Your Thoughts on the Ace Pot Puller

Y

Yyjdennis

Active Member
I'm using an Ace line hauler to pull crab and prawn traps. It works fine for the crab traps but it really isn't working for prawn traps. I'm doing two traps per string. They are the small square metal mesh traps (Bauer) and each one has 6 to 8 lbs of lead in it. I also have a 5 lb lead weight clipped to the line just ahead of the traps. When the traps are both off the bottom and I'm hauling straight up the puller just stalls out. I find I have to tail by hand and pull quite hard to help the puller pull the traps up.

I'm wondering whether there is something wrong with either my boat electrics or the trap puller itself. The battery voltage does drop as low as 11.2V while pulling. I've ordered a bigger battery and a b2b charger to hopefully help with that.

Anyways, I'm just wondering if anyone else is using this puller and whether it's working for you. Also, how much weight are you putting in your prawn traps?

Thanks,
Dennis
 
Corey_lax said:
Idle your main while using it to keep the voltage up.
Click to expand...
Yup. I even drive up the line to reduce the load on the puller. Although right now my house battery is charged from the start using an ACR, which I think is cutting out when the house voltage drops too low and isolating the house battery from the alternator. I'm going to switch to a b2b charger and see if that helps.

By the way, if anyone is looking for a Blue Sea Si ACR, I'll have one for sale soon.
 
seachicken said:
Mine is fine but I don't have that much weight in them. I have 2 batteries though and 8 awg wire to the plugs. If the motor stalls it would probably trip the fuse or breaker. ACR cutting out makes sense around that voltage.
Click to expand...
Are you pulling two traps per string? Also, how much weight are you putting in the traps?

Thanks,
Dennis
 
I have a similar prawn trap setup and do have to help pull.

It sounds like your battery may be over taxed "battery voltage does drop as low as 11.2V" or it could be shot. What engine are you running and how many amps does your main put out at idle? My Honda didn't put out much, my new Suzuki puts out more at idle, you may have to throttle it up to have it combat the load.

I was running two screens, autopilot and radio, along with the ace trap hauler, on my AGM starter batter and it was dropping in voltage enough to still pull the traps (with assistance) but kill the screens.

I have moved my downriggers and Ace plug to my 100ah AGM house battery, and it has been much better.

I also had an older Scotty female plug that I replaced which helped the situation.

I'd start by load testing the battery. If it load tests, try and roughly figure out the normal load from electronics/ect then add in the trap puller which pulls up to 35 amps.

What is a B2B charger? Is that a DC2DC charger?
 
Trap puller motor issue is my guess or battery issue. Stalling out isn't normal. The ACR isn't your problem. I run two batteries on an ACR and can run pretty much everything including radar and haul traps. Same as you two per string Square traps.
 
kaelc said:
I have a similar prawn trap setup and do have to help pull.

It sounds like your battery may be over taxed "battery voltage does drop as low as 11.2V" or it could be shot. What engine are you running and how many amps does your main put out at idle? My Honda didn't put out much, my new Suzuki puts out more at idle, you may have to throttle it up to have it combat the load.

I was running two screens, autopilot and radio, along with the ace trap hauler, on my AGM starter batter and it was dropping in voltage enough to still pull the traps (with assistance) but kill the screens.

I have moved my downriggers and Ace plug to my 100ah AGM house battery, and it has been much better.

I also had an older Scotty female plug that I replaced which helped the situation.

I'd start by load testing the battery. If it load tests, try and roughly figure out the normal load from electronics/ect then add in the trap puller which pulls up to 35 amps.

What is a B2B charger? Is that a DC2DC charger?
Click to expand...
Yes. I'm getting a Victron Orion. My motor is a Honda 90, which claims to produce about 40A of charging current, although probably much less at idle. I'm also replacing my house battery. For some reason the original owner of the boat used a flooded lead acid for the house bank and an AGM for the start?? The trap comes off the house battery. The house battery load tests ok, but it is a relatively small flooded lead acid, so I think I'm just pulling way more current than it can supply. I'm replacing it with a 105 AH lithium, which should solve that problem.

It's interesting to hear that you still have to help pull. Maybe that's just par for the course.
 
Yyjdennis said:
Yes. I'm getting a Victron Orion. My motor is a Honda 90, which claims to produce about 40A of charging current, although probably much less at idle. I'm also replacing my house battery. For some reason the original owner of the boat used a flooded lead acid for the house bank and an AGM for the start?? The trap comes off the house battery. The house battery load tests ok, but it is a relatively small flooded lead acid, so I think I'm just pulling way more current than it can supply. I'm replacing it with a 105 AH lithium, which should solve that problem.

