Hmm I've never heard of that issue with lakers. Including myself, I know 6 or 7 guys who use them and fish hard and often and have never heard of any real issues. Just the spring in the flag getting rusty. Then again last year a guy on here said he had his jack traps fr one year put them away took them out next year and the flags were extremely rusty, I bet others remember too... It was a very heated thread.