Connecting cable to tuna cord

[Finally]

I am going to be replacing the cable on my two downriggers and I thought i would use the tuna cord for the final 6 feet or so. I am not sure how to go about connecting the cable to the tuna cord. When I was at moutcha bay their rental boats ran cable and connected it to the tuna cord. I should of taken a picture of their setup as I can't remember how they did it. I think they just used a knot to connect the two which then acted as the stopper.

Have any of you connected cable to tuna cord? Is their a certain knot that works better for attaching cable? I am worried that if I use crimps they will eventually fail from constantly going over the pulley. I ran a few searches from the site but it appears most people use braid. Anyway, look forward to your input.

 

[Sculpin]

I am going to be replacing the cable on my two downriggers and I thought i would use the tuna cord for the final 6 feet or so. I am not sure how to go about connecting the cable to the tuna cord. When I was at moutcha bay their rental boats ran cable and connected it to the tuna cord. I should of taken a picture of their setup as I can't remember how they did it. I think they just used a knot to connect the two which then acted as the stopper.

Have any of you connected cable to tuna cord? Is their a certain knot that works better for attaching cable? I am worried that if I use crimps they will eventually fail from constantly going over the pulley. I ran a few searches from the site but it appears most people use braid. Anyway, look forward to your input.

Switch to braid and forget about the tuna cord and use 700lb mono instead. Both will last way longer and save you hassle and money in the end. JMO.

Cheers,
Sculpin

 

[trophywife]

i use two black crimps , one inch a part, crimped carefully twice. loosely double looped around a larger swivel. the swivel acts as a stopper. usually every 5-6 trips i will re-do. cutting off only a couple inches each time. tuna chord is doubled up and tied at the ball. hope this helps...

 

[TheRock]

Do not use brass swivels (Chrome plated brass swivels) The stainless wire will fight with the brass swivel.. I use solid staininless Mighty Mini 1/0 swivels.. you don't have to worry about changing them out... these will pass through the pully eye..
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/AFW-Mighty-M...314?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415463074a
Connect the wire line to the swivel with this wire line knot http://lotsa.org/Wire Line Knot.htm its the easiest wire line knot you will ever do.. tie your tuna cord to the other end of the swivel... this is now your stopper! 100% fool proof no more plastic stoppers, no more scotty wire crimps, pliers ect.. I will never go back to that system ever..
The other end of the tuna cord I tie a large stainless coast snap. I have a double length of 5' tuna cord attached to the canon ball make two loops at the end close together and I attach the end loop to the coast snap, second loop I attach the release clip. When the rigger comes up the swivel goes through the pully and then trips the stop.. pull the retieve cord and the release clip comes right to the side of the boat... the length of tuna cord between the swivel and the coast snap is key so when you pull the retrieve cord the release clips come up right to the side of the boat... the canon ball is 5' down from the release clip and never comes out of the water!
No more canon ball dangling in the air..! Get a big fish on, bring rigger up, pull retrieve cord, reach over and grab the tuna cord and pull the ball up and over the side of the boat and right onto the floor, swing scotty arm in against boat, side is completely clear for landing fish, your hands never have to touch the canon ball.. when done fishing.. unclip the tuna cord from the coast snap.. lift the canon ball by the 5' cord into a bucket.. your done.

Small correction... we actually use green Ganion its so called (Commercial fishing twine) not tuna cord,
just did a quick google search.. looks similar to this... http://www.lakefish.net/catalogue13.htm

I am going to be replacing the cable on my two downriggers and I thought i would use the tuna cord for the final 6 feet or so. I am not sure how to go about connecting the cable to the tuna cord. When I was at moutcha bay their rental boats ran cable and connected it to the tuna cord. I should of taken a picture of their setup as I can't remember how they did it. I think they just used a knot to connect the two which then acted as the stopper.

Have any of you connected cable to tuna cord? Is their a certain knot that works better for attaching cable? I am worried that if I use crimps they will eventually fail from constantly going over the pulley. I ran a few searches from the site but it appears most people use braid. Anyway, look forward to your input.

 

[dance a jig]

I have braid and after some random ball losses I became convinced I was getting nicks in the braid from perhaps when pulling over gunnel to stow balls or other misterious cause. I too noticed some guide boats used 5-6' of tuna cord with braid and thought that was a good solution to try, but I too failed to take a photo. Methods I have tried all include having a
large sampo swivel which would act as stop tied with Palamor knot to braid, then either:


A) attach tuna cord to said swivel. I first attached with an assortment of knots and did not find one small enough to make it thru the scotty pulley, so ultimately crimped it. With this approach, I worry the crimps, which are on the large size to handle tuna cord, would ding up the scotty pulley as it travels thru, which would contribute to nicks in the braid.

B) attach 5-6' loop of tuna cord to said swivel and crimp both ends of loop to the swivel that attaches to the ball. with this method, there is no knot or crip going through the pulley and because the sampo acts as a stop before the crimp makes it to the pulley, there is no danger sharp crimp damage to pulley. Yes, you have a double line of tuna cord with likely introduces more drag, but it is easier to handle grabbing a double line. I worried that where the tuna cord looped in the eye of the sampo might wear, but havnt seen such evidence yet

C) attach 5-6' of ganyion (not sure of spelling) line to said swivel with knot of your choice, which should make it through pulley. I find this line is much more "knot friendly" and although it is lighter than tuna cord, it is easy on the hands and seems really durable.

