Anyone Use Artificial bait on their Tip-Ups?

[titelines]

All,

Just wondering if anyone has tried using, or has had success using artificial bait on their tip-ups. If so, what do you use?

I've got a lot of stuff in the tackle box and was wondering if it would be worth trying. I'll use frozen ciscoes usually, but thought maybe an artificial smelt or something would work too. They release scent and are just as life-like.

Any thoughts?

[magic_minnow]

as a general rule of thumb I wouldn't use artificials w/ a tipup. Although I'm not saying it cant be done. It would make sense if you had those mechanical tipups that jig ur bait, in that case an artificial just might work.

[JimBuck]

I think most artificial baits are primarily designed because of the visual similarity (or action) to some type of forage (Spoons & the flash of a shad, gulp waxies & larvae or micro-organisms etc.). Certainly there are exceptions with "stink baits" or other scent infused products that are designed to be more effective as a scent than an action. But for the most part, I would use the bait as it was intended for optimal success.

There wouldn't be a problem with throwing something artificial on a tipup, however the bait wouldn't have action (since nobody is jigging it) that it was designed for. I'd look into a windlass tipup that feature a wind pane that act's as a jigger for the lure. Getting these set up can be tricky. But rigged properly, they are very effective for smelt, suckers or even something artificial like some gulp? Just a thought. I'd give it a shot. Maybe we are all missing out on something here.

[OnAFly]

Can it really be a whole lot different from using dead smelt? I would give it a try, in fact I might give it a try next time out

[titelines]

Thanks for the thoughts.

OnAFly: That's what I was thinking. What would be the difference between say a Gulp! smelt and a frozen cisco/smelt? You don't jig the frozen cisco on a tip-up either. Its main purpose it to spread its scent and present an easy meal for a hungry northern etc. If you drop something down there that spreads scent and looks like an easy meal, what would be the difference?

I've got a ton of this stuff in the tackle box, so I think I'm gonna try it this weekend and see what happens.

[SDPROV]

6 biggest northerns (37" to 43") that i have seen come of tipups were caught on smelt... its worth a try!