Flags!

[popriveter]

I haven't gotten to spend much time on the ice yet this year, but have had more pike action on tip-ups than I can remember from any other winter. The pike have been very active so far this year in my experience. Anybody finding similar success, or did I just finally get lucky?

[CITY LIMITS]

Yes same here I have been out a handful of times this year and have had great success on my tip ups rigged for pike.Nothing big but a lot of flags it makes for a fun day on the ice.

[20lbSloughShark]

not me, i only went out once, but only got one northern and a bass. If only I could find my large suckers. Medium's just dont seem to do it.

[mrklean]

talked to a guy today spearing he said the same thing, with the very clear ice i think the pike are getting spooked by houses and hitting flags instead

[Gordie]

Same thing up here my son said that his buddys have been having a ball with tip ups this year altho nothing big but lots of chasin flags

guess this one time when red flags pop up its a good thing

[erikwells]

Bought a couple of the cheap tip-ups the other day. Didn't think it was a real big deal until I went to drop it down and it seemed like unless the fish hit it like a train that it was hard to pull the line off the spool and would scare off the fish. There was a small nut on the bottom of the spool that I loosened but did not make a big difference. What a not so cheap peace of [PoorWordUsage]. Maybe that is why I have little success putting out tipups? Any suggestions on the best tip up for the money because I will never buy one of these pieces of [PoorWordUsage] ever again. P.S. I'm sure you can guess the brand as it is the cheapest one you can buy.

Thanks.

[terrible_fisherman]

Frabil makes a good one. I have had good luck with the cheap ones myself though. Typically the feel of the flag popping or the spool having a little resistance is not going to scare off a pike. Heck I have seen them try to attack my trolling motor before.

[CITY LIMITS]

I just use the glacier bay tip ups and have had no problems with them.

[JBMasterAngler]

This has already been by far my most sussessful ice season for tip ups! It also happens to be the 1st time I've ever used creek chubs too. Got my biggest pike through the ice also. Gonna see if my success can trickle over to lake trout this weekend.

[fishuhalik]

i like the cheap ones, i think polar makes em? you know, black frame & really cheap. just mess with the sensitivity and you shouldnt have any problems

[erikwells]

Yup those were the ones. It wasn't how hard it was to trip the flag it was how hard the line came off the spool. (Brand new tip up)I loosened the nut on the spool put on new tip up line. Maybe I got a bad one but then it was two because both were like that. It has never happened before.

[BoneCollector9]

won't use anything but an HT. But honestly they all work. Have seen my buddies plastic flagged Frabill fail miserably due to the plastic flag and springs on them.

[pikerliker]

I've used the regular Polar tip ups and the round Frabill ones with no problems (other than my hook setting that is).

[BoneCollector9]

I think thats all of our problems haha

[popriveter]

I was only able to sneak out for 1 hour last week. I fished a dropoff with a tip up set mid-shallow and jigged a little Swedish Pimple deep lookong for panfish. I got one perch and 3 pike on my Swedish Pimple. While fighting the 3rd pike, the flag popped on the tip up and I landed my 4th pike! What gives? That's more in an hour than I catch in an entire winter some times. Any idea why they are so active?

[20lbSloughShark]

oh good, the year I don't get one day off in 3 months, they go crazy. I'm basically hoping for some days in late May now.

[Fish&Fowl]

I was only able to sneak out for 1 hour last week. I fished a dropoff with a tip up set mid-shallow and jigged a little Swedish Pimple deep lookong for panfish. I got one perch and 3 pike on my Swedish Pimple. While fighting the 3rd pike, the flag popped on the tip up and I landed my 4th pike! What gives? That's more in an hour than I catch in an entire winter some times. Any idea why they are so active?

They're active because they're pike! I think they're meaner and hungrier under the ice than in open water. Four fish in an hour is good but four fish in a season is pretty brutal, especially if you're targeting them. I'd keep experimenting...sounds like you had a pretty good learning experience already. It's hard to beat chasing flags!