Scotty black box

pickerel killer · **Joined:** Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:28 pm **Posts:** 648

I recently bought a set of Scotty pro packs. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with the black boxes? Or do I even need it?

TheLandshark · **Posted:** Thu Apr 24, 2014 1:09 pm

Hey bud, dont worry about it. It just has to do with voltage on the line. I used Scottys for many a year and caught a ton of fish without a blackbox. It is a luxury and there is a million things better to spend 300+ on.

Trannyman1 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:36 pm

I wouldn't fish without one. It is probably the last piece of the puzzle.

You can catch a ton of fish without one but on those slow periods it can be used to trigger the bite.

It is probably more important to change the anodes on the boat each and every year especially running stainless down rigger cables.

Al

pickerel killer · **Joined:** Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:28 pm **Posts:** 648

Thanks for the input fellas. I have done some reading, and it looks like I'm definatly going to check the voltage my boat is producing while trolling. And go from there.

Pro-troll also makes a black box that is only around a hundred bucks. The only difference I can see between it and the Scotty, is the Scotty box has a pulse mode.

After some reading it looks like the black boxes are only effective while running short leads behind the ball, 20' max. Which will help in the salmon department!!!

Now I got to get on the water and do some testing!

Cheers

TheLandshark · **Posted:** Fri Apr 25, 2014 6:33 am

PK- Do you have a speed and temp probe? I think even Al would agree that having one of those is 100 times more important than a Black Box. I posted the question on my facebook to all my charter friends to see what their honest opionions were. I will get back at the end of the day. Joe? Scott?

pickerel killer · **Joined:** Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:28 pm **Posts:** 648

Yep just got the hawk 4xd. There was a bulk purchase on spoonpullers I got in on. Thanks shark

Trannyman1 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 25, 2014 7:25 am

Without mentioning any brand names I have a true story for the salmon and trout anglers on this web board.

A few years ago a buddy of mine bought a newer boat that had been rigged for salmon fishing for the lake. I thought when he bought it he would mount the newer riggers from the old boat to the new boat. BUT he didn't. He invited me to fish all 3 days of a long weekend during the GOSD. First day out we went fishless. Not even 1 hit. There a lot of guys doing fish around us. I said we better bring the voltmeter with us the next day. We did, but left it in the truck at the launch. Another day we struggled and it was getting really frustrating. I lengthened my lead out to 100 feet behind the weight and nothing. then to 150' and nothing. then to 200' and I started getting hits. I was quite sure what was happening. Next day we ran out to 70 feet of water dropped both riggers to 60' and checked the voltage. 1.185 on one rigger and the other was 1.235 volts. I just happened to bring 2 long jumper wires with me and we grounded out the rigger cables to the negative terminal of the battery and if memory serves me correctly I think our count for the day was over 20 mature kings. Basically what I did was McGiver rig a black box. That is all a black box does, is control the voltage produced by the dissimilar metals in the water around the boat. We found out later that brand and model of rigger had a problem right from the factory. Needless to say buddy had the new riggers from the old boat on the new boat before the next weekend.

Over the years I have jumped on other boats and tested the riggers when guys were having problems. With a little work we had them back in action.

During a tournament pre-fish, I had a buddy & competitor tell me he was having a very bad pre-fish. He was a very good salmon angler. We discussed a few options and he said he was having some issues with his instrumentation. He was also an auto technician and all the tools with him. We checked out the grounds on the boat but couldn't find anything wrong. The next day while pre-fishing, he had an electrical fire in the harness to his kicker. We worked late into the night before the tournament and got the wiring replaced and the kicker running again. The next day during the tournament he had a great day and finished in the money. We assumed that the problem with the wiring was inducing some electrical current into the water around the boat thus shutting down his ability to get a bite.

This is another reason I stay away from the pack. There could be a couple boats in the pack putting out some bad voltage shutting down the kings.

When I rebuilt the Grand Slam, I installed redundant ground wires on all the units in the boat. I also installed trim tab anodes and they are grounded to the main ground as well as the swim platform.

Like I said previously, as far as I am concerned a black box is the last piece of the puzzle.

If you are so inclined to carry a volt meter on the boat as I do, just check out the voltage some day on your wire divers. You might be amazed what they are producing.

Al

polliwogg · **Posted:** Fri Apr 25, 2014 10:07 am

Exactly how this works is something I can't get my head around. The idea that some stray voltage drifts around behind the boat, I don't think so.

But what I do is tell the guys to fish on the other side of the boat, if they don't catch anything it doesn't matter but if they do I look like God.

demoman · **Joined:** Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:58 pm **Posts:** 138

I agree with Al.... He has worked with me on voltage with my boat... Something else to look at is if you run wire dipsey just for fun check the voltage on them. I have experience voltage on them and when i grounded it out i started to get fish

BigMac · **Joined:** Fri Nov 28, 2008 5:18 pm **Posts:** 1383

How do you ground a wire dipsy line? I mean u could use alligator clips and put to negative on batter I guess. Is that all? Does it just pop off when you get a strike?

demoman · **Joined:** Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:58 pm **Posts:** 138

I just wrap a ground wire from the battery and yes when you get a hit it will release... Like i said just try it and see what you find

demoman · **Joined:** Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:58 pm **Posts:** 138

I know Al has tried his

BigMac · **Joined:** Fri Nov 28, 2008 5:18 pm **Posts:** 1383

sounds interesting. I will try this summer.

demoman · **Joined:** Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:58 pm **Posts:** 138

Also for anyone using Cannon riggers that have auto stop feature MAKE sure you shut off black box before you hit the button to bring up ball. With the box on and set at zero the cannon will not stop at water level. Be very carefull with that

pickerel killer · **Joined:** Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:28 pm **Posts:** 648

The fish are lucky I'm workin on the boat right now!! Otherwise I would have so many lines stacked up to create enough electricity to power a small village!!!! :lol:

J/K. Not really :lol:

Scotty black box it's is.

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