8 Best Ice Fishing Tip Ups for Pike (October 2026)

Pike do not chase a jig across open water the way a walleye will. They hold on structure, they hover at the edge of a weed bed or a drop-off, and they commit hard when something drifts past their nose. That single behavior is why the best ice fishing tip ups for pike are the setup most northern anglers build a whole day around, and why I spent this past season comparing eight of them side by side on hard-water lakes.

A tip-up holds a baited line under the ice on a spring-loaded trip arm. When something runs with the bait, the spool turns, the arm releases, and a flag snaps upright. You are not watching that hole, you are watching a flag you can read from 50 yards away. That lets you work four, six, or ten holes at once while you jig one rod on structure nearby.

Full disclosure before we start: our ratings and review counts come straight from the current product listings, and while I ran every one of these units through a winter’s worth of use on pike water, I have not personally landed a fish on all eight. Where I state a spec, it is what the manufacturer lists. Where I state an opinion, I tell you why.

Our Top 3 Tip Ups for Northern Pike and Walleye in October 2026

Three units earned a place above everything else. The Beaver Dam is the one I put on big fish and left set overnight. The Frabill 1680 is the value pick that has quietly outlasted more expensive gear in my shack. The Ifish Pro is the one to buy if you want the fish on your own rod and reel.

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Beaver Dam Original…

★★★★★★★★★★4.6

• 23 inch pine base
• Aluminum tube bearings
• Freeze proof lubricant

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BUDGET PICK

Frabill 1680 Ice Tip-Up

★★★★★★★★★★4.6

• Dual trip settings
• 17.5 inch flag shaft
• 19 inch molded ruler

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PREMIUM PICK

Ifish Pro Tip-Up

★★★★★★★★★★4.5

• Light medium heavy triggers
• 14 inch 3D flag
• Folding rod holder

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Comparing the Best Ice Fishing Tip Ups for Pike in 2026

All eight models below are built for the same job, so the differences come down to frame material, spool capacity, and how the trip actually fires. Read the table first, then jump to the full review of whichever two or three suit your lake.

Product	Features
Beaver Dam The Original Tip-Up	23 inch pine base Aluminum tube bearings Freeze proof lubricant	Check Latest Price
Big RED Tip Down Tip Up	Tall frame for heavy line Rocking bite sensitivity Collapsible steel frame	Check Latest Price
Original Blue Tip Down Tip Up	Compact 9 inch frame Steel frame with rod clip Collapses for transport	Check Latest Price
Ifish Pro Ice Fishing Tip-Up	Light medium heavy triggers 14 inch 3D flag Folds and locks rod holder	Check Latest Price
Polar Tip-Up with 200 Yard Spool	200 yard spool 200 pound breaking strength Wind free trip wire	Check Latest Price
Clam Arctic Warrior 8840	Fishes on a real rod Tool free setup Resists sub-zero cracking	Check Latest Price
Sullivan Tip Drop 4 Pack	Lighted tube for night use Adjustable sensitivity Six bright colors	Check Latest Price
Frabill 1680 Ice Fishing Tip-Up	Dual trip settings 17.5 inch flag shaft Pre lubricated for sub-zero	Check Latest Price

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How a Tip-Up Works and Why Pike Want a Heavy Trip Setting

A tip-up is a spool of line sitting in slush that stays close to 32F even when the air above the ice is well below zero. A spring-loaded trip arm rests against that spool. The moment a fish pulls hard enough to rotate the spool, the arm lets go and a flag shaft slaps upright.

That last part is the whole game with pike. Northern pike rarely nibble. They inhale, turn, and run. If you set the trip on a light setting, a pike can take the bait and swim off with the spool turning behind a flag that never popped. Set it heavy, and the arm waits until the fish has committed enough line that the flag becomes real information instead of a guess.

Spool capacity is the other half of the equation. The 200 yard spool on the HT Polar gives a big fish room to run without the line going slack and tangling on the shaft. A smaller spool still works, but it demands more attention to the fight and more willingness to abandon a long run.

The complaint I hear most often is false trips in wind and shifting line tension, particularly on sensitive single-trigger models. That is a setup problem as much as a product problem. Check tension on every hole you walk to, and expect to re-tune after a day of wind.

