Ice-fishing Friday: Your complete guide to catching big northern pike with tip-ups

TIP-UP LINES

When using standard tip-ups where you’ll be retrieving the line by hand, it’s best to use black Dacron line specially designed for tip-up fishing, as opposed to standard braided or monofilament line. There are many reasons for this. For starters, unlike monofilament, Dacron doesn’t have any memory, so it comes off and goes back on the spool easily, even on cold days. Dacron is also extremely durable, and won’t get cut on the sharp edges of ice holes. And unlike braid, Dacron is also thick enough that it won’t cut your skin if it gets wrapped around your hands or fingers when a pike decides to run. What’s more, the black line is easy to see against snow and ice.

When using a rod-and-reel style tip-up, on the other hand, braided line is a great choice, since it’s extremely durable, and doesn’t have memory. Whatever line you choose, be sure to tie a large snap swivel to the end so you can easily attach and swap out your rig.