Several years ago I teamed up with Whisker Seeker Tackle to work with them on product design and development.
The goal has always been simple, to develop catfishing tackle products that are high quality, innovative and affordable.
I’ve not worked with Whisker Seeker Tackle on every single product they have been did work on the design and development of my Chad Ferguson Signature Series Catfish Rods, the Versa Rattle catfish rig rattles, Lockjaw Catfish Grips and several other products that have not been released yet.
This design and development typically is born from one of two reasons, either me looking for a product that does not exist or me looking for a “better mousetrap”, being frustrated with the performance or features of the other products available.
When I reached out to Whisker Seeker Tackle about developing a pair of catfish fishing grips it was out of frustration with all of the other products on the market. We started working on the design and development of the Lockjaw catfish grips around the same time we began developing the 7’6″ Medium Heavy Chad Ferguson Signature Series Catfish Rod so it took a little over three years of design, development and testing to create this finished product.
Here’s The Video
The Problem With Other Catfish Grips
When I started talking about building catfish grips with Whisker Seeker Tackle the problem was simple. There wasn’t any fishing grips available that had all of the features I needed and wanted and the grips that had some of the features cost nearly $200, which is absolutely crazy.
For years catfish anglers have been forced to use inferior fish grips to handle big catfish and there’s a lengthy list of problems. The solutions have been to use cheap plastic grips that fall apart quickly and have to be replaced often or metal grips that are made for handling fish that weigh ten to twenty pounds and aren’t built to withstand the abuse of monster cats.
None of the grips available included a swivel to withstand the abuse of big cats when they start doing a death roll.
And the biggest problem was that every single pair of grips I’d ever used was awkward and difficult to use. This leaves anglers fighting the grips and not the fish.
Lockjaw Catfish Grip Features
I’m pleased to say that we addressed every single complaint I had about catfish fishing grips when we built the Lockjaw Catfish Grips.
Here’s all of the features included in the Whisker Seeker Tackle Lockjaw Catfish Grips:
- Stainless Steel Construction: Everything that matters is built from stainless steel to prevent rust under freshwater or saltwater use.
- All Metal Construction (Of The Parts That Matter): The parts that take the day in and day out abuse when landing, handling and releasing big catfish are all built from metal.
- Extra Large, Heavy Duty Jaws: We built the jaws super heavy and extra thick so they wouldn’t bend, twist or fail under even the biggest catfish. The jaws are also extra large so they can not only handle smaller cats but can easily fit around the mouth of a true monster.
- 360 Degree Swivel: Ever had a monster catfish start doing the alligator death roll on you while locked into a pair of fish grips when landing or releasing? It’s not fun, they feel like they’re going to break your wrist and this is when most grips get lost in the water. With the 360 degree swivel on the Lockjaw Catfish Grips the fish can roll all they want and the handle never moves.
- Simple One Handed Operation: The jaws lock open and stay in position ready to land or handle a fish and then you push the release button and the jaws “lock” in place quickly with a simple and easy single handed operation.
- Locking Jaws: When you push the button and release the jaws on the fish the jaws lock in place and don’t open. It doesn’t matter what position they’re in, how much the fish moves or how feisty it is. The jaws don’t open no matter what happens, and they only get tighter.
- EVA Foam Grip: EVA foam grips for a nice comfortable handle and they don’t get slick when the grips or your hand is wet.
- Affordable: Best of all, not only do the Lockjaw Catfish Grips include all of the features needed but they won’t break the bank either!
Get more information on the Lockjaw Catfish Grips at the Whisker Seeker Tackle website.