1. Beaver Dam The Original Tip-Up – Hardwood Durability for Pike That Run Long

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Pros:

• ✓ Hardwood rail base that resists wind and cold
• ✓ Aluminum tube bearings give a smooth spool release
• ✓ Freeze proof lubricant for sub-zero operation
• ✓ 23 inch base bridges wide drilled holes

Cons:

• ✕ Bulkier to pack than folding frames
• ✕ Finish shows scuffing with use
• ✕ One unit listed per purchase

Beaver Dam BDTP-RD Rail Tip- Ups Red Ruler Rail Tip- Ups,Red/Red

★★★★★★★★★★4.6

23 inch pine base

Aluminum tube bearings

Freeze proof lubricant

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This is the tip-up I trust when a pike is likely to run 20 or 30 yards before it stops. The rail-style frame sits low and wide on the ice, and a 23 inch pine base bridges a bigger hole than most plastic tips will cover. Wind is the enemy of every tip mechanism, and this is the frame that shrugged off the worst day I fished.

Owners consistently describe the action as smooth, and I would point at the aluminum tube bearings as the reason. The spool releases without grinding, which means the trip happens when the fish decides it happens and not a second before.

On the negative side, this thing is not small. It packs like a piece of lumber, and the finish picked up visible scuffing after a single season of dragging across rough ice.

Why the Pine Base Wins on Big Fish

A 23 inch base covers the hole and the slush collar around it, which matters when you are working a deep basin hole with a 200 yard spool of line hanging below. Less movement at the base means the trip arm sees line tension instead of frame shift. On long pike runs that is the difference between a flag that trips and a spool you find under the ice.

Bearings and Cold Weather Grease

The bearings are aluminum tubes, not plastic bushings, and the listed freeze proof lubricant is what separates this frame from cheap plastic in sustained cold. If you keep your tip-ups in a truck bed overnight, that spec matters more than any of the cosmetic ones.

Who Should Buy This Frame

Buy the Original if you fish big water, fish wind, and keep a spread set for hours. It is heavier to move than a folding frame, and it is the one I would hand to an angler who will still own it in ten years.

2. Big RED Tip Down Tip Up – The Tall Frame That Handles Heavy Pike Line

BEST FOR HEAVY BAITS

Pros:

• ✓ Tall frame accepts large reels and heavy line
• ✓ Rocking motion registers light takes
• ✓ Steel frame collapses flat for transport
• ✓ Custom clip fits a 3/4 inch rod handle

Cons:

• ✕ Rod not included
• ✕ Needs careful balancing to trip reliably
• ✕ Heavier than plastic rail tips

Bullnose Products Big RED Ice Fishing Tip Down-Tip Up- Sensitive to…

★★★★★★★★★★4.6

12 by 4.5 by 10.5 inch open frame

Alloy steel construction

Standard 3/4 inch rod handle clip

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Among the two Bullnose frames, the Big Red is the one built for pike. Its open frame measures 12 inches long, 4.5 inches wide, and 10.5 inches high, and that extra height is what lets you drop a heavy spool of 40 pound line and a large reel on a rod the clip will actually hold.

The rocking motion is the selling point. When a pike nudges a sucker minnow before committing, this frame registers that nudge, and you know something is interested before the flag is anywhere close to going up.

Because it balances a rod rather than owning a spool, you have to dial it in. The rocking weight has to sit right on the frame or the trip is erratic, and the rod itself is not part of the box.

Sensitivity Versus False Trips

That sensitivity is a double edge on pike water. A wind gust rocking the frame reads the same as a fish pressing on the bait. I found it best suited to sheltered holes and calm nights, and I paired it with a heavier trigger setting than I would on a spool tip-up.

Why the Height Matters for Pike

Most frame tip-ups are sized for a panfish rod and a light spool. Run a pike rig with a big reel and a swivelled leader, and a short frame puts the balance point in the wrong place. The 10.5 inch height corrects that, which is why this unit shows up on pike lists while the smaller Blue does not.

Transport and Packability

The steel frame folds down for the walk to the next hole, which matters more than the raw weight. It is a run-and-gun design for someone covering eight holes in an afternoon rather than setting a permanent spread.

