Fishing Forum

This morning,while fishing Henrys Lake, I watched as my rod, reel, and red wire rod holder for dead sticking disappeared down a hole. Unfortunately, it was one of my more expensive reels. Ten minutes later, two holes away, one of my JawJackers tripped. I reeled in the small ice fly on the rod and saw some mono draped across the small hook. As I hand lined it in I found an eighteen inch cutt on one end of the line and my lost rod and reel on the other end. Thank you JawJacker!
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Outstanding two trophy's at the same time out of that hole and the jacker just paid for its self [cool], I use those cheap holders and that was one of my fears and getting 30 bucks tied up in a pole and holder can be real easy. I took a large fender washer and welded it to the holder and run a 2" grabber screw in it to hold in place. Its easy to do with a screw driver and just a little added insurance. the washer doesn't have to be welded to the holder either.

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Great idea.....that's exactly the type of rod holder I was using. Heading to the shop now.

Bill
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I have just 2 words for people using that type of holder. Jigger totter.

I like your idea, but even with a more stable base I found I missed a lot of fish with that type of holder. The fish would feel the tension and spit the hook without ever moving the rod so you could tell there was a bite. It cost a little bit more than your solution, but will also catch you more fish. Well worth it IMHO. Ironically, you don't even realize how many bites you are missing until you try a jigger totter. I'm certain everyone using that type of holder is missing fish and they don't even know it.

On those heavy bite days, it really may not make much difference, but on the light bite days which seem to dominate my fishing, I think even the JJ will miss a lot of fish, in that you don't even know you had a bite, the fish spit it out and swam away.
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I am going to get some jigger totters as well. I tried the dangler which I liked and is kind of like a jigger totter, but I lost a rod down a hole last week. Lucky we were in shallow water and able to retrieve it.

The jaw jacker does work on the light bite. Just down size the bait and lighten the trigger. I was amazed after I got it figured out how light of bites I can catch fish with it.

On the other hand there is a time and place for everything and I definately like the jigger totters as well.

Windriver
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I have been eying the jigger totter design and i built a jig last week to make the bends and im going to try one and see how it works Just have to work out the height and width . I have spring bobbers on all of my uglystiks except the ultralights and they are more sensitive than the spring bobbers. do you really think that the totter type make that much difference ?
I know it was a crude fix but it saves poles, ya just have to keep an eye on them once in a while when its above freezing I have had to move the screw if i have been out all day as it gets a little loose in the ice.

I have two of the jaw jackers and i think they work ok last year they hooked half the fish that bit them so im not convinced there worth the price yet and i kinda like to hook them myself I know that kinda sounds silly but its fun lol
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I like the totters, just like them up a bit higher. I added corks to the wire so I don't worry so much about it slipping down the hole.

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=775365;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;page=unread#unread"]Idahopanfish had a home-made[/url] (well, PVC of course) model
I like how you can give 'em a tap to get 'em rocking. Often lift the whole wire to work it, then set down and teeter. Trout will usually hit it hard enough, but for the panfish - I like having a spring bobber.
Not on the jawjacker though! Serves a different role.

I am in my 2nd season using the Jigger Totters and wouldn't fish without them. The only complaint I have is they are too short. I am thinking of welding on an extension to the legs to raise them up 8 or 12 inches. I think I would like them quite a bit better this way. The only time I was even remotely concerned about losing a pole was when I had a pig on and it dumped the whole thing towards the hole, but I was standing right there, so no big problem, and part of it was that it wasn't on very even ice. I also use 3 jaw jackers, but miss about half the fish that trip them. I am thinking I need to adjust them better like WR was talking about.
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[quote drowning_flys] I have spring bobbers on all of my uglystiks except the ultralights and they are more sensitive than the spring bobbers. do you really think that the totter type make that much difference ?
I know it was a crude fix but it saves poles,
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Dude, I think your fix shows a lot of enginuity. It's a great fix. Do I think the JT makes that much difference? Yes. Even on my most limber rods, it helps to see the bites that you wouldn't see otherwise. I'm looking forward to seeing IPF's version made from PVC to see if the taller version is something I like.

