I feel victim to the much cussed Scotty cable yesterday. I haven't had any problems until now,but the cable appears to have just snapped. It wasn't kinked,crushed,or rusty. Looked exactly like the cable on the new Scotty on the opposite side of the boat.

I've read about many guys switching to braid and Power Pro seems to be a popular replacement. Is there anything better than the PP?

I know Scotty has replacement braid,but it looks like its even thicker than their cable and you won't gain any advantage with blowback.

GOOD cable,will always outwear GOOD braid.

I'll happily take the hit on the diameter increase,so as to bolster everything else.

Win/win.

When the braid first came out I tried braid on one rigger and wire with a Black Box on the other side.
For me, stainless caught fish 5-1 over braid.
I certainly see braids advantages, longer life, knots instead of crimps and ease of use.
But I love the wires voltage, smaller diameter and productivity.
If catching fish is worth changing your wire every other year then my advice is: "stay wired"...

Today's braids really do trump prior versions,in all regards.

That being said,braid attributes are not extolled via a downrigger IMHO...though the weaknesses are.

Wear/tear is THE biggest concern and that isn't braid's suit.

I run 200# Scotty braid (Dyneema) on one side Scotty steel on the other. I hate the braid. The Dyneema gets fuzzy, has huge blowback compared to the steel (which causes problems when I'm runnning them deep and try to turn) which makes it a real pain to troll deeper than 100'. The downrigger clips slip up to 5' when I send the ball down and the autostops slip even after I superglued them. I do see that Scotty now sells "super low blow-back" braid which is 175# Spectra (superior to Dyneema) but I'm done with it. I did not notice any meaningful difference in catch rates between the two but I don't run a blackbox. Steel, steel, steel.

Braid's strength is straight line picks,less abrasion or side-load interference. Quality S/S wire,shirks such things easily,less fretting how it lays on the spool.

Win/win.

I am running both braid and wire when the braid wears out I will go back to wire. Just dosen't seem to hold up as well as I expected, I have had some mysterious chaffes mid line.

Its funny how things go in cycles. It looks like braid has lost some of its luster. I use braid on my halibut rods and have never cared for its low abrasion resistance. I never could see how it would hold up in a downrigger application,but I hadn't used it so I was just going by the loads of guys that seem to like it.

I've never used a black box,but did measure the voltage on my cable just for schits and giggles. My cables run at .68 and the preferred voltage for the black box believers is about .65-.70 IIRC. I'm right in the zone for voltage.

I'm thinking another shot with wire is in order. Any truth to the rumor that Cannon's wire is better than Scotty's?

I think a guy has FAR more control in fending abrasion via rod & reel,as opposed to a downrigger,if only due to the increased sense of feel. That with all else being equal,which it ain't.

Myself,I could never resort back to mono as a mainline in any rod mounted application,just as staunchly as I could never run braid on my downriggers.

Braid MANDATES the requisite of needing more finite control and if coddled with a shred of sense in that regard,the [censored] is plum amazing as a minimim. As a broad based utility line,less those considerations,it loses luster rather quickly.

When braid is given a chance,nothing can hang...but once you reduce it to stalwart roles,it pukes quickly.

Pretty sure that braid wouldn't have survived the derilect crab ring I yarded up the other day...........

I'm staying with wire!

I've seen/done amazing things with braid,but always with the aid of the subtle touch ala a fishing pole in hand.

Set static,it pales.

Not a fan of stainless. I use the 200# power pro and I will never switch back to cable. Since july 1st of this year my boat has seen more than 250 salmon. Kings, silvers, and pinks combined. I have nothing against stainless and have caught a ton of fish while spooled with it but I have caught more in the past year with the braid. Stay away from the 250# it has far too much line drag even for a 15# ball.

250 fish a year?!!?

Bummmer!

pics or it didnt happen...

A 250 Salmon "year",rates a punch in the mouth...especially when used as a "Trump Card".

Wouldnt have thought much about a workin man catchin 250 but when the "pinks combined" was mentioned that kinda scaled it down...

If/when someone enters a Humpy in the fray,you can scratxch them right the [censored] off The List.

I've been running 200# Power Pro on my Scotty's this year. Diameter is close to steel cable. I haven't had any wear problems. I ran the Scotty 250# for 3 years. The biggest issue I had with it was the diameter and blow back issues, especially when going deep (100'+).

200# is 1/2 strength,as per typical configurations.

And easily shy of that resolve,as per actual use in the salt.

Like 100' is deep?!!?

I switched to 200# PP last Christmas (present) on both riggers and it is a blessing.

- Fished blackies down to 250/260-feet off Vashon and had a field day when others couldn't come close to bottom and shook their heads. Continuous bottom thumps too!

- 3 crab pots, one bucket, rusted net ring, and no frays.

I'll reverse the lines this winter and get at least another year outta them.

Some of the things I have noticed:

- Line will bunch up on the lower or upper portion of the spool.
- Make sure to have at least 3-stoppers vice two. Super glue them!
- Line stuck together in the icy weather when fishing.. I thought I might lose a ball and gear. The line so so frozen that it hinged!
- Tends to slide over the block instead of the block rolling with retrieval when new.
- Re-tie your snap at least monthly.

All minor stuff in nature...

Great stuff. Never thought I would give up the wire and black box, but I was tired of replacing wire every 6-months with the amount of frays I was getting.