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Is anyone using the Depth Trac Downrigger Line from Cabellas,instead of the stainless steel cable that comes standard on riggers.If so i would be interested in the advantages or di  vantages.I was informed the braided line is quieter than steel and you dont get the swingback while trolling any truth to these statements.
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Thats a good question ol' buddy. I'd like to know the answers to those questions too, so,, how's bout you buy it and I'll try it out for ya? [  ]
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I use braided line on both my downriggers.I have been for about ten years now.The advantages for me are ,its quieter then steel line no more annoying hummmm.I can troll a little faster with less "swingback",but part of that is due to the fact that i use heavy weights also(usually 10-12 lbs).The shape of the weight will make a big difference as to how much swing back there will be .Round shaped weights are the worse for causing swing back,more resitance against the water.Pancake shaped weight are very good for causing little swing back,and fish shaped weights being some where in the middle.
Braided line dont kink like steel line does either,there for reducing the amount of weak spots created within the line.
Overall braided line doesn't wear as well as steel,about every three years I will change the line from one downrigger to the other ,keeping the "fresher" line on top of the spool.
The real question is does it help you catch more fish or not?Personally I dont think that having braided line ,has affected my catch ratio any,but it does help to know exactly were my weight is.
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The only thing I was wondering was how will it hold up in cold temp's we fish a ton in the winter and from all the bad stuff I have heard about useing braided line ice fishing make's me a little gun shi I have spoke with Steve several time's about it he allso swear's by it but never have asked him how the ice is on it I know how much ya like to fish in the cold pop's lol lol.
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I don't troll all that much, but I like the braid because it eliminates the annoying sound of the cable. It does, however, affect some electric downriggers. On my cannon electric, the feature that stops the ball when it reaches the surface doesn't work. I also must hold the knob while raising the ball instead of just popping it up and waiting for it. The cable acts as some sort of ground on some electrics. On a manual, it would have no effect. I do suspect it would affect bottom-tracking riggers, though I've never talked with anyone with a bottom-tracker that has made the switch.
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Jim ,thats odd that braided line would affect a electric downrigger.Both my d/r's are electric (cannon mini-mags)they both work great with the braided line.
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Hmmm. I've got a Cannon Magnum 10, and when I removed the cable and put on the braid, the sensor that stopped the motor when the ball surfaces quit working, and I have to hold the switch in the up position to raise the ball. Before the braid, all I had to do was flip the switch up, and it came to the surface and stopped.
The owners manual said that the connection of the cable is what made all that work. Maybe I need a small peice of wire or cable somewhere?
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Jim, I've checked into that and what it is is the steel line acts as a ground and when you break the water the connection is broke and the ball stops. The braided line is non conductive and thats why it won't work. Hope this helps.
Bodine
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That makes sense to me, and is what the owners manual said too. Thanks. However, why does Kokeking's work with braid I wonder? He must have more technical know-how than I do and has his "hot-wired!"
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The mini mags don't have the stop at the top option. That would be my only guess. Tight lines.
Bodine
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bodine is exactly right. the mini mags dont have the short stop feature that your mag 10's have. id stick with steel line on the mag 10 jim... unless you dont mind holding the switch in. if the wire hum bugs you that much you can use a bungy cord to muffle the vibration. keep in mind though that experts have never made a connection between wire hum and fishing success. in my experience i agree with the experts- it doesnt make a bit of difference... but it can be annoying, so i sometimes use a bungy cord to lessen the hum. just hook a short bungy to the base of your rigger, then run it out and around the wire, and then hook it back to the base of your rigger... making sure its tight. this makes a big difference.
im sure youre planning on using your downriggers so much this year that you will make all kinds of adjustments and changes![laugh] nice thing about jigs- they are so much simpler to use and maintain!
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I completely agree that wire or braid has no effect on the catch rate. The fish don't care whether the line hums or not. I have just always hated the hummm of the wire, which never helps keep me awake while trolling.[sly] I'll just keep holding the switch until the ball arrives. I only bring it up when there's a fish on, or I'm ready to head home. Both are good things!
I DID manage to get a rod bent with a couple of pretty nice fish that caught themselves trolling in Linwood last week!!![sly] My customers reeled 'em in, got a quick picture, and had a good time doin' it. Whatever it takes, I guess.
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I should of clarified ....yes my d/rs dont have the auto stop.Have never had any trouble with the up switch.Its not "hotwired" I would tend to think that the switch might be going bad.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Jim needs that hum from the cable to keep him awake or he'd fall asleep while trolling! LOL![/size][/black][/font]
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dont worry, your switch isnt going bad! have you ever tried shuttle hawks jim? take a look at [url "http://www.shastatackle.com"]www.shastatackle.com[/url]
they work great and bring your release right to the surface while your weight continues on at the depth you set it to. the release will be waiting for you after your clients reel the fish in... then you can re-hook them to the release and the shuttle will take it right back down. these also work great for stacking when you add a bead somewhere along the line to stop the shuttle shy of your bottom setup. anyways, take a look. lots of fun options for downriggers!
i still say that if trolling isnt fun, then you arent doing it right! i love it, but- to each his own i suppose. glad your clients got to have a little fun in linwood!
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That does look interesting, especially for stacking. I usually just stay with high technology and use a rubber band for a release. The band goes around the line at the desired distance from the lure, then is attatched to the ball or rigger line, fish bites and gets hooked by the speed of the boat, breaks rubber band, fish-on. I use it because its easy, and releases (breaks) at the same strength every time. Seems like the cannon offshore releases I've also used release at different tensions despite placing the line in them in the exact same spot. I still have never seen the "perfect" downrigger release.
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[black][size 3]Hey Jim,[/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]I have used a number of releases that work fine. But, like you mentioned, consistancy seems easier to get with the low tech rubber band. [/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]Although I have a bunch of releases in my tackle box, I usually end up putting on a rubber band - I have lots and lots of them - they're really cheap. [/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]Funny thing, I do seem to have spent a lot of money to find that the cheapest piece of equipment does work the best.[/size][/black]
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i use the black offshore releases almost exclusively. the shasta one is alright, but i replace it with an offshore when i use the shuttle hawk. they do take some experimentation and there are a few things to keep in mind. the diameter of the line, type of line- mono vs flouro vs braided, condition of the pads, depth of line placement, weight or pull of lure or bait, speed of boat, size of fish youre going after, etc, etc.
ive been able to get pretty good consistency from the offshore releases. it took some experimenting and requires adjustments as the above conditions change, but i really like how quick i can get them set and down. but, if your having success with rubber bands- id stick with what is working for you. half the battle is finding things that work for YOU.
a couple of notes on the shuttle hawks, in case you decide to give them a try-
to get them to dive correctly you have to make sure the holagram is facing upward. once you put your line in the release you need to give it upward pressure to change the angle that the hawk is sitting in the water. this is what makes it dive. keep the pressure on it until you feel it stop. this is where a good reel comes in handy. once its down you just put it in the rod holder and make sure the slack is all out. it will stay there until the fish takes your lure and the angle on the shuttle changes. keep in mind that if your lure/bait is pulling too hard (like pop geer or sometimes a quickly trolled rig can do) the rig will pull the angle of the shuttle down and cause it to not dive. hope this helps. take care, bkidder
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Do you think the shuttle-hawk would cause any wear on braided downrigger line as opposed to the steel cable?
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i doubt it would wear at all. it slides down and up with no resistence. but, ive never tried it on braided line. perhaps someone on bft has tried it and can chime in. if not, id send an email to the company and ask. sorry i cant be of more help on that one.
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