Frabill Engineers the First “Intelligent” Tip-Up
OutdoorHub 11.13.12
The Calibrator removes guesswork, adds precision to the art of setting traps on ice
A wise man once said, “Knowledge is power and enthusiasm pulls the switch.” Surely such a prophetic individual must have been an ice angler, and very likely, a keen follower of tripping tip-up flags. For when the ‘ice trap’ artists at Frabill set out to fashion a whole new level of tip-up technology, this very precept imbued the Calibrator Line Counter Tip-Up with both knowledge-giving traits and extraordinary performance.
Say goodbye to your old school clip-on “depth finders.” They’re suddenly obsolete (although we hear they double as a nice set of earrings.) The Calibrator sports a spiffy digital LCD, revealing the depth of your bait at all times. Plunk a hooked rig and bait into the hole and watch the digital dial roll the depth: 3.2, 6.8, 11.7 . . . Bingo, you’re on the money, tasty morsel set precisely on the sweet spot.
When a toothy maw snaps shut, the hallowed Frabill flag flies high, immediately alerting all adjacent foot soldiers of the attack. Arriving on the scene, the first trooper glances at the “tell all” display, quickly discovering the time at which the strike occurred. Inquiring anglers also learn precisely how much line the predator has peeled from the spool—another critical nugget of knowledge.
All-star ice fisher Pat Kalmerton knows a thing or two about tip-ups, and this one, he says, raises the flag to new levels. “Frabill has long understood that tip-up fishing isn’t just a simple wait-and-see affair. It’s an art that done with precision and attention to the details becomes one of the deadliest methods on ice. The Calibrator is an engineering marvel—a model of precision and simplicity that has forever elevated the game of setting traps on ice. Welcome to the new era of tip-up fishing.”
More than a pretty face with a brain, the Calibrator has been built on Frabill’s tough tip-up foundation. A heavy-duty yet compact base is armed with an Ultra Glide spool shaft system that provides smooth, frictionless performance. Exclusive Sub-Zero winter lubricant assures seamless free-spinning at all times and temperatures. Spool shaft is also removable for easy cleaning and lubricating. Dual trip settings play to light biting walleye or big baits for whopper pike and other predators. When the flag trips, its extended 17.5-inch shaft flashes the strike signal far and wide, while its large 200-foot line capacity spool lets striking fish roam free.
Merging function with critical fish catching data, the Calibrator’s LCD unit provides multiple statistical elements, including: depth of bait, time of bite, time since last bite and length of line taken by biting fish. Display module is removable for storage and features a powerful backlight for low light use.
Classic ice fishing tactic meets the information age, and its name is Calibrator.
