Heated Tip-up Boxes **UPDATED w/ PICS**

[sticknstring]

Anyone use these contraptions? I'd like to build one this weekend after seeing how well they work from afar... I've lost enough fish due to freezing holes that it's time to upgrade. I mainly fish out of portables so I'm not looking for cords running to the house or anything. We had a small discussion in the Mille Lacs forum in this regards but I was hoping to draw a greater response here... Anyone willing to give some input or share some pics of theirs? Thanks.

[Crusty old Swede]

Yes, my friends and I went to these after a few really cold nights froze in our tip-ups even with styrofoam covers around the holes and snow banked around that. We favor old coolers for the box, they're already insulated and the drain holes are just about right for fresh air vents. My box is a 32 quart size and works ok. It will keep the ice thickness to a skim down to 5 degrees or so and about a 1/4 inch down to -20 when left over night. We use votive candles for heat you'll need to rig up a chimney / globe to keep the candle lit when you open the box. We mounted tip-ups to scrap plywood pieces cut to fit the bottom of the coolers. If you save the piece of cooler and plywood that you cut out for the fishing hole you can rig up some kind of retainer and close the hole when transporting the box. With my cooler, which is taller and skinnier than most, I had to cut part of the tip-up frame off to fit it in. I used a hinge at the flag end of the tip-up to attach it to the plywood so the tip-up can swing up to the side out of the way when a fish bites. To detect bites we used switchs wired to buzzer inside our house. This works but is a mess and if you fish at night and the sleds go by you're just waiting for the buzzer and box to take off after them. So it's radio wireless for us now, several companies sell ready to use bite alert units but we made our own out of R/C cars and musical greeting cards.

[fishhook8]

My fishing partner started making these many years ago and he is still perfecting. plywood box about 15 x 15 x15. on the top about 4" from the back edge cut the sides at an angle done to about 3" from the bottom. Hinge this piece to the 4" piece. The front is made of plexiglass. when you lift the front to open use a bracket that holds the top up. Don't know what they are called. This allows full access from the front. inside buy an oil lamp $5 at Menards. install a 7 amp battery. Install a set of points, use a small piece of plastic drill a small hole in one end double the line and insert and secure this plastic goes between the points. A rattle reel on a hinged arm goes over the hole. Make a handle to wrap speaker wire around. Install a switch and a buzzer. Wire the box so the plastic breaks the electric circuit. When the fish pulls the plastic out of the points the light on top goes on and the buzzer on the handle is energized. Also install a switch in the box to de energize when you get a bite or are not using. These work great. You can be 200' and be legal. You can catch more walleyes this way than having lines in the house. Also, with several people you can cover the hole structure you are fishing. The negative is getting out of a warm sleeping bag at 3 am to pull in a 10 walleye when is very cold. It does happen. The oil lamp will burn 8 to 10 hours. Be careful and check the wick setting it will carbon up very fast if set to rich.

[rooney5150]

Do you guys have pictures of this type of setup? I am having a difficult time picturing it in my head.

Thanks!

[sticknstring]

Good stuff so far guys... Anyone else? I like the hinged bracket rattle reel concept - I think that would work well over a stationary spool. I'm also in favor of the oil lanterns versus say a candle or propane setup. You wouldn't happen to have any pics of your design would ya? We're gonna attempt to tackle this project tomorrow. Good day to work in a heated garage building tip-ups rather than watching them out on the ice!

[LCC0709]

Fishhook8, If you do have pics to send that would be wonderful. Sounds like a great idea and I kinda have a pic in my head but would be a great help if we could see it. My e-mail address is [email protected]

Thanks,

[nytelyter]

have you seen the finikey's fish factory i believe fishhouse supply used to have them. but you can do a web search for em too. ... paul

[sticknstring]

Yeah someone mentioned these before... I tried a search and they appear to be what I'm after... heat, light, and battery powered all in a self-contained unit. But they're tough on the wallet. I can make 4 hotboxes for the price of the FFF. I never found a HSOforum just a pic on a boxstore's HSOforum.

