What is Your Favorite Tip Up?

[blackdog1101]

I've got 2 nice wooden Frabill tip ups, they seem sturdy & well made. But I don't like how the holes freeze over. Are the round ones better? Do the black ones really warm up and keep the hole from freezing? Do you like the ones that keep the spool of line above the water or below the water better? Any other features to consider? Thanks!

[HUMMER 55]

you got the good tip-ups you just need to go to cabelas and pickup there foam circle rings to cover the hole. there black foam about 1" thick with a slit in them for the tip-up shaft. now throw a little sun on it and the hole is open all day long. even at zero degrees!! they really work great problem solved.

[taits_papa]

i agree, the black foam rings work much better than those orange cicular tip-ups. not always as handy, but definately keep the holes open.

[blackdog1101]

Great, thanks guys, I'll check them out. Gives me an excuse to go to Cabelas.

[Doop]

Beaver Dam. Best tip up made period.

[DankShow]

I will second the beaver dam comment... And after tonights project of re-lubing it up- I cant even begin to think anything is nicer.

[blackdog1101]

I've looked at the Beaver Dam and the Frabil Classics (the kind I own). Aside from a different line guide, I can't tell the difference between the two. Am I missing something?

[DankShow]

no-probably not, other than price I would imagine. Although I have never used one, so I dont really know the smoothness of the spool spinning. I have a HT polar tip-up (hole cover one) and I do not mind using it when its really cold out to help keep the hole open longer, but I can tell a little difference in the ease of line coming off. Thats the one reason I like my beaver dams, they spin really easily. And I just use one of the foam hole covers if its really cold. Will that little difference in smoothness matter??? Who knows...

[Paul_Kramer]

I have a regular HT Polar tipup, and have never had any problems with it. If it starts getting cold, I use one of the foam covers to insulate it. They're easy on the wallet, and are plenty smooth for me. I guess I can't speak for the Beaver Dams, but my brother has a round insulated Frabill, and it isn't any smoother than the HT. It's worked for everything from northerns to small trout and even some panfish for me.

[52#FLATHEAD]

Worth or HT pop-up. Not affected by the wind, only a fish can pop the flag, variable line tension, spool & actuator will never freeze because it's all below the water, easy to chip out of frozen hole, can be seen by snowmobilers so they don't run over them & very easy to see from far away when a fish is on.

[hoggs222]

Speaking of Tip Ups. I've got a few Frabill Classics and just picked up some of the Cabela's tip up lights. Has anyone used these?

[Drewski]

Beaver dam. They are a little bit extra, but it beats any other tip up out there!

[HUMMER 55]

I just bought a cabelas lighted tip flag with the shaft ect. ill be trying it this weekend on cass lake. Ill let ya know next week. it doesnt appear real bright during the day time as it only has 1 led bulb but i think at night it will be fine. its not a strobe light however !!!

[picksbigwagon]

I really like the arctic warrior tip up system, which is not your typical tip up. You use a ice fishing rod and reel and leave the bail open. with braided line, there really isn't anything you can't land with it, except for really toothy critters, they you'll need a leader of some kind.

[snoozebutton]

Beaver Dam's here too but have been thinking of something different when the time comes. They're pricing them out of my range now.

[Doop]

The tip up lights work really well.

I kind of "took over" some tip ups my dad owned when he was growing up...they happen to Beaver Dam tip ups and have been in use for now for over 20 years with NO up-keep on them whatsoever.

[DonBo]

What Doop said...my Beaver Dams are at least 20 years old and still work as good as new. I guarantee you nothing else out there can claim the same.

[metrojoe]

I like the Beaver Dam tip ups. I also have a few of the Frabill round tip ups, but I seem to have trouble from time to time with the line coming off the spool smoothly.

Last year I picked up an Ice Rigger(pictured in my avatar) It's a lot more fun fighting those pike at the end of a stout ice rod.

[&JAG]

Beaver Dam for sure. I have owned many other brands and they work fine, but when it comes to lights hit or Walleye tip-upping, Beaver Dam is the only way to go!

[heat checker]

you could find someplace that has carpet squares and cut a slot in it and place under tip up it works alright if not to cold

[art321]

Beaver Dam for sure but you can't beat the Frabill round tip-ups for the cold weather. I've probably caught more on the Frabills but I also have a windlass and have caught some good ones on those when conditions are right. You can catch fish on anything but I've had problems with all the others but not the Beaver Dam. As far as holes icing up I just use a piece of cardboard, spray painted black. Has worked fine for me. Haven't used the foam covers but the radiant energy through the cardboard seems like it would be better than through foam.

[EyeGuide]

A few years back I bought a bunch of the orange Frabill tip ups and after using them only a couple days I sold them all. They keep your hole open OK but I tried to set them as light as possible and I still missed over half the bites. The flag tension is too strong and it takes too hard of a hit to set them off. Maybe the four I had were defective? but I don't think so. They would work for Pike but not very good for walleye. I went back to the standard style tip ups with a piece of foam and I would never go back.

[EyeGuide]

Haven't used the foam covers but the radiant energy through the cardboard seems like it would be better than through foam.

FYI: The water has heat in it so if you can contain that heat you'll have open holes even if the sun isn't out. That's why the foam works better. I'd recommend trying it out.