Automatic Fisherman - Snapper

[spiltmilt]

Has anyone used the "Snappers" by Automatic Fisherman?

[sodakdave]

It looks almost identical to a jaw jacker (with a couple differences), and solely from appearances the jaw jacker looks better made.

[Idahogator]

This one is slightly different by not having the rod bent.  If you're handy, make your own.        

If you're helpless, unlike most ice fisher persons, well, forget being creative.     

                     http://aksalmonbear.com/


                                                                                         

Tom

[AZbassernCO]

i will stick with my jawjacker

[sodakdave]

This one is slightly different by not having the rod bent.  If you're handy, make your own.        

If you're helpless, unlike most ice fisher persons, well, forget being creative.     

                     http://aksalmonbear.com/


                                                                                         

Tom

The wife just walked in and went "Why in the hell are you looking at rat traps?"

[Idahogator]

The wife just walked in and went "Why in the hell are you looking at rat traps?"

Let her see you on this site, Dave.   She'll know you're a genius.       Enjoy !

    https://www.mcmaster.com/#torsion-springs/=15bdws8

[esox_xtm]

Thanks for the link to the fish trap gator! I've been scheming some options on the JJ/AF style but just didn't like having that rod loaded all the time. I'll be scribbling designs now...

And McMaster. Don't be makin' long lines at my favorite store. 

[FG Steve]

This one is slightly different by not having the rod bent.  If you're handy, make your own.        

If you're helpless, unlike most ice fisher persons, well, forget being creative.     

                     http://aksalmonbear.com/
                                                                                         
Tom

Hey Gator Tom, are those only sold direct, or can you get them elsewhere?  Have you used them?

[Idahogator]

So far, I've only known of direct sales with a few outlets in Alaska.

Steve, I haven't used one. Yet. lol   It's still in the "twiget" stage.

I have a summer rod from the 60's with a permanent bow, set too long & too cold. It's now a dangle rod.     

Come to think of it ~ I have two of those now, as I near 80.   

Just browsing a McMaster-Carr catalog will up your IQ.   

Let's play show & tell as this develops.     


Tom

[kasilofchrisn]

Hey Gator Tom, are those only sold direct, or can you get them elsewhere?  Have you used them?

I have two of them.
They work great and I highly recommend them.
They also work well as a standard rod holder when in the tripped mode.
Way way better than a Jawjacker and Automatic fisherman and yes I own and have used both of those.
Might need to dig out those other two and gift them to one of my friends or something?
I ordered my AK salmon bear from the manufacturer after seeing them at the great Alaskan sportsmans show.
I asked for stickers and got a bunch plus a free hat.
Good people to do business with!

[FG Steve]

OK, I pulled the trigger and got one coming  Show and tell pending.

I must be helpless, but now I'll have a pattern to look at.   

I haven't been keen on the Jaw Jacker with my 54" rods.

[kasilofchrisn]

OK, I pulled the trigger and got one coming  Show and tell pending.

I must be helpless, but now I'll have a pattern to look at.   

I haven't been keen on the Jaw Jacker with my 54" rods.

After one use your JawJacker will collect dust or end up in a garage sale.
It is nice that the SalmonBear can be used with any rod.
Even your 54"ers.
And no need for the rod to be under constant tension.
I have tried a lot of different things over the years and this one is a keeper.
I could have made my own but figured why not buy one that is already ready to go? No ordeing parts and fabricating,trial and error period etc.
Just get to fishing and catching!

[Idahogator]

I agree Chris.        

We're allowed 5 lines so, a quarter grand from a shallow pocket from an un-handsome fellow requires being handy, sorta like Red Green, ha.

Abstract mechanical reasoning got me into an engineering department of an aerospace company messing about with a Lunar lander. It worked. We bad. 


Tom

[kayl]

Looks like an interesting concept. I'm just getting into ice fishing, but would much rather fight a fish on a rod than hand line, so I was looking at building my own automatic fisherman-esque contraption. I think I'll give this one a shot!  The orange rod holders can be had at Walmart for a couple of dollars IIRC.

[sodakdave]

Looks like an interesting concept. I'm just getting into ice fishing, but would much rather fight a fish on a rod than hand line, so I was looking at building my own automatic fisherman-esque contraption. I think I'll give this one a shot!  The orange rod holders can be had at Walmart for a couple of dollars IIRC.

A 10' section of pvc should be about $3 or so at the hardware store. That and a hacksaw and you can have plenty of rod holders to test with!

[hardwater diehard]

Hmmmm this thread has got me thinking


https://www.walmart.com/ip/Shoreline-Marine-Single-Rod-Holder/28429492

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Victor-Metal-Pedal-Rat-Trap/21778126

[Chute82]

I made a home made slammer and  first time using it.  Fish hit, slammer went off, rod flew 2’ in the air, and straight down the hole.  Tried catching my rod for a 1/2 and gave up.  That’s just my luck

[kayl]

I made a home made slammer and  first time using it.  Fish hit, slammer went off, rod flew 2’ in the air, and straight down the hole.  Tried catching my rod for a 1/2 and gave up.  That’s just my luck

Annnddd that's why I'm going to use a rod tethern on my contraption... just in case! Lol

[spiltmilt]

Is the Alaska Fish Trap sensitive enough for light biters like perch or kokanee?

[kasilofchrisn]

Is the Alaska Fish Trap sensitive enough for light biters like perch or kokanee?

I use mine for Kokanee all the time.
The trip wire tension is adjustable for different fish.

