Last night I had the opportunity to replace the snap at the end of my downrigger wire for the first time.

Found out I had to "worry" my way through the cable with the sidecutters I had. What I want to know is are all dykes equal or are there some that just go "snap" and they're through the wire.

I also remembered Downrigger's comment on having a pair of pliers near if you get the ball hung up and can't get it loose. Wondered how long it would take to cut through a good wire, if all snippers are as efficient as mine.

Haven't made a trip to Outdoor Emporium to ask them this question, but may get the opportunity this weekend. I'd be chasing the 15 lb teardrop balls so I could bounce them off the bottom. First big blackmouth trip will be this next Friday.

So, any good dykes out there?

Sportco sell a pair of heavy duty downrigger pliers made just for splicing, cutting, and crimping. They are kind of spendy ($25) but they are worth it. They tear right through 'rigger cable and make short work of getting a new ball connected to your cable.

You better have 'em close by.

I once caught both sides fishing off of Church Rock on the BC side of the strait. We were in a 15' Double Eagle rented out of Pedder Bay (OBMG rents boats there!). The tide was rippin. I didn't know if we were gonna loose the boat, the Scotty Manuals (garbage!) or both. I finally sawed through with a fillet knife.

That was an eye opener.

Last weekend we(FS75) caught a derelect crab trap. It put an awful lot of strain on the Electric Scotty.

I have a nice pair of titanium pliers from the fishing section of WalMart. Pretty spendy at about $17.00, but cut through anything! I snips rigger cable with ease, and big treble hooks like a hot knife through butter. I always have them nearby.

Zen,

First and foremost, if you have a DR with a cluth/brake, set it so will back off if your ball is stuck. Many times just by doubling back the ball will come free. If you have two riggers in the water, throw in the engine in reverse. At least one should come free and then you an maneuver to free the other ball. Lastly, I absolutely avoid fishing heavy currents if at all possible... I have seen DRs ripped right off as well as part of the boat. One fish is not worth that amount of trouble...

Now this may sound painful, but have two sets of wire cutters handy. The tool Easy mentions is perfect for terminal work... You'll want to only use this for terminal work.
Heavy duty Craftsmans is the one that sits right next to my DR...

Downriggin'

Thanks for the info Carl and John. I'll be getting some new cutters before heading out next Friday.

I'll check out the Craftsman cutters and also the ones Carl mentioned.

I agree with what DR said about leaving the clutch a little loose so wire can pull off if needed. I can usually always free a snagged ball by either backing down or circling around and pulling the opposite direction I was trolling. The other little thing I've done to save gear is use a piece of 100lb mono that I hook between the downrigger ball and the cable end. If the snag is real bad the mono will break and you lose your downrigger ball but not all your other gear as well.
I've found that a good pair of dykes will always cut my cables just fine and I keep one hanging in the back of the boat.

I was down at Sportco this afternoon getting a new downrigger rod. The pliers I mentioned above are called Manson Crimping pliers. Like I said, they are spendy but they are well worth it.

I have seen afew posts about people ripping the downrigger off there boat and always wondered how they could do that.I have fished with downriggers for 13 years and been hungup more times than I care to think about.But in all those times I have only lost one ball that I couldnt get back.If you set the drag just tight enough to hold the ball without slipping thats going to help when you get snagged.I think by setting it loose it does not drive the ball into the snag as hard and it makes it easyier to get loose.

Snap On makes the best dykes and I agree about the drag. Also the heavy water flow, there is just to little margin for error

Made a trip to Outdoor Emporium on Sunday and got some repair items, some little B2 squids for this next weekend and a pair of Mason cutters. They're $21 and some change there. I cut a sample piece of wire and it went right through it.

Buy what are called linesman pliers. Sears Craftsman brand keep them in a plastic bag with wd-40 and wrapped in a rag. Should last a long time.

Go to Boeing surplus in Kent. Get yourself a couple pair of the orange handled dykes and you will be in business. I think they are about a buck or two apiece?? They work great. Cut right through the DR wire no problem ...

20651 84th Ave S.
Kent Washington

(425) 393-4065

New Store Hours:

Wed: 10 am - 5 pm *
Fri: 10 am - 5 pm *
Sat: 9 am - 4 pm *

Definately you want a piece of material in there that will break away if you really hang it up bad - like on an old cable or a wreck that you can't back off of. I use a piece of 150 lb seine twine about 18" long, and tie two simple loops in each end, one loops over the ball, the other your snap. The loop is only about a 60% knot, so I break off at less than 100 lbs pull, something I can do without ruining my gear. I also clip the release into the twine - saves wear on my wire, although you might lose your release when you lose your ball, depending upon where it breaks. Still, hell of a lot better than cutting wire - balls are cheaper.