Smart Connect Reel and App

Lets face it, we live in a world where there is an app for almost everything.  Many of the apps I use are focused on the outdoors and helping me hunt or fish more effectively.  I use apps like OnX Maps, Weather apps, apps to keep record of how many fish I catch and what I catch them on.  The app and product I want to talk about is the Smart Connect App and the Smart Connect fishing reel!

This app and reel combo is a blue tooth connected device that links your phone to your fishing reel and sends an alarm/notification when you get a bite! I posted a review a few years about about the Smart Rod which has the Pole Tap technology that sets off an alarm when the rod gets a bite.  I loved the Smart Rod for many reasons as I take lots of people out fishing that benefited from having a alarm letting them know they were getting a bite.  I take a lot of older people as well as a lot of young people and kids out fishing which both have a hard time staying awake or sitting still :) With the smart rod the alarm is in the rod so you are limited to using that specific rod for fishing.  What I am excited about the Smart Connect Reel is that I can put this same technology on any rod I wish!  Products like the Smart Rod and the Smart Connect Reel have been great for me for many reasons!  I know some may dislike the idea of technology messing with their fishing and I know many of us get out fishing to get away from our devices, yet there is a time and place for all of it and it's not for everyone.

Let me give you a little more info on the Smart Connect Reel.  This reel is not only tech savvy, but it is also a great quality reel.  It is a light weight composite body with a aluminum spool and machined handle.  The reel has a 5 ball bearing 4.7:1 gear ratio which is very smooth and consistent.  The reel also included a large "power knob" on the handle that was a bit unique at first but I quickly began to love it.  On the back of the reel is the electronic bite alert system which can be easily disconnected and removed from the reel for charging or storing purposes.

To connect the reel to your phone you just have to download the Smart Connect App for Apple or Android phones then follow the simple instructions included.  To summarize, you turn on the bite alert on the reel, connect to the reel from the app on your phone, and customize the sensitivity settings.  Once you are connected then you can sit back and wait for the fish to bite.

Now I'll list some of the things I personally like about the reel and app while also touching on a few things I didn't love as much.

I have to say, the technology is impressive!  There are 5 different sensitivity settings which go from extremely sensitive to least sensitive.   When you use the most sensitive setting I have had the reel send the bite alert notification when my 4 year old son jumped on the ground next to where my rod was set up.  There isn't any doubt in my mind that the settings on the app/reel will work for you.

The app also includes a weather and GPS feature where you can check the forecast and mark your locations for future reference when you find a spot you absolutely love!

The app has the ability to connect up to four different Smart Reels which could expand your arsenal and the area you are covering!  I especially love this feature as I will now be able to throw these reel on my ice fishing rods and keep track of them better if I am hunkered down in my ice hut during bad weather.

I also love the quality of the reel.  I know I brought this up earlier, but I have to say they did not cut any corners on this product and have given us a very quality product.  This reel by itself without the bite alert technology has become one of my favorite reels to use while fishing.  I have even used it without the bite alert technology while fishing with spinners and rapalas just because I love the way the reel feels and works.

My busy fishing crew

Initially I had an issue with the reel and app disconnecting when I was fishing.  This didn't bother me to bad as I just left my phone next to my fishing rod which in the end helped me even have a better day because I wasn't on my phone the whole time!
When I contacted Smart Connect about the issue they helped me resolve this quite quickly.  If the unit is not fully charged, understandably, the distance it can cover is reduced.  When the reel is at a full charge I was able to get a good 150-200 feet while still keeping connection.  The distance is rated for "line of sight" which can be tricky at times with your phone in a pocket.  Even with your phone in your pocket or jacket, I was able to get 50+ feet when the item was fully charged. 

Overall I have to say I'm not only impressed with the Smart Connect Reel, but I am excited to bring it with me on future fishing trips! I know my nephew who I take fishing thought a fishing reel like this was the coolest thing he had ever seen! He kept asking me if I would let him catch a fish on my pole so that he could say he caught a fish with the Smart Reel! This is the type of situation I look forward to. I love seeing people who are not only passionate about the sport, but also get excited about gear, technique, and so much more!





















