Lure Retrievers - do they work?

[dilbert]

Does anyone have any experience with the different types of lure retrievers commercially available, or even a homemade contraption?

It seems that the main types are
-A rigid telescoping pole with a spiral on the end – give a gentle push to free the lure
-Weighted devices that slide down your line and entangle with your lure – use brute force to pull up your lure
-Weighted devices that slide down your line and bump your lure free

What do you use?

[Anglinarcher]

I use a weight with a 3/16 dia. coiled spring wire at the end that slides down the line with a rope attached. Usually it will bump the lure free, but sometimes it catches the hooks and you use brute force to bring the lure up.

Do they work, well, most of the time. If you are fighting the wind, you often can't the angle. If you don't take the time to do it right, than you will not bump or snag the lure. Sometimes it seems that some lures just won't come free.

I'd say they work maybe 75% of the time.

[zen leecher aka Bill W]

I've got the pole and the weight on the rope. Haven't been snagged yet with a lure I wanted back.

[Mike Carey]

I bought one last year, have used it once and it did indeed retrieve my plug!

[fishnislife]

They work, but most of the time if I get hung up and I'm in a boat I will just take my rod and reel in the line following it down to where it is hung up. This usually does the trick but if it is hung up to deep for me to do this, I will get on the other side of the hang up with the boat and get it loose. Granted, I don't continue to pull on the line and yank at it once I know I'm hooked up. This just embeds the hook deeper. Once you know your snagged just let it slack and get on the other side of it. I have also been successful with taking my line tight and pulling it out and snapping it back and letting it go slack afterwards.


fishnislife