Ice Fishing Tip Ups: Get Those Flags Up!

Whether you’re after trophy pike or pocket-sized panfish, tip ups are one of the most effective ways to catch fish on the ice. Rather than being stuck babysitting one rod, ice fishing tip ups enable you to drop multiple lines in the water – greatly increasing your chances of scoring a nice catch!

Tip ups also enable you to fish different depths, baits, and locations simultaneously. You can take a shotgun approach and target pike, panfish, and walleye – all while sitting comfortably in your shelter or ice house.

Newer tip ups use the same basic design they have for decades but features several improvements that make them increasingly sensitive and durable – greatly improving their usefulness and versatility. I’ll break down some of the best tip ups on the market, plus how to pick the best ones for your needs and environment.

Quick Answer: 6 Best Ice Fishing Tip Ups

• Best Overall: Beaver Dam Original Tip Up
• Best Thermal Tip Up: HT Polar Therm Extreme
• Budget Pick: Frabill Arctic Fire Tip Up
• Best Cross Stick Tip Up: Heritage Wood Tip-Up
• Windlass Tip Up: High Tech TU-1 Windlass Tip-Up
• Rod Holder Tip Up: Brocraft Ice Fishing Tip Up Rod Holder

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Why do you need tip ups

Besides helping you catch more fish, ice fishing tip ups have several features that make them invaluable to many ice anglers.

Tip ups are great for when you want to cover a lot of ground. You can set them up in multiple locations on the same body of water, allowing you to fish shallow bays, deep open-water, and underwater structures of various depths.

Fishing with tip ups is also a lot of fun! It’s generally more fast-paced than fishing with just an ice rod and reel. Depending on your local laws and regulations, you may be able to set up half a dozen or more tip ups. That can translate to some seriously frantic action when the fish start biting!

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Tip up Types

While all tip ups use the same basic mechanics, there’s quite a large variation between different types and designs. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular tip up types:

Flat Hardwood

The classic tip up design utilizes a sturdy and durable hardwood base capable of withstanding the toughest weather conditions out there. They’re slightly more expensive than cheaper plastic versions, but they’ll last forever and won’t malfunction like cheaper ones sometimes do.

The mechanism is fairly straightforward. A pivoting shaft arm runs perpendicular to the board with a spool of line attached to the bottom and a trip bar attached to the top. When a fish takes your bait and pulls on the line, the spool rotates, tripping the flag and alerting you that a fish is on your line.

The entire tip up folds up into a compact flat shape that’s easy to stash with the rest of your ice fishing gear.

Flat Plastic

Flat plastic tips ups use the same basic design as the hardwood versions but have a plastic base instead of a wooden one. This makes them less expensive, but more prone to getting damaged or malfunctioning in heavy snow and ice.

If you’re looking for a cheaper tip that will work well – but won’t last forever – then this type of tip up is an excellent option. If you want a bulletproof tip up that will last for decades, then hardwood is the way to go.

Thermal

Thermal tip ups are a newer design that solves one of the major problems with traditional tip ups – holes freezing over. These tip ups have a round base designed to completely cover up the ice hole.

This has two major benefits. Firstly, it significantly slows down holes from freezing over and making your tip ups useless. Secondly, it blocks any sunlight from penetrating the water beneath – which can spook away fish, especially when fishing in the early morning hours.

Thermal tip ups are also designed to be stacked on top of one another inside a 5-gallon bucket. This makes them great when you have limited space in your sled.

Cross-stick

Cross-stick tip ups are slightly different from other tip ups designs. They have a base made from two ‘X’ shaped wooden sticks; while a third stick holds the line spool submerged underwater.

These tip ups are a bit bigger and heavier than the alternatives, but they do offer one major advantage – the flag is positioned significantly higher than on other tip ups. This makes them excellent for use in deep snow and other low-visibility conditions.

Like other tip ups, cross-sticks fold up into a compact package for easy transport and storage.

Windlass

Windlass tip ups use an innovative sail design that acts to provide a jigging action to your bait. A small sail is attached to the tip up arm, which catches the wind and moves your bait around underwater.

They work well as long as the wind is blowing. If there’s no wind, then the jigging action stops, and your bait will remain stationary in the water like a normal tip up. They also work well in places where using live bait is prohibited.

Rod Holders

Strictly speaking, rod holders aren’t really tip ups, but they act in a similar fashion, allowing you to use your rod and reel as a makeshift tip up. A rod holder will free up your hands for other tasks, so all you need to do is mount your rod inside the holder and keep an occasional eye on it.

Some anglers like to mount a rod holder to the back of a wooden tip up. This allows you to drop two lines inside the same hole, and free your hands up for drilling more holes, setting up additional tip ups, or cracking open a cold one!

