Tip-Up Setup

[GatorBait]

Anyone have any suggestions on a setup for tipups to catch some eyes. I've often played around with adding some spinners once in awhile but not sure if it's made a difference or not. Any suggestions??

[Willy]

Keep it simple. Run coated line and attach a small swivel to the end of it. Then use about a 5-6 ft. piece of 6-8lb flouro. To this tie on a #2 bait hook and tip it with a big shiner, chub or sucker if that is all you can get.

Spinners don't do any good IMO. Some people use them for pike and have success, but you could throw a hotdog on the end of your hook and catch slimers!

[Maximum12]

I go all the way down to a fathead. Caught a 28" walleye this way winter before last.

Another thing I do it use glo-jigs instead of plain hooks. It seems like the bit of extra color sometimes does the trick - at least for me they've been more productive than plain hooks. Something to try on the days they're not biting anyhow!

[Northlander]

I like a hook and colored beed with a split shot above it. If fish are active put the split farther up the line and let that minnow move around. If fish arent active anchor the minnow in place with split shot closer to it or a leadhead jig. Also cut a fin and that can really trigger a bite when its tuff.

Play with minnow type and size as well. At times they want big bait and at others they may want a crappie minnow.

[midwesthunter]

I love using tip ups for walleye fishing. I find that using a plain hook with a small shiner works great for walleyes and even some big crappies. Also, I believe that some types of tip ups work better than others. I have found that the HT Windlass tip up works best for walleyes. They do require a lot of attention but I catch 2-3 times more fish on this one than any other kind of tip up.

[flagsup]

love tipups for eyes,keep it simple like willy said,and a suggestion if your tipups are more than one season old do yourself a favor and buy some blue lube,dissamble,clean and relube before the season,youll see the water drops when you take thm apart,even after a year of sitting.FACT "sticky tipups lose fish"they might work ok if its warm out but when the temp drops its a problem if your wondering what blue lube is ask your bait dealer,or sporting goods store.heres to "FLAGSUP"cant wait

[Team Otter]

Ditto to what Northlander said. I have nothing to add to that.

[LoonASea]

Getting Blue Lube is the east part ,,,dissassembling an arctic fisherman (by beaver dam) has me baffled ,,any suggestions??,,

what I have done in the past is hook it up to my drill and let her spin for a while ( I dont feel that much drag but Im not a fish)

Randoid

[GatorBait]

Thx for the advice. I live fairly close to Beaver Dam, so for a few bucks I have them tune my tip-ups yearly, so I know they are done right.

[walleyes12]

I like to use a glow hook with a bigger shinner or suker minnow. I like to keep the tip up ways away from house, so any noise I create in the house wont spook the fish by the tipups.

[pike doctor]

Where are you hooking your shiners, suckers, etc?????? The back, tail, head, where????? I like to hook my minnows in the nasal passages, when i fish for gators, but i havent done much tip up fishing for eyes. Generally speaking are you fishing within about 18" of the lake bottom??

[huntingislife]

What I like to do is attach a small spinner and bead and use a small treble hook ( or just a treble in ND). Then put on 2 maybe 3 fatheads. This has been my most productive method for walleyes on tip-ups.

[walleyes12]

I like to hook my shiners and sukers through the dorsal fin, Just a personal prefrence for myself. I seem to have a much higher hooking percentage. The lake I do most my walleye fishing on, I usually fish about 2-3 inches off the bottom. remember not all lakes are the same and walleyes run at different depths.

[Team Otter]

Through the tail from the bottom to the top.

[TeddyBoy]

I hook all through the tail when using tip-ups. Usually within 1' of the bottom.

[gvg_uwec]

What type of hooks do you guys usually use? treble or something else. I use braided line, swivel, 12-18" mono leader(trying floro this year instead) and a small treble

[Northlander]

Usually a #2 or #4 baithook. I will do more with circle hooks but still not sold on them. Aberdeen at times.

[LoonASea]

I tied up some circle hook for the ice last nite ,,this was my first year of using them on open water and think for tip ups they just might be the ticket,,just dont set the hook like You normaly would,,, a slow pull is all thats needed

Good Luck and Be Safe!!!!!

Randoid

[GatorBait]

Yeah, I just bought a few circle hooks to try out this year too. Everything I've read or watched shows them working great and obtaining better hook sets. Guess we'll find out in a week or so.

[gvg_uwec]

I ended up buying 14lb fireline crystal for my tip-up leader material. Has anyone used fireline for leader material in the past.. any complaints, complements?

Also bought some #8 blood red circle hooks for on deadstick and under an icebuster set-up. What size do you like for a set up like this.I have never used circle hooks before and would love some feedback.

[Bobb-o]

circle hooks are great for tip-ups, not so great for deadsticking in my experience. The problem with circle hooks is that you have to keep telling yourself not to set the hook.

[LoonASea]

I will use a #6 circle hook for minnow heads ,,but up size to a #4 for minnows ,,,as mentioned before they work better for tip-ups ,,I havent used them on a rod thru the ice ,,,Let us know how it works for You

Randoid

[Jim Uran]

Simplicity is the key for icing walleyes on a tip up. Stick with the basics. Regular tip up line to a swivel and than a couple feet of leader material, what ever you want to use. The hook size should depend on the size bait you are using allowing enough gap for a good hookset. I always hook the minnow right behind the dorsal fin with the hook point facing towards the head. I like using big chubs 4" or so. Keep the holes free of ice too, so that when you do get a bite you don't have to go banging the ice out of the hole and possibly spooking the fish. I don't know, I guess everything in here had probably been said but this is how I do it.

[Team Otter]

Nice summary of a solid tactic leechbait. Well done.

[Bjjams]

I've started using Walleye Wide Gap hooks. The thing I like about these hooks is they seem to keep your shiner swimming straight. Sometimes, especially with the bigger shiners, they will work their way up the hook and they look like they are swimming on their sides. You probably wouldn't even know it. In my experience that leads to less flags. I've also started experimenting with floro line instead of mono. I'm not completely convinced but it definetly has some pluses.