Here are a few of the fish I caught on the Smart Connect Reel, nothing big but the bite alert system worked great!

I will be uploading a video showing the reel in action once I can coordinate me using someone else's phone to record the video and the time the fish bites :) I will also upload a video of the Smart Connect Reel on an ice fishing rod in a JawJacker set up and show you what I'm most excited about with this set up!

Sturgeon Through The Ice!!!

As many of you know, I am an avid ice fisherman.  I would go as far as saying I'm borderline obsessed with it.  Most people look forward to the summer/spring so they can get out of the house and explore the mountains, while I'm constantly watching the thermometer hoping for below freezing temperatures.  I have caught a number of large fish through the ice, and have caught a hand full of different species while ice fishing, but I recently had an opportunity which has never even crossed my mind.  Ice fish for sturgeon here in Idaho! Yes, you read that right... I had the opportunity to pull a sturgeon through the ice here in Idaho ON AN ICE FISHING ROD!!!

The Idaho Statesman posted an article on January 9th 2017 of a man in Parma Idaho who has a private pond stocked full of sturgeon and other fish.  After reading the article and watching the video on the post, I knew that I had to take advantage of the opportunity! From my home, Parma is close to a 6 hour drive across the state.  My buddy Lucas from work, who showed me the Idaho Statesman article told me that he wanted to go and that we could made a day trip out of it if we were dedicated enough.  We decided to plan on our next day off work to make the 6 hour drive, fish for 9 hours, and then drive back.  As crazy as that sounded to me, I am always focused on being with my family and being home with my kids, so I was all for making the sacrifice of sleep to make this trip a reality without being gone from my family any more than I had to be.

When January 16th arrived, my alarm sounded off at 2:00 AM.... I gathered my things and hit the road to my buddy Lucas' house.  When I arrived, we packed my gear into his vehicle and we headed toward Parma with high hopes of landing a fish we never thought would be a possibility for through the ice.  After the 5+ hour drive we arrived at the Poor Fish Ranch owned by Jim Schwartz.  Jim set us up with bait, tackle (including barbless hooks of course), and all of the info we needed to be successful on his pond.  We talked about how sturgeon have no bones or teeth and how we need to be super careful as far as how we handled them.  We had to drill at least 4 holes which all connected to each other in order to have a hole large enough to get the fish through the ice.

As we started fishing, it wasn't long before we had a bite or two.  The Sturgeon were lightly biting and we had to be paying attention or they would just suck the bait off the hook and move on.  It wasn't long before we had our first sturgeon on the ice! Lucas' kids pulled a few smaller (20"+) sturgeon in, and then one of his sons ended up hooking a pretty good one! The fight lasted a good 8 minutes before we were able to pull a nice 3+ footer through the ice.

We kept fishing, pulling an occasional 2 footer or so through the ice, when all of a sudden my Jawjacker went off.  I ran to the rod and grabbed it as the sturgeon at the other end decided to let me know it wasn't very happy to have a hook in it's mouth... Immediately my reel started losing line as the fish swam straight away from the ice hole.  Unlike any of the other fish I've ever caught through the ice,  this fish swam at a steady pace directly away from me and there was nothing I could do to even slow it down.  Once I began to gain some line back on the fish, the battle turned into a yo-yo game of who was going to give up first.  As soon as I reeled in a few feet of line, the sturgeon would decided to take it right back plus a little extra just to show me I was in for the long haul! This battle continued until I was able to get the fish up toward the hole and then a whole new dynamic entered my mind as I now had to figure out how I was going to get this fish out of the hole.  While fishing the fish and holding the pole in one hand, I was reaching into the water past my elbows to try and get the fish's head to turn up into the hole.  Just as I was about to give up and unhook the fish under the ice, I was able to get it's head turned and began up the hole.  Once the tip of nose came above the water, I reached down to grab the fish behind it's pectoral fins to lift it out onto the ice. By now the fish was out of the water up to it's front fins and it was close to 2 feet long just from the tip of it's nose to it's pectoral fin... just then my barbless hook popped out of the fish's mouth, nearly missing my buddies face, and my fish I had just spent the last few minutes fighting with slipped back down the hole and swam away...