[nytelyter]

there was one of the vendors at the ice fishing show that had them so i know they still have them available. e-mail me for the companys info i will send it to you insted of posting it here. they make them right in wisconsin. [email protected] ... paul

[fishhook8]

The finicky fish box is somewhat similar, except for the oil lamp. The oil container is to small and require frequent filling. The Menards $5 lamp last 8 to 10 hours depending on the wick setting which is touchy.

This weekend on an unnamed lake near Lindstrom with the extreme cold we managed 5 eater eyes. We put the boxes in our flip over with a heater on low to keep the holes open and when you did have to tend the line you were out of the wind. Nice to have a wheel house. I left my digital camera in my friend house so it may be some time before I can post a picture.

[Gator Slayer]

Have you thought of the Heat pump. I used a couple 2 weeks ago and they really kept the holes open. Actually opened the bottoms of the holes a little more than I would have thought. My next time out I'm going to drill a second hole next to the tip-up and pump the water from one hole to the next with a short lentgth of tubing. This will also keep the pump out of my tip-up hole. Though it was never in the way before. Just another option.

[sticknstring]

I've been hearing quite about about those heat pumps. Are you referring to the Strikemaster ones for around $25? Soemthing to think about...

Well here is our first attempt... Let me know what ya think so far and if you have any suggestions to improve upon. Dimensions are 16x14x12"

[beer batter]

Hey, that looks sweet.

Is the flag going up making contact with that protuding bolt what makes the light go on? So the circuit runs through the flag post? I think it will work pretty well.

[mskyfshntchr]

Looks good. One thing I would add is reflective tape on each side. Then if you do have them out at night, you won't have to worry about someone running into/over them.

[jiggin 4 fun]

I really like this idea and I understand how every

thing works execept how the flag itself is tripped.

Is the rod bent so that when the spool turns it releases?

Also what is the line spool made of?

Thanks in advance

[broman]

Looks like you have a small lamp in there. With the cover on does it burn out do to lack of air?

With that big of a battery, you might be able to use a portable aerator to help keep the hole open instead of a light that you will burn yourself on, or get wet when hauling in a fish.

Also, do you have a handle on the other side for reeling up the line? Or do you just move the box over and pull the line up by hand (did that once, never again, solid web of ice). Maybe you could make the front hinge open sideways so that you can push the box away from the hole, but still reel up the line.

I like it though, really cool design. It's a bit too large and bulky for portable owners, but nice idea if you have perm.

Might have to make one myself.

[sticknstring]

Great suggestions so far. In answering your questions... The protruding bolt does complete the circuit once the flag is tripped therefore turning on the light. One side of the rod was grinded down to a slope so as the spool spins the flag slides off the rod. The spool is made of styrofoam cones. I actually thought about the reflectors last night and will be attaching a few as I think they'll work better than tape. The whole spool assembly comes right out for fighting/hauling in fish. The box doesn't leave the hole. I have a few other ideas to improve upon as well and I'll try and get some updated pics up if anyone is interested. The next step is to rig up a wireless alarm so you don't have to be looking for the light all the time. Definitely a work in progress...

[LCC0709]

Awesome set up. I think I may even try to make one this week to use over the weekend.

Thanks for sharing!

[jiggin 4 fun]

I would be interested in more pics!!

[Go2fish]

I made 6 of these but mine are much simpler. I stole the disign of the fish factory for the box, it is nice to open at an angle then you can put your knees on the lid instead of the ice. I cut a slot in the top of it so I can slide a regular tip up in it and take it out if I want without doing anything. For heat I bought a case of the sterno heaters from the cafeteria at work for $20 they last about 10hrs each and there is about 30 in a case. The boxes are too big and bulky unless you are in the perm but the holes stay open in -20 all day. I wanted to use the rattle reel but couldnt think of a way to let me know I had a strike.

[sticknstring]

Yeah I picked up a $3 can of sterno as well but haven't had to use it. Only economical if you can get them bulk like you did. I tried out the oil lamp this morning and had problems with the flame going out. I drilled some angled air holes on each side and now it works almost too good. I put a thermometer in the box when it was -10 this morning. I checked on it an hour later and it was 50 above in there. I put a soup can lid for a heat shield on the top but I think a paint can lid should work perfect.

[love to hunt]

I something that looked like that once and it made a really cool little fire on the ice. I think the flame was too high.