Jawjacker paired with a Swish rod

[stinkyfingers]

My target species this year is big Northerns. In Colorado trout fishing is king, so much so that pike have unlimited harvest and we're encouraged to kill them even if they're not wanted as food. Imagine. Personally, I'd rather catch and eat a pike any day over another stupid trout. Maybe I've just caught too many trout over the years since they're none too bright. Over the years I've built a number of automatic hook setters which work very well for trout but need to be scaled up for pike since they can reach 20 pounds or more. This year I splurged on a Jawjacker hook setter. Looks like a good design, especially the trigger. I had thought to use one of my Abu Garcia levelwinds but then I read that they can stiffen up in the cold and I was also having a hard time finding a short (under 30") casting rod. Then I remembered that I had an old Swish II rod in my bone pile that I bought used some years ago on ebay. Can't remember why since they were originally built for deep water perch in the Mid-West. It's perfect for this application since it's short (23"), stout, and simple. The reel will accept any line up to the size of parachute cord it appears. The Swish rods had gone out of production for some years but are being made again. Check their website if you're looking to simplify your gear with a classic for about 40 bucks all in.

[tafts ta]

My pike set up is a 24" HT medium heavy with an Abu Garcia c3 pro rocket and 25# test pline flouro clear!   Awesome set ups and great ratio of hookset!  Just remember to dial in your drag properly so you don't cut your line on the ice.
Also I like to use just slightly smaller bait with a jaw jacker than I might normally.

Good luck, welcome to the jaw jacker club!

[sunniewally]

are there any good northern fishing some where around bailey co. i have a niece who started teaching there and going to have to make a few visits there along with her brother who loves northerns.

[Sawtooth]

I don't know the kind of rod you mentioned, but you said it is stout.  Have you tried it with the jawjacker already?  If stout means stiff, it will be a problem with the kind of bend you need to set it.  And I also agree with smaller bait, because they need to take it in totally on the first bite or you miss the fish.  Good luck with it.  I love the two I have.

[stinkyfingers]

Sawtooth-- Even if it's on the lowest Jawjacker rod setting, the little, short fiberglass rod won't reach the trigger safely. Instead of the little rod tip loop that comes with the unit, I made a longer one out of some coated 40# tipup line about 5" long, crimped together. It deforms the rod enough to give a nice little snap when triggered and set the Owner trebles I use for the quickstrike rig. The rod really only needs to drive the hook about 3/16" to clear the barb. We use either frozen suckers or live waterdogs at early ice.
Sunniewally--I don't know of any decent pike water close to Bailey but it's about an hours drive to Eleven Mile reservoir which is my go-to lake. Check the website for Eleven Mile Marina.

[Tmuskie]

Ugly Stick Rods??? Med. to Med Heavy. Will they work or is the tip to light?

[Sawtooth]

Sawtooth-- Even if it's on the lowest Jawjacker rod setting, the little, short fiberglass rod won't reach the trigger safely. Instead of the little rod tip loop that comes with the unit, I made a longer one out of some coated 40# tipup line about 5" long, crimped together. It deforms the rod enough to give a nice little snap when triggered and set the Owner trebles I use for the quickstrike rig. The rod really only needs to drive the hook about 3/16" to clear the barb. We use either frozen suckers or live waterdogs at early ice.
Sunniewally--I don't know of any decent pike water close to Bailey but it's about an hours drive to Eleven Mile reservoir which is my go-to lake. Check the website for Eleven Mile Marina.

Sounds like you got that modification figured out.  I'll bet it works well.

[stinkyfingers]

Ugly Stick Rods??? Med. to Med Heavy. Will they work or is the tip to light?

I use Ugly Stiks for all my other rods, summer and winter. Decent action and Tonka tough. They don't make a casting version of them though and I was trying to work in my Garcia C3 levelwinds. I just don't care for the way a spinning rod works when it's upside down, the line rubbing against the rod itself under load. With these heavy braid main lines it probably doesn't matter. It's just not pretty. For pike I'm typically fishing in seven feet of water or less. I suspend dead suckers either right off the bottom or halfway up the column depending on weed growth. Waterdogs at early ice go about 18" below the lid. Some of the recent pike snappers that I've built don't incorporate a reel at all. The line attaches directly to the rod tip and you just grab the line and pull up the fish. I used the Swish II rod with the JawJacker to give me a little more flexibility on depth and I also like the purity of the design.

[dangle]

I used the swish-rod for pike the last two winters. mine came with a flag mounted on the rod. sets up like a tip up. works well with what ever type of line or poundage that you may want. very easy and quick to set up. my hook up ratio went up dramatically, opposed to the tip ups.[hand over hand]. only lost two last year, and they were at the hole. I can see why that you would want to use a jawjacker with the swish- rod, I have never seen the need.[just saying]. please let us know how the combo works for you.

tight lines, dangle