Rusty Troll Wire

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Lulu
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Rusty Troll Wire

Post by Lulu »

Did anyone using Pacific Net's troll wire have problems with it rusting prematurely this season? Any recommendations for a brand that stands up to a black box's voltage?
Scotthmt
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Re: Rusty Troll Wire

Post by Scotthmt »

I've been using Stan wests wire this season, the 1/19 is nice on the floats, wouldn't recommend it on the heavies. Using brass stops and it held up well to voltage being ran through it.
Lulu
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Re: Rusty Troll Wire

Post by Lulu »

The brass stops used with a BB is what I was concerned about. I figured the brass would change things. I don't need any additional concerns, there are enough. Thank you.

What did you use on the heavies? Were they hand tied stops?
Lulu
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Re: Rusty Troll Wire

Post by Lulu »

I talked with Pacific Net. They told me the boat was too hot, which makes some sense. Except, the boat fished well, the hull potential didn't change significantly from previous years, nothing else changed. So why is the wire rusting this year and not in years past? (Rhetorical question)

I was told all wire manufactures use 304 stainless. So why would one wire be better or worst than another? It seems from this comment that the best tack is buy the cheapest wire possible and keep some spare on board, which I do any way.

Comments?
Scotthmt
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Re: Rusty Troll Wire

Post by Scotthmt »

I ran brass stops on everything, heavies and floats. There may have been a few that got a slight pinkish to em from what I recall but most were normal oxidized brass color, it's been a while so I forget. I have a nat voltage of .65-.7 somewhere in there and I drive it down to .53-.54 all season. Some of my wire did rust but I attribute that to having a piece of seaweed on the wire and being lazy and spooling it into the spool.
Salty
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Re: Rusty Troll Wire

Post by Salty »

Couple of things:
1. I really like this thread. Thank you.
2. I use both brass and hand marked wire. I use pacific net and twine wire with no problems.
3. I run from 6-8 tenths depending on all kinds of things. Boats fishes fine for a low liner.
4. I thoroughly wash my Gurdies with fresh water whenever a source is available at processor or my stall usually.
5. The best wire saver for me is getting rid of fair leads. Also makes it easier to run splices without affecting rhythm.
Lulu
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Re: Rusty Troll Wire

Post by Lulu »

Still confused. I don't run my voltage as high as Salty, but then I'm not targeting coho or pinks. Steel boat, at-dock-hull potential .8-.9 and while trolling .74-.76. Set the box around .54-.6, occasionally .333.

Frank (PN&T) points to the boat being HOT! but, I've not had this problem in the past. I make concerted efforts to take the float tags and donuts off when I'm off the water for more than a couple of days. I keep the wire clean when there is a bloom of plankton and I watch for the grass and kelp getting caught up in the spools. I soak the gurdies with fresh water at every opportunity.

Still, the wire is rusting quickly. I don't get it.
paul
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Re: Rusty Troll Wire

Post by paul »

I use Pacific Net and Twine wire and my voltage is about the same as yours. My wire lasts three or four seasons with no rust.
Salty
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Re: Rusty Troll Wire

Post by Salty »

I don't get it either. You are pulling your voltage down a lot. Kind of Gurdies? Blocks? Could rusty water be dropping onto your spools? One time I had galvanized chain and galvanized shackles on the blocks right above the spools. Rust dripping, flaking off. One time I decided to use galvanized washers as tag stops when I ran out of buttons. Instant rust. Another time I used wire bread bag ties as line markers. Instant rust. Let us know when you solve it.
Lulu
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Re: Rusty Troll Wire

Post by Lulu »

Salty, good thoughts but no. I cut the chain off the trolling blocks and use a shackle secured to a swivel which is integrated into the davit clamps, all SS, to securing the blocks to the davit. The swivels are wrapped with elastic rubber tape to prevent any grounding with inadvertent contact with the wire. The block tree outside edge (end of davit) is wrapped with .25" rubber fuel hose (I spit the hose and work it around the edge securing with tie straps). This prevents the wire touching the davit while in a turn and grounding the wire to the boat.

The gurdies are Hasbra. I know these were water tight because I just took them off the boat. All the bolt holes are still bright from installation indicating no stray current from water intrusion. I use a 1" thick block of starboard to isolate the gurdies from their mounting plate, which is also isolated from the deck.

There is nothing above the gurdies which could drip onto the gurdies. I routinely scrub the gurdie fillings (the green stuff) off the mounting plate which is SS (a minor source of electrical charge, like maybe .1 volts in an extreme case, in the wire when measuring the nature voltage of the gurdies).

Like you, I've sworn by Pacific Net's wire for years. I have had few issues with it over 20 years of use. Maybe I simply have a bad lot of wire, but Frank doesn't know because no one else has said anything.

What leads me to this conclusion is I use 5/64 on the snotters which was purchased in early 2014. I had no issues with it. If there was a problem, this wire would go first and fast because it is closest to the boat and I don't fish them more than 20F. The wire with issue is 1/16 that was purchased early this year. I'm having a hard time understanding this because an impurity in wire could make it rust or more nickel than specified, but that would make the wire less flexible (no problems with the wire twisting). Maybe its the wire used to weave the stops?

Its a mystery!!!!!
carojae
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Re: Rusty Troll Wire

Post by carojae »

Last year I removed some perfectly good PN&T wire that I had on my gurdies for 2 years only because I didn't like the 1.5 fathom spread. The stuff I put replaced it with, 2 fathom spread, not only turned brown in many places, but I've had to splice it several times because a strand or two broke for no apparent reason usually near the brown stains.

There is no question in my mind that the last purchase had some issues with the integrity of the stainless wire because the previous wire was exactly the same wire with exception of the spread and it worked well and had no brown stains even after I removed it.

*I too like Pacific Net and Twine's wire. The people who work there - they're super. I've wondered if I should say something but thought I'd be wasting my time.
It'd be great if they replaced the wire and threw in a bag of splicing crimps that I've used up along with new wire cutters that have gone dull on me. Lol.
Last edited by carojae on Sat Nov 07, 2015 10:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
Salty
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Re: Rusty Troll Wire

Post by Salty »

Looks like a lead Lulu. I know they have a booth at fish expo. I will bring it up.
Lulu
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Re: Rusty Troll Wire

Post by Lulu »

Frank is not going to do anything about it unless he hears from his customers. He had a problem 5-6+ years ago and denied the problem until he started loosing customers. He did replace wire for some who yelled the loudest. But, lost gear, fish, time fixing it wasn't in the cards. He felt like that was the normal risk of fishing. I like most of the staff at PN&T, especially Mark, but in recent years its been more difficult than in the past.

Frank and I also discussed his scissor snaps. I shared that the chrome coating wore off in a couple of days compared to the Rosco snaps, which last as long as you want them. Frank insisted his are better and the chrome finish issue was, again, the boat being too. hot.

I know the boat is hot. I spent $20K making it hot, and the fish like it. Now the challenge is to find gear made like it was before most stuff was outsourced to China. A trip to Seattle on the 18-20th might be a good investment in time.
Lulu
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Re: Rusty Troll Wire

Post by Lulu »

Salty, did you have an opportunity to talk with Frank about his wire?

I've purchased Saw Wire wire for this season. We'll see how it works.
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