Jaw Jacker or Rod Jacker. 8-(

[PlayDoh]

As luck would have it I watched my favourite rod disappear through the ice today. I was so ****ed I nearly stomped on the Jaw Jacker.

I’ve always had a less desirable rod in them, but I bought a new rod the other day and wanted to try it out so put my fav in the ***** Jacker.

After dozen of catches I figured my concerns weren’t warranted since even with 10 pounders the JJ stayed level. Well not this time.

I was 10 feet away and heard it go off. Was three steps on my way when the entire thing flipped, landed upside down with the rod holder right in the hole. The Trigger was right in the middle of the hole, and both outriggers out all the way with the near useless ‘spikes’ pressed in as good as can be done.

I’m sure if these things weighed more than 6 nanograms it would be way better. Even a strap or pin to keep the rod from flying out, which I’ll look in to if I ever use the damn things again.

I caught a good ten pound jack awhile before, and I’m guessing she hit it hard, then let off long enough for the coin-Jacker to spring. I though a tent anchor would probably be the foolproof way, but who wants to do that?

Ugh. I tried in vain to try and catch the bastard and bring it and my rod up, lol. I hope he got off the hook. Might have been fighting “me” for an hour, lol.

[35 whelen]

That's ****y I just bought one jawjackers and all my rods are very expensive

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[sundancedan]

Thanks for the heads up! I use mine as a rod holder a lot of times as I can be fairly lazy.

[338Bluff]

I have 2 jawjackers with more fish than I can remember on them and that has never happened. Something tangled?

I only use them for walleye, trout and perch. Prefer tipups for pike.

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[rem338win]

That sucks bud.

I've been using them for some time, and never had that issue. I would suggest loosening the drag a wee bit in the future.

[PlayDoh]

It’s possible the line was wrapped at the end of the rod, as I now clearly remember fighting the fish a hour or so before and the drag was good.
Any other rod and reel I would have just laughed, or if I seen it happen to someone else I would have lmao.
Oh well, back to the cheaper rods.


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[RavYak]

Obviously the line was tangled up, drag too tight or reel frozen up. Size of fish doesn't matter as long as drag works like it should and isn't set too tight.

[58thecat]

Obviously the line was tangled up, drag too tight or reel frozen up. Size of fish doesn't matter as long as drag works like it should and isn't set too tight.

Many variables that could go wrong eh...sucks when they all go wrong together...another rod down the hole:(

[223MB]

Wouldn’t trade my jaw jacker for anything! It consistently out catches me. I use crappy $10 HT rods in them though because I damaged a good st.croix in mine by leaving it in there too long in extreme cold.

[PlayDoh]

Obviously the line was tangled up, drag too tight or reel frozen up. Size of fish doesn't matter as long as drag works like it should and isn't set too tight.



My line is never “tangled up”, it wasn’t frozen up, and I explained how the drag was set perfect. It had caught a fish no more than an hour ago.
Either the line at the rod tip got looped, or it snagged up on the JJ’s loop.
And the size of the fish clearly has a factor. A perch isn’t gonna flip the whole contraption. Even when the line loops around just before the last eye, it only adds drag.
As good as the JJ is, it couldn’t be more cheaply made. I mean it doesn’t need to be titanium, but some mass would make it much more stable. Slightest bit of water can effect the trigger, and the hole is wide open to freeze up.
And some form of securement for the rod would have given me enough time to save it. If your using a light rod and low drag, you may as well be using a tip up almost.

[Jawjacker]

My line is never “tangled up”, it wasn’t frozen up, and I explained how the drag was set perfect. It had caught a fish no more than an hour ago.
Either the line at the rod tip got looped, or it snagged up on the JJ’s loop.
And the size of the fish clearly has a factor. A perch isn’t gonna flip the whole contraption. Even when the line loops around just before the last eye, it only adds drag.
As good as the JJ is, it couldn’t be more cheaply made. I mean it doesn’t need to be titanium, but some mass would make it much more stable. Slightest bit of water can effect the trigger, and the hole is wide open to freeze up.
And some form of securement for the rod would have given me enough time to save it. If your using a light rod and low drag, you may as well be using a tip up almost.

Hey PlayDoh. Sorry to hear about what happened. What I do is tether the JawJacker to the ice using an Ice tent Anchor screw with tip up line. I witnessed the exact same thing happen to a fellow angler at Wab last year that happened to you .But what I did notice with his set up was the JJ arms were extended to the side and not full extended out. Tight Lines

[muzzy]

could lay piece of 4x6 wood across couple arms.

[RavYak]

My line is never “tangled up”, it wasn’t frozen up, and I explained how the drag was set perfect. It had caught a fish no more than an hour ago.
Either the line at the rod tip got looped, or it snagged up on the JJ’s loop.
And the size of the fish clearly has a factor. A perch isn’t gonna flip the whole contraption. Even when the line loops around just before the last eye, it only adds drag.
As good as the JJ is, it couldn’t be more cheaply made. I mean it doesn’t need to be titanium, but some mass would make it much more stable. Slightest bit of water can effect the trigger, and the hole is wide open to freeze up.
And some form of securement for the rod would have given me enough time to save it. If your using a light rod and low drag, you may as well be using a tip up almost.

Line getting looped around rod tip or JJ loop(or the trigger that happens too if you aren't careful) is exactly what I meant by line tangled up...

I have caught 20+ lb lakers with my jaw jacker. As I stated in my post as long as your line and reel work properly(ie the fish can pull drag without it locking up flipping or destroying the jaw jacker) then it doesn't matter how big the fish is because all they will do is pull drag. Soon as something happens so that the drag isn't working properly then of course either the rod, line or jaw jacker is going to break or the jaw jacker flip over.