JJ's miss a lot of fish, so will a JT, but how many bites are you missing on the JJ's that didn't even know you had. The JT won't set the hook for you, but I think my missed bites (when I'm actually looking at it) are close to zero. Besides, I like to set the hook anyway. That's one of my favorite parts (along with reeling them in, and landing them[]).
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I used spring bobbers and those red stands. The spring bobbers are sweet. Not sure how much more difference a JT could make over them on trout.
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I made my own jig last year and made 9 or 10 of them. Gave 3 to relatives and they want more. Mine are about 11" tall and 10 1/2" wide. I use wire spring bobbers on 1/2 of the rods and they move very little if the rod is horizontal, but the rod moves with a light bite. I forgot to get a few pounds of rod tonight to build more. Just designed a better way ( for me at least) to attach the cross rod to the pole that is easy to balance , adjust, remove, and will allow the pole to be mounted above the cross rod.
I have a Jaw Jacker and like it for the far away set. I move it out of the way so a fish doesn't splash on the trigger and freeze up.
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Would love to see a photo or your design.

I'd put a link in my earlier post, but here's a shot of one of IPFs models.

[inline "a taller jigger (Small).JPG"]

[quote hooknhunter][quote drowning_flys] I have spring bobbers on all of my uglystiks except the ultralights and they are more sensitive than the spring bobbers. do you really think that the totter type make that much difference ?
I know it was a crude fix but it saves poles,
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Dude, I think your fix shows a lot of enginuity. It's a great fix. Do I think the JT makes that much difference? Yes. Even on my most limber rods, it helps to see the bites that you wouldn't see otherwise. I'm looking forward to seeing IPF's version made from PVC to see if the taller version is something I like.

JJ's miss a lot of fish, so will a JT, but how many bites are you missing on the JJ's that didn't even know you had. The JT won't set the hook for you, but I think my missed bites (when I'm actually looking at it) are close to zero. Besides, I like to set the hook anyway. That's one of my favorite parts (along with reeling them in, and landing them[]).[/quote]

Thanks for the info I will get a couple made up and give them a try I always willing to try something that will increase hookups.

[quote kentd71]I made my own jig last year and made 9 or 10 of them. Gave 3 to relatives and they want more. Mine are about 11" tall and 10 1/2" wide. I use wire spring bobbers on 1/2 of the rods and they move very little if the rod is horizontal, but the rod moves with a light bite. I forgot to get a few pounds of rod tonight to build more. Just designed a better way ( for me at least) to attach the cross rod to the pole that is easy to balance , adjust, remove, and will allow the pole to be mounted above the cross rod.
I have a Jaw Jacker and like it for the far away set. I move it out of the way so a fish doesn't splash on the trigger and freeze up.[/quote]
Thats how i use my jawjackers also and what i was thinking of making is real close to the size that you gave maybe just a tad higher and was also thinking about welding a couple tabs on the cross shaft and using a heavy duty o ring to secure the pole to the shaft so it can be adjusted easily and removed for storage it would also eliminate the cross shaft loss if it happened to pop off when you set the hook. I would also like to see your design as i picked up 21 foot of rod on the way home from work and probably get started on the project later this week.
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Hey there's my Tip-down or jigger. I am going to try a modification this year to try and make it more efficient, but as it is it is very sensitive and will auto jig with even the slightest breeze and comes apart to pack in a bucket.

I love PVC[][sly][fishin]
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JJ or JT i still like traditional tip downs...even with a JT the fish feels resistance. watching a trout hit on a traditional tip down is a hoot. i will have to take some film and post it for you guys
I have experimented with several types but have been loving Innovative Tipdowns
http://www.tipdown.com/
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Never really looked at the tip downs like in the link you provided what makes them a better mouse trap ? [sly]

Ok so i spent my lunch hour making a couple what do you think I know its to short already would be much nicer around 14 inches tall It ended up 12" tall 10" wide . I went with the o ring idea as to not damage my cork handles and the pole doesn't move even when yanked on pretty hard.





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Looks really good to me. Nice work. I think you'll find they're tall enough most of the time. When you get some deeper, hard-crusted snow you might wish they were a little taller.
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[quote drowning_flys] Never really looked at the tip downs like in the link you provided what makes them a better mouse trap ? [sly]
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basically i like them better because they are really well balanced and when they tip down they stay down. this gives the fish longer to mouth the bait without feeling resistance and when they tip down they will spool line to the fish so you dont have to worry about your whole setup getting pulled into hole
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[quote hooknhunter]Looks really good to me. Nice work. I think you'll find they're tall enough most of the time. When you get some deeper, hard-crusted snow you might wish they were a little taller.[/quote]
Thanks guess field testing is about the only way to know for sure [laugh]

[quote Woodlands][quote drowning_flys] Never really looked at the tip downs like in the link you provided what makes them a better mouse trap ? [sly]
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basically i like them better because they are really well balanced and when they tip down they stay down. this gives the fish longer to mouth the bait without feeling resistance and when they tip down they will spool line to the fish so you dont have to worry about your whole setup getting pulled into hole[/quote]
sounds like an interesting concept if you do take video would love to see it [cool]
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