Black Box

[abcyahoo]

Anybody have any comments pro or con about trolling with a black box hooked up to your downriggers. Last year we were up in the Port Alberni area and were able to hook up with some of the charter guys. We were able to duplicate their gear, depth and trolling pattern yet we were pretty much skunked while we watched them pull in Chinook after Chinook. The only difference I could see was that they had black boxes and we didn't. I have one now but haven't had a chance to try it out yet.

 

[Slabby20]

This has been talked about and debated on this site many times. Suggest you use the "search" function and type in black box. You'll find past threads on this subject.

 

[gonefishing669]

i have a pro-troll black box on my boat,and am very impressed by it. i have fished with it on and off,and very noticiable difference....and if you are fishing with bait and having a problem with dog fish,crank up the juice for a few minutes on the box,and wolla, no more dog fish...great investment

 

[Dogbreath]

here we go again.....[)]

 

[farny]

I dont know if I buy into the whole black box thing but I do know that I have had enough fishless trips to consider that my boat is hot ,so I bought the braided downrigger line from scotty ,this should rule the electrical charge theory out completely I would think
because its not steel

 

[Highliner]

How do you test your voltage?

 

[gonefishing669]

with a voltage meter, drop your downrigger ball down in the water,best to do it while fishing with your gear down and motor/electronics running. put the positive lead to your downrigger cable,and the other to a ground on the boat and see what voltage you are running.If you have a high reading,then shut one thing off at a time,you should be able to find the source. With nothing running on the boat you will get a natural voltage reading.If you are using a vinal or plastic coated ball,it may reduce your voltage aswell.

 

[Highliner]

quote:Originally posted by gonefishing669

with a voltage meter, drop your downrigger ball down in the water,best to do it while fishing with your gear down and motor/electronics running. put the positive lead to your downrigger cable,and the other to a ground on the boat and see what voltage you are running.If you have a high reading,then shut one thing off at a time,you should be able to find the source. With nothing running on the boat you will get a natural voltage reading.If you are using a vinal or plastic coated ball,it may reduce your voltage aswell.

Thanks.

 

[Rum Buddies]

I put a pro-troll on my boat last year and half the time I forgot to turn the thing on. I did have my natural voltage in the correct range though.

If you don't know how or can't be bothered to tune your boats natural voltage then it may help. For $100 or whatever it costs, why not throw one on.

 

[likwit]

what if you are running braided downrigger cable? would there be any reason for a black box then?

 

[Sushihunter]

quote:Originally posted by likwit

what if you are running braided downrigger cable? would there be any reason for a black box then?

ProTroll now has a device that allows you to run voltage across the stern of your boat.

You take a length of SS downrigger cable and run it across the transom below the water line. They provide clips to hold it. The cable is then attached to the Blackbox.

Even if you are running SS Cable, when you pull the balls out of the water while playing a fish or changing gear, you still have the blackbox putting positive votage into the water around the boat.

My personal experience with a Blackbox has been good. When I bought a new (used) boat back in 2002, I could catch Coho like there was no tommorrow, but I could not get hit by a Chinook. I spent several days fishing amongst boats who were hooking Chinooks all around me while I went fishless

I bought a ProTroll blackbox and installed it - next trip 2 Chinook in the first couple of hours on the water - never had a problem since then.

My theory is that a blackbox does not help you catch fish, it prevents you from scaring them away when they want to bite.

 

[Striper Sniper]

So........ why not go to braided line? SS

 

[Rum Buddies]

quote:what if you are running braided downrigger cable? would there be any reason for a black box then?

No it would have no cable to transmit to.

i can't understand the cable across the boat thing though, unless you are fishing very shallow and very close to the boat I can't see this helping at all.

 

[Highliner]

So if your boat runs hot, and you use braided dr line, would be ok? Would the bad voltage affect you in anyway? I suppose only when you get the fish up next to the boat. ???

And here I thought fishing was a simple man's game.

 

[juandesooka]

I've got a pro-troll black box. I am still unconvinced if it does much. I know lots of fishermen I'd put in the slayer category that have never used one and they do just fine.

I also know some pretty good fishermen who swear by them. But they are realistic about it enough to admit that it's not the end-all-be-all, just one more factor in your advantage. So, equating fishing to gambling, you do everything you can to move the odds in your favour: area, trolling speed, depth, flasher type and colour, leader length, type of lure/bait, quality of bait, quality of roll, etc. Readings on the black box are one more variable, and they called it a 10% advantage, so if you're out there 10 hours, maybe it gets you one extra bite. (of course, in the dry times, that one bite might be the 20 pounder that saves the day...)

This assumes your boat has decent natural voltage. If it's hot, I definitely think that's a problem. Black box won't fix a hot boat, you need to start with decent natural voltage.

One other thing: I discovered my protroll readings are off by 0.070 (a .600 reading is actually .530). Even if you use a blackbox, you should check your cables once in a while manually to ensure the readings are correct.

For me, I'm selling my current boat with the blackbox as part of the package. I'm going with braided cable instead of the stainless steel, and I'm pretty sure this negates any benefit of the blackbox. If I don't catch anything, maybe I'll reinvest...

 

[Sea Morgan]

I have used the box for 6 years now, my boat has a good low voltage to it. I find the box helps me get more than my share of Sockeye, for some reason they like to be agitated so I crank it to .750, the coho I am better than average, the springs I get my share but not any better than others using the same gear around me. Its another gadget to experiment with.

 

[farny]

The black box isnt really supposed to help catch fish, I thought it was to nulify iregular votages down the wire , so by using braided lined which does not conduct electricity, it should eliminate any voltage ,current transfer down the line .

 

[bananas]

if your boat is set up rite voltage is good.I get Malcom Russel the inventor of the Scotty black box to check my boats every spring.It's more than just the black box you can't have any electrical leaks or bad grounds.You want your boat to read high like .7 to .8.5 of a volt.The higher the better then turn it down with the black box to whatever you like.But just the black box without checking the rest won't realy help to much.If it's fishing properly you will actually attract fish.The braid line stops electrolyis but won't help you attract.It is definatly a science.Bonding your boat helps huge as well but thats another story.

 

[JDR]

I too am doubtfull about the Black Box; But bonding your boat makes sense. Does anyone know exactly how to do this for a fiberglass boat?. Mine has a green type of antifouling paint on the hull and I assume this is some type of a copper paint? Would removing this help. I am at .72 of a volt.

 

[GRIFF]

Great thread. Something I am always wondering about. My buddy swears by his BB for Kokes.

I heard that you can change your voltage by zinc-ing any metal that is in the water on your boat. I would also check your eletronics and wiring and make sure that everything is running to the common ground.

GRIFF