Anyone who has gone ice fishing will likely recognize a tip-up flag system when they see it. If a fish nibbles, the flag pops up to alert the fisherman and the rest is history. 
However, the Hook-Set Tip-Up will not only alert someone to a fish bite but it will help set the hook and reduce the number of lost fish in the process.
Ben Scherg will be the first to tell you that his invention isn’t for everyone, but he’ll also tell you that it will greatly increase the catch rate if you choose to give it a try. It’s no surprise that this is something that traditional fishermen might be skeptical of but it only takes one trip to the ice before they are won over. If you live in Minnesota, the Hook-Set Tip-Up is illegal in your state.
This is definitely an interesting invention, what was the inspiration for it?
When you fish with tip-ups, no matter the manufacturer, size, shape, color or style…you miss fish. Lots of them actually. I tried to figure out why it was easier to catch fish in summer than it is in winter. I concluded that in summer you have a pole in your hand and you can set the hook immediately when a fish bites. In winter, you have to run to a tip-up that signals you with a flag so you are never, ever there when the fish first strikes. None of the major tip-up manufacturers seem to agree with this thought. They are all concerned with making what is currently out there a little better, not fixing the real fundamental problem of giving the fish too much time when it first strikes. I decided that I was going to fix that problem. I created something that emulated the action of an immediate hook set so that you can hook the fish right when it strikes and achieve the same levels of success whether you are on ice or in a boat.
Where can we purchase a Hook-Set Tip-Up?
The Hook-Set Tip-Up is available on line at www.hooksettipup.com, Scheels Sports, Gander Mountain, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Fleet Farm (Wisconsin Stores) and many bait and tackle shops around the Midwest.
What has the response been like from consumers?
The first response is typically skepticism. For years, ice fisherman have been using and dealing with the same general design of tip-ups. Anything new is usually shunned before it is accepted. There are also some old wives tales about catching more fish if you let them “run with the bait”. Ice fishermen simply don’t believe this will work and some don’t want to try it. Once they do…the feedback has been fantastic. People are reporting higher catch rates, better ability to release fish healthy and lots of fun on the ice.
How long did it take before your idea was formed into an effective tool? What was the process like?
I came up with this idea when I was 10 years old. I’m now 33 and we’ve had it in stores for 2 years. The process was frustrating and exciting at the same time. I knew I had a good idea, I just had to figure out how to make it work. Every winter we would build prototypes and test them while there was ice…there’s really no good way to create the same environmental factors for testing something like this in summer…so we would fish and make changes all winter until the ice melted and then start again the next year. The whole process of prototyping and re working took about 10 years and then we finally had a product that really truly worked.
How has your business changed since it first launched 6 years ago?
When we first started, I had two partners that were very risk-averse. They wanted to move very slowly and use one year’s profit to make a small amount of tip-ups for the next year…I wanted to move a lot quicker than that and knew that large quantities were necessary to achieve the production costs we were looking for. About 3 years ago, my original two partners were bought out by my current partner. We are much more aggressive with advertising, production and marketing than we were before and it has allowed us to work with large national retailers.
Since it was released, have you made any design changes to further optimize your invention?
We have changed a couple minor things in terms of a plastic bushing and the size of the opening in our line guide. We have also created a couple accessories that go along with and make the tip-up easier to use. We are looking into some re-engineering to try to make it more sensitive for smaller fish, but are a couple years away from that.
What have you learned from your business?
You can’t please everyone…no matter how hard you try. That sounds a bit pessimistic you might say…but let me explain. This tip-up can and will help people catch 2 to 3 times more fish simply by using it. It will also help maintain the vitality of our fisheries by making catch and release more successful on the ice. What would be bad about either of those things? Well…I have been told by some fishermen that I am “taking all the fun out of ice-fishing”. I also hear from people that it has a problem with freeze up. As far as the first comment, I simply tell them, if they don’t like the idea of a tip-up that sets the hook…don’t buy one. As for the second comment, this tip-up is different from any other tip-up on the ice. It is designed differently and needs to be treated differently. I have put instructions in written and video form to educate people on how to prevent freeze up issues. It is so simple to do that once people know how, they won’t even think twice about it anymore…but there are those people out there who don’t read directions or watch tutorials, so they don’t see the success they immediately want and deem the product defective. I have talked to a number of these people, told them how to fix the issues they are having and then heard great success stories from them…I just wish people would read the instructions up front so they don’t have those frustrations in the first place.
Do you have any goals that you’d like to achieve over the next year or so?
I’d like to sell out of my current inventory. Once I do that, I will be at a break even point and can start fresh with a new production run. From there we may actually see some profit!! This has been in the works for 23 years now…I’ve put in literally thousands of hours with literally nothing…except bills…to show for it. I look at the end of the rainbow and see that there is a pot of gold there…but I haven’t reached it yet. Someday…
What advice do you have for inventors that are interested in marketing their product?
That is a loaded question…I can’t begin to explain all the things I have done since day one to get this where it is today. You have to wear so many hats that you can’t keep them all straight…
The one thing I can tell people for sure is that you will have so many things pop up in this process that you can’t possibly prepare for them all. You have to be very flexible, very persistent and believe so deeply in your product that nothing can sway you from bringing it to the public.
From a financial standpoint I use this rule of thumb: Come up with the most honest estimate of your potential market that you can. Plan on about 3% of that market buying your product. Then come up with the most honest estimate of expenses that you can. From there you might think it is an easy decision…if 3% exceeds expenses you should move forward…Here’s the kicker…Take one half of the expected revenue, and double your expenses. If you can still make a living after doing that…then you should consider moving forward.
Also…work with professionals every chance you get…cutting corners on a patent attorney, manufacturing, advertising or any piece of this puzzle will leave you with nothing but an empty wallet and a load of bills. Don’t make quick decisions and get feedback from as many people as you can before moving forward. Remember, you believe in your idea. You know what it does. But other people are going to have to buy it. If the people you trust don’t seem to think it’s a good idea, the people you don’t know sure as heck aren’t going to either.