in. The truth is, if you fight the fish wrong, you will likely come home emptyhanded.
Tip-ups and downs are much like snares used on land. In the old days, they used a sharp cigar-shaped bone hook called a gorge. The hook or toggle would be hidden in some form of bait. When the fish swallowed it and swam away, it would be pulled into a “T” shape in the fish’s stomach. The fish would be unable to spit out the hook, and could be retrieved at any time. The fish traps would be set and left for hours, even days, before being checked. This way a single person could catch as many as several people hand-fishing. It's not legal to leave unmanned fishing devices on the ice these days. Back then, it was much more of a necessity to catch dinner. I believe the reason for this practice being illegal is the effectiveness of the system. Large numbers can be caught, and the protection of the fishery had to be accounted for.
To start with legal issues would be smart. You may not use more than five unmanned fishing devices at one time. You may use up to five hooks per line not to exceed 15 hook points. Your name and address must be clearly written on all unmanned devices. You must be on the ice watching them at all times and they all must have a flag or audible signaling system. They can only be used between Nov. 15 and April 30. You can be ticketed if all bases aren't covered, so make sure to do this first!
Tip-ups are much like poles in that you have to rig them up according to what species you intend to target. The size of the hook or jig, and the bait you use is of utmost importance. Although, they aren't super effective at catching small fish, it can be possible if you downsize. Minnows are the most common bait chosen because their movement will trigger strikes, and it's what's on the menu. Most fish prefer moving forage, but stationary baits work well at certain times and on a few species. Anything in the catfish family will readily eat dead or cut baits. I won a fishing tournament a few years back on such a setup.
It helps to set up where you know there are fish or have been fish in the past. I like to use a small treble hook with a split shot sinker at least 12 inches above it. The treble increases your hook-up ratio, and the sinker helps keep the minnow in place. If you have sonar, use it to set the depth of your bait, if not, do it the old way. Drop the bait down until it rests on the bottom, reel in about two feet of line, then set the flag and get ready. The same goes for tip-down.
The major difference between the two devices is how close you should sit to them. A tip-up has a spool of line on it, which allows the fish to run long distances with the bait without detecting danger. A tip-down is typically a balancing system that starts to tip down when the fish pulls the line. The fish will only be able to run a few feet before the line goes tight. If it doe,s the fish will typically spit out the bait. For this reason, you should be close and ready to set the hook on tip-downs.
Both of these systems will catch nearly any fish on the water if set up right. On super cold days, they can be more work than they are worth because of freezing issues. Although, for the most part, they work great and are fun to use. Remember you are the drag, so let the fish run when it want,s or it will bust off.
Good wishes, and experiment to figure out what system works best for you.
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