The Newbie to ice fishing chronicles part deux ... the tip up

[Chicken Shoot]

That's not going to be a catch all rig there chicken, lots of different species around. You want to catch big fish you need big bait. You can't just set the hook, you got to let let them play with their food sometimes.
Smelt fishing probably requires the least equipment and you can rent a shack on Champlain with a heater and holes drilled for you if that's what ya want. I haven;t been in a few years, the guy that runs or ran it even fetched our lunches, real nice guy.

I know I'll be targeting all kinds of fish and the JawJacker can be set for sensitivity as well as allow slack in the line should it be needed. I'll be jigging by hand too. I won't be going to Champlain. Mostly hanging around here on the Hudson, Saratoga Lake, Cossayuna Lake, Carters Pond, Moreau, Lake Luzurne and other places closer to me. I have 4 different setups right now ranging from Ultralight, Med, Med/Hvy and Heavy. I have access to Large Pike Shiners and Suckers all the way down to Fatheads and Mousies and Spikes. Line ranges from 2lb to 10lb. Can't wait to try them out tomorrow and target different fish BUT ... I won't have the JawJackers until middle of next week.

[Chicken Shoot]

This ^

Large pike tend to mouth the bait and then swim away, stopping after a bit to turn the bait and swallow it. When using large chubs for pike bait you want to free spool until they make the first stop, then wait a few seconds and when they start moving again you set the hook. Can't use that technique with your fancy newfangled tipup. Damn kids...get off my kawn!

See above post. LOL

... and it can be set for smaller fish than this as well. I don't expect it to work 100% of the time and I'm sure I'll be trying different techniques along the way.

What the hell is a kawn?

[Chicken Shoot]

Ya know, I'm not against you guys showing me how to ice fish with other techniques. If I take to this ice fishing, I'm sure I'll find a purpose and place for this stuff I got so far and much more.

[Chicken Shoot]

Check out the video at 3:38 LMAO That will be what I catch tomorrow!!

[Hunter]

For extreme conditions like wind and sub-zero you really can't beat Polar tip-ups. the hole still freezes over but it doesn't get loaded with frozen slush. MY son loves his. I've used the same home made tip-ups for almost 30 years. Now I'm going to have to make a couple of these, especially for perch. I can see one of the lakes you mentioned from my window another one is about a mile away, i'll be watching for you Chicken.

[camper4lyfe]

I'm a big fan of tip ups, then using a rod for jigging to pass the time. With tip ups, you have have 5 per person, plus 2 jigging holes. I typically go out with my BIL and his dad, so we set up 15 tip ups in various depths (bait suspended about a foot off the bottom), then sometimes some jigging holes if things are slow. It's nice for increased chances. It's a lot of fun, to me, to pull them out by hand.

Untitled by Jeff, on Flickr

[Chicken Shoot]

For extreme conditions like wind and sub-zero you really can't beat Polar tip-ups. the hole still freezes over but it doesn't get loaded with frozen slush. MY son loves his. I've used the same home made tip-ups for almost 30 years. Now I'm going to have to make a couple of these, especially for perch. I can see one of the lakes you mentioned from my window another one is about a mile away, i'll be watching for you Chicken.

I'll be easy to locate ... I'll be the one falling through the ice!!

[Hunter]

I've seen chickens swim before, they are surprisingly pretty good, even headless.

[Hunter]

Now what I wonder is, you are allowed 5 tip-ups and 2 jig poles. What category is the jaw jacker?

[camper4lyfe]

Now what I wonder is, you are allowed 5 tip-ups and 2 jig poles. What category is the jaw jacker?

I was wondering the same thing. Just do 4 tip ups and 1 jig hole, and you're good to go lol

[Hunter]

I was wondering the same thing. Just do 4 tip ups and 1 jig hole, and you're good to go lol

No fuggin way.

[Chicken Shoot]

Now what I wonder is, you are allowed 5 tip-ups and 2 jig poles. What category is the jaw jacker?

This has been gone over for years. It is a tip up because the pole being upright is a signaling device as is the noise it makes when it's triggered. I looked into it before making my decision to go that route.

[nortatoga]

The first time I went ice fishing a few years back, I was not having any luck at all! Then some kid shows up drills just one hole about 50 feet away, drops his line in Wop he's got one! drops it again same thing Wop another than another then again and again!! So finally I walk over to ask him if he would give me some advice? Say young fella care to share your secret to catching all these fish, I'm having no luck at all! Well he mumbles something I can't understand, I say sorry I didn't catch that! Again he mumbles something! So I say sorry if you don't want to share your secret, I'll just leave you be! Then he puts his hand up to his mouth and takes it away and says You got to keep the worms warm!!!