As angry as I could have been that I didn't land that big fish, the fight I had was by far the most epic battle I have ever had on the ice.  I was still smiling ear to ear with the fact that I got a glimpse of how big this fish was, was truly amazing.  Everyone in my fishing party kept fishing as we were all on a high and a low from the recent events.  Shortly after we began fishing again, we started getting a few more fish on the ice.  Throughout the day, we all had battles that would make lasting impressions on our minds.  We all pulled in fish that were very large, much bigger than any other fish we have pulled through an ice hole.  We also lost a few fish that came unhooked or just came off at the tip of the ice that were absolute monsters! Throughout the day the 5 that were in our party ended up catching around 30 sturgeon + or - a few.

At the end of the day I look back on the experience and it all seems a bit surreal.  I was pulling sturgeon through the ice, lifting them out of the water, and then releasing them back down the hole.... I fought a fish so hard I could barely feel my arm afterwards.  I pulled a fish out of the water that was close to, if not older than I am.  This trip was well worth the drive, well worth the $25 to fish at the Poor Fish Ranch, and well worth the time.  I would encourage any avid ice fisherman, or any fisherman for that matter, to reach out to Jim Schwartz and take the opportunity to fish his pond for these amazing fish.

Clark Canyon Burbot Fishing

My cousin Keegan with his first burbot!

Every year I like to get over to Clark Canyon Montana and ice fish for burbot.  Last year unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it due to unsafe ice conditions.  This year however, I was bound and determined to make the drive to target these gnarly looking bottom feeders.
Last weekend, I hit the road with my cousin and a coworker right after we got off work.  As the burbot are typically nocturnal and night feeders, we knew that it would be a long night but we were anxious for the adventure.  All the prep work had been done over the past couple of days.  I had all of the gear, bait, and the snacks all packed up and ready to go so we could hit the road as soon as possible.  As we were driving the 2+ hour to Cark Canyon Reservoir, I was explaining to Shane and Keegan all of the different things we needed to do to get set up before it got to dark to see.  It then dawned on me that I had forgotten my lantern which was going to be our main source of light for our trip... We had a few other lights that would get us through, but I couldn't help but wonder what else I may have left behind...

As we got to the reservoir, the wind was blowing about 20 miles an hour with gusts much stronger than that.  We loaded up our sled and threw the other gear on our backs to head out fishing.  The interesting part of this trip was that the week and half previously had been abnormally warm.  As we were stepping on the ice, the temperature was 45 degrees, even though it felt much colder than that with the wind.  The ice had a thin layer of water on top which made for a eventful walk out to where we were going to fish.

Luckily we were able to set up and get all of our holes drilled before it got dark.  It took all three of us cooperating to get my hut set up with the wind.  After we got the tent up, we started working on getting all of our lines out.  We rigged up with white glow in the dark tube jigs tipped with sucker meat, and within 15 minutes we had our fish burbot on the ice right before dark!

As soon as we knocked the skunk off and knew we weren't going home empty handed, the trip was a lot more relaxing.  The reason I love getting over to Clark Canyon to catch these burbot is because they are one of my favorite eating fish.  One thing to keep in mind is to remember to check the rules and regulations because every area has a few different guidelines.  At Clark Canyon you can only have two rods per person with the daily limit (as well as possession limit) of burbot being 3 per person.  Also you can only have 1 burbot per person that is over 28" long.  Keeping 3 per person will definitely give you enough great tasting fish to make the trip worth it.