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Best Overall: Beaver Dam Original Tip Up

This classic hardwood plank-style tip up has been around for decades and remains one of the best performing models on the planet. It features a tough-as-nails urethane-coated pine plank that will last for years – in fact, many anglers are still using the same tips ups they bought back in the 70s and 80s!

The wood plank measures 23 inches across – making it ideal for a wide variety of hole widths.

The brass spool and line guide are ultra-smooth, ensuring the most finicky fish won’t drop your bait. Freeze-proof grease lines the interior of the seamless steel tube, greatly reducing the chance of malfunctions. The tube also features aluminum bearings that deliver smooth action.

One minor gripe is the spool doesn’t feature a handle on the reel for quickly reeling in your line. Having said that it’s still the best-made tip on the market and well worth the price.

 Key Features

• Handmade in the USA
• Wind-proof, tough-as-nails design will last for many years
• Freeze-proof lubricant provides fail-safe operation
• Tip up flag stands 17.5” tall when tripped
• Two trip bar settings for targeting both larger and smaller species

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Best Thermal Tip Up: HT Polar Therm Extreme

If you frequently fish in sub-zero temperatures, then holes freezing over can be a major concern. The thermal design of this tip up is built to prevent this from happening – keeping your holes open for much longer than traditional plank-style tip ups.

Measuring 12” in diameter, these tip ups are designed to completely cover any sized ice hole (including 10”). This prevents snow or ice from building up and freezing over. They’re also built to stack on top one another – so you can fit a half dozen inside a 5-gallon bucket!

An adjustable trip set allows you to set the tension to three different settings – light for panfish, medium for walleye and bass, and heavy for big lake trout and northerns. Another handy feature is a built-in tackle box on the top – allowing you to stash extra hooks, sinkers, leaders and more.

Key Features

• Thermal design completely covers ice holes up to 10” – preventing freezing over
• High-viz orange color is easy to spot on the ice
• Flag extends to 22” when activated
• 200” line spool
• Three-setting adjustable trip set

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Budget Pick: Frabill Arctic Fire Tip Up

If you’re looking for a highly capable tip up without breaking the bank, then the Arctic Fire from Frabill makes an excellent choice. It features many of the same features as more expensive models, at a very reasonable price point.

The base is made from bright chartreuse colored molded poly for high visibility. Sub-zero low-temperature lubricant comes pre-applied to keep everything running smoothly, while the large capacity brass spool offers wobble-free performance.

There are two trip setting options: light for panfish and walleye and heavy for big bruisers like pike and trout. Another nice feature is the dual counter-balance crank knobs for quickly reeling in line.

Key Features

• Durable brass spool with dual counter-balance crank knobs
• Flag stands 17.5” high when tripped
• Tough molded poly base provides long-lasting performance
• Excellent value

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Best Cross Stick Tip Up: Heritage Wood Tip-Up 

This cross-stick style tip up features a flag that stands an impressive 29” with the flag down and 45” when extended, making it great for fishing in deeper snow and other low-visibility conditions. The cross-stick design is often preferred by east-coast anglers for its ease of spotting from a distance.

The hardwood cross pieces and main shaft are constructed from lightweight and durable unfinished hardwood. You can make them even easier to spot by finishing them yourself with whatever color paint and coating you prefer.

The large polymer plastic spool can fit a ton of line – the manufacturer rates the capacity as 500’ of 36-lb test. This makes it ideal for targeting the biggest monsters under the ice. It also comes with handy hook storage holes built into the side of the reel.

While it’s slightly bulkier than other tip up types, if you’re targeting bigger fish in deep snow, then you can’t beat these tip ups.

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Key Features

• Flag stands 29” when down and 45” when extended
• Highly visible from a distance
• High capacity polymer reel holds enough line for targeting big fish in deep water
• Adjustable drag system
• Perfect for fishing in deep snow

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Windlass Tip Up: High Tech TU-1 Windlass Tip-Up

This unique windlass tip up provides a constant jigging motion to your baits that drives fish wild. All that’s needed to make the bait dance is a slight breeze to blow.

The wind-driven mechanism works through a small metal sail mounted to a bracket attached to the tip up. The sail catches the wind, and transfers the movement through the spring-adjusted bracket to provide the jigging motion. Many anglers rave about the effectiveness of this type of tip up, reporting that it catches triple the amount of fish than traditional tip ups

The tip up body is made from durable high-impact plastic, making it capable of withstanding the wear and tear of hard ice fishing.

