How Ice Fishing Tip-Ups Work

Wooden tip-ups

The most commonly used ice fishing tip-up is one that is made of wood and metal. These wooden tip-ups come in many styles but each accomplishes its task in basically the same manner. The tip-up opens up in such a way that it can be positioned over a hole made in the ice by the anglers. As the tip-up sits over the hole an arm that holds a reel will either be in the water or over the water, dropping a line down into the hole. When a fish grabs the bait on the hook at the end of the line it triggers a red or orange flag on a slender metal strip on the tip-up to go up in the air. This is achieved via a trigger mechanism that runs from the reel upwards to where the flag is attached to it. When a small notch on the reel trips this thin wire mechanism, causing it to turn, it releases the flag attached to a notch on the other end by knocking it off its "perch." This makes the flag, which has been bent over into position and placed into the notch, to spring up, alerting the angler that a fish has bitten the bait and is running with it. The ice fisherman will arrive at the tip-up, take it from the water, grab the line and set the hook before trying to pull the fish up through the hole.

Polar thermal tip-ups

A more modern type of tip-up is called a polar thermal tip-up. It is shaped like a disc and made out of tough plastic material. The polar thermal tip-up has an arm on it that folds down, dropping the reel into the water on one end, with a "T" shaped top on the other end that is perpendicular to the flat disc. When line runs off the reel it turns the arm and makes the top spin. The flag arm of a polar tip-up is a telescoping piece of metal that can be pulled out and placed so that it is held beneath the "T" top of the arm. When the reel arm spins the flag is released and goes up in the air. The angler will see the flag up and proceed to the tip-up, take it out of the hole, and set the hook to try to catch the fish. Polar thermal tip-ups sit right over a hole and cover the entire opening, keeping the hole from freezing over even in very cold conditions.

HT polar tip-up

This type of tip-up is a cross between a wooden tip-up and a polar tip-up. Made of plastic it is rectangular in shape and it has a spring loaded flag sitting on one end of it. The reel arm swings down, putting the reel into the water in the hole while the top end has the same "T" shaped trigger that the polar tip-up employs. The flag arm is tucked under the "T" and will go up when a fish takes the bait, making the reel arm spin and releasing the extended flag arm. HT Polar tip-ups are easy to deploy and easy to pick up at the end of the day.

How to Build an Ice Fishing Tip-Up

Instructions

1

Cut the 2-by-4 lumber into 24-inch sections, and then cut one end of each section into a point using the circular saw. Next cut a 2-inch by 2-inch square notch in the end of the 2-by-4 opposite the point. This is where the rod will sit, and the notches should be as even as you can get them.

2

Build the rod by cutting the 1-inch dowel rods into 28-inch sections with the circular saw. Mount the spinning reel at one end of the rod, and then screw one eyelet into the rod right in front of the reel and one at the very end of the rod, opposite the reel. Thread the fishing line through these eyelets, and then measure 8 inches from the reel end of the rod and place a nail on either side of the rod. This is what the rod will balance on when you set the tip-up.

3

Assemble the tip-up by driving the 2-by-4 into the snow near your fishing hole. Pull out some line from the reel, bait your hook and drop it through the hole. Balance your rod on the nails in the notch at the top of the 2x4 and watch for it to point or tip-up when a fish hits the bait.

Fishing Bait Tips

The options

The three most commonly used types of bait are minnows, leeches, and nightcrawlers (worms). Their sizes range from small to large, and beyond, and can be used to catch nearly any fish that swims. Other bait options include crickets, crayfish, frogs, and grasshoppers. Some of the most sought-after game fish, and the bait options to lure them, are: Sunfish (small minnows, leeches, worms, and insects); walleyes (leeches, minnows, nightcrawlers, and frogs); bass (crayfish, minnows, leeches, frogs, and nightcrawlers); pike (large minnows and frogs); muskies (large minnows and frogs).

Keep it fresh

Live bait is so effective at tempting fish to bite is because it looks and behaves naturally, even when it is impaled on a hook. But anglers must take care of their bait in order for it to be effective. All bait should be kept in cool, shaded areas that are not in the direct sunlight. Leeches and minnows must be kept in cool water with plenty of oxygen. Worms also should be kept in cool temperatures, and in moist soil or in newspaper that is moist and torn up. Keep frogs and crayfish in boxes or crates with a little bit of water. Insects can be stored in boxes. Whatever the type, it's a good idea to use the bait as soon as possible after buying or catching it.

Rigging

There are generally two rigging methods for bait: fishing it on a live-bait rig or underneath a bobber. A live-bait rig generally consists of a walking sinker, swivel, leader, and hook. Those types of rigs are especially effective for walleyes, northern pike, and bass. Some baits, especially frogs and crayfish, can be fished on a hook and nothing else. With the exception of frogs, which need air to remain active, any bait can be impaled on a hook and fished beneath a bobber. That rig, includes the bobber, a split shot sinker or two and a hook. Just make sure the bobber is big enough so the bait itself does not pull the bobber underneath the water.

Active and alive

Whenever you are fishing with bait, and no matter what type of rig you are using, make sure your bait stays alive and active. While a leech that hangs limply off the end of a hook likely would not tempt any fish to bait, the same leech, if kept fresh, would swim seductively and be far more likely to cause a fish to bite. Check your bait every so often to make sure it is fresh. To do so, hold it in your hand and see if it moves, or put the bait, with the hook still in it, in the water just off the side of the boat and make sure it swims and is active. If your bait is not active, change to one that is.

