Down Rigger question

[bhemi]

I was trolling in about 200 feet of water and was bringing my downriggers when the cannonball snagged on something when I had 30 feet to go. I tried everything to bring it up including putting on gloves and trying to yard it up by hand. I gave it some more line and tried reversing direction, no luck. Finally with about 55 feet out the line broke. I know I have 300 ft of wire on the spool. I never use that much should I just stick a new end on? Has the stress of breaking ruined the rest of the wire? Will only having 245 feet on one downrigger be a problem?

 

[knucklebuster]

I only have 200 feet on mine but I rarely fish deeper than 110-120 ft.If you fish at 200 ft,I would say just replace the cable.For the cost of a new spool of cable its worth it just for insurance so you don't ruin a day on the water.
other thought-what in the world did you snag that far up?

it must be something in the water

 

[Kisinana]

I was fishing in 120 feet of water with 60 feet down on my downrigger when I got one major smack to the downrigger wire and lost my cannonball. I made several more passes at low speed and finally pin pointed a deadhead floating up and down about 15 feet below the surface and sixty feet long. When I got back to the dock and was talking to the local fisheries counter he told me another guy had come in and told him he jammed a deadhead flag in a log at the same area the day before and it went under for close to ten minutes before it returned to the surface.