by Mike Luchak
“Hey Mr., what’s that weird thing on the back of your boat?” That is a question I am often asked while out on the lake.
The question usually arises when I’m seen reeling in fish after fish while other anglers are having a difficult time getting a bite. That “weird thing” is a trolling motor with a splasher prop attached. The trolling prop is replaced with a “splasher” to attract fish. It is a really simple accessory that I first learned about several years ago while fishing with Lake Conroe guide, Mike Richardson of Lake Livingston Adventures guide service. He showed me a method of catching fish in the winter time called “dead sticking.” Using a splasher, we were able to catch fish in cold 50° water in late January. I was intrigued at just how he was able to get the fish to bite in water that was only 50° in the dead of Texas winter.
On the back of his boat was a trolling motor with a splasher prop. The moment I was “sold” on the splasher was when we knew we were on fish, but getting no strikes. Mike reached over and flipped the switch on the trolling motor and the splashing began. The head of the motor was set at water level allowing the spinning splasher prop to raise above the water and slap down into the water causing a splash with each revolution of the prop. All six rods on the boat were hooked up with hybrids within about 15 seconds time. I knew right then, I had to have one of those splasher things!
The particular splasher prop he had was no longer being produced, but he allowed me to take pictures of it. I set my mind on creating my own, and copying his wintertime success, and I did just that. I made a prototype and used it successfully, but continued to make changes, and tweak the initial product, improving it each time. I am now on the fourth version, with the current model being the most productive, and now have a patent pending. After making a few, and showing my friends, they all wanted one of their own, so I started building them on a limited basis and offering them for sale. Most of my customers were guides, and they seemed to want to keep this thing top secret! Since then, the orders have been on the steady increase, as has production of the props.
I used the splasher props each trip to the lake during the research and development phase and learned more every trip. Stripers, white bass, and hybrids respond very well to the splasher. I have reports of crappie responding well, too. Catfish, drum, and some other species don’t seem to respond the same.
If you have never heard of, or seen this “splashing” done, I admit it sounds crazy. My suspicion is that it mimics the sound of a school of feeding fish on the surface of the water, and tends to work the fish in the area into a feeding mood. I’m no biologist, or scientist; I’m a taxidermist. I have never been able to have a conversation with a fish, so I’m not absolutely sure if that’s correct, or not. Whatever the reason, it works, and stimulates a bite in what may be inactive fish at the moment.’
My method of fishing with the splasher consists of cruising areas I expect fish to be located in and using side scan to locate them. I then will move close to the fish, casting to them to see if they are active. If they are not actively feeding and willing to bite, I start the splasher and give them 10-15 minutes to go on the feed. If after 15-20 minutes they do not respond, they may be catfish, drum or some other species. I will then move to a new area and follow the same scenario till I find fish willing to play. On Lake Somerville I have been coming across a lot freshwater drum, and catfish schooled up, that look like white bass on the side scan. Most times during the spring and summer months, I will usually throw slab spoons, pet spoons or rattletraps with great success.
Getting Rigged Up
This is easy. You’ll need a cheap trolling motor. Most people use a transom mount clamp-on style 12 volt trolling motor. The shorter the shaft, the better since it will be used at water level. You’ll need a battery, and a splasher prop. I send everything necessary to install the prop with it. You must remove the original prop and replace it with the splasher prop. This takes about two minutes and is very simple. Attach the clamp-on mount to the boat and you are ready to fish.
Several months ago, I learned “through the grapevine” that Mr. James Boone of the Boone Boys YouTube channel posted a video on his outdoor channel singing praises about my product. I watched the video that James had made, and had some of the strangest sensations while he sat there and talked about “ME!” I soon got in touch with James and found that he was a really nice, family oriented man with a fishing obsession; and puts out some high-quality, family friendly content. His video on the splasher prop contains some great information as well as a demonstration of the prop in action.
James Boone “Does it work? Absolutely. If there’s one thing in our boat we would not leave without, besides our poles and my boys, it’s the splasher, because it does catch more fish.We use it 12 months out of the year.”
Another YouTube Fishing channel, Outlaw Angling, recently posted a video on how to install my splasher prop on a brand new out of the box trolling motor. He then took his boys fishing and made a video of it working, with them catching a nice box of fish. In this video, take note of the teaser jig above the slab spoon, it’ll add a few doubles to the box. I have never met him, or James Boone in person, and I did not personally know either of these gentlemen before they made videos about my splasher. I do appreciate them taking the time and effort, to make and edit the videos as an unsolicited endorsement. It is very meaningful to me. I like to let my customers’ success speak for itself, and word-of-mouth by happy customers do the “sales pitch” for me. I believe the word of a friend, a fishing buddy, or a successful guide are my very best advertising, better than anything I can buy with money.
For further information visit the website https://my-site-103001.square.site
or contact Mike Luchak at 979-830-0842.
“This splasher is a game changer” says Jack Becker of Gainesville, Georgia.
