Ice Fishing Tipups - Evolution in the Making

[Leecher]

Guys,

since hard water fishing is just around the corner for some of us and not much going on, thought I'd share some of my creations. Ever since I started to ice fish and my dad build me my first set, always had an intrigue in creating the perfect weapon for catching them.

 

My first go at it on my own and this is the result

 

 

Remember the old fishing show with Bill Saiff "Rod and Reel Stream Side" well tried to get the shows slogan onto my project and while fishing would somewhat get the message to others.

Thought it was cool idea but those did not get much use since I preferred the ones dad made for me.

 

A little later on, try it again but this time had to fit 5 tipups into the wooden box my dad made me. With careful measuring and spending a lot of time on the paint job, this is the result

 

 

Tried a few different models and again was not satisfied, here a shot of them

 

 

Then it dawned on me and went back at it again but this time it had to be totally different looking, my dilemma was to custom cut a design in a 1" x 2"piece..... so I finally got an idea and proceeded to go ahead with it and here is the result

 

 

Got another idea on 1" x 3" piece

 

 

 

But still wasn't satisfied.... wanted a model that looked like a shape of a riflle..... got to work and this is the results

 

 

 

On the above pic, the reel is custom made out of wood..... what a long job that was. Did not tried them yet but I'm sure for pan fish it will do the job.

 

Made myself another set, similar but different paint job. rigged them with plastic spools...

 

 

But that did not stop there..... had to build more and this is the final model I created.... I call them "my signature series" and got to finish the paint job on them.

 

 

Looks similar to my last ones and got to rigged them with plastic spools and they are ready to go

Hope you enjoyed

Leechman

[bigugli]

They look like they will work just fine. Good job.

[pike slayer]

carpentry at its finest haha! great little project! i made up a pile of different ones in the past, i got a few ideas in my head, i should really make them for this hardwater season!

[Mike the Pike]

I hope I get to use one of those when I meet up with your gang this winter.

 

Jeez I don't like mine anymore.

[Whitespinnerbait]

Jacques.........

 

Practise makes perfect ,, well done my friend . I guess the gun style ones you made were as a back up ,, if you miss a fish you can always shoot it.

 

[Leecher]

They look like they will work just fine. Good job.

 

Thanks Bruce

 

carpentry at its finest haha! great little project! i made up a pile of different ones in the past, i got a few ideas in my head, i should really make them for this hardwater season!

 

Thanks pike slayer If you ever get to make them, I'd like to see them

 

I hope I get to use one of those when I meet up with your gang this winter.

Jeez I don't like mine anymore.

 

Mike no problems, you'll have the first go at it, I promise

[Leecher]

Jacques.........

Practise makes perfect ,, well done my friend . I guess the gun style ones you made were as a back up ,, if you miss a fish you can always shoot it.

 

Thanks Paul, that thought never came to mind but I like it

[Mike the Pike]

Jacques.........

 

Practise makes perfect ,, well done my friend . I guess the gun style ones you made were as a back up ,, if you miss a fish you can always shoot it.

 

 

Paul.......What do you know about Jacques ice fishing????

[Sinker]

Those are neat......do you have a pic of one set up?

 

Sinker

[Leecher]

Those are neat......do you have a pic of one set up?

Sinker

 

Thanks Sinker Not on ice but this is the best I can do.... it's so balanced that it stands on it's own

 

Edited December 2, 2008 by Leechman

[jwl]

right on, that's a nice setup...

 

here is a handmade one from me, you probably cannot see from the pic, but it is spring loaded with 2 setting for soft and hard hits...you get a good tug...the spring snaps back and hopefully.....fish on!!!

 

The eye hooks near the head are the guides for the line..the ones in the middle are the ones that you put the spring on and set the line around the end of the spring...it easily pops off the stand to wind the line up and haul the fish in

Edited December 2, 2008 by jwl

[Beats]

I love the yearly threads of home made tip ups. Some are really creative. I like some of the more obscure ideas so long as they function well.

[johnnyb]

I'm amazed that it stands on it's own...that's balanced !

