12 or 15lb rigger weights

[mdryer]

I have a 17 foot starcraft with Cannon UNI-TROLLâ„¢ 5 would you guys use 12 or 15lb rigger weights??? I have 10 and get A LOT of blow back especially on the probe rigger. Thanks for the help

[Billy V]

Depends on how deep you're fishing. We use the heavier weights when fishing deep during the summer, but lighten up the weights when fishing shallower in the spring. We run 16lb'ers on the probe all the time just to help reduce the blowback.

[mdryer]

I have no problem in the spring with the 10lbers, but this summer when fishing 40, 60, 80, 90 feet deep the blow back was bad. I just don't want to run 15lb if it is going to snap the line with my probe on the Cannon. Not sure if you guys running the heavier weights have heavier duty Riggers

[muskybob]

Anyone know the weight capacity of a Cannon Mag 10?

[Gill-T]

I will post a picture of what I did to my Cannons before running #20lb sharks. The weak points are the lexan bases and the lexan end assembly. So before my $100 20lb shark hit the water, I upgraded to the stainless bases, upgraded the pully, added a second pully, and attached a compression spring to the end pully. No problems reported and the compression spring worked as intended....when on a wave surge you can see the spring elongate and the wire engages the second pully transfering the load off the end assembly onto the second pully. My friend lost grip of the shark once this summer when deploying, and it free-fell the last 1' into the water without breaking the wire.

[jeb1340]

Another point to think about is how the base is mounted to the boat. Are the riggers mounted to a board or directly to the boat?

[mdryer]

Directly to the boat. There is a steel plate underneath that sandwhiches the deck which its mounted

[Jax]

Thats a Good idea Gill-T I like the compression spring idea

[Billy V]

I've been running 15-16lb rigger weights and a probe on my Cannons for several years now and have never had the cable break. The stock cable that comes with the rigger is 150lb test stainless and shouldn't ever break unless it gets kinked or nicked somehow. I've also never had a problem with the lexan base or boom end with my heavier weights. Even still that's a neat way to reduce the stress on those pieces Gill-T...kinda taking the same philosophy as Big Jon with their flexible booms. Good thinking.

My opinion...you shouldn't have any problems whatsoever with a 15 lb weight on your Unit-troll 5's, except for maybe a really tired arm from reeling up up from 100' down! The Uni-troll 5 is warranted by Cannon for 20 lbs.

[jason]

i run 12 lb weights with little bow back. i fish in depths from 60 to 110 on the finger lakes.

[Iceman]

I run 20lb sharks on my bigjon brutes stock (as they come out of the box), no problems!

[mdryer]

Thanks for all the help!!!

[Bob Rother]

My heart dropped as I watched 16 lb weight snap a big jon like a tooth pick this year. Not to mention it was the probe rigger. It snapped right where the boom threads into the base. We got lucky as someone was standing right next to the rigger and grabbed it quickly. We avoided loosing everything, the lighter test cable broke as it was designed and we only lost the ball. We were fishing in 4 to 5 footers though.

The nice thing about the big jon was we rethreaded the boom and it is now just a few inches shorter-but it works fine. I still think that those big weights have got to really stress the equipment but its tough not to put them out when you know the fish are down deep.

[gbill512]

You guys are great, thanks for the info!!!!!