Setting out multiple tip-ups allows Phil Piscitello to fish large areas at a variety of depths.

In most states, you are allowed more than one line per angler for ice fishing, and in some states, as many as three. A tip-up is an awesome device that can be used to catch gamefish and makes a great second and third line.

A tip-up is a trap-like device that incorporates a frame base, a shaft with a spool to hold the line and a spring-loaded flag that acts as a signal device to alert anglers to a bite. Line the spool with a heavier line that has a thicker diameter and is relatively soft. When you fight fish on a tip-up, you hand-over-hand the line in. Thicker, softer line is easy to handle and won’t cut into your hand when fighting fish.

If a big fish decides to make a run, let the line slip through your clenched fingers, which acts as a drag. Do not use a super line because that has absolutely no stretch and can severely cut and burn your hands. Use a 20- to 30-pound-test Dacron line or a specially designed tip-up line in the same pound tests.

Tip-ups come in several different designs. Many have a T-shape design or a flat base that lays across the hole, or they can be round tip-ups made of plastic that totally cover the hole. The latter are good in extremely cold conditions because they insulate and prevent holes from freezing over.

Some of the best top-of-the-line wooden tip-ups are made by Beaver Dam. These have been around a long time and have a lifetime guarantee. Frabill and other manufacturers also make top quality wood tip-ups.

There are also good quality plastic tip-ups on the market such as the HT Polar and Magnetic Pop Up. Clam and Frabill also make plastic tip-ups. They are lightweight and have high-quality spools and shafts with antifreeze material running down the center of the shaft to prevent freezing.

Specialty wind tip-ups utilize the wind blowing across a special vane to give the tip up an automatic jigging action. These are especially good when employing dead bait tactics for northern pike. HT makes a nice quality wind tip-up.

For northern pike, there are a lot of commercially made quick-strike rigs on the market. Northland, Beaver Dam and HT are a few manufacturers. They are available with different sizes of treble hooks, to match the size of your bait. Tie these directly to your tip-up line, attach an in-line weight and add your favorite bait. Golden roaches and suckers are favorite live baits. Smelt, goldeye and suckers are the most common dead baits.

For walleyes in tough-bite situations, use a single hook instead of a treble, so the bait looks as natural as possible. Your tip-up will also have different tension settings for the release of the flag when a fish strikes, ranging from ultralight to heavy depending on the size of the bait and the activity level of the fish.

Tip-up placement is critical, and how far down in the water column you set your bait can determine your level of success. When fishing a point, large weed bed or offshore sunken island or shoal, you should cover multiple areas with your tip-ups.

For fishing weed beds, place some tip-ups up along the inside edge of the weeds, with the baits set just below the hole. Set some on the weed flat with your baits set right above the weed tops, or slightly higher in the water column. Then cover the deep weed edge and adjacent drop-off. Set some baits at the base of the deep weeds and some higher up.

For fishing bars, islands and shoals, set some tip-ups on the tops, on the breaks and down the edges into deeper water. Thoroughly cover the structure you are fishing.

When a flag pops, observe the spool and notice if it is turning. If it is spinning out of control, you know a nice fish is running with your bait. Sometimes, it will spin for a few seconds, stop and then spin again. Other times there will be no movement at all.

Carefully take the tip-up out of the water, turn it sideways, lift it up and gently grasp the line between your thumb and forefinger. Pull up the line slightly, feeling for resistance. If you feel nothing, it was probably a false alarm by an over-active minnow. If the spool was turning, as soon as you feel the weight of the fish, give a good hookset with your clenched hand.

As you fight the fish, hand-over-hand the line in. Attempt to lay the line out on the ice in a long pattern, trying not to tangle it. This will greatly help if the fish decides to make a long run. And, you can let the line back out smoothly with little tangling if the fish decides to run. When the fish is at the hole, try to direct the fish’s head into the hole. Grab the fish across the back of the head, under the gill or, in some instances, use a gaff hook if you intend to keep the fish.

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