Smackin Jack Lure

[winchester 88]

 Has anyone bought and used this lure for icefishing?
 
 If you Google "Smackin Jack Lures" they are shown there along with a video of the technique.

 There wasn't much size to the fish being caught but the results were impressive.

Winchester 88

[icejunky]

I have seen them or somthing very similar in local shops, have not given them a try myself. I checked out the website that you linked, I would have liked a little more info on the video, maybe show the action in the water or fish responce, the video just shows a guy with a wood rod lifting....not the way to get my attention

[winchester 88]

 In the video I believe that he said that he was fishing in shallow water and was probably sight fishing and yes the rod was just a stick (like our predecessors used0 but what impressed me was that he could catch,land and unhook one fish after another without having to touch the fish.
 If a person spent some time with the lure and maybe a rod and reel,and then got a feel for the technique it could be a blast especially during a hot bite.

[icejunky]

agreed, and I did not disagree with the technique, I just thought if you are selling a product, it helps to show why it's differnt, and how it catches fish, I find that video did not show either.

[Sven936]

Did anyone view the second video for the lure. It shows the guy from the first video catching some fish. It would be more exciting except the fish were about 4" to 6" long and look like minnows.

I would also have to agree that he showed a tried and true method of using a lure on the first video, but in no way did he demonstrate why this lure is "better" then the rest.

Sven

[lowbudget]

the video just shows a guy with a wood rod lifting....

the rod was just a stick

It kinda looks like he is using the "green hornet" with all the paint wore off. And if it was good enough for Walter Matthau I guess it would be good enough for me........
At least he wasn't using one of those $14.99 + $10.00 e-bay knock offs. I'm sorry I just couldn't resist. To me it looks like it would have a fluttering/circular action. Am I wrong or is it a hookless lure as none of the pictures show a hook? I might have to try and find one to check it out.
Thanks Mike

[anderson_dc]

I bought one a couple of years ago after reading an article from In-Fisherman magazine about using them for perch fishing.  The premise behind it is that there is no barb and you dont need bait for it.  Just drop it down to the bottom, pound it some, wait for a perch to hit it out of curiosity, and then reel like heck and keep the tension on or the fish will get off.  Fish comes out of the water, flips off, and then send it right back down the hole.  It is not to be used for finesse fishing or when you have a tough bite, rather when a school of perch is swimming through and speed is of the essence.

Ive used it a couple of times and and a little bit of success with it.  I want to say that i bought it at either a gander mountain or mills fleet farm.

[Sven936]

Wow, no hook and no bait.   How deep can you fish it?    It would seem to me that the size of perch would matter also. In the videos he was bringing up some small fish.       Oh well,  maybe another item to add to the arsenal....    

[winchester 88]

That is where I read about it in an article titled "Prarie Perch".
 I have it and this is what it says in a sub-topic titled "After the Bite Begins".

 "...a specialized arrangement involving a unique perch lure called a Smackin Jack, fashioned by Michagin-based perch fanitic Bob Podleski. The Smackin Jack is a small,V-shaped metal spoon with a bead head and a single hook set inside a cupped surface. Lower the unbaited lure down the hole and wait for it to hit bottom or reach the level at which you see the perch congregate on your sonar screen. Then ever so slowly lift the spoon,while gently but constantly shaking your rod tip.
 It's not the jigging motion that you want, but a steady rising ,rythmic strumming action that drives an aggressive perch pack crazy.So much so that, after a fish hits,keep steady pressure on it until the perch is out of the hole. When you drop it on the ice and release tension, the fish flops off of the hook-at which point you drop the spoon immediately back down the hole and haul up another perch without ever touching a fish or baiting a hook.
 The Smackin Jack and associated strumming technique have become favorites with competitive perch anglers fishing in fast-paced winter ice-fishing tournaments....but it is equally effective anytime you have drawn a crowd of perch to your hole."
 Another lure mentioned in the article is called Leon's Bug which is popular and sold around Lake Simcoe. I can't find anything about it on Google but perhaps someone from around Simcoe has knowledge of it.
 Winchester 88

[Sven936]

Would it Leon's rainbow bug.   I found that on the net and it is a cool looking jig.   It is used for trout and salmon.    Try this site
http://www.angelfire.com/wa/salmonid/leon25.html    See if that is what you are looking for.     


I missed the fact that the slammin jack did have a hook, but was barbless.   Makes a little more sense now     Sometimes I am a little slow  at least that what my wife says

Sven

[winchester 88]

Leon's Bug was originated by a guy named Leon Maloney.
He is known as a "yellow perch-phenom" from Lake Simcoe
 
Winchester 88

[Fish_Tko]

that video cracked me up. I think i would have picked a better lake to have a demo on. Those dink perch were choking on that hunk of steel he was bobbing off the bottom. I would like to try the lure, but would be skeptical about having to reel fish up from deep water with such a small hook. In shallow water it looks like it would work like a dream.