[muskyon46]

Hey spiltmilt if your still interested in the snapper they will not be delivered until late December-January time frame. I belive kerry is still offering a free pole with purchase but you may want to contact him to see. That salmon bear is interesting, maybe when they start carrying them down this way I may have to check one out. Can't justify the delivery quite yet with that price tag. Kayl you might want to check this link out. Good info on making your own hook setters but most the pics have went bye bye due to photobucket either way Good info from folks that have been trying these for years

https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=232809.0

[esox_xtm]

Let her see you on this site, Dave.   She'll know you're a genius.       Enjoy !

    https://www.mcmaster.com/#torsion-springs/=15bdws8

Somebody's been shopping and thinking about a better mousetrap.....

[sodakdave]

Somebody's been shopping and thinking about a better mousetrap.....

I'm having a hard time envisioning using the 90 degree springs, and still allowing the trap bar to lay flat for more compact transport (unless that's not a concern).

I had thought the same thing (90deg) for avoiding having to build a stop into the rod holder itself to catch. How are you planning to set it up for transport?

[esox_xtm]

My brain says make the spring integral with the rod holder. Forget the exposed trap part. Then it can be (more or less) enclosed with less likelihood of snowing in or icing over. I can always alter the 90 degrees by playing with the angle of the lower leg. Hah! I'm actually thinking as I'm typing and getting better ideas!

Still working on the transport part though the easy way out would be to load the holder and make a keeper to, well, keep it from popping off. Another option has the holder removed from the base via a single pin that also serves as the holder pivot/spring retainer.

What can I say? I'm sort of a mad scientist and I've got 4 springs and a pile of raw materials to work with... 

I'm hard on stuff and I tend to "use" things. It has to be easy to set up/take down, effective and durable. I'm happy to document whatever I do here, on Ice Shanty. Let some other jackwagon "borrow" the idea and call it theirs. Basement designers just get ripped off by the big guys anyway. Ask anyone here that has had a great idea/design only to see it assaulted by either someone looking to ride on the coattails or big business recognizing a real deal. My deal? I'll make it easy to build and as public as I can so it's not a viable market.

Viva Ice Shanty!  (Yes, I have been called a "whacko". More than once...)

[FG Steve]

My brain is telling me there is something about the AK setup that gets progressive power out of the spring.  Not sure how to get that with the 90deg springs.  will discuss with my physicist daughter for fun.

Viva Ice Shanty!  (Yes, I have been called a "whacko". More than once...)

I agree! (With the viva not the wacko)

[sodakdave]

My brain says make the spring integral with the rod holder. Forget the exposed trap part. Then it can be (more or less) enclosed with less likelihood of snowing in or icing over. I can always alter the 90 degrees by playing with the angle of the lower leg. Hah! I'm actually thinking as I'm typing and getting better ideas!

Still working on the transport part though the easy way out would be to load the holder and make a keeper to, well, keep it from popping off. Another option has the holder removed from the base via a single pin that also serves as the holder pivot/spring retainer.

What can I say? I'm sort of a mad scientist and I've got 4 springs and a pile of raw materials to work with... 

I'm hard on stuff and I tend to "use" things. It has to be easy to set up/take down, effective and durable. I'm happy to document whatever I do here, on Ice Shanty. Let some other jackwagon "borrow" the idea and call it theirs. Basement designers just get ripped off by the big guys anyway. Ask anyone here that has had a great idea/design only to see it assaulted by either someone looking to ride on the coattails or big business recognizing a real deal. My deal? I'll make it easy to build and as public as I can so it's not a viable market.

Viva Ice Shanty!  (Yes, I have been called a "whacko". More than once...)

Hmmmm... Not sure how those springs would handle being kept under load, I'm sure they'll probably be ok but I would worry about the keeper or something failing. Maybe a clip or something on base that you hook the springs into (don't need to support the force laterally, just hold them still), then you can unclip them and rotate against the rod tube for transport... maybe.....

[Idahogator]

Hm? The number of turns times radius of the spring coils, ignoring inertia, the rate of power increase should be negligible +/- less than 1%.   

Located integrally with the rod holder= Viva genius.       

So, with 180 springs, when fired are flat for transport.   

To negate the stop on the rod holder, just leave it off, due to the trap firing, the bar will be flat and the rod back to the horizontal position, as the fish is hooked and elevation not needed.



Tom

[sodakdave]

Is it about the elevation, or about maintaining tension on the line once the hook is set so the fish doesn't throw the hook as soon as a bunch of slack is introduced?

Also, looking at the shape of the stop on the rod holder, it's kind of a hook in and of itself L| . I'm thinking that's to keep the tube from over rotating and flipping all the way over backwards from the force of the bar.

[Idahogator]

Show me a fish throwing a #12 egg hook that is set past the barb when a hook-setter fires and you'll be showing me a Houdini-fish.   

A Sprag clutch on the rod holder will keep it up.   


Tom

[esox_xtm]

OK, here's my midnight dream:



Include a small tube within the rod holder to control the movement of that leg. The lower leg slips onto an angled hole in the base. The pin at the base of the rod holder removes to stow/deactivate the spring/rod holder assembly. Or have the bracket assembly fit into slots on the base (probably better). Or just make the whole thing to pop to 90 to keep some rod tension on the line. Isn't thinking out loud awesome?

As indicated, trigger mechanism TBD but not rocket science. I just don't know if the spring is stout enough to do the job. Time will tell. Maybe I'll have to get some wire and wind my own. Done that before too...  Or I can double up on what I bought.