Tip Ups and Tip Up line?

[cRaPpiEMaN8265]

Well i am now running short on tip ups after a snowmobiler ran over one of mine so what do you all think is the best kind out there?? I like the thermal ones personally and also have a magnetic frabill one that i like but would like more suggestions.. I am also sick of the plasticy line i have on my old ones and would like to switch that out so what kind do you all recomend??

Thanks for the help.

Ryan

[Random guy]

I still swear by my Fabrill Classics and Beaver Dam rigs. Same design for decades so something must be working for them.

I use the foam hole covers along with the classic style tip up and seldom have a freeze up.

For line I have tried all sorts of stuff and still like the good old black braided dacron best.

As for the snomobiles stand up a shovel or something that likes to eat fiberglass so they have to go around it or scratch up their sled. I never uderstood that wipping by so close to fishermen trick.

[AWH]

My HT Polar Tip Ups have always performed well. As far as lines, the suggestion to use dacron is a good one. I have Tuf Line spooled up on my tip ups, I believe it's 50 pound. Just took it off one of my old musky reels years ago and put it on the tip ups. Best tip up line I've ever used. Tuf Line does soak up a lot of water. So if it's really cold out, it does ice up and doesn't wind on the spool the best. But when I get home I just take them in, thaw them out, and spool the line back on tight. If I'm fishing for walleyes, I just tie on a mono leader and I'm good to go.

Aaron

[jwhjr]

Has anyone had issues with the dacron line breaking? I had 25# line on my tip up and had it broken over the weekend while pulling in a northern. I let the fish run when it wanted to run and didn't horse it in, but it broke before I even got the fish to the hole. I guess that means the fish was over 25#...

[metrojoe]

I've got a few of the Frabill thermal tip ups and they work very well. They do really slow down or eliminate your hole freezing over. This past fall when the GM in Maplewood started they're liquidation sale they had ice fishing gear for 40% or 50% off. I bought 2 of the Beaver Dam tip ups and have had great success with them so far this winter.

Last week I picked up an Ice Rigger(pictured in my avatar). I caught my first northern on it this past weekend. It was my first time fighting a pike on an ice rod and boy was it ever a blast. Totally different experience than pulling them in hand over hand. I do have some concerns with line freeze up when it's really cold, but I haven't had a chance to test it.