Tip up box

[Stinger]

I know it's a little early to start thinking about ice fishing, but I wanted to see if anyone else was using a tip up box to keep their tip up holes open etc. The ones I've seen are about 14"x14" wood box with a rattle reel and heat source. There is a company out there that wants $100 for these boxes, but I think I could build myself some for pretty cheap. I just get sick of my holes always freezing and my tip ups filling in from blowing snow/tripping by wind.

Any one have any experience?

 

[johnr]

1/4 cup if antifreeze

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To be serious, those black foam rubber covers have worked well during the daylight. Fishing after dark in the winter sucks anyway, so you know

 

[Velva_zv21]

What's the link to the company that makes them or the name?

 

[ejolliffe]

Like John said, use the hole covers. I have doubled them up as well, with pretty good success. I also clean the hole and make a half moon of snow and slush on the wind side. Helps divert some of the blowing snow, at least for awhile.

 

[Stinger]

What's the link to the company that makes them or the name?

They are called bite me boxes. http://www.boxtipups.com/. I currently do the half moon wind break and use the round insulated tip ups. It just seems that if the fish are finicky, the standard tip up half covered in snow trips the flag so hard

 

[RustyTackleBox]

I've looked at them and thought about making my own boxes and putting soup can's with a couple of lumps of charcoal inside to keep them warm

 

[Allen Gamble]

If it's that windy and cold I just don't fish tip ups. Not worth the hassle for me. I'm also usually not fishing all day like I want to be. 3 kids, 3 dogs, and a wife don't approve much of it.

 

[JayKay]

I've looked at them and thought about making my own boxes and putting soup can's with a couple of lumps of charcoal inside to keep them warm

We call them smudge pots. They're wonderful, and a nice source of heat for frozen fingers. Just keep that thin mono from blowing against the can.

 

[hardwaterdriller]

I usually just put a large box over a couple holes and heat it. No problems with freeze up. I call it an ice house. ;:;rofl
I will put tipups out when it is nice. I don't want to be checking tipups when it is miserable out and I am in my shorts and sandals.

 

[RustyTackleBox]

I usually just put a large box over a couple holes and heat it. No problems with freeze up. I call it an ice house. ;:;rofl
I will put tipups out when it is nice. I don't want to be checking tipups when it is miserable out and I am in my shorts and sandals.

I am hardcore... I enjoy the breeze up my boxers... I don't wear shorts or sandals

 

[hardwaterdriller]

I do like this idea, only problem is storing/hauling these things around. I have a hard enough time packing as light as possible. If you are on foot, you will need another sled to just pull these around.

 

[Vollmer]

I do like this idea, only problem is storing/hauling these things around. I have a hard enough time packing as light as possible. If you are on foot, you will need another sled to just pull these around.

That was my thinking too.

 

[Stinger]

That was my thinking too.

I'm planning on only taking these out with my perm. They would take up too much room in my sled or on my wheeler. If I'm driving the pick up out, I would take them too.

 

[Brian Renville]

Everytime I look at the tip up box I think what a pain in the ass, I feel like I always carry a massive amount of mostly unnecessary crap in my pickup and I don't need to add to it. Anyway cutting squares in a rubber mat seems to work pretty good for the guys out here who leave their tip-ups out overnight.

 

[DirtyMike]

https://jtodp.com/product/hot-box/

 

[Bfishn]

If its too cold for thermal tip-ups then i'm not using tip-ups or getting out of my ice house until i reeeaaaallllly have to piss. All those hot boxes look like a complete pain in the ass.

 

[DirtyMike]

If its too cold for thermal tip-ups then i'm not using tip-ups or getting out of my ice house until i reeeaaaallllly have to piss. All those hot boxes look like a complete pain in the ass.

No disagreement here. I reel up all the rattle reels when it's time for bed. I sure as hell am not going outside in the middle of the night to chase a flag.

 

[hardwaterdriller]

If its too cold for thermal tip-ups then i'm not using tip-ups or getting out of my ice house until i reeeaaaallllly have to piss. All those hot boxes look like a complete pain in the ass.

You go outside to piss?? You haven't installed a PVC urinal yet?

 

[tikkalover]

I like a hot box..............................oh wait you guys are talking about a different hot box then the one I am thinking of. ::happy:

 

[Migrator Man]

Both of these boxes look like a good way to lose big fish at the hole. There is not much space to reach your arm into with out getting burned. Sometime I barely can pull a big fish out of the hole so one of these may not be the best. I can see how pulling small perch right out of it would work but that's about it.

A guy could just use a clear plastic tote box and place it over a pro thermal tip up and use charcoal in a can to heat it. The only issue would be seeing a popped flag through the condensation.