What kind of tip ups to use?

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Just wondering what everyone is using for tip ups. The classic kind, the fabrill orange thermals, the jigging kind, Windlas tip ups.

Would like to have everyone comment on what they are using, and why they use this tip up.

For myself, I use a standard wood classic tip up with a frabrill artic siren on it, and an orange thermal tip up for when the temps are cold. Love the siren cause it warns me in the hut. Use the termal when it's real Cold and icing over fast preventing the use of my other tip up.

[Glockwinger]

I use the orange Frabill thermal and the classic wood (for when it is not too cold). I use the Frabill most of the time. I have yet to get the siren, but plan to.

[Surface Tension]

I use the classic Beaver Dams and Fish Brothers. All with bells and lights.

[Farley]

For years I was a religous user of the thermal tip up, thought it was the greatest thing in the world but now have gone back to the classic Frabill wooden tip up. I guess I like being able to see down the hole at the spool to make sure it's not wrapping around itself when I give it slack.

[picksbigwagon]

I have the classic kind, the thermal tip up, but the one I use currently is the one from Clam. You strap a metal balancing piece to your fishing pole, set the tip up and when it is time to fight the fish, you are using a fishing pole, not your bare hands.

[coldmark]

I bought a couple of used Beaver Dams in the off-season and fixed them up nice. They look beautiful but I keep going back to the $9 black Polars. I like the little handle on the spool and I like the ability to slide the line in and out of the guide. It's also much easier to tighten the frame to hold the shaft steady. This stuff is difficult or impossible with the Beaver Dam.

One of my fishing partners went to the Beaver Dam factory and asked them why the line guide is closed. They said the majority of fisherman prefer it that way. I find that hard to believe. Does anyone like the Beaver Dam guides? I can't think of any reason that makes that a better design, but I must be missing something.

[NyQuiLlama]

I have about 15 Beaver Dam tip-ups, I love them.

I like the solid guides because the hole is large enough that they never freeze up and they are solid. I've had the wire-coil guides found on most tip-ups bend and freeze up in extreme conditions. I like things that I can drive my four-wheeler over and they will be fine.

[Huey]

I agree with Coldmark. The only advantage to the classic wood style is that can take a little more abuse than the plastic polars when they get frozen in or partially frozen in. The wood handles being pounded or an accidental hit from a chisel better than plastic at -10 F. Other wise, the cheap plastic tip-ups are hard to beat.

That being said, all I use is Beaver Dams. They work great and I just like them better than plastic tip-ups.

[Shack]

Finkey's Fish Factory and Frabill insulated orange one.

[walleyedan]

Arctic Fisherman/Beaver Dam. They are the best, ever.

Walleyedan

[gopher_nation]

I use a Frabill Classic almost all the time unless it's really cold or blowing snow then I use the orange thermal one. The Classic's just seem to run a lot smoother when they are lubed up good. I also put bells on my flag so I hear it go up when it's dark out.

[FL SNIPER]

Beaver dam tip-ups all the the way! I hope they never change the way they make them!

[BKB]

Beaver Dam are the only ones I have ever used, maybe because I grew up there but I have never had an issue with them in 30+ years.

[minnbowhunter]

Quote:

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Arctic Fisherman/Beaver Dam. They are the best, ever.

Walleyedan

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What he said

[Glockwinger]

A slight thread hijack...

Cabin Fever Sports in Victoria has Artic Sirens on sale for $9.95 for the tip ups.

Picked mine up yesterday.