Free up Your Snagged Lures
By: David A. Brown
EZ Lure Retriever, with improvised reel, is designed to slide down the line and engage the snagged lure. (Photo courtesy of FloridaSportsman.com)
About the only thing on a lake’s bottom that never gets tired of biting is the bottom itself.
Tugging usually worsens matters by driving hooks deeper or wedging an entire lure tighter into whatever grips it. “Snapping” the snag – pulling a taught line to the side and releasing it to snap a loosening tremor down to the point of ensnarement may work for moderate snags. But when your bait runs headlong into serious captivity, it’s time to send in the repo man, the lure knocker.
In simplest terms, this tool comprises a weighted form that attaches to your line and slides down to “knock” the snagged lure free. As most snags occur while lures are moving forward, lure knockers strike their target front-to-back with a motion intended to push the bait away from its entrapment.
Commercially marketed lure knockers vary in size, weight and design based on the depth and cover for which they’re intended. Examples range from the rocket shaped Strikezone Lure Co.’s Pocket Knocker Lure Retriever to the EZ Lure Retriever comprising a heavy lead weight, shaped and painted to resemble a baitfish, with an open metal frame extending from its back, a retrieval cord attached to its tail and chains dangling from the head.
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