After Tom Nelson's presentation last night on downriggers and the effectiveness of black boxes I started thinking.... and had a couple of questions. Thought I'd ask them here as I don't want to have to wait until next week to ask Tom or the black box people.

1st question: (based on electrical current running down downrigger line)

Do black boxes only benefit downrigger trollers or is there a benefit if you mooch or bottom fish?

2nd question: (based on saltwater needed for galvanic action, i.e. generating electrical current)

Is there any advantage to using a black box in freshwater? Would this give an edge to people trolling for salmon, walleyes or pike?

Good questions Zen. Check out the online handbook for black box's.

Duh..... you mean under the section titled "Common Black Box questions"???

I bookmarked the page. Thanks.

I just finished installing my BB yesterday. I am ready to roll now.

Want to meet one of these weekends at the Elliott bay launch and give me a "clinic"?

Sure! I don't know the in's and out's of the BB yet. I will be thoroughly testing my BB this weekend.

I just got a BB from Cabelas and ran a few test on my bench. You have the choice of powering the unit with a 9V battery or the boats 12V supply. When using the 9V batt the actual output voltage was 11% less than the displayed voltage on the BB, so if you set the output to .650V your only really getting .578V, could be the difference between a fish or not!
Using the external supply @ 13.7V- 11.5V the output accuracy was excellent, no more than a .003V difference, not bad for a $99 piece of equipment. Now the real test....out on the water!

Zen,

Here's a little trick for fishing out at the lake if you anchor:

Take old 'rigger wire and wrap it around anchor line down to a shackle connected to a plastic coated anchor. Then take an aligator clip and connect it the wire from the terminal post. Works like a charm!

Downriggin'

I wanted to chime in on this having scotty black box on my boat. THeir is galvanic reaction in saltwater also in fresh. The added minerals and salt multiply the problem. So does it work in freshwater answer is yes. the other ? is will it work for mooching. I have never tried it but part of what they talk about is it attracts fish with a slight electrical charge. My guess is if you lowered you downrigger ball and turned on your black box. That it may attract some fish to the electic pulse. I just found out that their is a new lure coming out. Its called a roto chip bait holder. It is the same as other bait holders for whole heering but has a small chip in it that puts off a small electric current mimicing the same current put off by a heering. Got to get a couple of those to add to my arsenal.

And....you can use the downrigger ball as an anchor while mooching.

Easy

Then what can you use the anchor for?

Cabela's has the new e-Chip bait holder.

Downriggin'

That eChip baitholder sounds really cool. I wish I had a Cabela's fishing tackle 2003 catalog to check it out.

Love my new BB from Cabela's. Got one for Christmas and have caught fish every trip since then.

That info is very interesting Crabin Fever. Guess I wont be using the 9v battery.

I have a friend who trolls in close to the beach in AK and only uses bannana weights when in shallow, he said that when doing this he'll often put the d-rigger balls in and turn on the proper voltage even though he isn't clipping lines to them. I'd assume the same thing could be done mooching.

David,
I've heard the same thing, but have yet to try it. Its hard to stop trolling....my success has been improving after adding a BB and taking tips from the people on this board.
JMS

Great hint there DD, I think I'll order one for us! I stuck the pages together last night drooling saliva over the X-15.

Downriggin'

What's the scouting report one the e-clip baitholders? It's a neat idea, has anyone had a chance to try them out yet? I was looking at the pictures on the protroll site and it looked like the actual unit could be removed from the helmet. If that was so you might be able to add it to any number of lures, kwikfish/flatfish especially if the concept works.

David,
According to Tom the lure is one of the only new ones he tested last summer/fall that seemed to have a noticeable advantage over conventional type lures. I believe he also had jerry-rigged some sort of spoon by taking the gizmo out of the hood and attaching it to the lure, so it sounds like this can be done.
JMS

Thanks for the info Little Fish, it's all very intriguing. "Electronic Warfare!" as my dad said when he opened up his black box for Christmas this year.