It's interesting to hear that you still have to help pull. Maybe that's just par for the course.
Click to expand...
Yeah the Honda would be lucky to put out 15amps at idle. You should be fine with 105ah lithium, and the DC-DC charger what amperage did you go with?

I bought the 30amp one for a planned switch to lithium when my agm gives up the ghost or one of the manufacturers gives me a battery. https://amzn.to/462WpZX #ad

My buddy tried and anchor and anchor chain with two large traps and it was crazy scary. In total 2 other buddies also who run two traps with 15lbs +- of weight you have to assist.
 
kaelc said:
Yeah the Honda would be lucky to put out 15amps at idle. You should be fine with 105ah lithium, and the DC-DC charger what amperage did you go with?

I bought the 30amp one for a planned switch to lithium when my agm gives up the ghost or one of the manufacturers gives me a battery. https://amzn.to/462WpZX #ad

My buddy tried and anchor and anchor chain with two large traps and it was crazy scary. In total 2 other buddies also who run two traps with 15lbs +- of weight you have to assist.
Click to expand...
I bought the new XS model which has a few more bells and whistles and is more compact. It's rated for 50A, but I'm thinking I'm going to limit it to 15A to avoid overloading the alternator.
 
I’m pretty underwhelmed with my ace as well. It’s always seemed weak since I bought it. I have 2 batteries and always idling my main when pulling (Merc 200 85amps). Upgraded to 8 awg to the plug and still no difference. Reached out to Ace last year and they never got back to me. Only pulling 2 traps per string. Probably switch back to the scotty next time I’m out.
 
There's a ton of drag on the Bauer traps. Switch your lines so they don't come off the trap diagonally. Connect them on one side so the traps pull up sideways.

Also check that your pulleys aren't seized, that'll happen with corrosion.

Making sure you have ample power, the right sized wire and breaker/fuse is essential.

They aren't perfect and can be under a lot of strain to pull up that much weight in bigger swells. But I find them to be totally adequate and WAY better than the Scotty if you correct all of those issues.

I pull two 24 inch traps with a bazillion prawns in each. 5lb weight in each trap and two 2lb line weights.
 
Yyjdennis said:
Are you pulling two traps per string? Also, how much weight are you putting in the traps?

Thanks,
Dennis
Click to expand...

I run 2 per string, a couple pounds in the trap closest to the float, nothing in the other. I run a combination of Bauer style and round ones.

Edit: I have the hands free add on and certainly need to help it once in awhile, if there's jellyfish on the line it doesn't take much to slip. Definitely slips before any stall or significant slow down. Also my original pulley on the hands free device seized up, would rotate freely at first but warm up and seize. I think it was a common issue and they gave me new parts.
 
Last edited:
seachicken said:
I run 2 per string, a couple pounds in the trap closest to the float, nothing in the other. I run a combination of Bauer style and round ones.

Edit: I have the hands free add on and certainly need to help it once in awhile, if there's jellyfish on the line it doesn't take much to slip. Definitely slips before any stall or significant slow down. Also my original pulley on the hands free device seized up, would rotate freely at first but warm up and seize. I think it was a common issue and they gave me new parts.
Click to expand...
Wrap a bungee around the pullers post and onto the spring loaded handle of the hands free attachment to increase the tension on the line. Works like a hot damn.
 
Rain City said:
There's a ton of drag on the Bauer traps. Switch your lines so they don't come off the trap diagonally. Connect them on one side so the traps pull up sideways.

Also check that your pulleys aren't seized, that'll happen with corrosion.

Making sure you have ample power, the right sized wire and breaker/fuse is essential.

They aren't perfect and can be under a lot of strain to pull up that much weight in bigger swells. But I find them to be totally adequate and WAY better than the Scotty if you correct all of those issues.

I pull two 24 inch traps with a bazillion prawns in each. 5lb weight in each trap and two 2lb line weights.
Click to expand...
Photo on how you connect them on the side, don't be a .... and send it full of prawns... actually do!
 
I have 4-5 lbs in ea trap, plus 2x2lb clip on weights on line. I have 10 ga wire running about 15 ft to the scotty plug. I leave the engine running at high idle, even though I have 540 Ah of battery bank. No issues.
 
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