Tethering your rod is an option although that has obvious downsides as well so is a personal choice. If you are using a stradic on a custom rod might be a good idea though.

Making the jaw jacker heavy and strong enough to withstand a drag failure would mean using far more material, or heavier materials like metal which would add significant cost to both the manufacturing and distribution of their products. Are you willing to spend 200 bucks on a jaw jacker for the fraction of a % better chance you won't lose your rod? Most people aren't hence why they are built the way they are.

[PlayDoh]

Line getting looped around rod tip or JJ loop(or the trigger that happens too if you aren't careful) is exactly what I meant by line tangled up...

I have caught 20+ lb lakers with my jaw jacker. As I stated in my post as long as your line and reel work properly(ie the fish can pull drag without it locking up flipping or destroying the jaw jacker) then it doesn't matter how big the fish is because all they will do is pull drag. Soon as something happens so that the drag isn't working properly then of course either the rod, line or jaw jacker is going to break or the jaw jacker flip over.

Tethering your rod is an option although that has obvious downsides as well so is a personal choice. If you are using a stradic on a custom rod might be a good idea though.

Making the jaw jacker heavy and strong enough to withstand a drag failure would mean using far more material, or heavier materials like metal which would add significant cost to both the manufacturing and distribution of their products. Are you willing to spend 200 bucks on a jaw jacker for the fraction of a % better chance you won't lose your rod? Most people aren't hence why they are built the way they are.

Ya I hear ya. I was just choked really, and looking to gripe. I did however think of a kind of safety and hole cover do-dad. something like a 1 ft square piece of 1/4 inch plywood, with a slot cut half way in it, the width of a saw blade. would not only slow down the hole freezing up, but if your rod did go, it'd likely get stopped by the wood. Might tear up the tip of the rod if it was a big fish, but doubt the whole enchilada would go through.

Yet like I need another thing to pack with me, lol

[RavYak]

Ya I hear ya. I was just choked really, and looking to gripe. I did however think of a kind of safety and hole cover do-dad. something like a 1 ft square piece of 1/4 inch plywood, with a slot cut half way in it, the width of a saw blade. would not only slow down the hole freezing up, but if your rod did go, it'd likely get stopped by the wood. Might tear up the tip of the rod if it was a big fish, but doubt the whole enchilada would go through.

Yet like I need another thing to pack with me, lol

They sell foam hole covers that are the exact same idea that stop your hole from freezing over but I don't know if they would stop a rod from going through.

https://www.thefishinhole.com/index.cfm?action=product&kw=/H-T-ENTERPRISE-INC-/THERMAL-FOAM-HOLE-COVER/&se=28740

Also make sure you are setting the pegs all the way forward on your jaw jacker, you might already do this but mentioning it because lots of guys don't push them all the way to the locked position or realize that there even is a locked position. Ensuring the legs are fully forward is key too and ensuring that it is sitting decent. I like to leave a bit of the snow/slush around my hole , a couple splashes of water will set that snow up and give the jaw jacker pegs more to bite into.

[Brandonkop]

Sorry read other comments after typing mine:

I don't want a heavier jaw jacker, I like them nice and light. Easier to drag around.

I see a lot of guys set them up wrong even though you said you had it extended all the way. It should never tip over if drag is set right. Even if the drag is tight I'm not sure if it will go over. I'll have to try it out next time I'm on the ice to see if even possible. I've even had my line get tangled on the jaw jacker or reel. The line broke before the thing tipped over. I've caught a lot of fish on the jaw jackers and never seen them go over yet. Now the Trigger is a different story wouldn't trust it will an expensive rod at all.

Sucks for your loss, but should be avoidable in the future.

[PlayDoh]

Sorry read other comments after typing mine:

I don't want a heavier jaw jacker, I like them nice and light. Easier to drag around.

I see a lot of guys set them up wrong even though you said you had it extended all the way. It should never tip over if drag is set right. Even if the drag is tight I'm not sure if it will go over. I'll have to try it out next time I'm on the ice to see if even possible. I've even had my line get tangled on the jaw jacker or reel. The line broke before the thing tipped over. I've caught a lot of fish on the jaw jackers and never seen them go over yet. Now the Trigger is a different story wouldn't trust it will an expensive rod at all.

Sucks for your loss, but should be avoidable in the future.

Ya it was a fluke for sure. I've been having ridiculous luck this past couple weeks, so it fit right in there with the other Murphy's jokes. I've never seen mine tip or lift at all before, and this was a split second spring-flip. I have braid on so theres no breaking off. Well except for the time last week when I had braid break somehow. It was a couple seasons old so no real mystery, yet it did shock me. And the second time, 15 mins later, after taking off a couple feet, was Murphy doing.

[58thecat]

My line is never “tangled up”, it wasn’t frozen up, and I explained how the drag was set perfect. It had caught a fish no more than an hour ago.
Either the line at the rod tip got looped, or it snagged up on the JJ’s loop.
And the size of the fish clearly has a factor. A perch isn’t gonna flip the whole contraption. Even when the line loops around just before the last eye, it only adds drag.
As good as the JJ is, it couldn’t be more cheaply made. I mean it doesn’t need to be titanium, but some mass would make it much more stable. Slightest bit of water can effect the trigger, and the hole is wide open to freeze up.
And some form of securement for the rod would have given me enough time to save it. If your using a light rod and low drag, you may as well be using a tip up almost.

Gotta go back to a hunk of wood and line rolled up on it...hand lining type set up a lot larger than the hole...no more issues.:)