Black Boxes

[MolarBoater]

Has anyone had any experience with Black Boxes? As far as I know, they are battery operated voltage boxes to put a charge down your downrigger cable. This charges the water and attracts fish. Cabela's has one for $99. Is it worth the $$$$$$$ or just another gadget to catch fishermens' cash instead of fish?

 

[Tums]

Has anyone had any experience with Black Boxes? As far as I know, they are battery operated voltage boxes to put a charge down your downrigger cable. This charges the water and attracts fish. Cabela's has one for $99. Is it worth the $$$$$$$ or just another gadget to catch fishermens' cash instead of fish?

EMC2 there is something to the eletric impulse generating a field to atract fish. Companies like cannon have been sporting some simular products. http://www.cannondownriggers.com/site/html/htmlsite/cannon/digi_troll_iv.htm
It is widely known that some fish will hurt themselves in captivity in aquariums where there is eletrical current present. However I think this works more on some species (like sharks) more than it does on others. As to where if it will help in the bottom of the fish box line I do not know. If you get one let me know how it works out.

 

[Genelie]

Yes , if any one has ever used one; the info would be interesting to read about.

 

[Genelie]

Yes , if any one has ever used one; the info would be interesting to read about. So I must hold off on the poll untill more info provided

 

[MolarBoater]

Decided to buy chum instead....maybe later

 

[Genelie]

I just bought a chum churn...they say they this devise cuts up the bait, the noise it makes, attracks the fish, and fo course allows for a large slick of chum...looking forward to a test run with it.

 

[MolarBoater]

2 words, Special Kitty

 

[AstroDiver]

Strobes & sharks

I know from personal experience that sharks are attracted to underwater strobes like on a camera. I don't know if a sound thing or what? I was pn a shark dive several years ago where a nurse shark kept swimming right next to my head where the strobe was.

 

[Codfish]

I have used a black box on downriggers in the past. Both fresh and salt water. I was targeting salmon in all instances. I did not have any better luck with the boxes than without. This was a $300 box set up made in Alaska and marketed by a commercial fisherman who swore by it.

I will not say they do not work at all, just that on the several times I tried the thing, I caught no fish. The lack of luck may not be atributeable to the box. I had very high expectations though and that lead to a deep distrust of the box when it did not produce as hoped. If I had caught fish by the dozens however, I would still be using the thing and swearing by its performance. I have of course caught fish by the dozens without it and therefore do not lament the passing of the box to another anxious fisherman.

codfish

 

[MolarBoater]

I have read that many predator fish are cureous to the sound of motors humming and even some musical artists played loudly over your boat speakers. At night, light obviously attracts bait and then bigger fish as well as scents and noises like rattles and vibrating lures.
Guess since these are all forms of a "wave" (sound, light or vibration) guess shooting some electric "waves" might, in theory, create some predator fish interest. Like anything else though, if they aren't there to begin with, there will be no one to be attracted to it. Hard to decide on its' efficacy.
Here's something to ponder, will you notice an increase in galvanic corrosion on your motor or anodes or the downrigger line with this leaky current?

 

[ILLOGICAL GGC]

allison kraus and union station bring more fish to the net than anything i have tried . something about an upright bass must really thump the water !!!!!
GGC

 

[NCangler]

I'm with you on that one GGC! It doesn't get much better than Allison and Union Station!

allison kraus and union station bring more fish to the net than anything i have tried . something about an upright bass must really thump the water !!!!!
GGC

 

[LittleCasino]

I'm sorry BUT black boxes are an absolute waste of $$$ You will be better off playing the Rolling Stones cranked on your boat!

 

[MolarBoater]

OK Casino, so you would put your money on "red" not "black" then let 'm Roll! haha
I still am leaning more toward Special Kitty and a water bottle full of fish oil.

 

[LittleCasino]

RED, "You Betcha!"

I just know some Charter Captains up on the Great Lakes that got sucked into buying black boxes years ago, along with the "ion control" devices for the downriggers and they don't even use them anymore or they have pawned them off on someone ele's. I was always told to save my money, and thats when I heard about Special Kitty and fish oil LOL

You gotta enlighten me on the Special Kitty technique sometime. It sounds like a winner!

 

[ILLOGICAL GGC]

one $.50 can of Kozy Kitty (fish flavor of course) cat food tied to the anchor and another can tied to a 16 oz sinker and dropped off the transom and half a 20 oz diet dr pepper bottle full of menhaden oil with an ice pick hole in it hanging over the side and the dang tarpon will be circling like buzzards!!!!!!
GGC

 

[cagrove]

It's kinda funny how fishing is fishing, no matter where you are. I use the same technique to chum in Catfish and Stripers here in Virginia.

 

[Dick@merrittmarine]

True Story

True story---, Back in the late 90s, when I was at the factory, I sold 6, 17' boat's to a fish camp in Guadalajara, Mexico. A few months later the owner called and said that his guides were fighting to use the Logics rather than the Fiberglass Pangas. His Guide's said the Logic's attracted fish! He thought that the natural static electricty that the boat's generated, were the reason that guides, using Logics, were catching more fish! Well, from a marketing standpoint, I thought I stumbled on a Gold Mine. I tried to get one of the local Universities to do a study on this phenomenon, even offering the use of a boat for a year. Think about it, If I were succussful, I could advertise that this great new boat is being studied because it catches more fish. If it proved true, the industry would get the word out quickly, If not, The advertising push would have advanced the technology, therefore sales.
Unfortunatly, Universities would not take my offer of the use of a boat without additional funding that we just did not have.

Dick

 

[NCangler]

Great story Dick. I wonder if Triumph approached the Marine Biology program at UNCW today with that offer if they would be interested. Sure seems like a great idea for a student project.

 

[LittleCasino]

Thanks! IL-Log for the recipe, and that is one very interesting story Dick.

"The Worlds Toughest Fish Attracting Boat"

I Like It!