FishHawk probe attachment

[sinkorswim]

Hi guys, I’m not a real experienced fisherman so I need some advice. I got a FishHawk X4 D for Xmas and will be putting it on soon. However, in my limited time on Lake Ontario I have managed to lose at least 5 balls and have noticed fraying in both cables with no idea how it happens. Anyway, to my point. How can I best ensure that when I attach the probe to the wire I won’t lose the darn thing? It came with a safety but I’ve been reading it not the best. Any tips, recommendations on how not to lose this thing you can share would be helpful.

 

Thanks.

 

 

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[ontherise]

You might want to figure out why your cables are fraying. I've used the same get up for years and years without a problem. I use the cable that came with my Fish hawk. It's worked good for me. I think it's odd to lose balls unless your bouncing bottom.


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[rolmops]

Cables do get easily frayed when they get caught off to the side of the wheel on the end of the rigger. It is called the boom swivel. You should check out your boom swivels and maybe replace them.

Also, sometimes the wire is rolled up the wrong way on the the main wheel. This will cause the cable to chafe up against the metal frame , causing it to fray.

The small piece of cable that comes with the probe is for the connection between the probe and the ball with the ball hanging under the probe.

Finally if your cable still breaks a lot, replace it with a 150 or 200 pound test cable. 

[scobar]

If your using crimps you be crimping too tight causing the cable to weaken and then fray, any pictures of the connections  may help see the problem.

[Frogger]

Cables do get easily frayed when they get caught off to the side of the wheel on the end of the rigger. It is called the boom swivel. You should check out your boom swivels and maybe replace them.
Also, sometimes the wire is rolled up the wrong way on the the main wheel. This will cause the cable to chafe up against the metal frame , causing it to fray.
The small piece of cable that comes with the probe is for the connection between the probe and the ball with the ball hanging under the probe.
Finally if your cable still breaks a lot, replace it with a 150 or 200 pound test cable. 

Yes... My old Cannons that had the older style swivel head created a kink every time I was done fishing and tightened up the slack when I was done fishing. I would pull the rope on the pulley tight and the cable would be bent on the back side of the swivel. The new wheels don’t create this.


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[NymphO]

What are you using for termination ?

 

Also, I use the Amish outfitter snubber vs fish Hawks safety strap.

[sinkorswim]

You might want to figure out why your cables are fraying. I've used the same get up for years and years without a problem. I use the cable that came with my Fish hawk. It's worked good for me. I think it's odd to lose balls unless your bouncing bottom.


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Thanks for the input. Not bouncing the bottom. Cable seems to snap on the way up or as it ball just breaks the surface.


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[sinkorswim]

Cables do get easily frayed when they get caught off to the side of the wheel on the end of the rigger. It is called the boom swivel. You should check out your boom swivels and maybe replace them.
Also, sometimes the wire is rolled up the wrong way on the the main wheel. This will cause the cable to chafe up against the metal frame , causing it to fray.
The small piece of cable that comes with the probe is for the connection between the probe and the ball with the ball hanging under the probe.
Finally if your cable still breaks a lot, replace it with a 150 or 200 pound test cable. 

Thanks, cable does get caught on the off side occasionally so the boom may be my issue. I’ve replaced the cables several times with cannon and Scotty 150lb. I didn’t know the wire could be rolled wrong. I’ll have to look into it. I roll new wire on so it comes it at the top of the wheel. Should it be coming in from the bottom?




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[sinkorswim]

What are you using for termination ?
 
Also, I use the Amish outfitter snubber vs fish Hawks safety strap.

I use the standard cannon termination kit.


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[rapala]

Which down riggers using (cannon etc.}  Happened to me on Cannons years ago  lost about 8 or 9!!!  problem was I was hooking derby into eye ring.  The swinging back and forth while hooked up to eye frayed cable. Wife was on board, picked up rigger she said there goes another!!!!!!!!!!

[sinkorswim]

Which down riggers using (cannon etc.}  Happened to me on Cannons years ago  lost about 8 or 9!!!  problem was I was hooking derby into eye ring.  The swinging back and forth while hooked up to eye frayed cable. Wife was on board, picked up rigger she said there goes another!!!!!!!!!!

Using 2x Cannon mag5STs. Both 3 year old.


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[rolmops]

With cannons the cable comes onto the reel  on the bottom side and rolls up clockwise. If yours are coming onto the reel on the topside they will roll up counter clock wise and they will chafe the rigger main body unless there is very little cable on them. This happens when the power supply is reversed at the battery. However, if you are talking about the boom swivel wheel, there the cable rolls over the top.

Edited February 11, 2019 by rolmops

[sinkorswim]

With cannons the cable comes onto the reel  on the bottom side and rolls up clockwise. If yours are coming onto the reel on the topside they will roll up counter clock wise and they will chafe the rigger main body unless there is very little cable on them. This happens when the power supply is reversed at the battery. However, if you are talking about the boom swivel wheel, there the cable rolls over the top.

