Each to their own I guess..
When the braid first hit I was skeptical. But, I loaded it up and gave it a try. (Actually just happened to be on the charter rig I ran a few seasons back, and so I ran with what was there). I realized the obvious advantages, and became a "believer". And it worked fine for several years...
Last year I decided to upgrade the downriggers from Scottys to the Stainless High-Speed Cannons (Saltwater Tournament Series). IMO the Cannons were so much of an improvement they were well worth the investment. I still believe that today - stainless construction, vertical spools take up much less room, a LOT more power which translates to a lot faster retrieve speed, and the luxury of powering down or free-fall.
The Cannons come with a built in "
Ion Control System" which in function is pretty much the same as a black box in function. And they came spooled with more stainless wire than I could ever deploy. So, I decided to run them as they came.
Being a commercial troller, I well understand what control of the the electric field around your boat / gear can do in terms of successful fishing. So, it wasn't much of a leap for me to return to that in the recreational fishery. The correct electrical field can and DOES influence fish to orient towards your gear, and as most trollers know, does make a difference in catch rates. I believe this is also the case with running the lighter gear in the sport fishing application.
Running braid completely eliminates the field down below, thus you rely solely upon the presentation itself to entice fish into the bite. Running wire with controlled electrical discharge presents a field below designed to attract fish of varying species by varying the level of field intensity. And it works, as proven by literally hundreds of commercial fishermen over a considerable period of time. Couple that with the right presentation, and you can't help but have a Winner.
Not saying that is the be all - end all. Simply another trick to increase your odds of success. And for myself, I am always looking for any such tricks, and am OK with the understood issues that running wire entails when it brings more fish to the boat.
Old School perhaps, but it works for me. As always, your
Mileage May Vary...
Cheers,
Nog
