Weighted steel. Yay or nay

[NymphO]

So after reading through the "rubber band / planer board thread" I got to thinking. I have wanted to give the WS a try this year. I have 2 Coldwater high speeds ready to be spooled with WS but now I'm rethinking, so I'll ask for the consensus of those that have the experience.

 

The reasons I was considering:

 

Having the equivalent of a 0-whatever copper all on one reel

 

Clipping off 19 strand to achieve a "per foot" depth vs 200,300,400

 

Much smoother / less problem line

 

Ability to use on both king's and eyes

 

Gents, I really thought this was going to be a nice addition to the spread but the comments on the other thread are making me question things. I spoke with the owner at torpedo who was more than willing to explain everything and my main question was how to terminate on an inline board. His answer was use an offshore board, rubber band (16#) on front and a red OR for the back.

 

Is there really no benefit to the WS / 19 strand combo ?

If I did this should I splice in mono lengths every 50' or so, even though that will really lower overall strength of the setup ?

 

I haven't bought the line yet, so I'm just seeing if I should just do copper or give the WS a try.

 

TIA

[Legacy]

Im not buying into it. It may offer some "versatility" but I certainly dont see it as a "replacement" for copper. I see this setup ONLY being used without worries as a chute rod or at least in the way it is promoted. The idea that you can run this off boards (big or small without worries) blows my mind. The thought of attaching anything to 19 strand wire makes my head explode. Sounds like you will be buying lots of product to replace the stuff you break off. The idea of a copper replacement is a fantastic sales pitch and it certainly grabs some attention but it sounds like an attempt to reinvent the wheel. I know the attraction to the idea is the need for less rods but...

My understanding of the "steel theory" that is pushed is all you need to achieve the same dive curve as 45# copper is a 200' weighted steel and 30# wire as backing. Yet guys that I have talked to all say that these setups just dont get as deep as their similar copper setups. Ive talk to people who have tested it with a smart troll and have found it to have a similar dive curve to 32# copper not 45#. Makes sense to me because it has a larger diameter and weighs less than 45# copper does. Everyone also agrees they like the way it comes off the reel and there is virtually zero issues with bird nests. If anyone has used 32# copper they would also tell you how much easier it is to use than 45#. So wouldnt it just be easier to spool up a 200' of 32# copper, backed with 30# 7 strand wire, and put it on a smaller reel. I am not advocating this by the way.

 

 

[Fishnut]

2 minutes ago, Legacy said:

Im not buying into it. It may offer some "versatility" but I certainly dont see it as a "replacement" for copper. I see this setup ONLY being used without worries as a chute rod or at least in the way it is promoted. The idea that you can run this off boards (big or small without worries) blows my mind. The thought of attaching anything to 19 strand wire makes my head explode. Sounds like you will be buying lots of product to replace the stuff you break off. The idea of a copper replacement is a fantastic sales pitch and it certainly grabs some attention but it sounds like an attempt to reinvent the wheel. I know the attraction to the idea is the need for less rods but...

My understanding of the "steel theory" that is pushed is all you need to achieve the same dive curve as 45# copper is a 200' weighted steel and 30# wire as backing. Yet guys that I have talked to all say that these setups just dont get as deep as their similar copper setups. Ive talk to people who have tested it with a smart troll and have found it to have a similar dive curve to 32# copper not 45#. Makes sense to me because it has a larger diameter and weighs less than 45# copper does. Everyone also agrees they like the way it comes off the reel and there is virtually zero issues with bird nests. If anyone has used 32# copper they would also tell you how much easier it is to use than 45#. So wouldnt it just be easier to spool up a 200' of 32# copper, backed with 30# 7 strand wire, and put it on a smaller reel. I am not advocating this by the way.

 

 

im with Legacy on this one, I run my weighted steel as a chute rod, I put a 16oz ball between my leader and the steel on a drop and let it out until it hits bottom, then I real it up a bit and let it ride. its usually 300 to 500 ft out. believe it or not this rod usually catches the biggest fish of the day.

[Legacy]

4 minutes ago, Fishnut said:

im with Legacy on this one, I run my weighted steel as a chute rod, I put a 16oz ball between my leader and the steel on a drop and let it out until it hits bottom, then I real it up a bit and let it ride. its usually 300 to 500 ft out. believe it or not this rod usually catches the biggest fish of the day.

 

Theres an easier way... thumper rig.

[Fishnut]

1 minute ago, Legacy said:

 

Theres an easier way... thumper rig.

can you explain or should I start a new thread? don't want to hijack Nympho's thread. although im sure he would be interested as well.  

