I have used tip ups for years. I have used them in different waters. I just seem not to catch a single fish on them. Do they work or am i wasting my time and energy on them? I have listen to other guys on how to set them but i just don't seem to catch anything. It don't matter how i set it. I have used a four ft monflunt line with a clear leader and hook the bait in the back dorsal fin and tail area. I have also just not use monoflunt and a leader and a hook. I have fished it just off the bottom and different depths. I would love to use them. But i just don't know what i am doing wrong. I am thinking about buying a jigging tip up, maybe that would work. Cause I have used all the other kinds that i see folks using but i have no luck. Would the jigging tip up be the best choice? Any ideas and suggestion will be greatly appreciated.

When I use my tip ups I hook the shiner as you stated or thru the nostril and I put a couple of weights a foot or so above the hook. My main line is ice braid similar to dacron and about 4-6 ft of monofilament. I use a sounding weight and drop it to the bottom and then pull it up 3-6 ft above the bottom to start. I mark the depth with a button strung on the mainline placing it on top of the spool. I set the flag up and wait. If I don't catch I try different depths and locations. If you know the water find the usual good spots such as drop offs holes etc.

As for jigging it is a rod not sure what you mean when you say jigging tip ups.

depending on what you are after you can use jigheads with diffferent tails/rubber or spoons work well such as kastmasters or swedish pimples. Again it depedns what you're after.

Hope this helps you

 

tight lines!

I believe the tipups you are refering to are called wind tipups. They work well for any fish. You can use about any bait or lure with them.  Here they get used  often with spawn sacks for trout.

As for your not catching fish on other types. Is your line clean, hands full of auger gass and such. I have caught pike and walleye on steel leaders, not my first choice. I like to use a 3ft floro tied in a double uni knot to the tipup line. You could try putting on some glo beads or other types of attractants to enhance your minnow. To set the depth I like to use a small bobber. This will work on the main line and the leader for shallow water sets. If you haven't had a flag for about an hr change locations.  Need to remember most fish feed upwards. Eye's will hang on the bottom.

 Hope this helps,     Good luck

 

podunk, i have used tip-ups all my life and done really good for pike and trout. i have caught many types of fish on them thou. as fuzzyfishin said, the fish feed up. a good rule to follow for pike is 3ft. off bottom or the structure that you are fishing. sometimes you might be 15ft. off bottom because of a break that you are on. i have a spot like this on gull lake that i get some mighty big pike off of. a sand bar comes off one end of an inland and goes out into 70ft. of water.

the spot that i'm talking about is the bar is 12ft. on the top and there's a slot on one side that drops to 30ft. i set the tip-up just over about 15ft of water on this slot, about 10 or 11 ft down.

maybe this will give ya a better idea. when i use to spear on this spot the 12ft. mark was about 3-5ft from one side of the dark house and the 30ft of water was on the other side. and the darkhouse was sitting in 15-20ft. of water, the full length of the spearing hole. i would put the deke about 9ft. down. had many pike come off the shallow bar and i had watch them come up the slot right to the deke.

for walleyes set bait/minnow about a ft. off bottom like you would fish for perch. sometimes you might have to make it 6", sometimes a couple of feet. it depends on there mood.

 

 

there can be other factors for yer lack of success. like wrong bait for the body of water, wrong size for the targeted fish, to heavey of line, to stiff of line. tip-up is to stiff for the fish to run with the bait after the strike. the list can go on.also would like to say hook size can make or break ya too. there are several web sites and articals writen that can help you out. i wish we lived closer and then i could show ya. nothing better than hands on teaching.

 

now for the wind tip-ups. yes that is what they are called. they are made to swivel up and down, there is a spring on oneside to help hold the working part of the tip-up straight with the hole. has an arm with a small sail like fin that is put up in the air and this is what makes the tip-up jig back and forth.

there are days these are the only tip-ups that get runs. need to watch how fast or hard the jigging motion is, because to much is not good either. there are a few company's that make this style of tip-ups. so look them over and find the simples one for you to set-up and opperate.

I have been pretty successful using tip-ups.  I mostly use them for Pike.  Frozen smelt works about the best here for Pike on tip-ups.  This works for me maybe it'll help ya.  Use 20lb. low vis mono line, Thread one of those cone sinkers that ya use for Bass fishin' with plastic worms, Tie on a 2/0 single hook,when placing the smelt on the hook make sure it is level or in the same position that a live fish swims.  That's what the cone sinker is for.  Try placing your bait about one to four feet above the bottom.  It's been my experience that Pike ride a little high.  Remember that ya can't catch fish if the fish aren't there to catch so, you'll have to experiment with locations.  Electronics and camera's will help here.  We've had a pretty good season so far.  Hope this helps. Good luck.  I never tried the wind tip-ups.

 Just like any kind of fishing, "be at the right place at the right time", but that's not always the case. Try using a topo map of the lake if you can get one, also, ask around if the lake is unfamiliar to you for drop offs, weed lines ect... An underwater camera is also a good investment, but be prepared to drill a lot of holes. (I know I did!) You can try different set ups with line, hook colors, where you hook your bait ect ect.. Just have to try different things, but it all comes down to the basic rig with a leader, hook and a weight. Bait depth is also important. Set up your tip ups all at different depths and go from there, unless there are no fish in the lake, ha ha. Good Luck!

Podunk,

It all depends what you are fishing for. I use tip-up a fare amount, and they work great for me. What type of specie are you targeting, and what is the lake profile like?

i always use tipups and its all about depth for salmon and trout i go about a foot under the ice bass about afoot off bottom med heavy shiner warks for me.

if your targeting pike forget the jiggin tip up! the point of tip ups is the silence on the ice since your not sitting up and down staring down the hole.

howdy Icingpike--Would you please give that a little more explaining as to what how and whyfors.! What do you suggest? ! Take care  and God Bless Ya.. PM me about Colorado when you have a chance!!

Bill J.          

                                       "2000"  Hooty Hoot Hooooo