[Leecher]

right on, that's a nice setup...

here is a handmade one from me, you probably cannot see from the pic, but it is spring loaded with 2 setting for soft and hard hits...you get a good tug...the spring snaps back and hopefully.....fish on!!!

The eye hooks near the head are the guides for the line..the ones in the middle are the ones that you put the spring on and set the line around the end of the spring...it easily pops off the stand to wind the line up and haul the fish in

 

Thanks jwl I like your idea of the spring load setup, very cool, good job

[Leecher]

I'm amazed that it stands on it's own...that's balanced !

Thanks johnnyb

[Sinker]

I've been using these for the last 20 years. Very sensitive set up.

 

 

 

Sinker

[Leecher]

I've been using these for the last 20 years. Very sensitive set up.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c15/Sink...75/P1270025.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c15/Sinker1975/bobber.jpg

Sinker

 

Cool..... simple setup and efficient I like it

[Beans]

Thanks Sinker Not on ice but this is the best I can do.... it's so balanced that it stands on it's own

 

 

I can see it standing up perfectly balanced in your house but surely it needs some kind of base outside with a stiff wind blowing across the ice ???

[highdrifter]

That's quite the handy work Jacques!! The things we do for love...

 

You're making me home sick.. I hope to get some time on the ice this year.

 

Coupla questions though: What did you use for the plastic spools? And are those rigs for specific species?

 

Very nice.

 

merci

HD

[Leecher]

I can see it standing up perfectly balanced in your house but surely it needs some kind of base outside with a stiff wind blowing across the ice ???

 

Beans, that was just to take the picture. On ice I stick the base into the snow and splash a little water so that it freezes it. I've drilled 10 holes into the top so that you can ajust the sensitivity..... and the reel is ajustable too

[Leecher]

That's quite the handy work Jacques!! The things we do for love...

You're making me home sick.. I hope to get some time on the ice this year.

Coupla questions though: What did you use for the plastic spools? And are those rigs for specific species?

Very nice.

merci

HD

 

Thanks HD I bought the plastic reels at Walmart for $2.99 each I believe and they come with the screws to afix them onto the top. All I had to do to this design is to leave enough space so that the reel fits at the back of the top piece. If I recall 4 1/4" is the measurement.

 

There are two kinds, with and without ball bearings. The ones I've bought have bearings in them, the reason for it is when a fish strikes, the tip goes down, when it's completely down, the reel will start unspooling and you can hear the noise the ball bearings makes.

 

The rigs are for multi species, all depends on what settings you set them and how hard you set the drag on the spools.

Edited December 3, 2008 by Leechman

[bigugli]

You can also tighten or loosen the spool pin to provide a certain amount of drag when a fish is taking out line from the tip up.

I bought 6 at a buck each at season's end at Walmart. Good deal.

Edited December 3, 2008 by bigugli

[highdrifter]

Thanks HD I bought the plastic reels at Walmart for $2.99 each I believe and they come with the screws to afix them onto the top. All I had to do to this design is to leave enough space so that the reel fits at the back of the top piece. If I recall 4 1/4" is the measurement.

 

There are two kinds, with and without ball bearings. The ones I've bought have bearings in them, the reason for it is when a fish strikes, the tip goes down, when it's completely down, the reel will start unspooling and you can hear the noise the ball bearings makes.

 

The rigs are for multi species, all depends on what settings you set them and how hard you set the drag on the spools.

 

Ah gotcha. I was thinking leftover line spools, so more assembly involved.

 

They must work well for pike! Just enough drag so you hear the spool turning..

 

That's a nifty idear!

[wallyboss]

What kind of wood are you using. I made some a couple of years ago and in 2 winters all of them have broken. But I have some that are over 20 years old and they are still as solid as the day I made them, but I don't remember what wood I had used.

[Leecher]

What kind of wood are you using. I made some a couple of years ago and in 2 winters all of them have broken. But I have some that are over 20 years old and they are still as solid as the day I made them, but I don't remember what wood I had used.

 

Dan,

tried cedar but find it breaks easily, so now I use white pine in 1" x 2" x 4' piece. It's a softwood, easy to cut and won't break as easily as cedar..... and I always put on 2 coats of waterbase paint and 1 coat of waterbase varnish to preserve it.