braid or cable on downrigger

[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.