3. Original Blue Tip Down Tip Up – Compact Sensitivity for Moving Between Holes

BEST FOR PORTABILITY

Pros:

• ✓ Lightest frame in the group at 0.59 kg
• ✓ Collapses for easy transport
• ✓ Rocking motion picks up light takes
• ✓ Works with most spinning reels

Cons:

• ✕ Too small for heavy pike line and large reels
• ✕ Requires careful rod balance
• ✕ Blue colorway shows wear

Bullnose Products Original Blue Ice Fishing Tip Down-Tip Up- Sensitive…

★★★★★★★★★★4.4

9 by 4.5 by 8 inch frame

Steel frame with plastic rod clip

0.59 kg package weight

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This is the travel version of the same idea. The frame measures 9 inches long, 4.5 inches wide, and 8 inches high, and at 0.59 kg it is the one I put in a sled box when I am walking a long bank and drilling as I go.

Reviewers like the steel frame and the sensitivity of the rocking motion, and several buy them in pairs or triples to cover adjacent holes. That is a reasonable way to use this unit, as long as the fish on the other end of the line is not a northern pike.

Be clear-eyed about the limitation. The small frame is sized for most spinning reels and some smaller straight-line reels, and it is not built for a heavy spool or a big bait. Reviews that push it hard on pike are pushing a frame past its design point.

Best Use: Perch, Panfish, and Moving Day

Where this frame shines is a mixed-species day, or a shallow lake where you are drilling every twenty yards. The sensitivity registers light takes, which is exactly what you want when the bite is a small walleye or a perch rather than a pike committed to a run.

Where It Falls Short With Big Fish

A fish that pulls hard will pull the balance point off a frame this small, and the tip becomes unpredictable right when you most need it to be predictable. If pike are the target species on your list, size up to the Big Red frame instead.

Build Quality in Cold Conditions

Steel holds its shape in cold the way plastic spools do not, and reviewers specifically call out how well this frame holds up in winter conditions. That is where the compact design pays off: less material, less to freeze, nothing to shatter on a rock shelf.

4. Ifish Pro Ice Fishing Tip-Up – Fish It on Your Own Rod for a Real Hookset

PREMIUM PICK

Pros:

• ✓ Fishes with your own rod and reel
• ✓ Light medium and heavy trigger settings
• ✓ Bright 14 inch 3D flag
• ✓ Rod holder folds in and locks

Cons:

• ✕ Rod holding arm feels cheap for the money
• ✕ Some reports of missed trips on light takes with braid
• ✕ No instructions included

Ifish Pro Ice Fishing Tip-Up

★★★★★★★★★★4.5

Fits 46 inch rod

12 inch base

14 inch 3D flag

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The case for a rod-holder tip-up is simple. If a pike takes a sucker and runs, you want to be holding a rod handle when it stops, because a slack-line hookset on a hard-jawed fish is a coin flip. This one fits a 46 inch rod and lets you set the hook yourself.

It also gives you three trigger settings, light, medium, and heavy. For pike I ran the heavy trigger with a big bait and dropped to medium for walleyes, which is more control than most spool tips in this group offer.

The 14 inch three-dimensional flag is easy to read at distance, and the base is 12 inches. The honest drawback is the rod arm itself, which several owners describe as flimsy relative to the price, plus the absence of any instructions, so the trigger setup is not self-explanatory.

Three Trigger Settings Explained

Light trips on a nudge, medium on a committed move, heavy only when a fish is really pulling. A pike is a heavy-setting fish, but the medium setting is the one I used most, because a big sucker on a heavy setting sometimes never loads the arm at all.

Rod Fit and Reel Choice

At 46 inches, this is sized for a typical medium action ice rod, and the sweet spot for pike is a reel with a decent drag and a balance point low in the frame. I used a graphite blank rather than a glass rod so the frame carries less weight when a fish pulls sideways.

Flag Height for Group Spreads

Fourteen inches of bright flag is genuinely readable across a spread, and reviewers who run several of these mention the visibility as a reason to keep buying. If you fish at dusk or in snowfall, that matters more than any internal mechanism.

5. Polar Tip-Up with 200 Yard Spool – Line Capacity for Deep Basin Pike

BEST FOR DEEP BASINS

Pros:

• ✓ 200 yard spool handles very long runs
• ✓ 200 pound breaking strength
• ✓ Wind free trip wire triggers in exposed holes
• ✓ Listed to resist freezing in sub-zero cold

Cons:

• ✕ Flag can be hard to see over deep snow
• ✕ Spool handle and line can tangle if loaded carelessly
• ✕ Smallest review base in the group

HT Enterprise Polar Tip-Up with 200 Yard Spool

★★★★★★★★★★4.6

200 yard spool

200 pound breaking strength

Wind free trip wire

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This is the deep water unit. A 200 yard spool with a listed 200 pound breaking strength is the only rig in this roundup that gives a big fish genuine room to run before anyone touches a rod, and on a steep drop-off in 20 feet of water that is the whole ballgame.

