jack traps

[sallyda6th]

Does anyone use Jack Traps, and are they worth the money?

[Tombo]

If you are talking about what I know as Jack-traps(spring loaded affairs) all I can tell you is they are illegal in Saskatchewan and possibly elsewhere too,so I would check local regulations

[Russellman]

Jack Traps are a brand name fishing trap/tip up made here in Maine.  I'm not affiliated with Tim Jackson (owner), but they are a top notch piece of equipment.  They are darned near works of art.  They are hand produced and his team does a very nice job of making a tool look less utilitarian.  They are pricey, but appear to be solid and should last for years and years.  Check out his website !

Happy holidays to all & hope for cold clear nights.

[firefighter0585]

  I just purchased two new jack traps at LL Bean....you're right these things are like works of art! they are very sensitive too...doesn't take much to set them off!

[Bob_D]

For some reason there are a lot of good traps made in Maine. I use the Heritage Lakers, but I think the JackTraps are good as well. Both are good quality and will last a lifetime if taken care of.

[Ice Troll]

wow........No offense but the thing better be made of gold for that price. Thats outrageous, and "you get what you pay for" does not apply. There are plenty of good quality tipups out there for half the price.

[Bob_D]

Half the price? Where are you going to get a quality trap for $9??? If you think a high flag/40-up is the same quality, then you have never seen both at once. Polars the same quality??? I don't think so. Not that polars are bad, they just are not the same quality. And forget about those $5 plastic pos's....not even close. I don't like having to use little "tricks" to make my tip-ups work in different situations. Big bait, little bait, deep snow, high winds, 10" holes, you name it....My Haritage Lakers are "set it and forget it"......When a flag pops, it is a fish. I've used a lot of different tip-ups on the market, and in my opinion the Heritage Lakers are the tops.

JMO

[Russellman]

I agree with Esox.  The quality is there in the Jack Trap.  They are made by hand in the US.  They have high line capacity spools and a time-proven flag trip mechanism.

Being all wood and metal, they won't fall apart, freeze and break- and they should last a lifetime.  

The way I see it, spend what you can afford to get the best equipment you can afford and then get darned good at using it.  I'll be looking at them when my aged Thompsons finally give it up.

[coldwater]

They seem way to pricey, above post calls them sensitive and no drag I will keep my heritage lakers. In the off season throw a coat of varnish on them and they will last as long as the jack traps and be way more versitile.

[Ice Troll]

Esox,
I never said same quality but rather good quality. Also, where do you get $9.00 being half the price as Jack Traps. I went to their site and the cheapest model they offer was $28.95. My point was that a person can get fully functional, Good quality tipups in the $14.00 to $15.00 range. It comes down to having confidence and faith in what you use. A guy using a weatherby is not necessarily gonna shoot more and bigger game than a guy using a remington 700. The same is true with tipups. I am all for using good quality equipment, but lets not forget that the tipup is not the only factor in the equation. Presentation and location are what gives the tipup a chance to do its job in the first place. Lets face it, those of us that have spent any time fishing the hard water have seen some pretty primitive, and cheaply made rigs that are very effective at putting fish on the ice. To me, that is the bottom line and I mean no offense to those that use these tipups.

[amazinmoose]

i own two sets of 5 jacktraps   bigbobs and 26" tipups...  no complaints high price but well worth the money, will last me a lifetime :-)  -moose

[OTIS]

They are definitely worth the extra cash!  You can't appreciate one until you hold it in your hand.  I looked around for several years before I decided to buy some traps, and I got my first Jack Traps this year.  My plan is to start with a couple and buy a few more every year.  Eventually we'll all have a full set.  These traps will definitely get passed on to my kids, the quality is that good.  The other options I could come up with were Heritage Laker's and Beaver Damns.  If I bought Laker's I would strip them, varnish them, replace the goofy post they use to hold the plastic spool, and replace the plastic spool with a metal spool.  By the time I was finished with all that they would cost as much as the Jack Traps.  I still might buy a couple Beaver Damns they also look like a quality trap right out of the box, but then they aren't cheep either.  Buy the best you can afford, you won't regret it.

[rob-s]

you got to see em to belive in them. there a damn rugged trap.
 i will admit i dont own any... yet., i just seen some of the 26'' cross traps a few days ago, again i say dang rugged , well designed.

 let me ask you this? you ever seen any on ebay?
 why do you suppose you havent?

