Who's using the Black Box?

[highlights]

OK guys , I know this has been brought up in years past, however I will address it again for this season.

I see more and more guys discussing the "gear" they are pulling around out there. Anyone using Scotty's Black Box? I personally do not. I have used them in the past while guiding. On my own persoanl craft however I do not. No plans to as my success is pretty good and I do not want to tamper. On the other hand, for those of you who do use it compared to when you didn't; seeing any advantage?

HL

 

[scott craven]

I don't use it anymore. I switched to powerpro braided line
so no need for a black box.
I'm not entirely convinced they do anything , unless there are
electrical issues with your boat.

 

[juandesooka]

Heh...if it didn't know you better, I'd put YHBT...here we go again!

My old boat had a protroll black box, sold it with the boat.

New boat I went nylon line, try to avoid the electricity issue altogether.

I remain skeptical, but not yet a complete non-believer. I know some serious slayers that swear by theirs (and just as many that don't, so there you go).

I think it might help slightly. One more factor among many. It will not help you catch fish if you are doing everything else wrong. If you have everything else right, it might just be one more feather tipping the odds seesaw in your favour.

Me? Giving it a go without.

 

[highlights]

Juandesooka, you know me better than that( I hope ) Thought the fishing has cooled a bit and the posts have become a little stale. I was bored and thought I'd put it out there. Like I said before, I do not use it and don't plan on it..........however if someone could convince me then maybe. The Sooke reports thread not being reports really got me thinking about how everyone else is fishing out there.

No troll here guys, just curious.

 

[Charlie]

All I know, is I have 3 Cannon Mag20s, (which will handle up to 20 lb balls and has one of the fastest retrievals on the market) with Cannon's positive ION and Cannon says not to use braid? However, again... what do I know? I know they catch fish, which some are soon to find out and I am not messing with them! No "black box" here!

 

[dss]

I BELIVE THE BLACK BOX WORKS.DAD HAD A NICE FISH ON AND I WANTED MTO HAVE SOME FUN WITH HIM I JACKED THE BOX WAY UP AND WHAT AHOOT THAT FISH WAS NOT COMING NEER THE BOAT. LMAO.DAD DID NOT KNOW AND WAS THINKING HUGE FISH. SET THE BOX BACK TO NORMAL AND THE FISH CAME RIGHT TO THE BOAT .

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

I got a bunch of black boxes Ill sell you guys! Im sure youll catch more fish! Im serious!

Fill the dam tub!

 

[264winmag]

charlie can u use braided line on a cannon downrigger,don't they send electrical current down the cable and when the cannon ball comes out of the water braking the ground that shuts it off in the up mode ?

 

[profisher]

They do work! You still have to ensure your hull readings are not way out of whack or your box won't be able to help you. You will be wise to check your hull readings anytime your gear seams to fail you over an extended period of time. I've had it happen to me several times in the past. Couldn't get even a hit over 3 or 4 days. The fishing wasn't exactly on fire at the time so at first I put it down to a few fish around and some bad luck. By the 4th day its like enough is enough, something is wrong. Sure enough the hull readings were out to lunch. Fixed the problem that night, back to hitting fish the next morning. Before I installed the box, my boats fishiness would always gradually drop off as the boat got to about 3-3 1/2 weeks in the water without being pulled to clean off the bottom and the zincs. I tried going 2 seasons with the same bonding wires once, never again..the boat fished crappy. Corrosion on the wire ends and wire from a years salt water immersion reduced its conductivity so that it wasn't working as it should. I replace all my bonding wire each spring. (tinned copper)

 

[264winmag]

sorry i was off topic.
no i don't use a black box i also have one downrigger with braided line and the other side is stainless wire,they both seem to be the same on fish hits,not really prefurring one over the other.
my boat current in the water must be ok.

Rum Chum

 

[Klob]

I have one I no longer need after switching to braid. Offers?

 

[Charlie]

quote:Originally posted by 264winmag

charlie can u use braided line on a cannon downrigger,don't they send electrical current down the cable and when the cannon ball comes out of the water braking the ground that shuts it off in the up mode ?

So, they say! [8D]

 

[The Fish Assassin]

I don't need a black box.. I think like a fish[]

Take only what you need.

 

[Wireman]

KLOB you've got mail

 

[chris73]

Yup, use it. If you believe in it or not - one thing is a fact, buying one will help the struggling economy. So it's at least not totally in vain.

 

[Salmon Smoker]

I use braided line, keep my boat in the water permanently and have never used a black box.
My freezer is full of salmon.

 

[highlights]

Hmmm, black box or braid. Hull readings. Whats the deal there? How does one go about testing if the boat is emitting unwanted electrical current?

Thanks,

HL

 

[highlights]

Never mind, I was just on Scotty's website. I read the Black box manual and learned how to make a hull reading. Interesting.

Ok so I have considered going to a braided line to do away with electrolysis completely. From what I understand however is that fish like a certain amount of positive charge or "natural" electrolysis. Would braid be counter productive then?

Is everyone really taking this stuff to heart? I have never given it much thought, but now it's got me thinking.

 

[KCW]

Took my new boat out today, its got elc. downriggers and a scotty black box. The guy I got it from swore by the b. box and showed me how it was properly hooked up and how to test it with a volt meter. Had the box set at 600 and the volt meter showed 520 to 560 if you turned the throttle up on the kicker volt meter would go up. So is something wrong or is this normal. Should I just take the black box out and switch to braided line? Thanks [8D]

 

[KCW]

Took my new boat out today, its got elc. downriggers and a scotty black box. The guy I got it from swore by the b. box and showed me how it was properly hooked up and how to test it with a volt meter. Had the box set at 600 and the volt meter showed 520 to 560 if you turned the throttle up on the kicker volt meter would go up. So is something wrong or is this normal. Should I just take the black box out and switch to braided line? Thanks [8D]