I saw one charter boat this summer that looked to be using 50-80' of ganyion before he made the transition to braid, and perhaps with a 15 # ball, fishing for suspended fish 20-70' deep, this could be the best practice for those of us that have had non-bottom related ball deposits to the deep.

good luck. DAJ

 

[TenMile]

I do something similar to what's outlined above. I use a swivel and crimp the end of the downrigger cable to one end. I use the green net-mending cord (about 4-5ft) and attach it to the other end of the swivel using a Bowline Knot. The knot and swivel have no problem passing through the pulley and seem to hold up very well. At the end of the cord, Bowline again to attach a snubber.

 

[GDW]

Cut out the middle man or in this case the swivel. I tied a loop knott in the braid and then looped my tuna cord through that and tie it to the ball. No swivel, and where the loop knott and cord join will stop the rigger every time.

I also tie a loop knott on my Hali leaders and Hootchie leaders no swivel needed there either as there is one on the flasher and on the spreader bar.

I should clarify I double the line before I tie the loop knott.

 

[TheRock]

Original question was "Have any of you connected cable to tuna cord? Is their a certain knot that works better for attaching cable? "
He is not connecting braid to Tuna cord.... its wire cable to Tuna cord... two different materials is hard to tie together, best to use a swivel to connect the two.. and connecting to stainless wire cable I'd use a solid stainless Mighty Mini 1/0 swivel. If he choses to use braid instead of wire cable, then yes I can see the option of eliminating the swivel.....

 

[casper5280]

I just slide a couple crimps on the wire line and bring the dead end of the cable back up and though the crimps and crimp it off so that I have about a 1 inch loop. Then take about 6-8 feet of tuna cord double it up and tie the 2 tag ends in a knot, now you have one giant loop. Take the knotted end in one hand and the other end in the other. Take that end and slide it though the loop in the wire, then pass the knotted end back though the loop of tuna cord and pull tight. There is your connection, than take the knotted end and either slide it though the eye of your cannonball and than drop the cannonball back though the loop or do the same thing with the rubber snubber. The connection at the wire now becomes your stopper and no need for the hook on the end for the cannonball. Way less hardware to dick around with and buy. Works for me and have had no problems at all.

 

[TheRock]

I like that, thanks for Sharing Casper. Many ways to do it I guess, just use the one that works best for you and your boat.... So your eliminating the swivel but you still have to use two crimp beads to form the loop in the wire...
Personaly I hate crimp beads... there small to handle, you always drop them, need crimp pliers.. you elimate one swivel but now you need crimps and pliers still.. I'm not into that.. but it if it works for you then great. I like the swivel and the simple wire line knot with no crimps. The wire line crimps are made of brass and your crimping on stainless wire.. two different metals fight together.. I personally hate crimping all together.
I like the idea of the loop through on the canon ball eye.. no clip there. You still have to handle the canon ball though with your hands and flip it through the loop after to get it off and on... I like to leave the 5' double strand of ganion attached to the canon ball.. its easy to move and handle the canon ball around you just lift it by grabbing the double strand of ganion, its easy on your hands and you never have to touch the canon ball. Just personal preference.
One last observation.. between your wire line to the canon ball, you should have at least one swivel some where to prevent line twist if your canon ball does the spins.. but if its not an issue and works for you, great system!

 

[Saxe Point]

I just slide a couple crimps on the wire line and bring the dead end of the cable back up and though the crimps and crimp it off so that I have about a 1 inch loop. Then take about 6-8 feet of tuna cord double it up and tie the 2 tag ends in a knot, now you have one giant loop. Take the knotted end in one hand and the other end in the other. Take that end and slide it though the loop in the wire, then pass the knotted end back though the loop of tuna cord and pull tight. There is your connection, than take the knotted end and either slide it though the eye of your cannonball and than drop the cannonball back though the loop or do the same thing with the rubber snubber. The connection at the wire now becomes your stopper and no need for the hook on the end for the cannonball. Way less hardware to dick around with and buy. Works for me and have had no problems at all.

Great idea. Nice and simple too.

 

[dance a jig]

I know it is good to eliminate extra hardware, but the guys at Seattle Marine Supply (services lots of commercial) advise having a large split ring (3/4 - 1") connected to the ball at the attachment point. The purpose is to have a weak link in the system if the ball gets hung up, the split ring will give by straighten out instead of you loosing the ball and stressing everything in between. I have used this advice for 4-5 years and have lost a ball and pulled back to the boat everything but the ball, including a straightened out split ring. Accordingly, I think it is good advice. good luck. DAJ

 

[fshnfnatic]

That's good advice,dance a jig. I was fishing a little too tight to shore one day off Sooke and hung up on a reef. By the
time I realised what had happened,my downrigger was starting to tear off the side of the boat! Something like you
suggested would have saved me a gunnel repair.

 

[casper5280]

If your worried hooking bottom use the snubber. My downriggers have the adjustable brakes so if I hook bottom they just feed out line, so I just turn around and retrieve my snagged cannonball. I only have wire on the one rigger as the line was new and am just waiting for it to waste away before I switch it to braid like the other 2 riggers.

 

[Finally]

Thanks for the responses guys! Some good advice. I am going to play around with some of these ideas and see what i come up with.