tips for landing more fish on tip-ups, wind-ups?

[ilovehardwater]

I have been fishing with the Windlass style tip-up or wind-up whatever you want to call it and have been missing alot of bites, last week I was fishing with my girl and probably had 25 flags go up and only landed 10 they were all Bass and Northerns the biggest being around 5#. Its great catching that many fish and running from flag to flag but the problem Im having is just after the fish trips the flag do I wait and let him take it a bit and set it or set the hook right away?? All tips are greatly appreciated...BT

[tisosy11]

Wait and let him run for a little bit...when it is slowing down cut back on the slack and set the hook...

[Scott M]

Kind of tough since you have two different species. I don't think the Windlass thing matters...a tip-up is a tip-up is a tip-up. A pike is like a little kid and a cookie jar. It'll take the bait and run, then stop and devour it in one piece, turning the bait headfirst. Bass are more like burglers-smash and grab. Bass usually just inhale, swallow, and head off on their merry way. If you don't know what has taken the bait you are better chancing it and trying to set the hook when they stop, but AS SOON AS THEY STOP AND NOT A SECOND LATER. More often than not I think most people lose more fish by trying to set the hook on the run. In that instance you are just pulling the hook out of the fish's mouth.

Good luck.

[Spazzums08]

I'm not sure about setting the hook as soon as the fish stops, if it was a pike, you might catch it with the bait positioned partially out of it's mouth. A good rule I've found is to wait until the fish starts moving again, then you know it's got the right part in it's mouth.