After our first fish, we sat for quite a while with no action.  We decided to bust out the grill and cook a few Johnsonville Beddar with Cheddar sausages and tortillas... ha the only reason I clarify what brand and flavor of hotdogs we were cooking is because from this point on, if we had a slow time on the ice, all we had to do was put another cheddar dog on the grill and without a doubt we would have a fish on the ice by the time it was done!  Seems how the burbot are bottom feeders, we had our lines set just an inch off the bottom.  When the burbot would bite, the JawJackers would set the hook and the fight was on! Most of the burbot would fight really hard but we had one or two that just seemed to come in without much of a battle.  The later in the night we got, the harder the fish would fight.  By the end of the night, the fish we were pulling in were aggressive and typically larger than the ones we caught earlier in the day.

Our haul for the night

We had a blast keepin up with our JawJackers going off.  We kept our lines re-baited, and even pulled them up once and a while to recharge them with light so they would glow under the water. By the end of the night, we had caught 8 on the JawJackers and one jigging.  It was a great time just chatting and joking around with some good friends. I hope you enjoy the pictures and if you want to make a trip out there next year with me, just let me know!  Here are two videos of us reeling in a burbot this trip.  With the wind you can't hear much of what I am saying, but it is still fun to watch these fish come out of the hole!

Two of our bigger burbot from the trip

Clam Chair - Review

My daughter uses/tests my gear as much as I do :)

Let's be honest... I don't just ice fish as a coping strategy to get by when hunting season ends... I LOVE ice fishing.  I've has some of my followers on social media ask me about all my "gadgets" and have made statements like, "that's a pretty fancy gadget just to catch fish".  Just like hunting or any other outdoor activity, your gear can make a huge impact on your success as well as how comfortable you are.  When it comes down to it, they are right to a degree.  A chair is a chair, a pair of gloves are a pair of gloves, just like in hunting boots are just boots, and a bow is a bow.  Where they are wrong is when assume that all chairs, boots, or bows are all made equally!

This post will give you my look at the Clam Chair... yes a chair! Now before you exit out of the post because you think I'm just going to talk to you about a chair, I will let you know that the Clam Chair is MUCH more than just a chair and it can change the way you fish!

Here is my take on this chair:

Pros:

Dual Purpose: The main reason this chair caught my attention was because the chair could fold up and double as a carrying case/backpack with two adjustable shoulder straps.  Many of the places I fish, I often snowshoe into my spot or bum a ride from someone with a snowmobile.  The Clam Chair has the capacity to easily carry all 5 of my rods (capacity says 6 rods), my 5 JawJackers, my bait, ice scoop, extra jigs, and even my lunch and some extra clothes.  I always hated pulling a sled all the way across a frozen lake in the snow or dragging my sled behind someone's snowmobile and getting snow/slush all over all my gear.  With the Clam Chair I was able to carry all of my needed gear on my back and then hold on to my auger when traveling to my fishing spot.  This feature was great for mobile fishing when I would move around the lake to many different holes trying to locate fish. 

Functionality: The functionality is huge with this product.  The rod storage provides a enclosed hard case that protects your rods from being damaged while also providing structure for the chair, The chair has 4 other zipper pouches and one Velcro mesh pouch, that provides ample amounts of storage for whatever gear you may need to bring with you out on the ice. On the back side of the chair, there are two quick access sleeves where you can store a rod for easy access or other gear as well as two Velcro straps that can be used to strap down other gear.  Another neat feature is that when the chair is folded out, there is a padded cushion that folds down as well as a fish bag mounted under the seat.  I myself use it to hold my bait or any other item I want to access without having to get out of my chair while fishing. This bag is easy to detach and can be washed if you do decide to use it as a fish bag.  I love that the Clam Chair is a full size seat with back support while fishing.  This chair is a lot more comfortable than sitting on a bucket or some other small chair that I would typically use while ice fishing.  Anyone who ice fishes knows that the less gear you have to pack makes your trip a lot more enjoyable.  Rather than sacrificing a comfortable seat, the Clam Chair allows you to transport all of your gear safely while also fishing in complete comfort.  The chair only weighs 12 pounds which is quite light considering the hard case rod storage and metal frame for the pack and chair combined. 