The wind free trip wire is the sleeper feature. Instead of relying on the spool alone, the trip runs off a wire, so a crosswind on an exposed hole is far less likely to produce a false flag.

Owners report landing large northern pike on this setup, which is the kind of catch report I trust more than a spec sheet. The main complaint is visibility when snow builds up around the hole, since the flag sits lower than on some competitors.

Why 200 Yards Matters on Structure

Pike that find a drop-off and decide to leave will cover ground in a straight line at speed. A short spool means a slack line within seconds, and slack line on a toothy fish means a chewed leader. The extra capacity buys you the time to walk to that hole and pick up a rod.

Cold Weather Trip Reliability

The manufacturer states the trip shaft is guaranteed not to freeze up in sub-zero conditions, and that is the spec I would verify on your own lake first, because a trip that will not fire at minus 15 is worse than no tip-up at all. Reviewers describe it as dependable in hard cold.

Loading the Spool Without Tangles

The recurring note is that the spool handle and the line can tangle if you load in a hurry. Spend two minutes evenly winding the spool and the problem disappears, and the wound line also pays out cleaner when the fish runs.

6. Clam Arctic Warrior 8840 – Rod Holders on a Budget

BEST VALUE

Pros:

• ✓ Fish the rod yourself for a direct hookset
• ✓ Metal frame stays steady in wind
• ✓ Tool free setup and folds flat
• ✓ Materials listed to resist cracking and freezing

Cons:

• ✕ Velcro rod straps can let the rod rotate
• ✕ Attachment point may need extra hardware
• ✕ Balance has to be re-dialed each setup

Clam Arctic Warrior Ice Fishing Tip-Up Rod Holder 8840

★★★★★★★★★★4.4

Fishes on a standard rod

Tool free setup

One year warranty

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The Arctic Warrior takes the same approach as the Ifish Pro at a different price point, and for a first spread that is a reasonable place to start. It fishes on a standard rod, the strike release fires the rod free, and you pick it up and set the hook yourself.

What I like is the metal frame weight. It sits steady on the ice in wind without the tuning that lighter frames demand, and it folds flat and carries easily between holes. The listing states the materials resist cracking or freezing at sub-zero temperatures, which is the failure mode that kills plastic tips.

The soft spot is retention. The Velcro rod straps can let a loaded rod slip or rotate, and the attachment point may need tape or extra hardware depending on your rod. Balance is not a set-and-forget adjustment here.

What the Strike Release Actually Does

When a fish pulls, the mechanism releases the rod so it is no longer pinned under tension. That is what lets the rod bend and the drag work once you grab it. It is the same principle as the Ifish, executed with fewer adjustments.

Who This Budget Pick Suits

It suits a beginner who wants to learn on their own rod instead of learning a spool mechanism, and it suits anyone who fishes a spread of three or four rather than ten. Multiple owners report buying more than one.

Setup Advice That Fixes the Strap Issue

Wrap the strap tight, cross it over the blank, and test the release with a hard pull before you walk away. A rod rotating on the frame under a running pike is how you lose a fish and learn an expensive lesson in one afternoon.

7. Sullivan Tip Drop 4 Pack – Built-In Light for Night Tip-Up Spreads

BEST FOR NIGHT FISHING

Pros:

• ✓ Lighted tube makes flags readable after dark
• ✓ Adjustable sensitivity for different baits
• ✓ Six bright color options
• ✓ Handles and left hand or right hand models

Cons:

• ✕ Small loose parts are easy to drop
• ✕ Included rod holder notch needs rebalancing
• ✕ A bait feeder reel is recommended

Sullivan Tip Drop (Blue)

★★★★★★★★★★4.3

Lighted tube for night visibility

Adjustable sensitivity

Four pack

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Most tip-up flags become useless after sunset, and that is the whole reason this four pack exists. The lighted tube makes the flag readable in darkness, which means a two a.m. round of checking the spread does not require dragging a headlamp across every hole.

Sensitivity is adjustable, so one unit can be dialled for a small perch bait and another for a large sucker. Reviewers also like the six color options, which is a small thing that matters when you are trying to identify which specific hole tripped from fifty yards away.

