Biggest fish I caught on a tip up was my largest fish still. 8.5lb walleye when I was about 6. It won a fishing derby that still happens every year. Highlight of my fishing life, I remember it was cold lol...
I take my insulator pads and toss a little snow over them and hot glued a chunk of velcro to the underside with 2 hot hands hand warmers under it. It stays ice free down into -20s
There is a better way. If your ice auger is 8" in diameter cut out two 1/2" x 8" diameter pieces of foam, these will get glued together to form a piece 1" thick. Then cut out two 1/2" x 12" diameter pieces of foam and again glue them together to be 1" thick, then you are going to center the 1" x 8" on the 1" x 12" piece and glue them together. This will allow the smaller diameter of the foam cover to fit snuggly inside the hole in the ice(clear all snow away from around the hole) and the 1" x 12" will sit on the ice surface for the ultimate ZERO freeze protection even in Alaska's Arctic temperatures. Do not forget to cut a slit in the foam and a tiny central hole for the tip up to pass through. You could also make the foam slightly oversized for the hole say 8.5" in diameter and glue 4 circle together for 2" thick piece of foam then wedge the foam plug down into the hole in the ice for a tight seal as the foam is slightly oversized and being wedge in will keep it from lifting up from buoyancy.
$8 is actually pretty cheap compared to some brands, but I made my own this year too. I'll use a little denser foam next round, the ones I used were a little light and would blow across the ice when pulled off (I mostly used Finicky Foolers this year instead of tip ups). Great job!
Those 30 and up pike sure are fun! Thanks for the kind words, we are only a little over a month on here. Tell your friends to subscribe and we will work hard to keep great content coming!
Thanks! We routinely get crazy cold up here. Wind is the big enemy, so we make wind breaks with the hole slush. If it approaches 0F, we set up portable houses over the tip ups with propane heaters. You could make a box though and throw some hand warmers in it. I guess the answer is we never give up!
Hey Man ! now thats a real good way to use that Gymmats ! i must ask you how cold was it on that day just for Info ? Theres a big difference ive been fished without insulating the hole with rods and its a real hassle running around and icekrackin and stuff . Real Cool i might make myself some ! (only seen the real plasticlid kinds out there well here on the market . Thanks Again! / Paul Roger Nilsson - North Sweden
Thanks for the tip. I use the kneel pad for gardening. Works great also. They are 1.5 inches thick, got them on sale for $4
Biggest fish I caught on a tip up was my largest fish still. 8.5lb walleye when I was about 6. It won a fishing derby that still happens every year. Highlight of my fishing life, I remember it was cold lol...
I take my insulator pads and toss a little snow over them and hot glued a chunk of velcro to the underside with 2 hot hands hand warmers under it. It stays ice free down into -20s
There is a better way. If your ice auger is 8" in diameter cut out two 1/2" x 8" diameter pieces of foam, these will get glued together to form a piece 1" thick. Then cut out two 1/2" x 12" diameter pieces of foam and again glue them together to be 1" thick, then you are going to center the 1" x 8" on the 1" x 12" piece and glue them together. This will allow the smaller diameter of the foam cover to fit snuggly inside the hole in the ice(clear all snow away from around the hole) and the 1" x 12" will sit on the ice surface for the ultimate ZERO freeze protection even in Alaska's Arctic temperatures. Do not forget to cut a slit in the foam and a tiny central hole for the tip up to pass through. You could also make the foam slightly oversized for the hole say 8.5" in diameter and glue 4 circle together for 2" thick piece of foam then wedge the foam plug down into the hole in the ice for a tight seal as the foam is slightly oversized and being wedge in will keep it from lifting up from buoyancy.
Going to use this tip for sure. I actually have some of those mats from an old workout room.
Thanks for posting this!
$8 is actually pretty cheap compared to some brands, but I made my own this year too. I'll use a little denser foam next round, the ones I used were a little light and would blow across the ice when pulled off (I mostly used Finicky Foolers this year instead of tip ups). Great job!
Always great insight from my man at Fish It First!
Great idea! I went harbor freight. Got 4 for $9.99. Do you know the center hole size?
My biggest tip up fish is a 30 inch pike. Also great vids how do you only have 45 subs?
Those 30 and up pike sure are fun! Thanks for the kind words, we are only a little over a month on here. Tell your friends to subscribe and we will work hard to keep great content coming!
Trace a 5 gallon bucket and you get 4 out of each.
You thumbed a goddam northern???
God's country up there. Great video James.
Love it!
52 1/2 inch musky,45 inch pike, 31 3/4 inch walleye
I was just looking at Walmart online and the have a 12 pack of 12x12 pads for $23, that may be a good option for jigging holes
Thats awesome
Nice video bro, I always find it a pain to tip up fish under 10-15 degrees, what temp do u usually give up lol
Thanks! We routinely get crazy cold up here. Wind is the big enemy, so we make wind breaks with the hole slush. If it approaches 0F, we set up portable houses over the tip ups with propane heaters. You could make a box though and throw some hand warmers in it. I guess the answer is we never give up!
glue 2 together it might not even get that little ice
I like that idea
I had no idea how easily they could freeze over without an insulator!
Without a pad, you have a skating rink faster than you can say “drop the puck.”
Hey Man ! now thats a real good way to use that Gymmats ! i must ask you how cold was it on that day just for Info ? Theres a big difference ive been fished without insulating the hole with rods and its a real hassle running around and icekrackin and stuff . Real Cool i might make myself some ! (only seen the real plasticlid kinds out there well here on the market . Thanks Again! / Paul Roger Nilsson - North Sweden
Noice
Dude buy some beaver dam tip ups, it will increase your credibility.
Ht Polar Tipups man. Get with the times boomer