Simplicity: I know you think I'm dumb for saying I love how simple this chair is... for heaven's sake its a chair, what would you expect... But in all seriousness, I like how every feature of this chair is designed specifically for ice fishing.  There isn't a single part of this chair that I don't use nor is there any bells and whistles that are unnecessary.  The more I use this chair, the more I learn to love how much thought went into each pocket and pouch.

Cons: 

Top/Back Heavy: One thing I didn't like when using this chair at first was that some times I would stand up to check some of my other rods and the chair would fall over backwards when I wasn't sitting on it.  I would have some of my gear still in the pockets of the chair which would put some weight toward to top/back so when I wasn't sitting on it, it would tip over backwards.  I ended up solving this problem quite easily by making sure my chair was set up in some snow where I could pack the front legs down or by simply placing a few items in the fish bag under the seat.  By adding a little (honestly not much at all) weight to the fish bag was enough to keep the chair from tipping over when I wasn't sitting in it.

Stitching:  This one is not a serious concern because it was resolved completely through Clam but I do feel it is important to mention...  I used one of the quick access sleeves on the back of the Clam Chair to store my ice scoop, and when I was pulling it out, the top of the sleeve ripped/came un-stitched.  I have had this issue with other carrying cases, shelters, and chairs in the past from other companies and I am not sure if it's just my bad luck or what.  I contacted the customer service from Clam who informed me that they would warranty the chair completely and make it right.  With the tear, I feel it was more of operational error than anything so I am glad they will warranty it, yet I do feel (and Clam agrees) that the product should have been able to handle a bit more before ripping.  Clam warrantied the product claiming it had a weak seam that shouldn't have ripped like it did.

My overall consensus on this product is that it really is much more than just another chair.  I love not having to organize everything into 10 different bags or buckets and then try to fit them all into my sled like I am playing Tetris in a snow storm.  Even when I use my sled, I am able to fit everything in  my clam chair, put the chair in my sled, and then place my auger on top then I'm good to go.  This chair has been great for me when I have snowshoed into a few of my more remote ice fishing spots and it has made snowmobile trips stress free not having to worry about my gear getting iced up or falling out of the sled.  I have used more Clam products this year than any other company and have quite pleased at how all of their gear functions.  I can say that what I love most about Clam is that the people working for the company know ice fishing! I have email and called Clam to talk about products and everyone I have talked to LOVES ice fishing and loves what they do to help out fellow ice fishermen.  I have yet to have a negative experience with Clam Outdoors!  You can tell a lot about a company from how they treat their customers and Clam stands behind every product they offer.

The Clam Chair was a good resting place for this 14" perch I caught

Disclaimer:

As with all reviews on Idaho Pursuit, the following review is my honest opinion. I am not a pro-staff member of, sponsored by, or associated with Clam Outdoors and am not accepting any  compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review.  My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.

Size Doesn't Matter

This weekend I had the opportunity to go out ice fishing.  This trip was not going to be a serious endeavor to try and land a trophy trout, instead it was a adventure with my priorities placed in order!  I asked my daughter if she wanted to go ice fishing with me and her response was, "Can we catch baby fish..."  Her response set the tone for our outing as her and I put on all of our snow clothes, got our gear ready, picked up snacks at the gas station, and headed out on the ice at a local pond.  My daughter's only requests for this trip was that she wanted to catch "baby fish" and she needed her sled.

We drilled holes and placed our JawJackers out... This process usually takes about 10 minutes for me to get all 5 of my holes drilled and rods set up, but this time it took us about 30 minutes.  As soon as one hole was drilled, my daughter saw me start scooping the ice chunks out of the hole... from her prespective I was scooping the ice out of the hole and putting in on my boots... My daughter wanted to be like her Daddy so she asked me to put the ice and water on her boots too :/ She then proceeded to lay down on the ice and move the slushy ice around with her hands... Well needless to say I was very glad I knew my daughter well enough to pack some extra clothes in case she got wet.

Once our rods were all set up, we started catching fish.  Here is a video of our first fish...

After our first attempt failed, we played around on the sled for a bit until another JawJacker went off.  This time we were a little more successful!

We caught a few more "baby fish" while we played around on the ice with her sled. 

