I use 15 lb round balls, and depending upon current usually have no more than 15 feet of deflection at 2.5 mph on GPS - in other words I hit bottom in 150 feet of water with 165 feet of wire out. I troll by wire angle - 45 degrees is just right - but DR is right on as usual - the wire describes more of a arc than an angle in the water. If it didn't then I would have 300 feet out to hit bottom at a 45 degree angle The other thing that affects deflection is the line/lure combination you have clipped to the ball. I use 50 lb Power Pro that is 12 pounds in diameter, which cuts down resistance and lessens my deflection substantially.

I have solved rotation problems by using a Penn Tru-Trac clip with a ball bearing swivel, so a fin is no advantage there. What I have the most problems with is wind pushing my boat sideways over the wire, which then gets into the prop (although this only happens once every 3 years or so and is usually my fault). I'm convinced having a fin down there would make things worse by putting more pressure on the wire from the side in these conditions - bad news for sure The other problem I have is hanging up, and a round ball is going to come off easier, not to mention being half the price if lost (I donate 2-3 per year to the bedrock gods). Once again DR is right on - just like in steelhead fishing, if you are not hitting the bottom you are not catching fish.

Now I'm not so sure about the weight "ringing" - most of the time I'm fishing mud or sand bottom anyway, and I think it's more disturbance of the bottom - like a pig of a blackmouth rooting in the sand for candlefish - that attracts 'em. Hey, can't agree with you all the time DR :p