Best Tip-up for Pike/Large minnows?

[Patrick Star]

I have been using Polar 2's for a long time but I have a problem with them being set off by large minnows and the wind. Have tried all the tricks, build a snow burm around it, clip the tail on the minnow,steepen the angle of the flag by raising the spindle, even bending the flag wire up. I have most of my problems because I am fishing very shallow(4 to 6ft) and that does not allow for line stretch. Is there a trick I am missing or a better style of Tip-up to use in this situation. Any ideas are appreciated.

[Guest]

Definately a problem that has always irritated me. This year I think I am going to try wrapping the deeper well spindle side with electrical tape just past the groove to make the groove deeper and thus requiring more pull to trip. It will take some experimenting to see how much is needed so it holds the minnow and yet not too much resistance that they'll drop it or the minnow will rip off the hook.

[Bob_D]

Here is a trick that will work with big bait. Take a cloths pin and attach it to the frame of your tip-up so that it will hang in the water about even with your spool. I drill a hole in the end you squeeze and use a piece of dacron line to attach it. Take your line coming off the spool (that goes to the bait) and clip it in the cloths pin. How deep into the gripper of the cloths pin will adjust the sensitivity of the release. It works just like a downrigger release.

Pike "S" coil and strike pretty hard, so they don't notice the line coming out of the release. After the initial strike your spool will spin free so they won't feel any pressure and drop the bait.

As far as wind flags...I use Heritage Laker tip-up and I have ZERO wind flags with them. They are made in Maine and are popular out here in New England.

[Steve Foss]

I mostly use polars as well. I get no wind flags, or almost none, if I rotate the tip-up so the wind pushes the flag shaft into the spindle. A strong wind will hold it there, but when a fish takes the bait it'll still release.

I avoid false flags with big bait by simply clipping off the bait's tail fin. Makes a more enticing wiggle that way anyhow, truly a wounded minnow. If you're using really big baits and that's not quite enough, you can take off a few more fins, but it's the tail fin that usually does the trick, and I've used the trick on suckers to 12 inches with no problem.

[hanson]

I use the Frabill thermal tip-ups almost exclusively. The metal line guide on the spool is bent into a paper clip type of shape. I feed the line through the guide and then gently pull it up between the pieces of metal of the "paper clip". It doesn't take much to hold a large sucker minnow and the line is easily popped out when the fish takes the bait.

I'll try to get some photos up. Will probably be after the weekend.

[ScottO]

Actually, I think that raising the flag makes it trip easier, not harder. The lower the flag the more tension on the spring is what I always thought. I agree with one of the above posters - alway put the flag so the wind is blowing it againts the shaft of the tip up. I rarely get wind flags if I remember to do this. I also bite the tails off all of my minnows to get more action out of them.

ScottO

[Derrek Caflisch]

What I've found that works really well on the "T" shaped turret tipups is sliding a fat O-ring on the hard setting post. The rubber O-ring makes a larger step for the flag to hop over and works with very larger suckers. Works best on the tipups with the larger "T" style top like polars.

Derrek

Central Wi.

[fiskyknut]

Hey Derrick that is a GREAT idea man, I use Polar type tip-ups and a yellow offshore release rigged like Bob D mentions for years and it works great, but I'm gonna have to give that a try for sure.

Less 'stuff' to monkey 'round with eh! Kind of a 'why did'nt I think of that' too!!!

Welcome to FM Derrick, Your first post here was most excellent and I will hope to see more.

Thanks,.....fiskyknut