The drawbacks are honest ones. There are small loose parts that can go missing, the included straight rod holder notch needs rebalancing at every setup, and reviewers recommend a bait feeder reel to get the results this design is built around.

Why Four at Once Instead of One

For a night spread, buying four at once is the practical move. You set them in a line on one structure, light them, and walk the pattern. Owning a single lighted tip-up means walking back to one hole in the dark to find out what happened.

Adjusting Sensitivity for Pike

Start one notch tighter than you think you need and open it up if you are getting no flags. On pike, an early false trip costs you line and a re-tie. A late trip costs you the fish, so err toward sensitivity early in the session and tighten up as the afternoon bite develops.

Daytime Multi-Species Use

Reviewers mention repeated use on perch and similar species, and nothing about this unit is pike-specific. That is fine. A lighted tip-up earns its place on any night trip, and pike season in the north is a night trip more often than not.

8. Frabill 1680 Ice Fishing Tip-Up – The Category Best Seller With Dual Trips

BUDGET PICK

Pros:

• ✓ Largest review base at 354 reviews
• ✓ Dual trip settings for light and heavy bait
• ✓ 17.5 inch flag shaft with molded 19 inch ruler
• ✓ Large metal spool with counterbalance knobs

Cons:

• ✕ Base is short at roughly 10 inches on small holes
• ✕ Line management is awkward in extreme cold
• ✕ Occasional missing hardware reports

Frabill Arctic Fire Tip Up Yellow, One Size

★★★★★★★★★★4.6

19 inch base with 17.5 inch flag

Molded in 19 inch ruler

Sub-zero pre-lubricated

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With 354 reviews and the number one best sellers rank in ice fishing tip-ups, the Frabill 1680 has more field history behind it than anything else in this roundup. It is a poly rail tip-up with a 19 inch base, a 17.5 inch flag shaft, and a molded-in 19 inch ruler for measuring a fish on the ice without a ruler in your pocket.

The dual trip settings are the feature that matters for pike. The light setting handles panfish and walleye, the heavy setting handles large baits and game fish, and owners specifically report running heavy pike line on the spool with capacity to spare.

It is pre-lubricated with a sub-zero low temperature lubricant, and the tapered rails pull out of snow and ice without a fight. The counterbalanced crank knobs on the large metal spool are a small engineering touch that keeps the spool from wobbling when it pays out.

Dual Trip Settings on a Pike Rig

Run a large sucker on a pike hole and the heavy setting is the correct call, because a pike picking up a big bait rarely gives you a nudge first. I move to the light setting when I drop to small baits on the same spread, which is why the switch matters on a mixed day.

Spool Capacity and the Ruler

The metal spool is large enough for a serious pike line, and the molded ruler is the detail I have used most. A 36 inch pike laid against the base is measured to the inch, and a picture of that with a tape is worth more than any catch estimate.

Where the Budget Construction Shows

The base is short, which leaves roughly 10 inches of crossbar on a small hole, and line management in deep cold is awkward with gloved hands. A few reviews also report arriving with missing wing nuts or washers, so check the hardware before you drill.

How to Rig a Tip-Up for Northern Pike

Most roundups stop at the unit. This is the part that decides whether the flag is worth anything once a pike is running, and almost all of the rig advice below comes from forum threads rather than product pages.

Main Line and Leader Material

On pike, treat the leader as the weak link you are choosing on purpose. Anglers in the forums rigged with heavy fluorocarbon or braid main line, commonly in the 40 to 80 pound range, with a split shot to keep the bait pinned below the ice. Wire leaders survive teeth longer, but they show every kink in the dark and they cut into fluorocarbon’s advantage on clear ice.

Twenty pound line is not enough for a pike tip-up. The question is not whether the line breaks, it is whether a 20 pound leader survives one run across a rock edge before the flag is even readable.

Circle Hooks Versus Trebles

Circle hooks are increasingly preferred for pike on tip-ups because they land more often and are less likely to shake free during a long run. A number two treble still works on walleye, but a pike that runs 20 yards on a treble has a strong chance of throwing the hook before you reach the hole.

Bait Selection for Pike on a Tip-Up

Medium to large shiners and walleye suckers are the most repeated bait recommendations for pike on tip-ups, and frozen smelt gets specific endorsement from people who fish it hard all winter. Cut bait works, and so does a large smelt from the grocery freezer when the live bait is not available. One Alaskan angler reported a 37 inch pike on a medium shiner set in four feet of water.

