Night fishing with Tip-ups

[G_man]

Does anyone have a keen idea (and cheap) for modifying a regular ol' Tip-up to alert you when the flag goes up? I'm speculating most of your ideas will involve sound or light. If my tip-up is close to my shack, I clip a jingle bell to my flag, so I hear when it goes up. But this idea doesn't work so well if the tip-up is a bit further from my shack. I'm thinking having a light come on is my best bet but I don't want to buy the new tip-ups with this feature built in.

[irvingdog]

Cylume sticks, or a set of "Strike Sensors".

[metrojoe]

I bought a real slender lighted bobber, thinking these would work great for walleye. Well, the bobber just barely supports it's own weight, and it sinks if you put any weight under it at all. Now I use it on my tipups. I just strap it on with a small binder.

[This message has been edited by metrojoe (edited 01-21-2003).]

[Guest]

Those Omni Lights work good. Small and relatively cheap at 7 bucks.
I also put a small strip of reflective tape ( 1 sq inch is more than enough )on my tip ups and tip up markers. Just line up the tape on the marker and flag shaft of the tip up so that when the flag goes up the two strips appear to be side by side. All you need is a flashlight to see if the flags up. Not fancy but it works good.
If nothing else the tape on the markers decrease the odds they will get clipped by a sled or other vehicle. Makes finding your boards in less than perfect weather easy too.

[Dave]

Some reflective tape will tell you whether the flag is near the ice or up in the air when hit by the beam of a flashlight. Refelctive tape also warns vehicles that the tip up is there.

[eyehunter]

You can actually by a little flashlight made especially for tip-ups, they have a mercury switch in them so the turn on when they get truned vertical when the flag goes up. I sure you can get them at Wal-Mart, look in the sporting goods section they come complete with a little clamp to secure it to the flag. If not Wal-Mart, any sporting goods store should have them.

[Mr. Pike1]

G-man, they actually sell these red lights that have a little clip on them that you clip to the flag...When flag goes up you can see the red becon from a great distance. I have also duct taped the glow stick or the glow batteries that go in the light bobbers. These all have worked.

[Steve Foss]

Simple one-two punch that works for tip-ups close by and far away.

Hear your tip-up: Get a set of the small jingle bells used by catfishermen. $2 for two sets at WalMart. Clip them to the shaft of your flag. Jingle jingle jingle go the bells when you get a flag. I clipped off the screw-on clip and tied string from the flag (close to the shaft) to the bells so they hang even more free and jinble easier.

See your tip-up: For about $3 a roll in the WalMart automotive section, you can get self adhesive reflector tape. On the hard plastic flags like Frabill uses, it works all by itself. On the flexible plastic flags Polar and most others use, I hot-glued the strips on. The reflect like crazy for a flashlight, Auorora Tech or Coleman lantern.

Good luck.

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 01-21-2003).]

[Guest]

I don't know how they did it accept that they used garage door opener parts. I fished in a friend of a friends shack once several years ago. They had a light board mounted to the ceiling in their 6X10 shack. They had lights for 9 tip-ups on the board. When the flag went up, a signal was sent and we knew in the shack which tipup it was because of the light on the board. The system really worked. Maybe someone else can explain how.

[ds]

Get a set of strike sensors, I used those one night on Mille Lacs, beeps loud enough to wake you up if you fall asleep, just sit back and relax.

[Nels]

If you want the sound to last longer than a few jingles, you can go to a discount greeting card store and get a musical card for less than a dollar. Rip the musical "speaker" and battery/chip out of the card, and rig it to your tip-up so that when the flag goes up, it is like opening the card.
I did this to one of mine, but I don't know if this very cold weather will cause it to freeze up.

Hopefully, I won't go crazy listening to the "Happy Birthday" song over and over.

I know I've seen cards that you can actually record a sound bite to play. If I find one of those, I think I would have it yell "Fish on" or "Flag...Flag"

I too, have thought about garage door openers (as well as other remote controlled toys). But I haven't scouted out the cheapest method yet.

Have fun with modifying your tip-ups

[This message has been edited by Nels (edited 01-22-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Nels (edited 01-24-2003).]

[Perch Jerker]

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[This message has been edited by Perch Jerker (edited 01-23-2003).]

[gill man]

I just made an alarm system to mount inside a shack. When a fish takes line, it turns a catch that makes a connection. I don't remember what the decible rating is but the thing is pretty loud. It doesn't make a buzzing noise, but a constant beeeeeeeeeeepppp. Should be loud enough to wake you up in a shack, and loud enough to hear from quite a ways away when your awake.
All you would have to do is have the flag arm make the connection to the battery when they flag springs. Most buzzers will cost about $3 from Radio Shack.

gill man

[George in Throop PA]

I do a majority of ice fishing here in Pennsylvania in the early morning hours (6:00 am - 2:00 pm or so), so the need for a light to indicate a flag on my tip-up is not necessary. I have gone out in the afternoon to try for the sundown bites, and that is just when I seem to get the most action for that time, right around that twilight period. Maybe I don't stay long enough into the night, but when do you night fishermen seem to get the most or any bites.
George in Throop PA

[Sinker]

I agree with Dave.I took some reflective tape maybe 1" x 2" and put it on the wire just below the orange flag.Folded it and stuck it to itself to make a mini flag.Then I took another piece and put it around the reel shaft tube,just below the trip tee.Just a quick check with a flashlight and if the reflective tape pieces are close together,it's not tripped.If the one is much higher than the other,FLAG!!!

[Steve Foss]

Sinker, good idea.

[Dave]

You could reflective tape the hole metal rod. If the reflective is sideways, no trip. If it's straight up, go running.

[snapjigger]

I have used calamyn? sticks. Just wrap flag around rod and rubber band a glow stick to the top of the shaft. Then take a hollow tube of some kind. I like the tubes you get off of used end mills. If the tube is clear just use electric tape and wrap around it. Slide the tube over the light. When the flag trips the tube will slide down the rod and expose the lighted glow stick. Works great and is visible for a good distance..

[This message has been edited by snapjigger (edited 01-24-2003).]