I was at Bass Pro Shop,yesterday,and saw South Bend imitations of the famous Beaver Dam Artic Fisherman.They were of the exact design but made of cheaper components,I would assume.Does anyone have any experience with these or are they new on the market? They are almost half the price which is important as I plan on buying a few for Santa to distribute. Thanks!!

i saw those also but i didn't spend much time looking at them as i've always thought they were too large and overpriced. its all in the tube and grease, thats why i've always found polars with blue lube to work the best for me. i've used and abused them all and will always go with the polars.

I ahve to agree, stick to Polars, Beaver tips are over rated, heavy, huge, and are not nearly as sensitive as the polars. When it's -20 outside and the hole is frozen shut, the polar is as loose as it is in my living room, just keep it full of blue lube and be careful not to get the lube on anything you want a fish to eat.
Something is fishy around here.

OK I'll bite,

I use the artic fisherman and have had great luck with them. Yes, they are a little more money, however I have had my best results with them. I have had the cheap plastic ones, magnetic ones, and few others, I keep coming back to my artics. Mine are all 4-6 years old and spin freely, that is my main selling point. I guess that I'm strong enough to carry the extra weight that the artic has, that isn't a concern to me. Maybe I need to look at the others again, for now however I feel like I get fewer dropped baits with the artics and therefore will catch more fish with them. You would have to pry mine from my cold dead hands. For other types of fishing I don't mind the polars, in the end my experience has shown me that the artics have less resistance and more often there is still a fish holding onto something when I get to the flag.

arctics are good. polars are better. south bends are chinese made junk.

I recommend Beaver Dams hands down over any tip up. Many folks like Polars, and they are a fine product. But for heavens sake, don't buy South Bend...as stated earlier, they are junk.

Well I thought I should add my 2cents worth here...
I live only 20 minutes from Beaver Dam WI -home of the famous Beaver Dam - Artic Fisherman Tip-Ups. Growing up in a family of die-hard fisherman, we have used the Beaver Dam Artics for years among my relatives we problably have hundreds of them. They do work great and have always been my choice in a Tip-up. Polars always seem to be in a tangled mess in the bucket. During our Gun Deer Season in northren WI I did put the South Bend Wooden tip-ups into use and they worked great. We caught walleyes nightly on both the BD Artics and the South Bends. ---I have been fishing open water over the past week and just returned back to WI, so I hope to get back onto the ice shortly I am sure they will continue to do fine, Great price too...

I don't think the fish really know what type of tip-up they are getting caught on... LOL - BUT I guess some people think they need a $100+ rod to catch fish too. Maybe G.Loomis should start selling tip-ups for about $50 a tip-up? LOL

If used is ok, I've got at least a couple you can have. They are hardly used and some are the Beaver Dam brand or wind tip-ups. Since I'm mostly catch and release, tip ups are no good to me any more.

Let me know if you're interested.

Jack