Had my first down rigger mishap today.

[gasman]

Soooooooooooo, today while fishing American Lake for Kokes, the call of nature was a gurgling and we had to pull up and get to the launch so I can take care of business, I was bringing up the Down rigger ball while reeling in my pole and heard a snap, then plunk 

I looked down and the DR was still running and the ball was gone, broke off 

I turned it off and notice some debris caught up in the front pulley, grabbed it off and seen my stoppers stuck up in it 

Apon investigation, I figured what happen was, the debris was caught on the line, moved up to the pulley, got caught, slid both stoppers down line until the weight hit the pulley and SNAP............... Broken line 

Im sure this only the first of many mishaps with learning the in and out's of down rigger fishing 




Didnt get a single bite all morning. Talked a guy in a Kayak that had one in the boat and lost a few others.

Three people in the boat, different depths, different bait, all with the same results............... Nothing 

[Mfowl]

I've had my stopper get hung up/fouled up with debris before. It usually doesn't break the gear off though. What type of cable are you using? Braid? How many lbs is your ball? Is it a Scotty or Cannon?

[huntnphool]

One reason I still use cable.

[Tman]

Had that happen too. Sucks! 

Wait till you get one hung up on the bottom of a river. That'll make ya scramble.

[gasman]

Braided line with or had a 10 lb ball 

I will be the first to admit, I'm new to DR fishing. This is the first one I have owned and picked it up from a forum member last week. Works good, I just need to lear what to not do and what to watch for 

[FC]

Braid sure seems to break easily, I've bounced bottom many times and yarded up all sorts of underwater crap. The only time I have ever been seriously concerned was last coho season when I hung up on something at about 140 feet down and suddenly both downriggers started spooling cable like crazy (I was in about 600 feet). I don't know what it was (net maybe?) but I had to stop the boat and back up to gain line back. Whatever it was just came off after 10 minutes or so and left no evidence on any of my gear (I got everything back). I've only re-done the cable ends one time I think in 3 years and it was due to fraying.

[aaronoto]

That's sucks, and with the price of downrigger balls these days it hurts the pocket book too.  Happens to all of us eventually though…  I've never had debris foul up a downrigger when reeling it up, but I've caught a downrigger ball on the bottom, running steel cable with the drag a little too tight.  Let me tell you, it's amazing how much one of those arms can flex without breaking!

[mkcj]

Were you using the red braid stops or the yellow or black cable stops? because the yellow and black will slide very easy on braid.

[flinger]

Yup it,s definitely a learning thing. Went through about 5 last season 1st year with electric. I think 3 were on braid 
Switched back to 180 cable ,until I am convinced otherwise no more braid for me.The ones lost on cable were nothing but beginner mistakes

[gasman]

Were you using the red braid stops or the yellow or black cable stops? because the yellow and black will slide very easy on braid.

one black and one yellow.

[mkcj]

Were you using the red braid stops or the yellow or black cable stops? because the yellow and black will slide very easy on braid.

one black and one yellow.

That's the main reason, use 2 red stops or better yet go to this system! you can make it or by the setup from scotty. it's what I use and really works in many ways.
http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/showthread.php?26796-scotty-sure-stop-s

You can lift a 15lb ball into the boat with your hands using tuna cord, try doing that with cable or braid

[ICEMAN]

Yeah down rigger mishaps can be sad....or quite funny depending on your perspective.

One year off Cape Flattery I watched my dads fishing buddy hook up the big torpedo ball on his rig...ease it over the side....then his gear slipped the ratchet and it took off for the bottom, peeling out cable, then BANG-the ratchet caught and snapped off the huge weight.... Lots of cussing.... So he reels it up and clamps on another gear set. His rigger did it again, another 12+lber to the bottom. Man was he pissed... 

[Come Get Some]

 A few years ago at Westport ,we were fishing for Kings. Both of my Cannon Digitroll IV's tripped at the same time. To our surprise they did not release and let the rod tips come up  instead both rods pegged to the water. Both downriggers started spooling cable. I hit auto up on the starboard rigger. It seemed to come free. When the port rigger was put in auto up the wire started going away from the boat like it was coming to the surface. Both rods were still spooling line. To our surprise a 16' Great white jumped 6' out of the water 15' behind my boat with all of my gear ,including the downrigger ball in his mouth. His eyes were rolled back and his mouth was wide open. He hit the water and LEFT the scene. I grabbed the spool of my downrigger. He took almost all of the 500' of cable off of the spool . I was finally able to clamp down hard enough that it broke the 150lb steel cable. My buddy said. "we need a bigger boat" A week later a commercial fisherman in a 40' boat caught a 16' great white. It drug them for almost an hour before they killed it. Wish I had a video camera running.

[ICEMAN]

Holy smokes, I might have peed myself on that one...scary.

[sAsQuAtCh17]

A few years ago at Westport ,we were fishing for Kings. Both of my Cannon Digitroll IV's tripped at the same time. To our surprise they did not release and let the rod tips come up  instead both rods pegged to the water. Both downriggers started spooling cable. I hit auto up on the starboard rigger. It seemed to come free. When the port rigger was put in auto up the wire started going away from the boat like it was coming to the surface. Both rods were still spooling line. To our surprise a 16' Great white jumped 6' out of the water 15' behind my boat with all of my gear ,including the downrigger ball in his mouth. His eyes were rolled back and his mouth was wide open. He hit the water and LEFT the scene. I grabbed the spool of my downrigger. He took almost all of the 500' of cable off of the spool . I was finally able to clamp down hard enough that it broke the 150lb steel cable. My buddy said. "we need a bigger boat" A week later a commercial fisherman in a 40' boat caught a 16' great white. It drug them for almost an hour before they killed it. Wish I had a video camera running.