[hard knox]

I on the other hand can not  stand a copper and run weighted steel use braid for a backer and 300 feet of weighted steel .The 300 feet will put you down 60 feet and it just plain catches fish as far as getting deeper you could clip on a snap weight of choice . As for as using with boards i will turn the front pitch pad release around backwards on my church tackle walleye boards and it will not pull of board or kink the line . I use mine for browns .steelies and kings and find it works great .

[Yankee Troller]

I'd like to see Smart Troll data on it before forming an opinion. Sounds too good to be true, but ya never know. Smart Troll is really only guaranteed out to 300' even though it can work further. So, I'd imagine it'd be tough to get great data on it.

 

My problem is I'm so vested in copper set-ups at this point why change? However, for someone looking to buy a couple set-ups that will let them be more versatile it sounds great.

[Earl28]

I would also like to see how a dipsy would perform on weighted wire.

[Legacy]

53 minutes ago, Earl28 said:

I would also like to see how a dipsy would perform on weighted wire.

 

This isnt about divers. Its about sinking line presentations. You wouldnt use a diver here.

 

[Earl28]

Sorry

[Legacy]

1 minute ago, Earl28 said:

Sorry

 

No need to be sorry. Weighted steel isnt designed for diver wire. It is a sinking line.

[Earl28]

There are some that run a short section of weighted wire behind steel wire and smart troll tests show similar depth performance as compared to long copper.

[Silver Fox]

This all sounds like poppycock. So you have to attach wire to steel and then fish with it? I'm sticking to copper...

Silverfoxcharters.net

[Silver Fox]

Why in the world do people try to make things more complicated than they are already?

Silverfoxcharters.net

[Earl28]

The person that tested this setup was trying to show that this setup was lighter, performed the same, is more durable and cheaper than copper. Of course if you already have copper then there is no point. If your copper has seen better days then maybe. Also you can make the weighted line removable for rod versatility.

Sent from my SM-J737V using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Yankee Troller]

21 minutes ago, Silver Fox said:

poppycock.

 

This word offends me

[Silver Fox]

 
This word offends me

I can't believe it made it through! One of my faves

Silverfoxcharters.net

[NymphO]

 
This word offends me

One in every crowd.

[NymphO]

So, to you seasoned guys that are set with coppers, what do you tell a rook that's looking to put a different presentation in the spread this season ? Stick with coppers or give the WS a try ?

[Gill-T]

Leadcore on boards

[Yankee Troller]

13 hours ago, NymphO said:

So, to you seasoned guys that are set with coppers, what do you tell a rook that's looking to put a different presentation in the spread this season ? Stick with coppers or give the WS a try ?

 

I tell people to buy 2 wire set-ups, and look into a set of Torpedo trolling weights. 4 Torpedos, and 2 wire set ups can get you a ton of versatility. Fishing copper is no fun. We do it becasue it produces, but if you are out for fun and want to let fish go stay away from copper.

 

https://torpedodivers.com/torpedo-divers

Edited February 26, 2019 by Yankee Troller

[Legacy]

14 hours ago, NymphO said:

So, to you seasoned guys that are set with coppers, what do you tell a rook that's looking to put a different presentation in the spread this season ? Stick with coppers or give the WS a try ?

 

Start small. Short coppers and short cores are a good way to get your feet wet.

[rolmops]

I have a 300 foot weighted steel with a 1000 foot 19 strand backing on a Penn 345. With the backing color coded every 50 feet. It gets my lures to over 100 feet. Reeling it in goes very fast with the help of a hand drill.


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[mr 580]

IMO several conversations going on in this discussion.  First, weighted steel compares to lead core and copper as a means to achieve depth with each having plus/minus issues. Second, likely some additional depth could be achieved from each of the weighted lines by attaching them to 19 or 7 strand wire. This combination likely would function fine as a chute rod as the wire has constant tension with few bends.  The last conversation is one of attaching 19 strand or 7 strand to a board with a release mechanism.  To me this is where the lights start flashing.  Twisting wire, having tension differences all lead to wire line failure.  If the wire fails you likely lose board and everything attached.  Wire is just not a good choice in a release.  Braid or mono all function well as board attachments.  To me fishing with weighted lines using high speed reels, using shorter sections along with snap weights/ torpedo weights help maintain the fun factor.  For less experienced guys keeping it simple helps and saves some bucks.

[Sk8man]

Good summation