My daughter loved spending time on the ice with her Dad sledding, fishing, and running around.  We were there for just over an hour but we laughed more in that one hour than most people do in a while month! My daughter loved to sit in her Dad's new ice fishing chair and tell me how big she was.  Total, we caught 4 perch and 6 small trout which were slightly larger than the minnows I typically use for bait :) but on this trip, size didn't matter... what mattered was that my daughter had fun and memories were made!

JawJacker Giveaway

Alright people,  I have definitely had some adventures lately.  Sad to say I haven't done as much ice fishing as I would have liked, but none the less I have been able to get out on the ice a few times.  One of the things that kept me off the ice a few weeks was vehicle problems... On my way home from ice fishing a few weeks ago, my rear left tire decided it didn't want to tied down any more and popped off at 65 miles per hour!  With the sparks flying and my nerves rushing, I luckily pulled off to the side of the road and watched my tire plummet down to the bottom of a canyon!  Long story short, I was glad I did a lot more praying than cussing in this situation and I am glad that things didn't end worse than they did!

Between vehicle problems and the busyness of the holidays I counted myself lucky to get out when I did, and luckily I had decent success every time I've been fishing so far.  I can honestly say that my success would not be as high if I didn't have the JawJackers!  While other people next to me are getting skunked and not catching fish, I have all my JawJackers spread out trying to locate fish and up my odds of getting one to bite.  On one of my trips this year I was fishing with 5 other people which meant we could have 25 rods out...  We weren't having success so we started drilling more holes and putting out every rod we had.  Luckily through this process we started catching fish.  The interesting part about it was that every fish we caught was on the JawJacker and was out of the same exact hole! That day we ended up catching 18 fish while the group next to us walked away with 2. 

Here is a video of me ice fishing Henry's Lake in Idaho!

I've said it again and again but every time I go ice fishing next to someone who doesn't use the JawJackers, I am reminded of why I have become such a strong believer in them.  Don't get me wrong, you still need to know where to fish and what to use for bait, but the JawJacker increases your chances of changing fish every time you use them!  I have caught some amazing fish through the ice and couldn't imagine fishing without the JawJacker.  Just like last year I want to share this joy with someone else by giving away a free JawJacker.  In partner with the JawJacker Twitter account @JawJackerFishin we are giving away a free JawJacker to one lucky follower so here is how you can get entered!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Remember that you can tweet about this giveaway every day to get two more entries for your chance to win this JawJacker!

Ice Fishing Season

If any of you follow me or my blog, you know that this time of year is one of my favorites.  I always enjoy freezing my butt off on a frozen lake trying to catch fish!  I know that standing over top of  a hole in the ice, in freezing cold weather, hoping that a fish bites the other end of my fishing line may not sound fun to some people, but there are a few things that make ice fishing much more enjoyable that I want to share with you.

My #1

First and foremost, the JawJacker! This contraption has made a sport I love into a new and exciting event every time I go fishing.  Here in Idaho we can use up to 5 rods per person which can quickly turn into a lot when fishing in  a group.  I always like to have my rod I use for jigging, but with my other 4 rods I always have them in a JawJacker.  The JawJacker not only acts as a safe rod holder so I don't lose my rod down the hole (Which has happened a time or two before I owned the JawJackers), but the JawJacker also increases my success rate and literally keeps me active the whole time I'm fishing.  If the JawJacker is legal to use in your state I strongly recommend you picking one up for one of your extra ice fishing rods! You wont be disappointed I can guarantee it! Here is a video of one reason I use the JawJacker:

#2
Three years ago I really started to get back into ice fishing.  Out of everyone  who came fishing with me, my favorite person to take out on the ice has been and always will be my wife.  As much as she loves me, she didn't necessarily share my same passion for ice fishing seems how she isn't a huge fan of the cold weather.  Luckily for me, she gave me the ultimatum and said that if I wanted her to come fishing with me, I would have to buy an ice fishing shelter to keep her warm.  I picked up the Eskimo Quick Fish 6 which I have been completely satisfied with.  This fishing shelter is a quick set up and take down as well as provides plenty of room for me and a few friends to fish in comfortably.  The only time I've had a problem with it was when I took on of my friends ice fishing and he decided to pick up my ice auger inside my shelter... Long story short, he accidentally brushed the auger blade against the side wall of the shelter and left a 6 inch slit in the shelter wall.  We got the slit fixed up and it has been great ever since.

