How To Set Up A Tip Up For Pike

Tip up angling is one of the well-nigh common ways to target larger species of fish through the ice. The iconic scene of a few people huddled together amidst a spread of tip ups is what comes to heed when we talk about this method of ice angling. A conventional tip upwardly is made of a wooden frame, a spool of line, and a flag and  trigger system to let y'all know when you have a bite. A tip upwardly is used to suspend existent bait (live or expressionless) at a desired depth without having to hold a rod in your paw. Ice fishing with tip ups is the go-to technique for catching lethargic trophies during the winter because they allow you to spread out multiple offers at diverse depths.

How to Prepare a Tip Up

Get-go you demand to rig up your tip up system. Starting time  past lining the spool with 50 to 65 pound test braided tip up line. Be certain to tie the line to the spool using an arbor knot the same way you would to spool a spinning reel. Wrap the line evenly around the tip up spool in the clockwise direction. We like to necktie on a duolock snap to the stop of your braided line to easily switch out a monofilament, fluorocarbon or steel leader. Add a divide shot weight higher up the snap on your braided line depending on the size of your bait. The aided weight keeps your live allurement from darting abroad from a predator or getting hung upward in droppings. Attach a tip up rig to your snap as outlined in the following section depending on your target species.

Now that you have line on your tip up, y'all're set up to set it up. Use a clip on depth finder similar the i in our ice fishing kit to measure out the depth in the hole. Clip the depth finder weight onto the united nations-baited  claw rig and lower into the ice hole until it hits the bottom and the line goes slack. Pull the line upward 12"-18" and and wrap a loop effectually the knob of your spool. When you drop the rig back downwardly with bait you can stop at this depth and so it sits off the lesser. Allurement your rig and let it down into the water. Drop the line back down until you reach the loop on your knob. Finally, set up your flag on the indent of the metal rod so that when the line spools out the flag is tripped. Exam the spool so information technology turns with light pressure level and sets off the flag earlier you movement on to the next tip up.

Tip Upwardly Ice Angling Rigs and Tackle

The business end of a tip upwardly varies depending on what larger fish species yous are targeting. While it is possible to catch smaller species similar perch, panfish and crappie, they generally lack the power to trip a flag. We recommend jigging for crappie and panfish with light tackle instead. Focus your tip upward efforts on larger species similar northern pike, walleye, and lake trout. While these species are powerful enough to trip the flag, they each have different feeding preferences which should exist accounted for when rigging up your tip upwards.

Quick Strike Rig for Pike:

The quick strike rig is the most common rig to claw up with large Pike. A basic quick strike rig consists of two treble hooks, a leader made of monofilament or steel line, split shot, and a swivel or snap. This rig allows you lot to put ane hook about the tail of the bait and ane most the caput and so that the bait lays horizontal and naturally wounded. Although the hookup ratio is seldom 100%, this rig ups your odds by having a treble claw in each cease of your bait.

Jig and Fluorocarbon Leader for Walleye:

A demon jig with a fluorocarbon leader is one of our favorite rigs for flagging trophy walleye ice fishing. This rig consists of tying a 3-4ft leader of 8-12 pound test fluorocarbon from the snap to a demon jig. Hook the demon jig through the minnow near the dorsal fin so that information technology hangs horizontally in the water. The added color or flash of the demon jig when the minnow swims will entice strikes from weary walleye.

Single Treble Hook Rig for Lake Trout:

Lake trout are ane of the largest trophies to grab through the ice. We like to use a single treble claw rig for targeting them. The single treble claw rig consists of a iv f t  long monofilament or fluorocarbon leader, a split shot, and a treble claw. A lively minnow is required to call in roaming lakers. A single treble claw enables a strong prepare into the tough oral cavity of a lake trout, but we prefer non to use 2 treble hooks as lake trout are wearier than expressway.

Best Bait for Ice Fishing with Tip Ups

The best baits for ice fishing with tip ups are live shiners, shad, and suckers. Expressionless bait similar frozen herring and raw chicken as well make the list for trophy freeway. Live minnows can be rigged on any of the aforementioned species rigs. Sometimes we like to claw alive minnows through the backbone to give an injured baitfish presentation. Only rig dead bait such as frozen herring on quick strike rigs so that they hang in a natural, horizontal fashion. Using dead bait is critical if yous are fishing where live minnows are non immune. Live minnows will more often than not conjure more bites, however dead allurement tin be effective when zeroing in on the largest pike & musky.

Tactics for Roofing Water

Covering water with your tip up spread is key to getting more bites and bigger fish. Drill holes in a zig zag or grid pattern to maximize coverage of structure and depth transitions. Plan out your spread based on the number of lines allowed in your water body. Use mapping, sonar electronics, and your depth finder to embrace a mix of shallower, mid-depth and deeper water until you lot get some bites. Trophy fish wont ever exist in the same depth or area, then spread out and embrace an effective range. A adept rule of thumb is a 100 m radius. Keep in mind you will demand to go the tip up in time and change your baits out every hour.

Setting the Hook and Landing Fish

Flag upwardly! Become over to the flag to run into if a fish is swimming off with the bait. If the spool is spinning when you lot get to the pigsty, let the fish swim with it for a infinitesimal. When the spooling slows downward, gently lift the tip up out and identify on the side of the hole. Slowly pull the line with your ascendant hand until it is taut, then use a hard tug to set the hook into the fish's mouth. Apply a hand over paw motion to pull the fish in a few anxiety at a time. Gently pull the fish upwards and through the hole, steering the fish so it breaches head first. If you're practicing take hold of and release, grab the fish with your costless hand and go along information technology off the water ice to forestall freezing. To let the fish become, remove the hook and gently lower the fish back into the hole head first. Keep your opposite hand on its tail as yous guide the fish through the hole. Piece of work the tail dorsum and forth until the fish kicks downward on its own.

Source: https://tailoredtackle.com/ice-fishing-with-tip-ups-how-to-spread-out-and-catch-trophies/

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