Hawaii Shore Fishing Tips

Tackle

As with any fishing excursion, it is important to have the right tackle, which will make the experience easier and more pleasant. Shore fishing requires a relatively long fishing pole, such as 12 feet in length, and a reel with a high capacity. This will ensure that if you hook a larger fish, the equipment will be strong enough to reel it in. 20 pound fishing line is recommended as a suitable line; however, for targeting smaller fish, 12 pound line will be enough. Bring some fishing weights to attach to the fishing line, so when you cast the bait will drop far enough below the water line for fish to see it.

Proper Bait

Using the proper bait off the shores of Hawaii will increase your chances of catching some of the local species. As with all fish, they each have certain preferences for food, so one bait will likely attract a particular species of fish over another. Live bait is much more effective for shore fishing than synthetic lures. Some bait options that work well with the Hawaii fish are octopus, squid, sand crabs, sand turtles or the local fish species of oama. A cheap option for bait is to head to the supermarket and pick up some frozen squid.

Try Dunking

Dunking is a popular method of fishing on Hawaii shores. It is best described as casting the weighted line and bait relatively far offshore, than anchoring your rod on the beach and waiting till a fish takes the bait. This allows the angler to sit back and relax while waiting for action or tension to appear on the fishing line. The bait will attract the fish, so it is not necessary to have constant movement on the line. Waiting could take seconds or minutes, but it is a more relaxing way of shore or beach fishing in Hawaii.

How to Remove a Fishing Rod Tip to Replace It

Instructions

1

Clip off any lure or hooks at the end of the fishing line and reel in the line entirely into the reel.

2

Grip the tip blank where it connects to the next larger rod blank moving down the rod itself. There is a ferrule connecting the two. Grip at the ferrule.

3

Twist the two rod blanks at the ferrule, gently, until the tip blank begins to come off the other blank.

4

Pull the tip up and off the remaining parts of the rod.

How to Rig an Ice Fishing Tip-Up

Instructions

How to Rig an Ice Fishing Tip-Up

1

Put enough line onto the reel of the tip-up so that any fish that takes the bait cannot "spool" your tip-up. When a fish spools a tip-up it takes all the line off of the reel and often snaps the line from the reel and escapes. Tie your line to the reel and wind enough of it around so that you have at least 30 yards of it on the reel. Use braided line that is at least 20 pound test.

2




Tie a swivel to the end of the line using a clinch knot. Send the line through the hook's eye and then double back with the line and make a total of five turns with the line around the line going into the eyes of the hook. Now put the end of your line through the first loop you made of the five above the eye of the hook and then pass it through the bigger loop that this creates. Pull the line tight and you have a clinch knot. Make sure that you slide the now tight five coils down the line aginst the eye of the hook. Once a swivel is on your line it can opened up and hooks or leaders can be attached. A swivel gives you the luxury of not having to cut the line continually as you switch set-ups.

3

Attach a leader to the swivel with the same type of clinch knot. The leader can be a piece of mono-filament line about three feet long. Utilize a higher test line, about 25 pounds, for fish like pike and a lighter test, about ten pound test, for species such as bass, walleyes, pickerel, and crappies.

4

Secure a treble hook to the leader, once again employing the clinch knot. Using a treble hook increases your chances greatly of hooking the fish. Determine the size of your hook by how large the bait you will be attaching to it is.

5

Place a split shot above the treble hook. Attach the weight about six inches above the hook to keep the bait down. Live shiners will tend to try to swim up towards the hole unless there is enough weight to keep them down. Larger shiners may require two split shots to keep them in the bite zone below the ice.

6

Fix your bait to the hook. Hook a shiner either in the lip or through the back to the rear of its dorsal fin. The tip-up is now rigged and ready to be deployed above the hole in the ice.

Tips About Steelhead Fishing

Where to Find Steelhead

According to the NOAA Office of Protected Resources, steelhead spend a large portion of their young lives in the freshwater river pools where they were spawned until moving on to the salty seawater, returning as adults once a year only to reproduce. It is on those trips back to their freshwater rivers to spawn that it is easiest to determine when and where the fish will be. Study the patterns of the river you choose on a yearly basis and develop a feel for where the steelhead return to each time for the best luck in catching larger numbers.

Locating Steelhead

Steelhead prefer water that is sheltered from the current. Look for this "holding water" behind dams or dykes, fallen trees or rock crops. The steelheads also prefer to remain separate from other fish and typically spawn on the outskirts of fishery areas. This protects their eggs from other fish.

Keys to a Successful Set

Steelhead are stealthy fish that can take the bait gently. Be aware of any bite on your line and set the hook fast and hard. A second pull to "double set" the hook is a good idea to get a firm hook. The best way to ensure a steelhead on the line is to get the bait right at the proper level of as many fish as possible. Use a float to put the bait between the surface and the riverbed for the best level to attract steelhead. Use spinners and spoons when you cast and a sinker with a large fly for fly-fishing. Use one method and practice it to perfection rather than using them all for the best results.

Know the Law

In many areas of the Pacific Northwest where the most popular steelhead fishing exists in Oregon and Washington rivers, regulations insist on catch-and-release fishing. Use a hook without barb to make the release easier on both you and the fish. Avoid pulling the fish all the way into the boat whenever possible and keep it in at least six inches of water for the best health of the released fish.