If you had by some freak chance managed to catch that thing it would be the fish story to end all fish stories!

[WAcoueshunter]

Yeah down rigger mishaps can be sad....or quite funny depending on your perspective.

One year off Cape Flattery I watched my dads fishing buddy hook up the big torpedo ball on his rig...ease it over the side....then his gear slipped the ratchet and it took off for the bottom, peeling out cable, then BANG-the ratchet caught and snapped off the huge weight.... Lots of cussing.... So he reels it up and clamps on another gear set. His rigger did it again, another 12+lber to the bottom. Man was he pissed... 

Ain't that the truth...

Same place, different mishap.  I was about five.  My dad had cranked up one of the downriggers but left the ball in the water while he cleared the other side.  He then forgot that the ball was still in the water and hit the gas.  Ripped the whole downrigger right off the mount!  Man was he pissed.   He's now retired and repairs Scotty's for one of the local fishing stores.  Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer....   

[lokidog]

A few years ago at Westport ,we were fishing for Kings. Both of my Cannon Digitroll IV's tripped at the same time. To our surprise they did not release and let the rod tips come up  instead both rods pegged to the water. Both downriggers started spooling cable. I hit auto up on the starboard rigger. It seemed to come free. When the port rigger was put in auto up the wire started going away from the boat like it was coming to the surface. Both rods were still spooling line. To our surprise a 16' Great white jumped 6' out of the water 15' behind my boat with all of my gear ,including the downrigger ball in his mouth. His eyes were rolled back and his mouth was wide open. He hit the water and LEFT the scene. I grabbed the spool of my downrigger. He took almost all of the 500' of cable off of the spool . I was finally able to clamp down hard enough that it broke the 150lb steel cable. My buddy said. "we need a bigger boat" A week later a commercial fisherman in a 40' boat caught a 16' great white. It drug them for almost an hour before they killed it. Wish I had a video camera running.

I had something similar happen out there.  Trolling along in 200' of water, nothing showing on the depthfinder and zzz  zzzz  zzz zzzzz  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz   BANG! before I could get the boat stopped.  This was with cable.  I think I hooked an old crab pot is all I can figure. 

Another time out there, one rod popped off the rigger and then just plumetted like a 20 lb weight was attached before the 50 lb braid broke, weird stuff out there.

I don't trust that non-metal line, but with my Cannons, I need the electric conductivity of the wire as well.

[ravdakot]

Hey gasman, I was the guy in a kayak ended up with 2 in the boat, and lost 3 more. Just couldn't finish for some reason.



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[wildmanoutdoors]

If you dont want to lose your balls put a 10 amp fuse on. This will pop before your cable. Coarse thats with cable. The braid is quirky at best. But ya, we use 10 to 15 amp fuses inline so they pop first.

[lokidog]

If you dont want to lose your balls....

Hmmmm......         

Another thing to stay away from is that plastic ball clip made by Scotty, dropped two balls off one of those on one day, one even in the marina.     The little plastic tab can easily swing out around the hook and open up.

[gasman]

Hey gasman, I was the guy in a kayak ended up with 2 in the boat, and lost 3 more. Just couldn't finish for some reason.



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Well you had better luck then us.
Good talking to you out ther and next time you see me, say hi again 

Pete

[Kc_Kracker]

One reason I still use cable.

x2

[BobW]

One other thing I learned from Tom at SportCo.  If you are using braid be sure there are no sharp edges on the pully or pully housing on the end of the boom.  If they ever ran cable there are some edges there. It will saw off braid in a heart beat.

[gasman]

One other thing I learned from Tom at SportCo.  If you are using braid be sure there are no sharp edges on the pully or pully housing on the end of the boom.  If they ever ran cable there are some edges there. It will saw off braid in a heart beat.

Thanks for the tip Bob 

I will defiantly keep and eye out for any.

[Encore 280]

Aye Gasman, before I put the braided on there I ran 3/16" steel cable for pulling crab and shrimp pots, forgot to tell ya that. So ya might want to check the fairlead on the boom for any nicks. I used a 3/8" rat tail wood rasp to smooth the nicks out but not sure if I got all of them or not. So sorry if you lost a ball and gear due to the fairlead being a little rough on the edges. Oh and I still have the pole holder for that too, you should see it! l8r dude!!

[gasman]

Aye Gasman, before I put the braided on there I ran 3/16" steel cable for pulling crab and shrimp pots, forgot to tell ya that. So ya might want to check the fairlead on the boom for any nicks. I used a 3/8" rat tail wood rasp to smooth the nicks out but not sure if I got all of them or not. So sorry if you lost a ball and gear due to the fairlead being a little rough on the edges. Oh and I still have the pole holder for that too, you should see it! l8r dude!!

Its all good 

I believe the cause of the mishap was from the wrong stoppers on the braided line. To my understanding, the stoppers for braided are red and there was still the yellow and black stoppers on it, and that would give reason to why the stoppers slid so easy on the line.

Live and learn I guess 

We will defiantly hook up and get the pole holder from you and maybe get some GPS cords from you on your hot spots 

[Buzz2401]

I got rid of the stoppers all together and just tied a 200lb Sampo ball bearing swivel in line where I wanted the stopper to be then more braid down to my clip.  Works good and no more buying stupid stoppers.

[Encore 280]

I like the braid better than the wire where as the braid doesn't get kinks in it like the wire and doesn't end up with rust and the strands separating in no time flat. I even rinsed with fresh water after I used them but that didn't seem to help. I like the ball bearing swivel idea. I also use the rubber snubber between the clip and cannon ball to absorb some of the shock from the boat rolling or whatever happens.