Changing downrigger releases, what's your favorite?

[Hattrick]

Rubber bands rot,break,slip on the line....not to mention if they end up in the bilge...bad for pumps!

Go with Blacks...super easy to set...never slip, way faster to reset after a fish!

Get em get em!

[Fishjay]

Gone through allot of releases over years, found that blacks are my favorite, easy to set and you can change tension throughout season as the fish get bigger

[SeaCatMich]

Great info guys, anybody ever used the chamberlain stacker releases? I saw them at the Grand Rapids show last year but hadn't heard any reviews.

When I first started using Chamberlains I was looking for something that would work on coated Depth Raider cable. I contacted Chamberlain and they sent me a prototype of the stacker model. Tried it but the cable was too thick for it to properly lock on. Worked fine on regular cable but I didn't really need it for that application. Gave them the feedback and from what I understand it has been improved to work well.

[Gnarf]

I use scotty riggers and scotty releases. I can set the tension so darn tight the rod will snap or light enough to have a coho pop it.

[bowbender]

I use the rubber bands the same as SUPERTRAMP except I add in a third size I think it's like a 22. I get good rod bend and they very seldom mis-fire or hang release, if I start getting mis-fires I just go up one size. You can't beat the price either 3 or 4 buck for a hundred at Office Depot. I just loop it around the line and hook it in behind the pads on my release.

[young gun]

Duo BROS, best/cheapest purchase you will buy!!

[Steelies1]

What about roehmer releases. Not sure of spelling

[tgafish]

Chamberlains. Basically a Black but a tension adjustment for both the lure and the rod. Allows for a real bend in the rod but separate (lighter) for the lure. Great for spring on Lake Michigan and the mixed bag on Erie & Sag Bay when perch hit but can't pull the line out of the release with a normal tension.

Agreed. If you plan on using your releases for walleye fishing also the chamberlains are amazing. I had 13 inch walleye releasing flawlessly last year. If you're strictly fishing for salmon, blacks are a more economical and just as functional.

[sherman51]

I've tried most releases out there including rubber bands. and I was using rubber bands when I run across the chamberlains. I switched to the chamberlains and have never looked back. I fish lake erie for walleye and we get a lot of small trash fish. I love the fact you can tighten down the rod release so you can really crank down your rod. then set the lure release light enough to trip even on small fish. the chamberlains are made a lot like a blacks but have the lure release tension adjustment on them. chamberlains are just the best release out there. this is just my opinion after fishing salmon for about 10 yrs and walleyes for about 35 yrs.

[Brian of Ludington]

I have ran rubber bands with big jon band busters for a long time

[danagnello]

Blacks

[danagnello]

blacks

[ekbelt]

Blacks

[Rascal Trophy Fishing]

Depends on the lake and fish targeted. I would assume that targeting walleyes in the 3-6# range should be quite different than 10-20# salmon if I'm not mistaken. Old timers like to do things right, but as efficiently and economically as possible. I'm not going to spend $10 on a release, just not my style, unless maybe I win a lottery and have money to burn. Alligator with rubber bands, various size bands, will do the job very effectively for a lifetime. And leave money left over for those other vices we have as addicted anglers too...lol.

[Fake Bait]

Switched from Walkers to Blacks about 5 years ago. Made a huge difference for me. Hook ups were better and I don't have lines hang on the release anymore. Good part of that could be that my Walkers were really old. I only use my riggers for Salmon fishing.

[zouavecat]

I have used the chamberlain stacker and they seem to work pretty well. I have a small boat so it give me more lines in the water. Of course it's like any time you stack lines, can tangle, takes longer to set back up.

[Fowlpursuit]

Blacks.. Super simple never fail. Easy tension adustment you can load the rod till the tip is in the water.

Anglers fail to realize that the loading of the rod is crucial as it takes up slack when a fish hits.

They also fail to realize that it is the realease itself responsible for setting the hook. Set ur tension too loose and I'll lose a lot of fish. When set properly the hook is set by the time you see the rod bouncing.

[Fins-N-Grins]

Been using Black's for many years, twist the line 10 times so the line doesn't slip. Alway adjust tension for the the waves so I don't get false releases. They work great.

[GoldenBeaver]

I love the scotty releases...quick and easy and no twisting the line to gwt a loop to hook in

Sent from my SCH-R530U using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

[sslopok]

I just switched to the scotty power grips. I am now able to load the rods without slipping or releasing.

[fishy1]

Picked up Some chamberlains and can say work better than blacks.

[danthebuilder]

I switched from blacks to chamberlain. So far it hasn't exactly worked as advertised. I set the setting on the top tightened all the way and have the other setting pretty loose and if i load up the rod it'll pop. I'm not exactly sure what i'm missing here. How many turns out are you guys fishing with your chamberlains on the magnetic portion?

[fishy1]

I switched from blacks to chamberlain. So far it hasn't exactly worked as advertised. I set the setting on the top tightened all the way and have the other setting pretty loose and if i load up the rod it'll pop. I'm not exactly sure what i'm missing here. How many turns out are you guys fishing with your chamberlains on the magnetic portion?

Dan Iset the top part of the release at 3-4 pds you can use a spring scale and keep setting untill you get the release to open from the top at this weight of pull,you should have the bottom screwed all the way in to set the top first.Its is just like a dipsy you will get the feel if your not using a scale.

The first thing I did to the bottom was take a small file and put a small groove in the brass knob so I would have a reference line so when i adjusted it I could tell how many turns or how far i rotated it.

With that done I have backed off the bottom 2 complete turns which means I am using the 3 pd setting and has worked great with spoons and spin doctors and flies.

For pulling meat rigs I'm going to try running them all way to the magnet at 4 pds of pull.

I will say mine have worked as advertised and almost all the fish that have hit on the downriggers hav had the hooks buried in thier mouth.

Hope this helps .

[SeaCatMich]

I switched from blacks to chamberlain. So far it hasn't exactly worked as advertised. I set the setting on the top tightened all the way and have the other setting pretty loose and if i load up the rod it'll pop. I'm not exactly sure what i'm missing here. How many turns out are you guys fishing with your chamberlains on the magnetic portion?

Here is a link to a YouTube video from Chamberlain that explains setting them pretty well. The rear "screw" adjustment is for the fish/lure tension while the thumb screw on top is for rod tension. I don't really know how many turns I have but the max tension the rear can be set to is 4 1/2 lb. I don't have it set that tight and have had no issues running flashers on them.

http://youtu.be/WsgUj7fIi50

[1 old guy]

I switched from blacks to chamberlain. So far it hasn't exactly worked as advertised. I set the setting on the top tightened all the way and have the other setting pretty loose and if i load up the rod it'll pop. I'm not exactly sure what i'm missing here. How many turns out are you guys fishing with your chamberlains on the magnetic portion?

Danthebuilder What I did was when I had the boat out of the garage I put a rod in the rod holder set it like I was fishing with the downrigger ball on. I set the chamberlain tension from the rod to the release and than from the release to the lure. All done in the driveway. Been using them for about 3 years. Blacks are great but chamberlain are the next step up.