braid or cable on downrigger

[Bill W]

I didn't want to take the chelan kokanee thread off on a tangent but I wonder if you use braid or cable on your downrigger?    I've replaced the cable two or three times on my downriggers and am ready to switch to braid. I've bought the braid but haven't installed it yet as I didn't need the downriggers last year.

I feel aluminum boats put a lot of "juice" in the water leading to eating up a lot of stainless steel cable.

[huntnphool]

I didn't want to take the chelan kokanee thread off on a tangent but I wonder if you use braid or cable on your downrigger?    I've replaced the cable two or three times on my downriggers and am ready to switch to braid. I've bought the braid but haven't installed it yet as I didn't need the downriggers last year.

I feel aluminum boats put a lot of "juice" in the water leading to eating up a lot of stainless steel cable.

 I have used both and prefer the cable, not to mention I can't use my "Black Box" with braid.

 At least with cable, you can tell when you need to cut it back past a worn part, with braid you can tell also, but it's after you have lost everything from that point on.

[CP]

Try braid and you will never go back to cable.

[sirmissalot]

Try braid and you'll lose enough gear to finally go back to cable.

[Bill W]

Try braid and you'll lose enough gear to finally go back to cable.

I think a good knot would fix that problem.   

What's your observations on that or is it only an opinion?

[TomT]

I've used both and in my experience I had more trouble with cable than braid.    Actually to clarify that, I never had any trouble with braid. 
2 cents from a former boat owner. 

[Elkrunner]

Try braid and you'll lose enough gear to finally go back to cable.

This is the first I have heard of a negative comment on braided.  Please enlighten the rookie here as I have braided.  We ran one with braid and the other with cable the other day.  The braided was much quieter.   

[Elkrunner]

How often do you have to replace braided versus cable?

[Bill W]

I had a "hot" boat and my wire cable would start to break down after 2 years with saltwater usage.    That, resonance and blowback is why I'm switching to braid.

I'd like to hear from braid users how often they have to swap out, or if it's just cutting off a foot or two and retying a new knot.

[Elkrunner]

Also will it last longer if you use it in freshwater only?  I dont plan on going in the salt.

[sirmissalot]

I've just lost a lot of downrigger balls with braid. One particularly bad day was in westport fishing the beach and dodging crab pots. I was usually running a 15lb ball, but used the heavier of the scotty braided stuff. I've hung up on bottom, crab pots, got balls twisted up due to crazy currents, with cable I usually came out unscathed, braid didn't take much before breaking off, and it wasn't at the knot. Braid is more quiet, but many fishermen believe that hum attracts fish. Just my two cents, I'm certainly no expert but I know I learned my lesson on that one. 

[TomT]

I only ran braid about the last 3 years I had my boat.  Fished fresh and salt.  Didn't have to change it out, just cut a little off and retied at the beginning of the season. 

[elkaholic123]

I have seen more problems with cable, if you do go to braid make sure to put a wrap of tape around the empty spool before adding braid, if not it will get sucked in between the split in the spool 

[Buzz2401]

Braid all the way. Cable needs to be replaced every few years if used in saltwater.  It will show no sign of wear then just snap.  Braid has less drag is quieter and lasts longer.

[SpringerFan]

I run cable on an aluminum boat. No problems so far. Don't use a black box and seem to do ok.

I don't think my boat is hot as it is rigged very well.

We caught a blackmouth in the derby last Saturday that placed 16th out of 72 fish.

[fishngamereaper]

I run both just for fun. Not really a catch comparison issue. Both riggers catch fish. Cable is sturdy but its a pain to have to cut, loop, clamp etc. With braid I re tie the main knot every few trips and no issues. The main thing to watch with braid is the threaded auto stop beads seem to fall off easy. I use the built for braid stoppers but they can fall  off, and if your not watching the line the power of the rigger will pop the ball off before you can say crap.

[cohoho]

I finally became a believer in braid a couple years ago, now all three down riggers are braid...  One thing I do is add tuna cord to the end - about 8-10ft, this way it acts as the automatic stop without concern for those little plastic stop beads slipping.  It will hit that knot connection and stop without worry that you just broke off a DR ball....    I then tie a extra knot in the tuna cord for the next stop - just in case first one failed to on automatic retrieve.  Also a nice big loop at the end makes hooking and unhooking DR balls super easy.  Easier to grab when your dealing with the braid when pulling in or whatever, as even the 200lb stuff will get you if your not careful...   If I do break off, and that only has been from driving errors into same WP crab pots, retie and your drop down again without lost time.. 

[Stein]

Braid, I would never go back.

[The scout]

 :yeah:exactly

[gasman]

Braid 

Hate the Humm of cable 

[BLH69]

Ran wire for 28 yrs and braid for 8. Run 10 ft tuna mono and never go back to wire. I also run a bungee off my ball between them. The same as Cohoho described.

[NRA4LIFE]

Braid, all the way now.  2 full seasons with no problems or any lost gear.  Will never go back to cable after all the terminal kit repairing.  I hate that.  I  run some net twine at the end (similar to what Cohoho does with tuna cord but a bit cheaper) and the knot between the braid and the twine is the stopper.  No more plastic stoppers.  I love just tying knots instead of installing the terminal kits.  9 seconds versus 15 or more minutes.  Learn how to tie surgeons knots, they are your friend with braid.

[Come Get Some]

Sounds like a lot of Scotty downrigger users. I  run a charter boat and troll all the time. I have 2 with braid and 2 with wire. I fish 4 downriggers at the same time.I very seldom change my wire. In fact I dont remember the last time I did.  I have not had any problem with it. The trick is not to use scotty wire. The cannon wire has some kind of coating on it. It lasts for years as long as you rinse you gear when done . Which you should do no matter what you are using. I do not see a lot of difference between the 2 other than the braid is quieter. Cable is most definitely tougher. My cannons stop automatically, no need for stops. I have not had any problem with needing tuna cord or beads.

[Bill W]

Sounds like a lot of Scotty downrigger users. I  run a charter boat and troll all the time. I have 2 with braid and 2 with wire. I fish 4 downriggers at the same time.I very seldom change my wire. In fact I dont remember the last time I did.  I have not had any problem with it. The trick is not to use scotty wire. The cannon wire has some kind of coating on it. It lasts for years as long as you rinse you gear when done . Which you should do no matter what you are using. I do not see a lot of difference between the 2 other than the braid is quieter. Cable is most definitely tougher. My cannons stop automatically, no need for stops. I have not had any problem with needing tuna cord or beads.

Yes, all my wire was Scotty wire as my replacement(s) was at a Scotty repair spot as I was getting the downriggers serviced.    Part of the problem with the factory wire was the way I washed the salt off the downriggers.  It left the cables soaked.

[Lunkerchaser]

I was under the impression that with Scotty's you need a stop bead and that with Cannon's the auto stop feature works when the cable comes out of the water.  I have Cannon and was told that the auto stop feature will not work with braid, so have never tried it.   

[trophyelk6x6]

I don't use a black box and I run one rigger with cable and one with braid and have not seen any difference in success.

[lazydrifter]

200 lb. power pro.  No black box, no SS wire.   I buy it in 500 yard spool.  Run 375 ft on each DR.    Running Scotty's.   Don't lose balls with the 200lb.  Double up the 1st 10 ft so by the time your auto stop bead gets to the DR you have started wrapping on the doubled up braid.