Thanks, that may be my issue then. It is the main reel that the line goes on topside. I’m dumb.


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[Legacy]

On 2/10/2019 at 5:15 PM, sinkorswim said:

 

Hi guys, I’m not a real experienced fisherman so I need some advice. I got a FishHawk X4 D for Xmas and will be putting it on soon. However, in my limited time on Lake Ontario I have managed to lose at least 5 balls and have noticed fraying in both cables with no idea how it happens. Anyway, to my point. How can I best ensure that when I attach the probe to the wire I won’t lose the darn thing? It came with a safety but I’ve been reading it not the best. Any tips, recommendations on how not to lose this thing you can share would be helpful.

 

Thanks.

 

 

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There is obviously something else happening. Im wondering how you are experiencing cable fray in the cables??? I certainly would not send the rigger down if you are noticing that.

Im running the same riggers and have experienced loosing a ball once in five years with them. I blame it on both the rough seas that day and the high speed retrieval of the riggers. The ball was well out of the water before the auto stop stopped it, it was swinging and bouncing, and snapped. Basically the rigger was brought up without supervision.

WHere exactly are the break offs occuring? Which terminator are you using and are you using the terminator correctly? 

Im using stock Cannon downrigger cable, and a Klincher downrigger terminator. 

 

 

 

[Sk8man]

Your main problem is different than what I worry about with my X4D probe. I am a little skeptical of the plastic clip that secures it to the downrigger wire. I rigged up something that I hope will prevent actual descent to the bottom of the probe. I rigged a second wire cable and clip so that both the downrigger clip and and the secondary one are attached to the probe itself and I attach the secondary one to the Blacks release which is crimped in place. It hasn't been tested (yet) but I hope that in a failure on the main wire the connection to the Black release will hold on to the probe even if the weight is gone Note the old school main connection which has been there for 30 years or so P.S. I've always taken the weight off .the downriggers and never have traveled with the weight on them.

Edited February 13, 2019 by Sk8man

[mr 580]

With the high speed cannons like the Mag 5ST, it really helps to run a ball snubber to take out the snap when the auto stop breaks the surface.  Amish Outfitters makes one that is reasonably priced and holds up well.  If you are fraying cables you need to check how your cables are installed.  I run two Mag 5ST’s and have zero issues with cables fraying.  I do check and change my probe rigger termination annually.  The Cannon terminators are very trouble free.  Get your cable routing sorted out and a couple of ball snubbers should fix the break off problem.

[sinkorswim]

With the high speed cannons like the Mag 5ST, it really helps to run a ball snubber to take out the snap when the auto stop breaks the surface.  Amish Outfitters makes one that is reasonably priced and holds up well.  If you are fraying cables you need to check how your cables are installed.  I run two Mag 5ST’s and have zero issues with cables fraying.  I do check and change my probe rigger termination annually.  The Cannon terminators are very trouble free.  Get your cable routing sorted out and a couple of ball snubbers should fix the break off problem.

Thanks for that input. I’ll look into the snubbers. There is a good bounce even with the auto stop keeping the ball just under the surface.


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[joe g]

look at www.fishthief.com    best snubbers for riggers and trolling.  especially if you have cannons with such a hard stop.   the snubbers will also keep your weight just below water surface when autostop activates thereby eliminating the jerking on the ball when boat is pitching when the weight is out of the water.  i would also save the money on termination kits and just use wire knot with no crimps

[sinkorswim]

look at www.fishthief.com    best snubbers for riggers and trolling.  especially if you have cannons with such a hard stop.   the snubbers will also keep your weight just below water surface when autostop activates thereby eliminating the jerking on the ball when boat is pitching when the weight is out of the water.  i would also save the money on termination kits and just use wire knot with no crimps

Thanks for info Joe. I’ll look them up.


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[scobar]

One last idea if you have room. My 3rd rigger off the stern for my probe is a manual rigger, works every time with 0 worries and not a big cost to find a used manual rigger


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[Gill-T]

Use a wire line knot - no crimps

Make sure your termination swivel spins

Make sure your ball stops below the waterline

Make sure balls are off in transit

 

[Fish Tank]

Hey sinkorswim, i got one for xmas too and am working on the same issue,of course i know Santa personally so it wasn't a huge surprise...lol

 

I also read some people had issues with the supplied cable so i had started thinking i would make one of my own using 2 cannon terminators (never had one fail) but as i messed around it kind of morphed into a Scotty 1155 trolling snap that i re-purposed from a snubber and kinda untwisted and slid a swivel from the cannon terminator on it. the swivel goes on the probe and the scotty snap to the ball.  If anyone can see a flaw in the plan please tell me before i find out the hard way...but as it stands it seems pretty solid...water test is this weekend.

 

I could never warm up to the idea of a snubber...very sound theory but the extra points of failure scared me too much.  I will put it on if Im intentionally bouncing bottom but other than that I dont use it hence stealing the clip from it. 

 

Also with your breaking cables, I hope you figured it out, as there must be something happening with your setup.