Downrigger ball rubber snubber
- Thread starter trout-19
- Start date
MikePA
Well-Known Member
I use them to hopefully give a bit of stretch if bottom is snagged. I find I bounce over things more than when not using them.
coastalmarinesafety
Active Member
They are junk. They are meant to break after too little force in my opinion and results in lost balls when a gangion line system would save the ball. For example, the sure stopper system Scotty makes is far superior than that blue rubber snubber and you’ll lose way less balls. Haven’t lost a ball in 6 years running them. All that said, someone above made a good point… if your boat will capsize easy if hung up, then blue break away snubbers are for you. That must be why they are designed to break so easy.
Stosh
Well-Known Member
The snubbers are great for holding the release clip snaps in place - no slipping up the line
Interesting that folks think they break easy. Might be a fluke one but some years ago we hooked something with the downrigger off Coulsons at Port Alberni. Could only retrieve a few feet at a time before the downrigger internal breaker would trip. After some time we got near the top where whatever was hooked came loose. The blue snubber had stretched to about 3’ long. Amazing. Maybe a one off……
tinboatrobb
Well-Known Member
I have never had blue snubber break or cost me a ball. Why someone would call them junk is beyond me. I have been using them for years, the same ones for years.
coastalmarinesafety
Active Member
Maybe the Scotty brand ones are better. The local tackle shop around here was selling their own very similar version for a while and those would break easily. Kind of gave them all a bad name. The Scotty sure stop is a good product and they do make one a pro version with a rubber snubber. I’d imagine those are solid.
Macdeep
Active Member
Ive used them and also not used them. No difference to me. I always use the tuna cord / gangnion with a swivel at the right length for the stop. Mind you, I've never snagged the bottom or had those sorts of issues, but I do bounce bottom a lot so I guess my day is coming? Got snubbers on for this year when I got new (to me) riggers and decided to go with all new rigger tackle. Seems like it's a personal preference thing.
The one real feature of the snubber that I notice is if/when I have rookies on the boat that I let operate the downrigger, the snubber has some bounce/cushion for when they try and use the green button to adjust the ball height when dealing with rehooking up to the clip (even though the ball stops and the correct height for anything you'd want to do, but some people try their own ways...) My rookies like to push the button lots and have the balls bouncing and swinging between fish and gear checks, but they bring gas money, beer and good times so what's a guy to do? lol
The one real feature of the snubber that I notice is if/when I have rookies on the boat that I let operate the downrigger, the snubber has some bounce/cushion for when they try and use the green button to adjust the ball height when dealing with rehooking up to the clip (even though the ball stops and the correct height for anything you'd want to do, but some people try their own ways...) My rookies like to push the button lots and have the balls bouncing and swinging between fish and gear checks, but they bring gas money, beer and good times so what's a guy to do? lol
scott craven
Well-Known Member
In fact on one hangup, the snubber stretched to twice it's length and didn't break.
That one got retired.
sly_karma
Crew Member
Scotty snubbers here too. The pair I have are about 8 years old and have lived outdoors their entire life as I don't bring the riggers in over winter. Material durability is far better than those POS black bungee cords sold by Canadian Tire. I use those to secure my transom saver and they barely last a single year before they crack and fail.
coastalmarinesafety
Active Member
Scotty for the win. Do not accept the non Scotty knock offs is the moral I guess. That’s likely how I got burned before. But now just run the Scotty sure stopper system and it’s perfect. I still dispose of the first 15’ of braid each year and retie knotts to make sure. I honestly can’t believe how my Scotty downriggers haven’t missed a step in 10 years. They do build a truly solid product. And when you register them, they cover the parts, eg. Counters. So rare these days to have a stand up company like that.
Clint r
Well-Known Member
I saw the same thing on someone else’s boat one time and was shocked by how much it stretched. What surprised me most is it didn’t shrink back and stayed stretched out
