home made tip downs

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fishon36
fishon36
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Joined: 1/27/2009
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2/16/09 9:11 PM CST
Hello all--- I hope your ice fishing year is going well.... I had a question on the best design for the tipdowns. I've seen them made of wood and pvc. Does anyone have a good design that I could use to make a couple? I have never used them, but I have seen them used and they seem to do well on crappies and other panfish. I usually put out a couple of tipups, but the places that I've been going have been alittle slow for pike and walleyes. You can pm me if you would like-- any help would be appreciated! Thanks and happy fishing- Wink

Displaying Posts 1 through 15 of 129
kingsalmon
kingsalmon
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Joined: 2/19/2003
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3/4/13 9:47 AM CST
My tip downs have been in use for around 30 years and just tweaked over the years. I couldn't be happier with the performance.

I can see them from a distance so I can spread out to find fish. I have time to get to them when spread out. They operate the way they are supposed to. I don't have to bend down to grab the rod, I can get over 10' on the first pull up. I can't see why I would need a different design but if I saw a better one, I surely would use it. I have not seen one in 30 years. Many of the locals I fish with up north have copied mine to an extent.

Perchhound
Perchhound
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3/3/13 9:46 PM CST
enough said

crappieguy
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3/3/13 9:22 PM CST
T.

That quite alright my design works just fine.

T.
T.
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Joined: 1/21/2004
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3/3/13 6:20 PM CST
I have some tipdowns that were designed 50 years ago and work better than anything you will ever design you want to know how to build them PM me.There will be a small charge for design....

crappieguy
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3/3/13 10:57 AM CST
Tobadsosad,

I would like to see them, I really doubt that they can sit at a 40 to 45 degree angle and then tip freely all the way to the ice. At best they would sit at 0 degrees totally horizontal and might tip but I just don't see them working as smoothly.

crappieguy
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3/2/13 8:45 PM CST
Kingsalmon,

You are exactly right, the ones that use a spinning reel are nothing more than a rod holder. They do not tip down freely once they pass the balance point like the other cheap poles do.

Anyone that thinks a spinning reel setup is a Tip Down they are wrong. They have either never seen a real Tip Down and how it works or they just don't care for them.

A true Tip Down sits at roughly a 40 to 45 degree angle pointed upward and it has very little resistance when it is pulled down. Once it reaches horizontal it free falls the remainder of the way to the hole. This gives the fish free line so it feels nothing at all.

kingsalmon
kingsalmon
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Joined: 2/19/2003
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3/1/13 2:50 PM CST
Besides the hand-over-hand tip down tipdowns I showed in previous posts, we also dabbled with some that hold regular rods and reels.

The problem with these is that they don't "tip down" like the natural ones. The fish feel them unlike the others. What I have found does help is to use a longer whippy rod. In the pic below, my friend has a shorter rod and it does not work as well as something over 30" and whippy. They usually drop the minnow with the shorter rod because they feel the pressure. I've had better success with the longer rod. That said, the catch rate on the hand-over-hand setup is far superior.

Once again, it is harder to spread out to find the bite with the rod/reel setups too as you really need to see the bit happen right away.

King whitebass eater
King whitebass eater
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2/28/13 8:15 PM CST
I don't use them! Crying Crying Wink

willfish 4food
willfish 4food
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Joined: 12/9/2010
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2/28/13 8:14 PM CST
How do you reel in your tipups? Crying

King whitebass eater
King whitebass eater
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2/28/13 7:30 PM CST
Anyone try the EZ fisherman tip downs. Looks like they might actually work on a rod with a spinning reel? The plastic reel setups are a not what I want. Want something for fishing 15-35 fow. I'm not old schooling it hand over hand either. For that case I'd just use a rattle reel!

brtn610
brtn610
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Joined: 12/30/2007
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2/28/13 5:41 PM CST
Here's what I do to ensure my rods are always balanced...pretty simple. Just a thin wire run on the handle with a slip sinker. Just slide the sinker to the point where the rod is best balanced and voila, a tip down that detects even the lightest hits with almost no resistance.

surf n turf
surf n turf
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Joined: 1/31/2007
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2/28/13 4:00 PM CST
I use black tip up hole covers when sunny. When it gets to cold I use portable aerators. Works like a champ. Battery operated ones, like frabill. Keeps the holes wide open

kingsalmon
kingsalmon
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Joined: 2/19/2003
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2/28/13 3:06 PM CST
I have no tricks and would love to hear some as well. We just slush the holes alot when it is below freezing. Keeps ya moving but cuts into jigging time.

waltereye sr.
waltereye sr.
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Joined: 6/25/2001
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2/28/13 11:49 AM CST
I have made my own tip downs also. Am very happy with them but, and this has probably been answered already. What tricks/tips do you gents have for using tip downs when it gets below 32 degrees to keep the hole from freezing. I know a person can fish to about 28 and do minor hole cleaning but after that....

Thanks, W Sr.

kingsalmon
kingsalmon
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Joined: 2/19/2003
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2/27/13 4:28 PM CST
CaptFillet, go with the longer rod. You won't be disappointed. the higher angle is a differentiator unless you are right next to them or see them just as they start to go. As I noted too, the longer rod lets you pull up more line on the hook set before you have to hand over hand.

[This post was last edited on 2/27/13 at 4:41 PM]
Displaying Posts 1 through 15 of 129
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