# Automatic Fisherman



## rythefishguy

I was thinking about buying the Automatic Fisherman so that i can hole hop for bluegill, while at the same time have a pole setting for pike. I was wondering if anyone owns one and what they think of it?


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## gillcommander

The HT ice riggers look cool...I thought about a few of those!!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## logsnagger

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120812&page=7

For less than a dollar you can make your own.


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## rythefishguy

Just checked out the HT ice rigger, i think thats what im gonna go for, the price is better and it looks like pretty much the same product just no automatic hook set on the Ice rigger.


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## easton_archer

I own both, I use the ice rigger for a dead stick for specs and I use the automatic for pike very close to me. Both work great!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Blue Fox

The automatic fishermen work great ! Hook up with pike about 90% of the time. I catch n release pike, most of the time they are just hooked in the corner of the mouth.


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## michiganoutdoorsman

$70? :yikes: It is a neat invention though!


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## jrsoup

michiganoutdoorsman said:


> $70? :yikes: It is a neat invention though!


Worth every penny.


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## RippinLipp

For $70 I could make countless slammers.. I made 4 last year and I dont think I have $10 into them..
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## crdroste

i have used them, and don't believe they are worth 70$, but the best part about them is when you have a fish you get to reel it in which makes it that much more fun, as opposed to pulling in line by hand.
if your looking for something that sets the hook for you, you should also look into a "Hookset tipup" but those are also fairly pricey when i feel that a 10-15$ tip up will do the same job


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## wartfroggy

RippinLipp said:


> For $70 I could make countless slammers.. I made 4 last year and I dont think I have $10 into them..
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Agreed, and I would definately prefer to use them over an Auto Fisherman. There just isn't enough rod on those little toys, and I have not seen them to get the hook-ups of a slammer or similar home-made device.

Do yourself a favor and check out this site. http://www.slammertipup.com

They are much cheaper, work better, definately a better release system, you can use a longer rod so you can fight larger fish better, and you probably already have a couple of rod/reel combo's that will work well with it.


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## lookinfopike

Got a couple of Slammer tip ups myself. They work great and are fun to use. But I still love the old hand over hand battle from the old school wooden tip up. But the Slammers are great for catch and release fishing. The hooks are always in the mouth and not in the gut. So if it comes down to the release you wont have to cut off a hook in the guts. The slammer kits are only about $13.00 bucks and easy to assemble. And you dont have to go looking around wasting gas going to the hardware store to gather up what you need. Either way you go its fun... And I need my hard water fix soon.


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## RippinLipp

lets see.. $70 or my home made $3 setup.. Ill take my home made $3 setup..


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## trosenberg

Looks cool. You mind snapping a pic of the trigger mechanism. I want to make some of my own.

Travis





RippinLipp said:


> lets see.. $70 or my home made $3 setup.. Ill take my home made $3 setup..


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## RippinLipp

Ill try to get a pic of the release up tomorrow or the next day.. It dont look like it will work but its very sensitive.. I have caught and ripped the lips off of perch with it while walleye fishing!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## wartfroggy

RippinLipp said:


> Ill try to get a pic of the release up tomorrow or the next day.. It dont look like it will work but its very sensitive.. I have caught and ripped the lips off of perch with it while walleye fishing!!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


 Looking forward to it. I have tried and used at least 4 different release styles, and always looking for something just a little better. Nothing is ever good enough, I always have to find a way to improve it just a little more.


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## RippinLipp

All it is, is a small cleat that you find on a dock to tie your boat off to.. I just cut it in half so I can get 2 releases out of it.. It was a little small for the eye of the rod so I put a few wraps of electrical tape around it so it just holds the rod when its loaded.. A 1/4oz weight dropped 1 inch will set it off..
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## wartfroggy

Gotcha.....
I've done similar, but I hooked the rod on the tip instead of the 2nd eye
Also, those little L-shaped key hooks work well for that...you just gotta tweak them a little to get the to trip how you want.


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## Lerxst

RippinLipp said:


> lets see.. $70 or my home made $3 setup.. Ill take my home made $3 setup..


 
I would like to make one as well. I've never seen one of these up close but can you explain how the release mechanism works. I'm trying to figure out how you get the rod to stay on the release w/o damaging the rod eye. If you can put up that close up picture that would probably explain my questions. Also what does the bungee do? I guess my last question is what do you use to set off the trigger? I know it's probably simple stuff but like I said I've never seen one up close in action before.


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## RippinLipp

Wartfroggy... My intention was to have it set on the rod tip but I mounted it a little to high.. I could move it down but right now it works good for me, and im just a little lazy sometimes.. Plus with it on the second eye I seem to get a little more load on the rod...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## wartfroggy

greelhappy said:


> Mind if I ask Wartfroggy? What is the item that is located on the board in front of the reel?


 That is a little add on I did with a few this fall....looking forward to trying them here pretty soon. The board falls and hits a toggle-switch, then activates a light to make it easier to see a trip in low light conditions. I have a siren on one of them in the pic too, and have since done a few more.


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## aslongasitpullsback

wartfroggy said:


> That is a little add on I did with a few this fall....looking forward to trying them here pretty soon. The board falls and hits a toggle-switch, then activates a light to make it easier to see a trip in low light conditions. I have a siren on one of them in the pic too, and have since done a few more.


what kind of battery system you using... and are they in the arrow shaft?[battery]


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## wartfroggy

aslongasitpullsback said:


> what kind of battery system you using... and are they in the arrow shaft?[battery]


 just a 9 volt, right under the reel in the pic.
The arrow shaft is just to hold the light


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## KurtSUP7

wartfroggy said:


> I have a siren on one of them in the pic too, and have since done a few more.


How did you rig up the siren wart froggy?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## wartfroggy

KurtSUP7 said:


> How did you rig up the siren wart froggy?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


 It is just a cheap siren I found at the Dollar Store. You can see it on one of them, the white box on the end of it.


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## MSUICEMAN

With the yellow rods you really need to bend them to load them up, as they are old style glass and very slow action rods. That being said, the glass should make them very durable.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk


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## Matt Schalk

wartfroggy said:


> OK......all of this talk finally got me off of my butt and down into the basement to dig mine out. Gave them a once over, checking line, going over stuff.


Dude .... I am so sad  ... Spoolers and Trippers


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## wartfroggy

Matt Schalk said:


> Dude .... I am so sad  ... Spoolers and Trippers


 Yes, I know. They will never work. They will break rods. They will spool reels. They won't trip right. The PVC will break. The angles are wrong. They should be turned into firewood. 
But, I haven't had any problems with them, and they get used plenty. The oldest ones are over 15 yrs old, copied right from a couple pairs from Doug and Bill, but most have been tweaked a bit since them.


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