Junky Flags on Tip Ups

[blackdog1101]

I realize that in the great scheme of things this is pretty much the smallest problem on Earth. But, am I the only guy who finds these orange plastic flags with about 3 drops of adhesive to be annoying? Take them out in the cold, the flag stiffens up and the adhesive breaks, and sometime when I'm not looking the flag disappears with the wind.

I don't know if any manufacturers read this board (Frabill, I'm looking at you) but for Pete's sake, put enough glue on the flag to hold it onto the spring arm. I've got 2 tip ups now where the plastic flag fell off and blew away. I'm going to buy some bright colored duct tape and fix all my tip ups so this won't happen any more.

OK, I've got that off my chest. Carry on.

[rob_med]

Amen

[blakeb]

i have the solution, go to a junk yard and get an antena off of a car that has a telescpic antenna clip off the tip up flag's "arm" about three inches from the base, glue the telescopic antena and glue a flag to the end, you now can extand the flag to about 30 inches.

[hopeforfish]

I like to switch out the flags with Duct tape. That way my flags are a different color than everyone elses.

[GotALunker]

I like to take those little American flags you can find about town or lying around during 4th of July and replace the factory flags with one of those. Hot glue it on and have the old lady finish it off with a seam to keep it from coming loose. Then you can feel all patriotic when your fish takes off with your bait!

[MattL]

The first thing I do when I buy a new tip-up, no matter the brand,is cut the flag off and replace it with reflective tape. You don't need much to see the flags during the day and the tape works well at night to spot your flags (without a blinking light alerting everyone else) and prevent them from being run over.

[VMS]

Hiya,

I was at Gander Mountain the other day. They had a blaze orange polyester vest with a blaze hat on clearance for under $10. So...I cut new flags from the vest, using the outside seam (which is looped around and sewed to the main fabric. The outside seam fit right over the shaft of the tip-up wire.

I've got enough to make probably 30 flags from the vest if need be.

Once cut, I took a lighter to the edges of the new flag to melt the ends from fraying. so far so good...

Steve

[leakywaders]

Hey BD! Hope Minnetonka is treating you good!

Blaze orange duct tape did the trick for me!

See you around!

Brian

[LMITOUT]

Try the thermal tip-ups. Those flags are on pretty good.

[quickfish6]

Thermal Tip ups never had a problem with the plastic flags. I always put reflective tape on them it helps a lot at night!

[Scott M]

Yeah, I got some cheapees a few years back that the plastic flags broke on. I guess R&D never tested them in this strange condition known to ice fishing as "cold temperatures." I put some orange duct tape on them and they work just fine.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I have a friend who'd dad and fishing partners put flags from different countries on there tip ups. When the flags fly they yell the name of the country. Its pretty entertaining!

[KidMoe]

I've found reflective tape over part of the original flag to be the ticket. Also i put the tape on in such a way that i can tell with a flashlight if it's up or down in a snap. Also wards off snowmobiles.

[walleyeslammer]

I prefer either plastic flags or gorilla tape

[Carpenter]

duct tape was my answer too. didn't have fancy orange though, that would have been nice

[Steve Foss]

Thermal Tip ups never had a problem with the plastic flags. I always put reflective tape on them it helps a lot at night!

I always did the same thing when using the thermals. A narrow (1/2 inch) strip of reflective tape running up the long side on both sides of the flag was just right. Get that flag faced the right way and it was easy to see with a lantern or a quick flip of the headlamp if the tape ran horizontal (no fish) or vertical (fish). Added jingle bells so sound was another telltale and those tip-ups become a nighttime deadly weapon.

You can actually do the same thing with the flexible/cloth flag style tip-ups by running a strip of reflective tape along a few inches of the metal shaft and folding it over.

[bobbymalone]

the reflect tape idea is genius.

[Steve Foss]

the reflect tape idea is genius.

I wish it was my idea. I read about it here on the forums quite a few years ago. Learned about the jingle bells from an HSO member, too.

[walleyecheeks]

Buy Beaver Dam Tip-Ups. I've never had a problem with them. I have 2 that are 20+ years.

[rugbymn]

Get an Arctic Siren. Then you don't need flags. Just listen for the car alarm.