My Eskimo Quick Fish 6 and JawJacker

#3
The last thing I will mention in this post that I feel is such a game changer for me is having a custom ice fishing rod!  I have bought all sorts of different rods and tried lots of different companies.  I have found a small hand full that I really feel do the job well while I have also found a huge amount which I feel are a complete waste of money.  I am currently in the process of having another custom ice fishing rod made from Cal Piccolo which I will be sure to write about later this year!  The thing I like about having a custom rod is a little bit of the superstition factor, as well as the concept of being comfortable with your gear.  The more you are comfortable with your gear, the better you and that gear will perform the way its supposed to.  Plus if anyone has seen the movie Grumpy Old Men, you will understand that ice fishermen have their lucky ice fishing rods... and my custom rod is just that!

 This brief list of ice fishing gear makes my ice fishing trips a lot more than just sitting over a hole in the ice waiting for a fish to bite... I wish that I could say since I've had this year I've never had a bad day of ice fishing, but I can honestly say that since I've had this gear it has made the bad days of ice fishing into better ones!

A bunch of Brook Trout I caught this year

Automatic Fisherman

As many of you know I have been using the JawJacker now for a few seasons and have become a believer of them.  Even though I have been extremely happy with the performance of the JawJacker, in the back of my mind I have always wondered how they compared to the Automatic Fisherman.  The Automatic Fisherman has been on the market since 2002 but has been in the work since the 70's and was sort of the Grandfather of the "hook-set" gadgets for ice fishing.  I have talked to a lot of people who have used the Automatic Fisherman first and then tried the JawJacker but have not found anyone who has tried out both units by first being associated and familiar with the JawJacker.... So I decided I would give it a shot and this is how it went.

I added a few stickers on my Automatic Fisherman to personalize it

 The Base Unit:
With the Automatic Fisherman, the base is made of a high density plastic that is rated for -90 below which is pretty durable if you ask me.  If you are fishing in weather colder than that your name must be Chuck Norris and you don't need any hook-set system; you could probably swim after the fish and they would surrender to you! The base is one solid piece excluding a support brace arm that tucks away neatly underneath when not in use and spreads out about 5 inches on each side preventing the unit from tipping over or being pulled into the hole by a hooked fish.  The only other part of the Automatic fisherman that is a moving part is the trigger mechanism that I will discuss later. 

One thing that I was quickly uneasy with concerning my previous experience with the JawJacker was the size of Automatic Fisherman.  Compared to the compact-ability of the JawJacker, the Automatic Fisherman is a lot more difficult to pack and transport.  While at the same time, the benefit of the bulkiness is the fact that there are less moving parts, which means less parts that may break.  Kerry who designed the Automatic Fisherman says that he has built and distributed over 60,000 of these and has only gotten one back because the customer was using it as a hammer to try and break the ice...  The Automatic Fisherman is covered under a lifetime warranty for the base unit and trigger system.  The website may be a little confusing about the warranty because they sell the base unit as well as many other accessories.  If you have any questions about this please email or call Kerry off the website and he would be more than willing to help you out if possible.  I have heard a lot of people talking concerning the JawJacker's durability in the cold but I have not had any problems myself with this at all.  One of my fisher partners on the other hand failed to set up his JawJacker correctly which resulted in his rod holder adjustment breaking on him.  He still uses his JawJacker but has had to find a unique way to set his adjustment pin.

I am not sure what other abuse this JawJacker went through before it broke like this but I also know that the guy who this happened to has used this JawJacker for over two years now and when he is not using it just tosses it in a bucket with his ice-fishing rods to transport it to and from fishing. 

