Bonding your electric downriggers.

[copperpin]

Okay I am fairly new to the whole big lake trolling.  I started off with an old 1973 StarCraft aluminum with two manual riggers and one older graph depth finder.  I felt I did okay on most days. Some better than others.  Now I own a 2013 Lund with all the bells and whistles, including electric downriggers and high end depth finders etc.  I run everything the same as had before but my productivity has gone way down.  I am talking I am running the same speed and spread and course as my buddy next to me but he hooks up three times more than me.  So my buddy and I start doing some research and come up with this whole bonding your electronics and/or installing a black box to remedy the voltage thing and actually start attracting fish.  I am looking for a little advice from you guys.  Also do all the electronics get bonded with this black box or should I just install a heavy copper bonding wire?  HELP  Thanks in advance.

[PolarBear]

My riggers are bonded , my main battery is bonded ....but that's so the short stop works on my riggers....that's s all I know about bonding

Edited January 14, 2016 by PolarBear

[Ric66]

I used a black box this past year. Not sure how much it helped but it sure didn't hurt. One of the things to look out for is if you have two batteries. Make sure you bond them as well. That helped with my voltage leaking into the water.

[laker1]

I would respectfully like to add a note of caution about the black box thing. Particularly since you are operating an aluminum boat. My dealer told me that he once saw an aluminum boat where all the rivets under water failed. The owner used a black box! I would investigate the bonding wire instead. I think that you will find that your Lund is already bonded. By the way I have a Lund too. Your issue may not have anything to do with your electrical equipment, but do check it out. Instead you may want to consider boat noise/vibration and what causes it - some boats are just quieter than others when they go thru the water. I am adding rubber using pool noodles or whatever to soak up sound and vibration. There was a recent post just before Christmas in which the writer noted that after setting his riggers upon rubber bases that his catch ratio went up. He reasoned that the rubber base prevented offsetting vibrations being transmitted thru the downrigger line. Something to consider, good luck.

[Chas0218]

What type of rigger? Some electric downriggers you can change to braided line instead of the wire. If you did it to 1 rigger and get more hits on the braid rigger then you know your problem otherwise it would be tough to know whether it is your boat/presentation/actual depth of rigger.  Way too many variables. Your buddy could have been on the outer edge of a baitfish pod and the fish were hitting his spread because he was closer and completely ignoring your spread because you were too far out.

 

Like I said lots of variables.  Also don't use last year as a guideline for anything it was a really tough year on Lake O.

Edited January 14, 2016 by Chas0218

[Sk8man]

laker1 and Chas make some very good points.  It is always beneficial to try to deal with one variable at a time in sorting out those types of problems and before spending money on something you may not actually need or use. Try to eliminate one thing at a time and then when you get it narrowed down try the other stuff if not successful.

[Jakob5pennies]

Just another thought. Did you measure the voltage coming off the rigger wire to boat ? 

[finsntins]

pro-troll's website has a good explanation of how to check voltage on your rigger cables.

[jimski2]

How about switching from steel wire on the rigger to a braid.Maybe that would take the electric deal out of the picture.

[Thun]

From my Mag 10 manual.

 

Measuring the Natural Electrolysis and PIC Voltage on your Boat

 

"A voltmeter with a scale of zero to one volt will measure the natural electrolysis. Place the ground lead of the meter on the motor or the battery ground. Place the positive lead on the stainless steel downrigger cable while it is in the water. The downrigger must be unplugged. The voltage you measure on the volt meter is your boats natural electrolysis voltage."

 

I've never tested mine but maybe I will now. Cannon's PIC or Positive Ion Control is explained on page 19.

 

http://store.cannondownriggers.com/media/document/3397130rh_Magnum_Combined.pdf

[copperpin]

Thanks to all of you.  I am continuing doing research and look forward to figuring this out come spring.

[RSF]

Hi,

Found my hook-ups almost doubled using my downrigger after I made a modification. One time while out on LO I noticed a hum while trolling at a depth of 140 ft.

When I put my hand around the DR line I instantly knew the boat movement and engine vibration was the cause and that it must sending some of this down to the weight. A friend of mine who works for a builder of large mining Dump Trucks got me a foot of industrial 3/8" rubber. I measured, cut and insulated the DR mounting plate and boat, including pressure points of the four securing bolts which greatly reduced the vibration and almost completely-eliminated the hum. The result was huge in terms of increased hook-ups. I had mentioned this a year or two later to a friend who owned a charter service and he did the same with similar results.

[Xxx]

Very interesting there RSF thanks for sharing, I just that was the rigger hum everyone talks about. Ever since I owned this new to me boat it just don't produce like my other 18fter same stuff, I even had a oak board made to fit where the canopy folds into so it's mounted to wood with the ground running from battery to the rigger the only way this could happen on my boat, the ground is mounted to the bell housing, you would think if a positive wire was rubbed through it would blow a fuse. I'll have to test it in the spring. Good thread guys!!!

[work2fish]

Has anyone tried the scotty braided rigger line? Pros and cons? do the fleas stick to it? How does it wear compared to stainless? Also is it slick, slipping while dropping or retrieving? Thanks