Who's using the Black Box?

[Island Fish Lifter]

Couldnt resist, im going a little nuts waiting to go fishing... Blow me Big Guy, putting someone down about his screen name.. WTF! Go find someone elses doorstep to darken.. Big Guy.. what kind of name is that... it has bully written all over it...

Fill the dam tub!

 

[TheBigGuy]

quote:Originally posted by Island Fish Lifter

Couldnt resist, im going a little nuts waiting to go fishing... Blow me Big Guy, putting someone down about his screen name.. WTF! Go find someone elses doorstep to darken.. Big Guy.. what kind of name is that... it has bully written all over it...

Fill the dam tub!

I by no means am attepting to bully anyone, you are a responsible poster IFL so I kmow that you normally would be above this. Sorry if I offended anyone, have a good weekend, go catch some fish.

 

[Autumn Ty-ee]

I use a black box but in the heat of the moment of setting up gear I sometimes forget to turn it on and sometimes I already have fish in the boat before I notice. I always try to use it as I have alot of electronics on the boat and I figure it can't hurt.

Here is a question for you guys that use them. When you first turn the box on the numbers bounce around between 600 and 800, is this telling you the ACTUAL voltage on your cables?

I also find when the water is having a plankton bloom the numbers fluctuate up and down and then stabilize for 15 to 20 seconds then do it again. Anyone else notice this?

Snagger you say you set yours at 582. I have always set mine at 60 as that is what it said in the owners manual. I was wondering how or why you use this setting?

Autumn Ty-ee

 

[snagger]

If you catch fish without the box, your boat is probley a clean boat, no electrical problems. Mine is a pro troll box, there is a switch for actual voltage, or applied voltage. I like to check my actual voltage to make sure I am between the .500-.750. The settings can be tweaked by end user, I started with .600, but found .582 was the sweet spot for me, with this setting I hit springs 3 pulls off the riggers. I am not sure about the bloom, my readings stay steady.

snagger

 

[hooked for life]

Quote"
I think you pretty much just made my point for me. Productive members on this forum do not respond in such a manner. I will not respond to you any further, as I normally refrain from feeding the trolls."

Big Guy have you ever got this guy wrong. We know Snagger and have fished with him on the west coast numerous times he is one of the most responsible fishermen we have seen and a great one at that. It is a call name nothing more.

Peter, John & Joe aka the Three Amigos
See you in Nootka P

 

[Peahead]

Fishing with stainless cable allows voltage to be a big part of why boats catch fish ...or not. I have guided using 3-4 different boats switching back and forth in the same week ( with similar fishing ) and I can tell you that I strongly believe that boats can fish poorer or better due to voltage differences. Using the new rigger lines eliminates this, true but there is a better option I beleive:

I like using the scotty black box because of its fine tuning capability and "pulse" mode but I think if your boat has no electrical problem and your bonding is good as well as your zincs you will fish just about as good in most situations ( in this situation you would have the slight positive charge around your boat, that you want). What I do like is the fine tuning the box provides....and I totally agree with snagger about fine tuning your voltage to a point where you get more hits from certain types of fish. For example fishing about 80 - 100' feet depth I find that .560-.590 is good for bigger chinook, sometimes even lower for the big late season springs. My boat runs just over .600 V ambient right now so the box allows me to lower that a bit. Smaller chinook seem to hit more with a bit higher number....maybe .600-.610 V (similar to coho) so when I don't turn my box on I tend to get smaller chinook. As soon as I lower the voltage I tend to get bigger chinook (remember the fish have to be there though!) Lower your voltage number for shallower waters and increase for deeper ( due to voltage loss down the cable the deeper the cable) I have heard about .100 volts per 100 ft depth but from my experience I'd say thats more than I'd guess. The salinity and minerals in the water do effect the readings so I suspect plankton could affect readings. Your boat not being properly bonded can cause problems with readings therefore I have my kicker and main motor electrically connected (bonded). All metal on your boat that touches water should be bonded together.
If you have fished Sockeye with a box set correctly and your terminal gear in very close to the cable, I think more fishers might want to go back to using voltage to your advantage with stainless cable. A lttle tip for sockeye, turn the voltage up and try "pulse" mode. I'd find it hard to get rid of my stainless and my box!! I am willing to try the new line because of the advantages it has but I doubt it would outfish a properly matched bbox with boat and stainless cable.

 

[Red Sled]

Peahead - I find your name offensive. I have a small melon and can't help but assume you're making fun of me and all the people like me. We can't help it!! You must be a troll and should be banned.

 

[highlights]

Yeah , well my sled aint red and why should it be? Consider yourself BANNED


LOLOLOL c'mon guys jokes old.

Good info otherwise.

 

[snagger]

hooked for life, the three amigos, how is it going, thanks for the good words, the big guy is being stupid, soon enough he will be eating crow.

I just can't wait for some fishing, my first trip is at critter cove with the wife july 18-21, then at the cabin later in the week. Hope to get together with you guy's this summer, I also have aug 24 to sept 3rd off. I am taking a sick day when you guy's are at the cabin, will send you an e mail.

snagger

 

[snagger]

peahead

nice post, you have just explained the true workings of the black box, and the only thing to add, good electrical system checks and maintenance are extremely important to have an actual reading around the .600, then turn on the box and tweak it in.


snagger

 

[KCW]

Do you need to change the wires on the system every few years? Lots of good advice when you get past the name calling on this site.

 

[snagger]

I like to clean my connections every year, every secound year i buy the pro troll wire kit and replace the wires,they are just regular but connectors, so they rust in the open. But for the riggers i like to use the scotty metal contacts, they are better than the pro troll ones.

snagger

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

Hey 3- amigos, are you the guys with the pink hats? Youve been going to nootka for as long as Ive been guiding, you guys seriously put the hurt on the fish! Looking forward to seeing you there again this year. Im in the Pursuit with the blue top, cheers.

Fill the dam tub!

 

[Autumn Ty-ee]

Thanks Peahead for the info.

Autumn Ty-ee

 

[Peahead]

quote:Originally posted by Red Sled

Peahead - I find your name offensive. I have a small melon and can't help but assume you're making fun of me and all the people like me. We can't help it!! You must be a troll and should be banned.

Good one Red Sled but I better not touch that one........now I am being politically correct!

 

[hooked for life]

quote:Originally posted by Island Fish Lifter

Hey 3- amigos, are you the guys with the pink hats? Youve been going to nootka for as long as Ive been guiding, you guys seriously put the hurt on the fish! Looking forward to seeing you there again this year. Im in the Pursuit with the blue top, cheers.

No sorry thats not us but we do wear three hats the same every year though. We cruse around in a 21ft '05 Trophy green top.

Paul, Big John is up the same week as you at the cabin, we are all up Aug 11-15

Good thread but when you run braid no need for a black box. LOL

Tight lines all

Fill the dam tub!