07-21-2010, 05:50 AM
Idahoron,
You do need to worry about your cannonball snagging on something. Therefore you do need a depth locator. The real danger--and too many people don't practice this--is setting the drag on the cable too tight. When the ball catches on the bottom, it can pull the rear corner on a lighter boat. You always should set the drag just tight enough to prevent the ball from continuing to drop. The cables are often 150-200 pound test, so it is also a good idea to have a cable cutter available. Saying that, I have been fishing with downriggers for almost as long as they have been on the market, and have never hooked a ball up, even with my mackinaw fishing. A 4-pound ball will work fine with a 'toon. You'll wish you had one years ago. Mike
[signature]
You do need to worry about your cannonball snagging on something. Therefore you do need a depth locator. The real danger--and too many people don't practice this--is setting the drag on the cable too tight. When the ball catches on the bottom, it can pull the rear corner on a lighter boat. You always should set the drag just tight enough to prevent the ball from continuing to drop. The cables are often 150-200 pound test, so it is also a good idea to have a cable cutter available. Saying that, I have been fishing with downriggers for almost as long as they have been on the market, and have never hooked a ball up, even with my mackinaw fishing. A 4-pound ball will work fine with a 'toon. You'll wish you had one years ago. Mike
[signature]