BL,

Great question!

Instead of connecting the release to the ball or along the wire, I replace the bottom 2 - 3 feet of wire with 1/8" nylon line (parachute cord works well too). I do this for a few reasons: (1) Breaks electrical connectivity, (2) Save wear on the wire. A trolling snap plays hell on the wire after a few times of clipping. Also, keeps the wire from fraying when I am fishing rocky areas, (3) Better feel of the bottom, (4) Save costs- the green rubber snubber that people love is expensive and has a break strength of 10#s.. Count that plus the price of a 10# ball. Eeek!

I use a 1/16" nylon for the releases... Less coil in the line which offers a straighter angle toward the DR wire. There no initial jerk in the release line- more solid hook ups!

Hope that helped!