Ice Fishing Tip Ups
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When it comes to ice fishing gear perhaps no item has made a bigger impact on the sit and wait fisherman like ice fishing tip ups. The beauty of these devices is that you can set them out and simply let them catch fish and alert you you to the fact that they are on the line. Sometimes referred to as "ice fishing traps" the modern tip up comes in many forms, but many are still old classics. The simple flat board design of yesteryear still produces fish after fish and has for decades. Let's look at what makes these such an imperative addition to your ice fishing equipment.
 ICE FISHING TIP UP 1920'S OR 30'S WOOD SPOOL T  US $38.00
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 NIB Beaver Dam Wood wooden Tip Up Ice Fishing US $29.99
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 COMPLETE ICE FISHING TIP UP KIT US $7.99
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 HT ice fishing polar tip up US $7.99
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 VINTAGE ICE FISHING TIP UP - VERY UNUSUAL - TRAP - RARE US $50.00
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 Old Early Ice Fishing Tip Up - 4 available US $20.00
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Ebay is a great place to find an incredible deal on tip ups. Check some of the great ones available right now.
As alluded to before the ice fishing tip up has been around for quite some time and has been extremely helpful to the ice angler. Nearly everywhere you can wet a line through the ice affords multiple lines to be used to catch fish. Obviously they can't all be fished first hand due to our only have a limited number of hands and eyes. This is where a ice fishing tip up really shines. Either set out as many as you are allowed by law to set up and wait for a flag to trip or use your jigging rod to actively pursue your fish and set another line as a tip up and periodically check to see if anything has taken the bait.
The ice fishing tip up works under a simple premise. You place your bait on the hook and set it down the hole. Often the depth is measured to be 1 to 2 feet off the bottom, but some people have found that a bait only a couple of feet below the ice works quite well, especially when ice fishing pike. From here you put the flag around the reel and you have both a depth holder and a fish alarm. When the fish takes the bait and runs with it the reel moves and trip the flag to point up. Seeing as the flags are a bright color (often a blaze orange like color) you can see them from quite a distance and know that a fish has taken your bait.
Ice fishing tip up manufacturers
When it comes to tip ups there are several major brands that you should be keeping in mind. The Beaver Dam Tip Up is a well known variety that is a top of the line tip up. They are made of wood, sturdy, and revered by many ice anglers. Out on the east coast the Jack Trap is a staple among ice fishermen. Other brands of note are HT Enterprises and Berkley.
Today there are also what they call "thermal tip ups" that are round and cover up the entire ice hole. The premise is that they will keep the hole open even in cold weather so common while on the hard water. It also works wonders with keeping the light out of the depth s and scaring the fish.
So find a great deal on a tip up for sale and try them out this winter.
Marcum Flashers
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When it comes to ice fishing gear perhaps the best piece in the ice anglers arsenal is his ice fishing flasher. When it comes to the company that brings you some of the best features to go with competitive pricing you are talking about Marcum flashers. With a full set of features even on the base model such as zoom and interference rejection it is easy to see why Marcum has such a strong following. In fact, there are quite a few Vexilar fishermen that have moved exclusively to Marcum due to the features offered.
There are 3 key models in the Marcum lineup. The baseline model (the Marcum VX-1), a midpoint model with a lot of the features of top end models everywhere (the Marcum LX-3) and a feature laden top of the line model (the Marcum LX-5). As is usually the case with different levels of flashers you generally get more and better features as you move up the price chain.
The Marcum VX-1 Flasher
When it comes to the best features on a baseline model you need to look at a Marcum VX-1 for sale. Unlike the Vexilar FL-8, the Marcum VX-1 includes a bottom zoom. This zoom is offered on many higher end models from competing companies. It is quite handy when you are fishing for bottom hugging fish as it splits the screen and gives you far better clarity of what is going on in the bottom of the water column. It also boasts a 3 color flasher that goes from green for the smallest objects to orange for the mid sized objects and finally red for the largest objects. Often that would entail that your lure being shown in green and the fish coming by in red.
Features of the Marcum VX-1 Flasher
600 watts power
Bottom zoom (with split screen)
2.5" target separation
Adjustable interference rejection technology
Bright display
The Marcum LX-3 Flasher
A step up from the VX-1 is the Marcum LX-3. In addition to all of the great features on the VX-1, it includes a better target separation which is very helpful when you are on top of a school of fish such as suspended crappies. In addition in includes an adjustable zoom which is very helpful when over those suspended winter crappies.
Marcum LX-3 Features:
1,500 watts of power
Adjustable zoom (anywhere in the water column)
2.15" target separation
3 color TrueColor technology
4 depth level settings
Adjustable interference rejection
The Marcum LX-5 Flasher
The most prominent flasher in Marcum's line of fish finders, the LX-5 is equipped with all of the bells and whistles you could ever imagine on a flasher. It is these additional features that make this model is a favorite of die hard ice anglers. Its 2,000 watts of peak to peak power afford impressive target separation. And the adjustable zoom feature so helpful on the LX-3 comes along for the ride. This is helpful both for those suspended crappies as well as when fishing for lake trout. This Marcum flasher comes with a dual beam ice ducer which allows switching from a 20 degree cone when fishing by yourself and watching a huge swath of water to an 8 degree cone when among a large crowd of people common in popular fishing holes. Truly a top of the line flasher on the market today.
Features of the Marcum LX-5 Flasher:
2,000 watts power
Dual beam transducer (8 and 20 degrees)
Adjustable interference rejection
Adjustable zoom (allows to zoom anywhere in the water column)
3 color TrueColor technology for ultra fine resolution