Scotty Electric Downrigger warped Spool..... from wire?

[kmcghee]

So both my non HP electrics have warped the spools, one minor, the other major like so bad the ball won't drop when trolling into a 2 knot current at 2 knots with a 15 pound ball. I know if you spool up more than 400 feet of braid it can warp the spool, if you don't put some backing tape on to keep the braid out of the split in the spool it can warp it, but this is on two downriggers with the original factory installed wire, they are only 1.5 years old.

I am going to be calling scotty about this and getting them to warranty it but like anyone else have this happen. Every thing on warped spools is always a result of braid.... what about wire?

 

[tubber]

Did you pull in any big kelp islands with lots on wire out? Scotty will take care of you.

 

[kmcghee]

Nope hardly ever fish over 100 feet and never pulled in anything more than one bull kelp

 

[Rockfish]

I have two Scotty HP's that have had a great many hard use hours on them and have never had this happen and that is on long arms where there would be more leverage. Have also not had it happen on the reg. speed riggers. It is not a common issue at all and I would assume if it were to happen it most like would occur as a result of an incorrectly adjusted spool drag where the reel cannot play out when subject to excessive drag and then subjected to force of some sort such as a hard bottom hang up.

 

[Sentinel]

Take the wire off and see if it has worked it’s way into split. Even if it hasn’t the wire can stack uneven temporarily warping spool. Make sure the four screws holding the two halves together are very tight and respool wire and you should be good to go. have been running 600’ of braid on my 2106’s for 5-6 years and about every other year I have to take off braid and redo the duct tape on arbor and spool back up. Braid will eventually force tape into split coupled with uneven stacking of the braid eventually wonks the spool out. I have never had to replace a spool though as this displacement has always been temporary. Good luck.

 

[FishBear]

I have two HP 2106 Scotty downriggers with lots of hours on them and this exact same thing happened to me earlier this month. My units are in their 9th year of use. I use 400 feet of Scotty braid on both of mine. Was fishing Esperanza 2nd week in July and one of the riggers started to "become difficult" when dropping down. Small adjustments were made to limp along as I was not sure what the exact problem was... until 3 days into it when I finally took it apart and saw that the spool was separating from the base. At this point it was pretty obvious what was happening... the plastic weld (or whatever) had let go about half way around the radius of the spool where it meets the base... where the brake plate is located.

Kinda sucked to have only 1 downrigger for the last 2 days but you do what you can. Sent a bunch of pictures to Scotty as I was not sure I cold properly explain it myself... and they knew exactly what was up. Scotty said they would be sending me a new spool. Still waiting. With a new spool I should be up and running in about 15 minutes,

 

[kmcghee]

I have never had a bottom hangup, and I have taken the wire off and disassembled the spool to no visible damage there, and I have respooled it four times, each time it works but now it wont change it

 

[Rockfish]

I have two HP 2106 Scotty downriggers with lots of hours on them and this exact same thing happened to me earlier this month. My units are in their 9th year of use. I use 400 feet of Scotty braid on both of mine. Was fishing Esperanza 2nd week in July and one of the riggers started to "become difficult" when dropping down. Small adjustments were made to limp along as I was not sure what the exact problem was... until 3 days into it when I finally took it apart and saw that the spool was separating from the base. At this point it was pretty obvious what was happening... the plastic weld (or whatever) had let go about half way around the radius of the spool where it meets the base... where the brake plate is located.

Kinda sucked to have only 1 downrigger for the last 2 days but you do what you can. Sent a bunch of pictures to Scotty as I was not sure I cold properly explain it myself... and they knew exactly what was up. Scotty said they would be sending me a new spool. Still waiting. With a new spool I should be up and running in about 15 minutes,

Being stuck with just one rigger working sucks. Given what the costs to go ocean fishing are now, and the restrictions do to the total politicizing of fishery management, you want all your gear working when you are actually allowed to fish. It is well worth it to have a spare rigger on the boat, either manual or power for such contingencies.

 

[SteelyDan]

They are two piece spools. The crack at the base of the bottom spool. Just needs a new bottom piece

 

[RiverBoy]

They are two piece spools. The crack at the base of the bottom spool. Just needs a new bottom piece

Yup. easiest thing to fix too. mine split last year after 9 years of hard use. the fix was so easy i replaced the other side as well even though it was fine.

Pull the belt so the spool free wheels. peel all the line on to another spool or bucket ( i used a bucket ) remove cracked spool. replace with new spool; power up and wind braid back on with the green “ jog “ button. wear a leather glove or something to put wire on with a bit of tension. you don’t want to wind it up too loosely or that can also create issues.
i know they are warrantied but i couldn’t be without my riggers for an unspecified amount of time so i did it myself. i believe the bottom half of the spools were $5. it’s almost always the bottom half of the spool that warps and cracks

 

[Sentinel]

I carry a spare spool pre loaded with braid and can switch one out if one breaks or spool just gets wonky.

 

[Rockfish]

I carry a spare spool pre loaded with braid and can switch one out if one breaks or spool just gets wonky.

Another good idea learned on this site.

 

[FishBear]

I have two HP 2106 Scotty downriggers with lots of hours on them and this exact same thing happened to me earlier this month. My units are in their 9th year of use. I use 400 feet of Scotty braid on both of mine. Was fishing Esperanza 2nd week in July and one of the riggers started to "become difficult" when dropping down. Small adjustments were made to limp along as I was not sure what the exact problem was... until 3 days into it when I finally took it apart and saw that the spool was separating from the base. At this point it was pretty obvious what was happening... the plastic weld (or whatever) had let go about half way around the radius of the spool where it meets the base... where the brake plate is located.

Kinda sucked to have only 1 downrigger for the last 2 days but you do what you can. Sent a bunch of pictures to Scotty as I was not sure I cold properly explain it myself... and they knew exactly what was up. Scotty said they would be sending me a new spool. Still waiting. With a new spool I should be up and running in about 15 minutes,

Follow-up...

Scotty came through with a new spool... loaded with 300 feet of braid. Awesome! Now there is a company I can be loyal to.

 

[kmcghee]

Yup. easiest thing to fix too. mine split last year after 9 years of hard use. the fix was so easy i replaced the other side as well even though it was fine.

Pull the belt so the spool free wheels. peel all the line on to another spool or bucket ( i used a bucket ) remove cracked spool. replace with new spool; power up and wind braid back on with the green “ jog “ button. wear a leather glove or something to put wire on with a bit of tension. you don’t want to wind it up too loosely or that can also create issues.
i know they are warrantied but i couldn’t be without my riggers for an unspecified amount of time so i did it myself. i believe the bottom half of the spools were $5. it’s almost always the bottom half of the spool that warps and cracks

Where do you even buy the spool, I can find nothing online for it.

 

[RiverBoy]

Where do you even buy the spool, I can find nothing online for it.

usually any scotty service dealer had them. it’s a pretty common break,’so they’re normally stocked.
I’m in CR, i walked into River Sportsman; they had heaps of them on hand.

 

[kmcghee]

usually any scotty service dealer had them. it’s a pretty common break,’so they’re normally stocked.
I’m in CR, i walked into River Sportsman; they had heaps of them on hand.

I will check them out, I will be in there next week, I bought the riggers from them.

 

[Goathorns]

Seems it can happen in the winter from freezing also.