As early ice settles in across the region and anglers take their first tentative steps out onto their favorite waters, the excitement builds for a season full of fast action, especially at the outset when fish are most aggressive under the frozen surface. From lakes teeming with walleyes to those prairie sloughs packed with plentiful pike, a solid part of any angler’s arsenal is the tip-up. Evolving from the “fish traps” of yore consisting of a spool of dacron, and a spring loaded orange flag on a wooden bridge, today’s models incorporate electronic alarms and Bluetooth options to help anglers when the bite is red hot. No matter how much better these modern fish traps become, beyond the basics there are some slightly more advanced tips to help make tip-up fishing more successful.

Cut clean

When preparing a hole for tip-up deployment, it’s often best to clear the cone of slush and ice away from the surface of the cylinder. First, it helps with an even set of the tip-up, so that the spool rests below the waterline. Foremost, however, is that when a fish is on, there are no chunks of ice or snow that have refrozen around the hole. This helps with the give-and-take of line as an angler hand-battles a fish up the water column and prevents that line from hanging up on any obstruction around the hole. Clear the area away with a shovel and scoop the excess out of the hole with a dipper to make the battle easier.

Stay sensitive

Many tip-up models offer varied levels of sensitivity, adjusted by which side of the flag holder the pole is placed. In addition to a deeper notch or a thinner one (the latter allowing for an easier release) one can use the prevailing wind. For a less-sensitive setting for aggressive fish such as first ice pike, place the deeper notch into the wind and tuck the post into it. For a more sensitive option for light biting fish such as walleyes, turn the smaller notch away from the wind and set the flag’s post there. The direction of the tip-up’s turn can also influence sensitivity and how easily a flag is released on a bite, so experiment with varied settings using these three variables to find what works best on a given outing.

Wind It up

Finally, on any tip-up spool, make sure that before deployment and after each fish, the line is wound evenly on the spool for a quick release after the next strike. Especially on colder days, when the line is wet and quick to freeze into place when above the water even if for a short time, take a few seconds to pull it off and wind it back up so it’s all set to spin off the spool on the next take. Where possible, melt or pick off any excess ice buildup on the spool as well to ensure free-flowing line after the next bite.

Beyond the basics of tip-ups, these advanced ideas help give anglers an additional edge when using fish traps from early ice into the late season for finicky fish such as walleyes to aggressive species like pike. With a clear hole holding a tip-up, adjusting sensitivity to the fish pursued, and making certain line is spinning freely off the spool when a fish bites, every angler can be set for excitement and a successful fight following the echoes of “FLAAAAG!!!” that occur this time of year … in our outdoors.