"How to set up an ice fishing Tip Up"

How to set up an ice fishing Tip Up

When ice fishing the most important thing is first set up the tip-ups.A tip up is a horizontal stick set over a hole (previously drilled) and the spool that holds the fishing line sits in the water under the ice to keep it from freezing (See Figure One). There is a wire trigger that runs to the spring wire that has the flag attached that holds it down until a fish bites, this releases the spring wire and allows the flag to pop up letting you know that there is a fish has latched on.

Figure One

 The first step is rigging the tip up to be used by putting line on. Do not use monofilament, you should choose a braided line to wrap around your spool.

Next you will tie the leader to the other end of the swivel. The swivel will enable you to change leaders quickly if they become damaged. Use between five to ten feet of leader (a leader is a short piece of metal with a loop hole used to attach hook to fishing line). The strength of the leader will depend on what you are planning to fish for. Heavier test line should be used if you are pursuing larger fish.

The last step of the rigging process is to attach a hook to the end of the leader. Hook size will also vary depending on the bait you will use and what type of fish you are fishing for. Now you are ready to fish but don't rush to throw your tip-up in the hole; you need to determine your fishing depth first (See Figure two).

Figure Two

You can use a fish finder to locate the depth at which the fish are or you could buy a traditional depth finder.  A depth finder is basically a heavy weight you can clip on the end of your line to see how deep the water is.

Attach the depth finder to your hook and lower it into the hole. Allow the line to go out until it hits the bottom. You can tell when the depth finder hits the bottom because your line will become slack. Lift your line up until you feel the weight of the depth finder again. You have now determined where the bottom is. Now it's time to reel the line back up so you can bait the hook, do not however reel the line back in to the spool (See Figure 3).

Figure 3

 The line out of the spool tells you how deep you have to be.  Attach a split shot to the line to provide an adequate amount of weight to sink your bait. Bait your hook and lower the line to the marked location on your line. Be sure your line is run through the guide so it can trigger the flag. Set your flag down in the holder and place the whole setup above the hole (See Figure 4).

Figure 4

You are now finished and ready to catch the big one. Wait for the flag to rise and when it does check your line immediately! Now that you know how to use a tip up, the numbers of fish you catch will more than likely increase. If you complete the process properly the tip up will work effectively and efficiently. The more practice you have at setting tip ups the better you will become at ice fishing. The better you become at ice fishing the bigger your fish, which in turn allows more bragging rights in the ice shack.