Spend a few minutes talking ice fishing with me and you’ll likely hear me say that I prefer not to use tip ups when ice fishing. I’m more of a mobile ice angler and tip ups (sometimes) act like anchors. It seems like I no sooner get my tip ups in the water, than I am ready to move again. However, I recognize that there are days when certain species, especially the lake trout and white perch in Lake Winnipesaukee, will only eat a live smelt. Sometimes it’s harder to be mobile because I’m with a large group of people. If I want to catch fish on those days, I must step outside my comfort zone and set some tip ups. Besides, the majority of my clients love chasing flags and making sure they have fun catching fish is a priority.
When I’m guiding and fish are on the move, I find it especially advantageous to put out a few tip ups. Also, the larger the group, the harder it is to move everyone around, and the more I will rely on tip ups to help pick away at spread out fish. They not only make excellent scouting tools, because you can spread them out, but they serve as indicators to let you know if you’ve missed your mark, or if the fish are traveling just out of range.
On Lake Winnipesaukee, each angler is allowed two lines, which means everyone can jig and have one tip up in the water. With larger groups that’s a lot more lines in the water than jigging alone. I can spread them out over an area and increase the number of fish caught, especially on days when the fish prefer live bait. On most other lakes in New Hampshire, the limit is six lines per angler, which can mean far more fish than just jigging. Fishing tip ups also helps locate nomadic schools of fish that might otherwise swim by just out of sight of your set up. Tip ups can be effective on large expansive mud flats, such as those found on lakes like Lake of the Woods in northern Minnesota. Fishing mud flats can be hit or miss, since you’re waiting for fish to cruise by. If you’re fishing for food, spreading out tip ups can add valuable fish to your fish fry.
Like most ice fishing gear, advancements and innovations have given anglers far more choices than ever before when it comes to tip up fishing. More choices in tip up designs can make tip up selection a bit more daunting, but more choices also means anglers can tailor even their tip up fishing to meet storage requirements and fishing style. I have become a huge fan of the Trophy Thermal Tip Ups from Clam Outdoors. They are an insulated tip up that covers the hole and helps prevent it from freezing. They work surprisingly well at preventing freeze ups. Their 10.5-inch diameter means they will cover a 10-inch hole. I don’t fish a 10-inch hole, but many anglers do. They also store nicely inside a 5-gallon bucket.
Whether you’re trying to locate fish, fishing for food, or just love the fun of chasing flags, tip ups are not only a ton of fun, but they can be very productive. Use them to cover a diversity of areas and bottom types. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You can jig and fish tip ups or fish only tip ups. Consider why you’re there and decide if tip ups will be right for you that day. If you want to be more mobile, you may want to leave them at home. If you have kids or anyone who loves the surprise of the flag and the anticipation of finding out what is on the other end, then you might want to consider tip ups. Whether they are used as a tool to catch more fish, or a method of increasing the fun, I almost always have at least a couple with me.