Trigger:
Another thing that was interesting to me about the Automatic Fisherman is the trigger mechanism.  The triggers on the Automatic Fisherman is a metal bar that extends out of the front of the device.  This metal bar has a metal pin which you hook the eye of your fishing rod onto which sets the tension and sensitivity of the trigger.  The end of the metal rod is a  "V" shaped guide which you put your line through to keep in on the trigger.  Here is a close up picture of the trigger mechanism of the Automatic Fisherman.

 

The sensitivity of the unit can be adjusted by simply bending the metal pin which you hook your rod on.  The more you bend it toward the rod the stiffer the sensitivity.  The more the pin is bent in the other direction, the more sensitive the trigger will be.  I did not like how the trigger mechanism was metal just because I often got my hands wet while taking care of a fish and then my fingers would stick to the metal while trying to rest it.  What I liked about the trigger mechanism of the Automatic Fisherman is that it is very simple.  

My Observation!

The one ting I picked up on that I don't know how much of a difference it makes is that when you set the trigger with the Automatic Fisherman, the rod tip is lower than the line at the top of the trigger arm.  With the JawJacker, the rod tip is actually higher than the line when the line is placed in the "V" of the trigger. With this I noticed that even when I set the trigger to extremely sensitive on the JawJacker, there were times when the fish would just slightly bump the bait but the line would tighten without setting the trigger off.  I don't know if this was in my head or if the angle of these trigger mechanisms were a factor in hook up ratios. 

I will say that but also say that I have caught some extremely small fish which were light biters on the JawJacker so I am not sure how much of a factor this was.

My smallest fish on the JawJacker.  Measured in at 2.75 inches

I did a lot of research about these two units both from advocates of the Automatic Fisherman and advocates of the JawJacker and found that many of the reasoning behind using one unit over the other were quite common.  This is what I found from some of the advocates.

Bill: @BYOUNG460 [Instagram] - "The Automatic fisherman is a beefy and has a large profile, but can be cumbersome and take up more room to transport.  The JawJacker is light weight and compact and can be easily packed away in the smallest of area."

Brandon: @wip95 [Instagram] - "I give the Automatic Fisherman a 10/10! It is effective for catching everything from pike to light biting trout"

Rod: @Bass_Junky [Instagram] - "The Automatic Fisherman is made of a high density plastic and is rated for weather up to -90. It takes a beating on the ice and holds up to being dropped, kicked and knocked around inside you sled."
- You can check out Rod's review here http://bassjunkiesfishingaddiction.blogspot.com/2011/12/jaw-jacker-vs-automatic-fisherman.html?showComment=1390278899788#c8322668606394071085


Over all, I couldn't tell you one or the other would be better for you!  I took the stance that I am comfortable with my JawJackers and thought I would be cheating myself if I didn't at least give the Automatic Fisherman a chance.  Talking to many people about these devices I still haven't found one who has gone from using the JawJacker to the Automatic Fisherman.  You can find plenty of happy customers of both devices as well as a hand full of unhappy customers.  Bill (@BYOUNG460) said that he went from using the Automatic Fisherman to the JawJacker while at the same time he liked the Automatic Fisherman and its performance just preferred the one over the other.  Rod (@Bass_Junky) used both devices and uses his Automatic Fisherman more because that is what he is comfortable with and has had lots of success with.

In summary I would say that 1) The Automatic Fisherman is bigger and bulkier that the JawJacker and that the JawJacker is more compact and easier to store/transport.  2) The Automatic Fisherman is built TOUGH and has a life time warranty which is very nice when/if you need it!  3) The Automatic Fisherman trigger is set at a angle that prevents finicky fish to take your bait without setting off the trigger.  4) The Automatic Fisherman is more difficult to adjust trigger sensitivity while fishing.  If you do not bring the tool they include to adjust the trigger you have to either bend it with your fingers or some other tool while the JawJacker is a simple adjustment screw you can adjust with your fingers.  These four items are the things I noticed were different but when it came to performance I couldn't even tell a difference.  Both devices caught fish and both devices missed a few also.  I would say you can't go wrong with either device.