Angle of the Dangle

[TheHurtLocker]

I made the switch this year from stainless to braid on the Scotty's. The boats been out of the water the last 2 months doing maintenance so it went in yesterday I was pretty pumped to give the braid I try on such an awesome day. We headed up to Iron Mines (just south of Lund) lots of bait and we were fishing fairly deep around 175 to 230. I had a hard time with judging the angle and speed compared to stainless.

They are also way less forgiving when it comes to bottom, lost 2 cannonballs from a tap on bottom, mind you it was not sand it probably was a rock pinnacle. I guess I'm just going to have to practice out there more often.

 

[wildthing]

well for me

i run a 72" piece of gangion /tuna chord no need for stops
joined loop to loop dig up the old downrigger hints and tips thread lots of good info in there

also run a set of bell's on the end of the booms

you know when your hitting bottom
don't use snubbers it kills the feedback to the boom

 

[Sharphooks]

Just my .02 cents but a "tap on the bottom" should NOT have cost you two cannonballs

How is the braid attached to your cannonball clip? If it's a direct connection, my advice: this is not a good move. Some guys do a heavy mono pigtail between braid and clip. I am a big believer in halibut gangion--- I attach an approx. two meter length to the braid (a simple over-hand knot works) then tie the clip to the other end of the gangion. I have bounced balls over pinnacles, hooked prawn traps and everything in between ---with 150 lb braid I rarely lose balls unless I'm totally asleep at the wheel and park the ball dead on into a cliff or wrap it around a pinnacle

For me, the Achilles heel of braid is when it rubs up against the stainless prop-protector ring on my kicker---it parts like buuttah --- braid is not what I would call abrasion resistant but it's so nice to use in all other aspects I leave it on my boat

 

[Seafever]

I've been actually stuck on the bottom...the d/balls snagged on something and keeping the boat from moving in a current.....but the ball did not snap off....(braid d/line).

I use Gagnon connected to the braid.......braid to Gagnon and then Gagnon to ball (tied to ball using swivels and hardware).

 

[searun]

Welcome to the dark side...once you fish braid you won't go back to s/s. I would also suggest checking the knot you are using to connect the braid. Here's a great knot.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=of8-LkQlkOU

Second, I have been using gangion extenders for years with great success. You tie the gangion with a swivel at the near end which acts like an auto stop stopper. I also tie in those smaller style clips to hook onto the ball with. This rig can take a beating and not break.

 

[Stoisy]

I would agree with checking the knots. A tap on bottom should not cause a break in the line... Braid to gangion and you'l never go back!

 

[TheHurtLocker]

Thanks guys for all the info. A great help once again.

 

[Oly1]

Second, I have been using gangion extenders for years with great success. You tie the gangion with a swivel at the near end which acts like an auto stop stopper. I also tie in those smaller style clips to hook onto the ball with. This rig can take a beating and not break.[/QUOTE]

Hey searun, I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of swivel you use. Size and manufacturer would be great. I believe that it would be a stainless ball bearing type. Also if a person was looking for the ganglion line, what strength is it. I would imagine it comes in different strengths?

Thanks for the video on the knot for braid. Looks easy enough, but will take a bit of practice to remember it.

 

[Finished Business]

Check your pulleys when switching to braid. If the stainless wire has beat up your pulleys there is a chance that they will fray and cut through your braid, and thus should be replaced with new pulleys.

Food for thought.

 

[nicnat]

I'll be going back to ss from braid as soon as my braid is close to done for a few reasons. sure the gangion works but also causes more blowback, also if you stack lines you still need to muck with those pita stops, especially fishing sockeye when you may have a couple of dummies and up to 3 lines stacked on one rigger. if i fished one line per rigger i MAYBE would consider sticking with braid. but my main reasons for switching are that I fish mostly out of vancouver and with the algae blooms and jelly fish at times, that crap just sticks to the braid for the most part. sure braid has it's pluses but for me, I'll be going back to ss.

cheers nicnat

 

[Sharphooks]

QUOTE

Hey searun, I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of swivel you use. Size and manufacturer would be great. I believe that it would be a stainless ball bearing type. Also if a person was looking for the ganglion line, what strength is it. I would imagine it comes in different strengths?

Thanks for the video on the knot for braid. Looks easy enough, but will take a bit of practice to remember it.

[/QUOTE]

hey Oly1

I used to do the swivel thing until a guy on this Forum straightened me out----no need to use a swivel! Most halibut gangion is approx. 150 lb test---there are lots of knots you can use to attach the braid to the gangion direct---I use a simple nail knot (like if you were attaching fly line to backing) but I bet the knot in that Youtube vid posted above would work just fine---just double over the gangion to make a loop and then clip off the excess after tying that knot. Or check out the Uni Knot---I started using that knot last summer when I attached a mono leader to the braid on my fishing reel---no doubt the UNi would work on braid to gangion

The knot formed acts as a stop on ANY Scotty DR and my guess is, it doesn't beat up the pulley or the stop mechanism the way a 5/0 swivel does---plus, you don't have to worry about a swivel oxidizing and losing its strength over time

 

[wildthing]

i use in the down rigger braid three over hands and leave a 4" loop

put a double over hand in the gangion using 265lb and same again leaving a loop

pass the gangion through the downrigger loop and now both are joined via a loop to loop

thread on a bumper rubber stopper and tie on a coastal lok swivel to attach your cannon balls

i run a long release off the back end of the cannon ball, not from the ganion

 

[searun]

I use a s/s ball bearing swivel Find that works good. I like the suggestion of uni knot too, just never tried it. Good idea.