Key Features

• The unique wind-driven design provides a jigging motion that drives fish to bite
• Highly effective at hauling in multiple species
• Adjustable drag on spool for different tension settings
• Solid 13 inch base provides stable platform

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Rod Holder Tip Up: Brocraft Ice Fishing Tip Up Rod Holder

The unique design of this tip-up/rod holder allows you to turn your favorite rod and reel combo into a tip up. To use the rod holder as tip up, simply lock your rod’s handle inside the rod holder, and then attach your line to the built-in line clips. The line clips quickly release the flag when a fish takes your bait and starts to swim away.

One advantage of this tip up is that it allows you to fight the fish with your existing rod and reel – rather than reeling it in by hand. It also works when you want to take a break from jigging, by allowing your bait to stay securely in the water while you perform other tasks.

If you’re looking for a lightweight and straightforward way to rig your ice rod into a tip up, then this is an excellent option.

Key Features

• Rod holder and tip up combo turns your rod and reel into a tip up
• Allows you to fight fish with existing reel rather than hand reeling
• The bright orange flag indicates fish has taken your bait

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How to pick the best tip ups 

With so many different makes and models, picking the best ice fishing tip ups for your needs can seem like a confusing task. I’ll break down the tip up features you need to know when picking out the right tip ups for your environment.

Materials

Tip ups typically use either hardwood or high-impact plastic as a base. As mentioned previously, hardwood provides a more durable, long-lasting base than plastic does.

Wood is better able to withstand freezing over or getting covered in layers of heavy snow than plastic is. Plastic tip ups can snap in half when subjected to excessive stress from freezing over.

If you frequently fish in heavy snow and ice, then going with a wooden base tip up is a safe bet.

Portability

Portability is an important consideration, especially when you have a long-distance to transport your tip ups. If you’re hauling a sled packed with an ice shelter, auger, chisel, and other tackle, then you’ll want your tip ups to be as compact and lightweight as possible.

Many thermal style tip ups are designed to fit inside a 5-gallon bucket stacked on top of one another. Wooden and plastic plank-style tip ups also fold up into a flat compact profile, making them fairly easy to pack. Cross stick tip ups take up the most space, but will also pack up flat.

Climate

The best tip for the situation depends heavily on the local weather and temperature conditions. In dead of winter sub-zero temperatures or heavy snow, thermal style tips ups will perform much better. They’ll prevent the hole from freezing over, or filling with snow and becoming unusable.

In milder conditions, standard plank-style tip ups will work well. You can also modify these types by adding an insulating layer over the hole.

Trigger Bar

The trigger bar (or trip bar) is what sets the tension on the flag and spool. Most tips ups have two tension settings: heavy for large fish like pike and lake trout, and light for panfish and walleye. Some tip ups have a third medium setting specifically for walleye and bass.

Setting the trip bar to a higher setting will also help prevent accidental false flags from wind or current.

Spool

A smooth spool is essential for an effective tip up. Metal spools are generally more durable and smooth than their plastic counterparts.

A good spool will allow fish to take your line with little to no resistance unless you’re using a model with built-in drag. Generally, higher-end models like the Beaver Damn original will have an ultra-smooth spool operation, which translates into more fish hooked!

Flags

Another important consideration is the flag’s visibility on the ice. The higher up the flag extends, the more visible it will be. Cross stick tip ups excel in this area, as they extend significantly higher than other types.

Flags come in a variety of colors and patterns, with many anglers customizing their flags with their favorite sports team, the Jolly Roger, or custom designs. Generally, you’ll want to go with high-contrast colors that are easy to spot against the white snow. Bright yellow, orange, and red all work well.

If you’re setting up a large number of tip ups, then color-coding the flags to correspond with different baits is a good way to stay organized.

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Other Supplies Needed

If you’re just getting started with tip up fishing, then there are a few accessories that can make your tip ups far more effective. Some tip ups come bundled with these accessories, while others don’t – so you’ll need to pick them up separately.

Hole Covers

Hole covers are a simple but highly effective way to keep your holes from closing up too quickly.  In sub-zero temperatures, holes can close up surprisingly quickly, rendering your tip up ineffective.

An insulated hole cover solves this issue – simply set the cover over the hole and slide your tip up through the slot. Check out the Northeast Products Therm-A-SEAT for a well-made insulated ice hole cover.

Chisel

An ice chisel (sometimes called a spud bar) is a chisel designed to reopen ice holes and check ice thickness for safety. If you’re opening up many holes and using multiple tip ups, then a good ice chisel is super handy for quickly reopening old holes without having to use an auger.

Check out my breakdown of ice fishing chisels and spud bars for an in-depth look.

Tip up Light

A tip up light is a great little accessory that helps you see when a tip up is tripped. They’re especially useful for nighttime and dawn and dusk fishing. It’s basically just a small LED light that clips onto your tip up – which illuminates when a fish takes your bait and trips the flag.

Check out the Frabill Arctic Fire Tip-Up Light for a cheap and effective tip up light.