Help with snapped downrigger cables!
- Thread starter chiroken
- Start date
Neither cable broke at crimps. 1 was at the plastic stopper bead and the other was with 45ft of cable out.
Ah yes, braid or steel one of the truly great debates in sport fishing. I have always been a steel man but that is about to change, at least for one of my high speed riggers. Right now it is at the Scotty factory being tuned up and having 175 lb braid installed. The pully was a bit chewed up from the steel and the use of 12 to 20 lb balls but they said they just need to sand them and clean them up and they should be fine for braid. So I will be running braid on one side and steel on the other and will form my own opinion on which I like best.
I already have some experience fishing braid on friends boats and it is nice but also has its problems. It is far more susceptible to cutting than steel but less subject to fatigue and strand breaking than steel so it can last longer if it does not get cut. For example my kicker is mounted on the far starboard outside but it has a prop guard so cables cannot get to the prop on that side. The main motor is left down and used as a rudder when the kicker is operating. Now I have over the years a couple of times due to inattention and a slight tendency to turn a little too sharply, super strong current blowing the lines sideways in a turn, running lighter balls at higher speed (having the cable going out rather than down for a bad angle) or a quick maneuver to avoid someone who has cut me off or is playing a fish and the fact that my riggers are not mounted near the transom but rather more towards midship, managed to run the steel cable over and hang on the stainless prop on the non running main motor. Yes I know, better more attentive fishermen are saying they have never done anything that stupid. The point is that with steel you raise the main motor take the boat hook and lift the cable over the prop. With braid if it gets anywhere near anything like a sharp prop it cuts off immediately and is gone. So it would seem to me that steel does not last as long in general as braid but is more idiot proof when it comes to cutting off. I would also suspect that if you were to ever foul a steel rigger cable with a braid cable, the steel wins.
I already have some experience fishing braid on friends boats and it is nice but also has its problems. It is far more susceptible to cutting than steel but less subject to fatigue and strand breaking than steel so it can last longer if it does not get cut. For example my kicker is mounted on the far starboard outside but it has a prop guard so cables cannot get to the prop on that side. The main motor is left down and used as a rudder when the kicker is operating. Now I have over the years a couple of times due to inattention and a slight tendency to turn a little too sharply, super strong current blowing the lines sideways in a turn, running lighter balls at higher speed (having the cable going out rather than down for a bad angle) or a quick maneuver to avoid someone who has cut me off or is playing a fish and the fact that my riggers are not mounted near the transom but rather more towards midship, managed to run the steel cable over and hang on the stainless prop on the non running main motor. Yes I know, better more attentive fishermen are saying they have never done anything that stupid. The point is that with steel you raise the main motor take the boat hook and lift the cable over the prop. With braid if it gets anywhere near anything like a sharp prop it cuts off immediately and is gone. So it would seem to me that steel does not last as long in general as braid but is more idiot proof when it comes to cutting off. I would also suspect that if you were to ever foul a steel rigger cable with a braid cable, the steel wins.
J-GLOBAL
Well-Known Member
Got a new boat, and new put new riggers on it to leave the old on the old.
Switched to Braid on the old one a couple of years ago. Braid is FAR BETTER.
The new ones came with cable. First season, 3 breaks already, + cut and re-crimped a couple of times where I saw the cable frayed already.
Should have just tossed the new cable immediately and gone to braid on this boat. Will be changing it out this weekend.
Is there Bad Cable? Or is cable just bad...
Switched to Braid on the old one a couple of years ago. Braid is FAR BETTER.
The new ones came with cable. First season, 3 breaks already, + cut and re-crimped a couple of times where I saw the cable frayed already.
Should have just tossed the new cable immediately and gone to braid on this boat. Will be changing it out this weekend.
Is there Bad Cable? Or is cable just bad...
sudsy
Well-Known Member
hard to pass up that offer, nothing i like more than drinking beer and talking about fishing!!!!
wire never lasted me more than 3 years. even with fresh water rinsing, it rusts through. braid going on the third year right now without any issues.
cutting braid??? you certainly need a very sharp pair of scissors to make a clean cut. i can't imagine a prop, which does not have a particularly sharp edge, cutting braid.
cutting braid??? you certainly need a very sharp pair of scissors to make a clean cut. i can't imagine a prop, which does not have a particularly sharp edge, cutting braid.
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I have seen it happen, just touched it and it was gone like it was cut with a razor. Keep in mind it is under a lot of load with the ball and drag pressure. it may also be that the prop was turning a little from water pressure with the motor in neutral - I am not sure and a stainless prop can have a fairly sharp edge with little micro nicks in it like a sharks tooth. Looking forward to trying the braid really deep with a 20 lb ball. We put 500 feet on so I am hopeing it will not mess up the depth counter reading very much if at all.
Went through a lot of cannon balls on one boat when first switched to braid. Eh Rick? LOL
Could not figure it out right away. turned out it was rubbing on trim tabs so nope, doesn't need a sharp edge.
Still running wire on my boat. Planned to switch next time it wore out. That plan was about 3 years ago and still no need to change.
Been on boats with both. Both work well.
Gotta set your gear up right and maintain it no matter what you run.
My boat is fishy. I'm afraid to change anything. Changed all my zincs a couple of years ago and went through a dry spell until they started to look worn again.
Coincidence? Maybe.
What are you running Wolf?
Tips
Could not figure it out right away. turned out it was rubbing on trim tabs so nope, doesn't need a sharp edge.
Still running wire on my boat. Planned to switch next time it wore out. That plan was about 3 years ago and still no need to change.
Been on boats with both. Both work well.
Gotta set your gear up right and maintain it no matter what you run.
My boat is fishy. I'm afraid to change anything. Changed all my zincs a couple of years ago and went through a dry spell until they started to look worn again.
Coincidence? Maybe.
What are you running Wolf?
Tips
Money Well Spent
Member
Red loc-tite on both stainless and braid on the knots and crimps...it really does work..try it.
Lipripper
Active Member
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