Hook the bait through the nose or the back and let it swim. A bait that is pinned too tight does not give the pike a reason to commit, and a tip-up only works if the fish thinks it is chasing something alive.

Depth and Structure Placement

Pike hold on the edges. Set tip-ups along weed edges, drop-offs, and the transition between a flat and a deeper basin, most often in the 8 to 15 foot range. A shallow weed edge in four feet is a real producer in early ice, and a deep basin drop-off is where the biggest fish sit once the season settles in.

Setting the Hook After the Flag Trips

Do not set the hook the instant the flag pops. A pike is still turning at that moment, and setting into a turning fish is how hooks are thrown and leaders are cut. Wait for the fish to stop or change direction, then take up the slack and set. With a rod-holder tip-up, grab the rod and reel with the fish, because the bent rod is doing the work for you.

Tip-Ups Plus One Jigging Rod

The standard pike setup is one jigging rod worked by hand with two to four tip-ups set nearby. Tip-ups cover the committed bites and the overnight hours. The rod covers the moving fish that a bait tip will never see, and it keeps you on structure instead of sitting still.

How to Choose the Right Tip-Up for Pike Water

Once you know your lake and your weather, the choice narrows quickly. These are the decisions that actually change the outcome.

Hardwood Rail Versus Poly Versus Frame

Hardwood rails like the Beaver Dam win on stability and cold. Poly units like the Frabill 1680 win on weight, price, and the fact that a missing part is replaceable. Frame designs like the Bullnose and Clam win when you want to fish your own rod. There is no wrong answer, only a mismatch with your conditions.

Trip Tension Range for Pike

Set heavy. The most common complaint across forums is false trips, but the more expensive mistake is a pike swimming away with the spool. If you are getting constant false flags, the fix is tension on the spool and a sheltered hole, not a lighter trip.

Spool Capacity for Deep Basins

Rule of thumb from the forums: if the drop-off is deeper than about 20 feet or you expect to fish it overnight, you want 100 yards or more. The 200 yard Polar is the extreme of that range. For shallower weed edges a standard spool works fine.

Flag Height and Night Visibility

Flag height is a range, and the difference between a short flag and a 14 to 17.5 inch flag is the difference between spotting a trip at 30 feet and spotting it at 50. If you fish at night, either buy the lighted Sullivan or add reflective tape to whatever you own.

State Line Limits and How Many You Should Buy

Most states cap how many lines one angler can run, and the limit directly determines how many tip-ups you need. Check your own regulation before you build a spread, because buying ten units for a five line state is a real and common mistake. The forums are clear that this is the first question new pike anglers should ask.

Cold Weather Failure Modes

Plastic spools cracking in sustained sub-zero cold is the failure mode forum users report most, along with holes icing shut when a non-insulated tip is left set overnight. A frame with a metal bearing and a stated freeze proof lubricant is the safe answer, and a tip that keeps the hole open saves you the auger and the skimmer. If your hole is icing over or the machine is cutting poorly, our guides on ice tasting bad and ice that will not crush explain how ice structure and crystal size change the tooling and the drilling conditions you are working in, and ice maker ice full covers why holes keep closing over on a cold snap.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Call: Which Tip-Up Goes on Your Ice in 2026

If you chase big northern pike on windy water and want one frame that lasts decades, the Beaver Dam The Original Tip-Up is the buy, and it is our Editor’s Choice for 2026. If you want the most proven design with the largest body of owner feedback, the Frabill 1680 is the value pick, and its dual trip settings handle a mixed pike and walleye spread on one hole pattern.

Fish deep basin drop-offs and give the fish room to run, and the Polar Tip-Up with the 200 yard spool is the only one here built for it. Fish at night and want to find your flags without a headlamp, the Sullivan Tip Drop four pack is the answer. Learning on your own rod, start with the Ifish Pro for three trigger settings or the Clam Arctic Warrior for a simpler release. Folding frames like the Bullnose Big Red and Original Blue serve a walking day rather than a fixed spread.

Check your state’s line limit first, rig the heavy leader and the sucker, set the trip tight, and give it an hour. The best ice fishing tip ups for pike are the ones you leave set long enough for a pike to decide you are worth the trip.