Mark,

I have seen those retrievers and just never bit the bullet thinking they were gimmicky. With your advice I think I will have to do so. The question is which one?

There are two basic types; telescopic and line cord models. The telescopic seems to make more sense to me as it gives the ability to push the lure off of wood, but is limited to about 16 feet of reach. The line cord model that uses an chain to snag the hook extends to 30 feet or more with longer line and would be more usable in deeper water or in windy conditions. But even if the chain grabs the hook, I don't see how well it would work to remove a lure from a log that can't be pulled up.

Thanks.