Chasing Flags

By Tim Moore
Contributing Writer

Attend most of my ice fishing seminars, or spend a few minutes talking ice fishing with me, and you’ll likely hear me say that I prefer not to use tip ups when ice fishing. I’m more of a mobile ice angler and tip ups act like anchors. It seems that I no sooner get my tip ups in the water, than I am ready to move again. However, I recognize that there are days when certain species, especially the lake trout and white perch in Lake Winnipesaukee, will only eat a live smelt. If I want to catch fish on those days I must step outside my comfort zone and set some tip ups. Besides, the majority of my clients love chasing flags and making sure they have fun catching fish is a priority.
Because lake trout and white perch are always on the move, I find it advantageous to put out a few tip ups when I’m guiding clients. The larger the group, the harder it is to move everyone around, and the more I will rely on tip ups. Each angler is allowed two lines on Lake Winnipesaukee, which means everyone can jig and have one tip up in the water. With larger groups that’s a lot of lines in the water. I can spread them out over an area that I do well in and increase the number of fish caught, especially on days when the lakers prefer live smelt. It also helps me locate nomadic schools of white perch.

This year Clam Outdoors came out with the new line of Bigtooth Tackle tip ups and I have become a huge fan of the Trophy Thermal Tip Ups. They are an insulated tip up that covers the hole and helps prevent it from freezing over. They are a flat design, so I don’t put them in areas with high snowmobile traffic for fear that they will get unknowingly run over. I also like that you can see the flag release spinning from a distance, so you know if you need to walk or run to it…and how fast.
I recently had a father and son pair of clients. It’s easy to be mobile with only two guests, but I decided to put out a few tip ups to cover more area before we moved on. Well, it was a decision that paid big as all except one of the white perch they caught that day came on those tip ups. The white perch were scattered and not in the big schools we usually find them in. Having lines out over a larger area allowed us to pick away at fish and send them home with something to eat. It would have been easy to stick with my usual pattern of running and gunning, but I put my clients first. Like my good friend Jeff Andersen once said to me, it’s not about me.

Tim Moore is a full time licensed NH fishing guide and owner of Tim Moore Outdoors. LLC. He is a member of the New England Outdoor Writer’s Association and the producer of Tim Moore Outdoors TV. Visit www.TimMooreOutdoors.com for more information.