Pipe-Shaped Downrigger Weights?

[Kola16]

Does anybody use pipe-shaped downrigger weights? I seen them in the video below and they claimed that they have less blowback. Has anybody used them in the salt at speeds of 3+ MPH with current? It would be nice to have less blowback when you're running 400' deep for kings in heavy currents. Supposedly they are less snaggy, which would be awesome too when trying to track the bottom over structure.

[fishngamereaper]

Not feeling them. They only looked like 6-8lbs maybe?
12-15 lbs would make a huge cylinder. Surface area and shape causes blow back...seems those pipes have just as much surface area as a finned ball. And they probably track like crap...

Dunno though. Never tried them.

They could be awesome. But my guess is if they where they would be on the market already.

[Stein]

I'm too lazy to do the math but am thinking they wouldn't make much difference at the 15-18 pound range.  With chinook, blowback isn't that bad and I would tend to prefer what the spheres do as it helps accurately gauge the speed through the water.  If it was straight up and down you would have no idea what speed your gear is actually moving.

[Kola16]

I'm too lazy to do the math but am thinking they wouldn't make much difference at the 15-18 pound range.  With chinook, blowback isn't that bad and I would tend to prefer what the spheres do as it helps accurately gauge the speed through the water.  If it was straight up and down you would have no idea what speed your gear is actually moving.

Have you ever fished for kings in 400' of water? 12 lb. balls with a fin absolutely surf. 18 lbs. with a fin is quite a bit too. It takes an extra 100' of line to reach the bottom roughly.

I am kind of thinking the tracking would be weird for them so that's why I want to hear if anyone has used them...

[CP]

I once had a copper pipe filled with lead that weighed about 10lbs, lost it years ago.  It worked as well as a 10lb ball but I don't remember it being any better.

But someone should breakout the Navier–Stokes equations and give us the geeky low down. 

[Kola16]

I once had a copper pipe filled with lead that weighed about 10lbs, lost it years ago.  It worked as well as a 10lb ball but I don't remember it being any better.

But someone should breakout the Navier–Stokes equations and give us the geeky low down.

I'll stick to testing it on the riggers over beating my head against a wall

Edit: I guess it's just the cross sectional area, but I think it might be different for rounded objects. The other question for me is does it track well, or swim like a fish like those dumb pancake weights haha.

[Stein]

I'm too lazy to do the math but am thinking they wouldn't make much difference at the 15-18 pound range.  With chinook, blowback isn't that bad and I would tend to prefer what the spheres do as it helps accurately gauge the speed through the water.  If it was straight up and down you would have no idea what speed your gear is actually moving.

Have you ever fished for kings in 400' of water? 12 lb. balls with a fin absolutely surf. 18 lbs. with a fin is quite a bit too. It takes an extra 100' of line to reach the bottom roughly.

I am kind of thinking the tracking would be weird for them so that's why I want to hear if anyone has used them...

I've fished 300' at Chelan with 18 pounders and they worked well, haven't tried the pipes.  I would bet they get pushed around more, a cylinder has more surface area than a sphere for the same volume and for both they have about half of that exposed to current.  The pancake ones have less surface area exposed to current but they they get pushed around bad if there is any side current.

So, the obvious solution is to use the one that costs the least because it will sink to the bottom the same as the others at some point in time.

If you are feeling rich, get tungsten and then you will be rockin the low kickback.

[metlhead]

Funny topic. Just today I nabbed some copper chunks from work and did the math. 1 13/16 ID with a pressed head gave me 12lbs filled at 11" cut length. Gonna pour it tomorrow and check it out Saturday.

[metlhead]

If anyone wants to try, look up volume of a cylinder. The program pops up and just enter pipe ID and legth. Lead is 6.5oz per cubic inch. Change length till you get your number.

[Kola16]

Well l did quick math on the drag using the cross-sectional area of a sphere and a cylinder with a 2" diameter. At 10 lbs. of lead the sphere won by a little bit, but it was close. So either I can't math, or the guy on Angler West is not right. And I bet it is him after watching the video. He needs to stick to fishing

I'm too lazy to do the math but am thinking they wouldn't make much difference at the 15-18 pound range.  With chinook, blowback isn't that bad and I would tend to prefer what the spheres do as it helps accurately gauge the speed through the water.  If it was straight up and down you would have no idea what speed your gear is actually moving.

Have you ever fished for kings in 400' of water? 12 lb. balls with a fin absolutely surf. 18 lbs. with a fin is quite a bit too. It takes an extra 100' of line to reach the bottom roughly.

I am kind of thinking the tracking would be weird for them so that's why I want to hear if anyone has used them...

I've fished 300' at Chelan with 18 pounders and they worked well, haven't tried the pipes.  I would bet they get pushed around more, a cylinder has more surface area than a sphere for the same volume and for both they have about half of that exposed to current.  The pancake ones have less surface area exposed to current but they they get pushed around bad if there is any side current.

So, the obvious solution is to use the one that costs the least because it will sink to the bottom the same as the others at some point in time.

If you are feeling rich, get tungsten and then you will be rockin the low kickback.

I have fished 300' at Chelan too. That is about the equivalency of 120' offshore. That's comparing apples and ponies.

The tungsten idea would be awesome...if I did not spend all of the money I once had on fishing and hunting already Tiny little tungstens for tig welding are expensive as it is, I can only imagine how much a 15+ lb. piece of tungsten would cost...

[Stein]

If I remember right, it cost me $30 for tungsten weight just for a Pinewood Derby car several years back.  We did win 3 years in a row though.

The downrigger line also plays a big role in blowback at longer lengths.