When ice fishing with remote lines and tip-ups, preventing hole freeze up can be a real challenge but is essential for landing more fish. There is a wide variety of different methods that anglers have used to help prevent freeze up from drilling a hole next to the tip up hole and putting a coffee can with hot charcoal in it, bubbling devices, a few drops of RV anti-freeze (which we would never recommend), and more with limited success.
In his travels, Jason Mitchell has come across a simple must-have product that does exactly what you need it to do. The Finicky Fooler Hole Cover is a simple foam cover and base that can be used with most standard underwater tip-ups, tip-downs, and set lines. The key to effectively keep the hole from freezing is to minimize outside air from filtering in, which is difficult to do with conventional hole covers. This cover utilizes an insulated rim that is centered over the ice hole, and slush is then packed around the perimeter to create a seal. The hole cover seats inside the rim with your tip-up or remote line device seated on top, effectively sealing off outside air and prevent snow from drifting in.
Tip-up fishing is often all about running multiple lines spread out across a wide area making it cumbersome to continually make the rounds to slush your holes often enough to keep them open. This simple cover can help you keep those holes thawed for longer periods of time, especially when facing wind on the ice.
