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Author Topic: Help with snapped downrigger cables!  (Read 2233 times)

chiroken

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Help with snapped downrigger cables!
« on: August 08, 2012, 10:30:52 AM »

Looking for advise please. I purchased 2 brand new scotty 1101's 2 summers ago. Assembled and fished that summer 3 times using 10lb cannons. Fresh water rinsed after each use. Stored indoors in my home. Bought 2 brand new 15lb cannons Friday for deep water fishing (180-200ft). Today was the 4th use ever of the scotty's and bringing the 15lb cannon up the first time on 1 side the cable snapped as soon as the scotty disengaged on auto up (once the cannon just about reached the surface. Broke right at the unit. Cannon and release clip gone. Brought the other scotty up to check the gear and as I was lowering it the 2nd time the cable snapped on the way down at 45 ft. on the counter. Cannon, release clip and 45ft of cable gone.

I've fished friends' scotty's many times with this never happening before. Is there such a thing as bad wire? I'm out over $100 in lost gear. Any ideas? Suggestions on follow up with Scotty? Their manual doesn't not have a max weight to be used as cannons and most boats our there are fishing 12's ro 15's.

How do you have your 15's rigged up? What do you use between line (braided or steel) and the actual cannon?

Thanks in advance.
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ynot

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Re: Help with snapped downrigger cables!
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2012, 02:55:28 PM »

15lb is too heavy for the wire line ,go with braid. this happened to me the first time i used 15lbs put the brake on and pop went the cable. maybe noggin or another guide would know better than me.
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firstlight

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Re: Help with snapped downrigger cables!
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2012, 06:49:03 PM »

I run 15lbs on wire and have no problems.
Sounds like bad wire or a bad connection.
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chiroken

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Re: Help with snapped downrigger cables!
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2012, 07:54:15 PM »

I run 15lbs on wire and have no problems.
Sounds like bad wire or a bad connection.
1 side broke right at the stopper bead and the other was at 45' on the counter. Wasn't bad connections for either. Can't even say I kinked a connection being that it was 45' in? How does one prove bad wire?
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gman

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Re: Help with snapped downrigger cables!
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2012, 12:53:13 PM »

I had the same problem with new Scotty downriggers a few years ago. AFter very limited use the cables broke for no apparant reason. I was told the wires that come with the downrigger are very poor quality and do not last. Once i bought new cable I had no more problems. It would be better if they sold them without a cable rather than selling them with a lousy cable.
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Sandhead

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Re: Help with snapped downrigger cables!
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2012, 03:04:11 PM »

Any rust on the cables? I like braided line myself. Elimanates the need for a black box.
Sucks that you lost two expensive cannon balls. Never heard of the wire breaking before. Caught my scotty on a submerged crab trap and i was lucky enough to retrieve the entire kit, and score my self a crab trap
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