Slammer

[addicted2ice]

I picked up the last Slammer kit that Al and Bob's (in G.R) had yesterday.  I bought the lumber and put it together last night, thing looks pretty cool.  I plan on using an old 6ft Black Widow rod on it, any objections/suggestions on the rod?

[wartfroggy]

I use 5 foot, ultralight, one piece diawa rods that I have dedicated to just slammer fishing.  Shorter is better if you fish alone, so you can grab the fish in the hole or gaff it.  I like the 1 piece better for the consistent bend, but alot of guys do use 2 piece.  You are sometimes better using a cheap fiberglass rod than graphite as sometimes the cold weather with split or break the graphite when you bend it over. 

[klzeprobe83]

Man, I would love to see some pictures of this sometime! Sounds awesome!

Chris...

[Tightlines01]

One thing I would add is the cover to a polar style tip up.  I have one of the black round plastic tip ups that I disassembled and only use the round plate in conjunction with the Slammer.  It REALLY helps keep the hole from freezing the ice in it.

I just set the slammer, then slide the line in the line grove and put the black styrofoam portion back into the line slot leaving a small 1/2" spot for the line to go through.  The sun beats down on the cover warming the cover and the hole around it!  The hole stays ice free in most conditions and it will inhibit the rate of ice build up on extremely cold days.

[addicted2ice]

thanks for the tips, I hear that the line freezing up is the biggest problem.

[spartaman12]

I picked up the last Slammer kit that Al and Bob's (in G.R) had yesterday.  I bought the lumber and put it together last night, thing looks pretty cool.  I plan on using an old 6ft Black Widow rod on it, any objections/suggestions on the rod?

I talked to u at gander mountain today huh... whatta coincidence

[TrekJeff]

Let's see your handy work!

[Slammerman]

thanks for the tips, I hear that the line freezing up is the biggest problem.

It's not as big of a problem as you'd think. I've has my Slammer Tip-Ups work just fine and have fought and caught steelhead and pike THROUGH the ice (had to have a buddy spud the hole open). I don't normally let my holes freeze solid, but I did (up to 3/4" thick black hard ice) and monofilament will slide through the ice. It seems that water wicks along the line and lubricates it enough to let it slide through. Superlines and braided lines freeze in more - ice crystals have more surface area on the multifilaments to cling to.

I've played around with many types of hole covers and found that black plastic works about the best, with thin styrofoam, cardboard, foam, and other materials following behind. You gotta watch foam because sometimes it freezes to the ice and you have to rip it free. I don't always use a hole cover (lets the "light shine down").

I keep my spawn sacs in mineral oil and found that some oil in the hole will help keep the hole from freezing up solid. Snow or slush thrown in the hole on a cold day will actually insulate the hole more than skimming it clean. I usually keep a metal scooper next to each Slammer for hole cleaning.

[addicted2ice]

I talked to u at gander mountain today huh... whatta coincidence

small world......did you find a slammer?

[spartaman12]

no not yet.... i thought that the sparta bait shop would have em because they did last year, but theyre out. Ill keep looking

[sticks]

I use a billy boy bobber that the line slides right down through the middle of. I also painted another one black so that in extreamly cold temps the bobber heats up and insure that there is no ice build up around the line.

[lanceyoung7]

spartaman, here is a list of bait shops that have the slammer:
Shoreline Service Bait & Tackle - Muskegon, Michigan
Johnson's Great Outdoors - Montague, Michigan
Snug Harbor Motel and Bait Shop -  North Muskegon, Michigan
Grand River Bait & Tackle - Lansing, Michigan
Hesperia Sport Shop - Hesperia, Michigan
Pere Marquette Sport Shop - Ludington, Michigan
D & R Sports - Kalamazoo, Michigan
Palan's Outpost - Highland, Wisconsin
Armstrong's Bait & Tackle - Whitehall, Michigan
Gold Coast Outfitters - West Olive, Michigan
Backcast Fly Shop - Benzonia, Michigan
Al & Bob's - Grand Rapids, Michigan
Frank's Great Outdoors - Linwood, Michigan

also, the website for the slammers is:  http://hometown.aol.com/slamcoinc/slammertipups.html
very easy transactions right from the website and very quick shipping, got mine within 1 day.

[Howie Ketchdem]

I built my own slammer style tip up they are very fun to use, i use a 5'6 medium rod, but i built mine to hook onto the 1st eyelet not second, it works great for all fish, iwas catching 5"perch in 30 f.o.w in a 25 mph wind, thats pretty sensitive and my sprung 2 catch ratio is 9/7 and i think the one time my bait set it off(4 inch gill) so it works fabulous, have caught 1 pike on it 23-24 incher on 2 inch dead gill, hooked him right in the corner of the mouth perfect hook set and rod tip was touching the water while drag was rippin, the slammer style tipups are a blast and very productive......good luck