Build your own tip-ups

[B@ssmaster]

Hi all!

I know this is early, but it's the "be prepared" part of Scouts. I am a Boy Scout leader and the boys in our troop recently planned out their scout year. One event they would like to do is learn to go ice fishing with tip ups. As an avid ice fisherman, I have a lake in mind that is good for pike and bass through the ice, and enough augers, etc. The only problem is that none of the Dad’s in the troop own enough tip ups to outfit 10-25 scouts. I was wondering if anyone has a good simple design for a tip up that the scouts can make themselves? Failing that, does anyone know a source willing to cut a deal to a group of scouts if we were to buy some? We’d be looking for the most inexpensive models we could find. Of course, I need to come up with line, hooks, sinkers, etc. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Bassmaster

[McGurk]

The Gander Mtn in Bloomington has some tip-ups clearing out for 40% off, I'd call before you drive though. Good Luck! McGurk

[Juice]

Well this really isnt a tip up, but it works in a pinch if you need something made quick. Take a piece of wood about 2 or 3 inches in diameter. By 2 ft long. Drill a small hole through the middle. So it looks kinda like this:

---------

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--------- Then you run your line through the hole then tie it around the piece of wood. Then wrap your line around the length of the piece. Normally i use light braided line since that doesnt have bad memory like mono. But then you just tie your hook on and wieght it if necessary.

*one way to know you have a fish on is, once you set it, unravel about a foot of line. then re-wrap it off to the side. and if its gone when you check, you have a fish! Good luck.

[B@ssmaster]

Thanks for the ideas!

Bassmaster

[icenutter]

Maybe call some of the big manufactures (ie. HT enterprises, Frabill, etc) and tell them what you are doing and maybe they will send some free stuff your way as a corporate sponsor.

[FOOT]

We use to make our own tip ups out of old hockey sticks.

Cut off the blade, if not already broken off.

Attach a small hinge to one of the wider sides of the stick 7 inches from the top. The hinge should only be half of the hinge so you can slide a wire into it.

Use a wire, about the size of a coat hanger.

Slide the wire into the hinge to where it protrudes 1 inch.

Bend the protruding wire over so it won't fall out.

Put a u shaped bend in the other end of the wire for the fishing line to hang on.

Attach a small flag, red in color, to the wire just back of the u shaped bend toward the stick.

Attach one end of a small spring, about 3 inches long and not too heavy, about 2 inches below the top of the stick.

The spring can then hook over the wire and can be adjusted up and down the wire depending upon how high or low you want the flag and on how heavy the weight is on the fishing line.

Drop you hook and line down the hole and loop over the u shaped bend. You'll want the flag and wire to be close to perpendicular to the ice. That way when a fish pull on the line the flag/wire will dip down pulling the line off the u shaped portion and the spring will pull the flag/wire up

to show you have a bite.

We used these for severla years, in fact I still have a couple in my garage, and they worked pretty darn good. Caught lots of walleye, northern and big crappie on them.

Good luck.

As far as fishing line, sinkers, hooks, etc: I would send a letter directly to a manufacture. If that didn't work I think you would have good luck requesting it from Mills Fleet Farm.