Basically, tip-ups use a frame that spans the hole, a signal device above the ice, a reel with line and a lure under the ice. An angler can set up several of these and wait from a central area for bites. When a fish takes the lure, it activates the signal, calling the angler to reel in. Signal devices vary from flags or alarms to lights. Regardless of the time of year, an angler needs to look for fish in areas that provide the oxygen, food and water temperatures necessary for survival.
Location is critical when ice fishing as fish concentrate in smaller, more specific water.
A portable fish locator makes the task of finding a prime location much easier. The better areas during winter are limited in size, determined by minutely warmer water temperatures and by a specific species' particular preferences for either structure or current. During early winter, these areas are usually more shallow and become progressively deeper as the season lengthens. The jackpot areas are around water discharges and underwater springs where temperatures remain consistently warmer during the winter. Rivers and streams that flow into a lake are good areas, although winter time warming trends can cause inflow water to run colder, sometimes having a negative effect.