Fish hawk X4 using Scotty snubber

[perchjerker]

Hi guys

I have a X4 with the breakaway tether between the probe and the ball.

I just bought some Scotty snubbers to use on my riggers.

Should I use this in addition to the X4 tether? When I connect them up it makes for a pretty long assembly from the rigger snap to the ball.

Or should I just not use the Scotty snubber on that rigger? I like the fact that its easier to grab then the bare cable

I have not used this yet. Will try tomorrow

thanks

[Jgc]

I use the snubber instead of their break away but I never get the probe very close to bottom. The main reason I started running snubbers was because I lost a probe.

[Yoda]

Most of the time we will run the snubbed, but also after losing 2 probes, our X4 probes run on there own rigger, and that's all that that rigger will carry, since doing that we haven't lost one..

[perchjerker]

thanks guys. It did not go well yesterday lol

Since it was rainy Sat morn I decided to just look over my rigging real well since I have not used my downriggers much over the past few years and now that I am getting back into it I figured this would be good to do

I noticed that the cable termination for the rigger the probe is used on was just some crimped on sleeves and a snap.

I then remembered this was from an emergency on the water repair from 2 years ago. I have used the rigger maybe 2 trips since then.

So I decided since I had the Cannon terminator kit I would put one on and fix it the right way.

So yesterday morning we fished west Grand Traverse bay for a few hours before I had to leave and head back home from the cabin. Other than no fish, it went fine for a few hours. I decided not to use the Scotty snubber and just use the breakaway rig that comes with the X4

About 1/2 way though our trip, I raise the ball and as it just clears the water the cable either breaks or slips out of the terminator and I loose everything, probe and all!!! I had maybe 4 hours total on this probe.

It was no where near the bottom at any time, I think the cable just broke from old age, I dunno. If it would have slipped out of terminator I think I would have seen the cable kinked from where it was threaded in the terminator, but it I was left with what looked like a clean break with a frayed end.

I have had there riggers (elec Walkers) for at least 20 years and got them used with a boat I had bought at the time. But they did not really see much use in all those years. The cables look ok, but I am just going to respool both of then and start from scratch

I also forgot my box of dipsys (they were still in the pole barn) so it was not a very good trip lol

on the bright side my DAV buddy took this doe on Sat off my property on the special youth/disabled hunt!

[Nailer]

To bad losing the probe, but nice job on the deer.

[brokeoff]

i dont use the terminators. just use the wire knot like you would on your dipsy's. it is harder to sinch down since the downrigger cable is 150# but it is stronger! also the 'tether' that comes with the fish hawk x4 is garbabe, junk that and tie your own. Use a section of downrigger line with wire knots to the swivel snaps.

[Yoda]

Here's the best advise I can give when it comes to trying to save your probe. First and for most, put it on its own rigger, and don't fish with that rigger, I have mine on a older walker that I had in the basement, doing that will allow you raise and lower the probe to check temp and speed as your fishing at different levels in the water column, look at the cost of a probe or 2 and one of the cheaper riggers make pretty good since. Big Jon makes a good rigger but if it doesn't have the stop when it breaks the surface, put it on it or stay away from it, you roll those big snaps up onto the front wheel than can open them. Second, you need to hook the probe itself to the main rigger cable, then a dropper of some sort, be it a Scotty snubbed another pc of rigger cable doesn't matter, the big thing here is the snap swivel used to attach the ball to the probe, they need to be cheap and rated for less than the poundage of your main line downrigger cable, if your ball gets hung up on the bottom or in a net you want that snap to fail !!! first.. So all and all nothing is fail safe, keep it off the bottom and stay AWAY from any nets.. any questions at all about this you can as here or PM me....

[perchjerker]

Here's the best advise I can give when it comes to trying to save your probe. First and for most, put it on its own rigger, and don't fish with that rigger, I have mine on a older walker that I had in the basement, doing that will allow you raise and lower the probe to check temp and speed as your fishing at different levels in the water column, look at the cost of a probe or 2 and one of the cheaper riggers make pretty good since. I don't really have enough room for a dedicated rigger just for the probe. I will have to think about this. I was being very careful with it since it was brand newBig Jon makes a good rigger but if it doesn't have the stop when it breaks the surface, put it on it or stay away from it, you roll those big snaps up onto the front wheel than can open them. I was using Canon terminators and have older Walker electrics. The snap was no where near the pulley when it broke, it had just broke the surface of the water when it snapped. I really think it was just because my cable was super old and way past due to be changed, I have had these riggers for many years, and I hardly ever used them, so I did not even think about changing the cables on a regular basis, they looked perfectly fineSecond, you need to hook the probe itself to the main rigger cable, then a dropper of some sort, be it a Scotty snubbed another pc of rigger cable doesn't matter, the big thing here is the snap swivel used to attach the ball to the probe, they need to be cheap and rated for less than the poundage of your main line downrigger cable, if your ball gets hung up on the bottom or in a net you want that snap to fail !!! this is how I had it rigged, to the main snap, the cable broke just above the terminator, and it wasn't all curled up like it had slipped through the terminator, it was a flush break, again making me suspect a bad cablefirst.. So all and all nothing is fail safe, keep it off the bottom and stay AWAY from any nets.. any questions at all about this you can as here or PM me....

thanks! see my responses in red

[Yoda]

thanks! see my responses in red

yep that will do it to, the cable at that point gets worked back and forth quite a bit, I've lost rigger ball that way because of that, mine cable gets cut back a foot or so once or twice a season because of it..

[perchjerker]

thanks

I really think it was a combination of poor downrigger maintenance and bad luck

more of the former lol