[mullen2525]

I use Jacks, got a friend who uses Lakers.  Both are top quality and durable.  Work to perfection, will last you a lifetime and maybe even your kids.  You can get workable traps for a lot cheaper but if you want to make the investment its a good one

[TogueHunter]

I own 5 jacktraps and have had them for about 5 years.  I love them, and they are built to last a lifetime.
I do admit that they are a bit pricey, but I worked for L.L. Bean and bought them while I had my employee discount.

[mike upton]

I have used the Lakers, and liked them very much.  for years I used cheapies, and every couple years had to replace them.  The cost adds up.  Last year I bought 10 Jacks.  Although they are still new, I used them alot last year, and over Thanksgiving when I was re-stringing, and tying new leaders it was like they were still brand new.  Not 3 pieces of pine ready to go for a couple seasons on the ice.  These things are all hard wood construction, prepared to withstand the elements for the rest of your ice fishing life if you care for them.  Expensive, no, just priceless.

[amazinmoose]

Thats how i fugure it, i bought the big bobs lastyear, this year i picked up 5 26" tipups to add to my 5 bigbobs, should last me a lifetime.. im one to take care of my gear, and am a firm beliver of you get what you payfor. tightlines and cold weather? please cold weather!!  -moose

[Smeltecca]

I took out my new Jack Traps for the first time on Sat. 1/7/06.  These are hands down the nicest tip-ups I've ever fished with.  Super smooth reels, very sensitive tripping mechanism, and built to last a lifetime.  With what they are charging for the junk out there these traps are a steal.  If you're serious about ice fishing then you don't want your equipment to let you down and these won't.  As far as having to wrap the line backwards, you don't have to.  They are designed that way so that you can use the reel handle on the side of the spool and wind them up like a regular fishing reel.

[sturgeon]

Do you guys use the standard jack trap or the cross style ones. I want to start using tip ups and I am thinking of buying a couple of them.

Have you guys ever used them with dead bait?

Thanks

Sturgeon

[TogueHunter]

Do you guys use the standard jack trap or the cross style ones. I want to start using tip ups and I am thinking of buying a couple of them.

Have you guys ever used them with dead bait?

Thanks

Sturgeon

I have five of the standard "ladder style" Jacktraps and love them.  The traps I had before these were unreliable and I used to get wind flags all the time.  I've never gotten a single wind flag with these, yet they trip very lightly.  If you get a set of these you won't be sorry.
I do use dead bait fished on the bottom on occasion when I am fishing for togue.

[gamefisher]

These are the last traps you'll ever have to buy, period.

[amazinmoose]

i agree, my first and last traps bought. i have the 26" tip-ups for trout & salmon. and 43" big-bobs for big water fish.. pike musky etc.  almost 500$ in traps but i got 10 quality tilts! last a life time with little care.  -moose

[METIPPIN]

Jack traps are by far the most durable traps I have ever had. Definintly should last a very looooooooong time.

[Smeltecca]

Do you guys use the standard jack trap or the cross style ones. I want to start using tip ups and I am thinking of buying a couple of them.

Have you guys ever used them with dead bait?

Thanks

Sturgeon

I have the cross jacks only because I feel they are more stable.  As long as there is a little snow on the ice they are easy to level up.  The standard traps probably fold up into a smaller package and therefore would be easier to transport.  I fish dead bait exclusively on mine.

[minnow1]

You may think that they are pricey, and so did I, but think about it - If you spend $200 on tipups that you will use for many years and bring much enjoyment, what is the big deal.  You buy tires at $500 a pop, 4 wheelers, snowmobiles, etc. What is a few hundred bucks on reliable fishing equipment.  I've tried many types of tipups and these are by far the best ever.  Heritage lakers are good too but the Jack Traps are better quality.

[TogueHunter]

I've never had a problem with the ladder style being unstable or tippy.  They are heavy enough and have a low enough center of gravity to make them stable.  I also like the fact that they fold up flat, but I'm sure the cross style traps are just as good. 

[amazinmoose]

i use cross jacks, and tip-up style tilts, both work fine for me!   cross jack are a little more stable, if theres snow on the ice.. tipups work as good! dead and live bait on my hooks!! -moose

[tunein36]

where do you find the Heritage Lakers?
I did a search, but other then them being mentioned in an article I did not see them>?

Thanks

[NJ PIKER]

[fish307.com]  for lakers

[Grizzly1]

Went to Jack Traps web site and they are sold out on all of their Cross style tip-ups , hope they make more...and soon!

-Grizz