For the first few years I used the Off-Shore release but I let Craig (Captain Chuck's) talk me in to using the Big Jon Band Buster release --I have to say that I really like them. I like the way fish release from the weight and the feedback you get when you've picked up a little shaker, seems to make a more active connection between the rod tip and what's going on at the lure.
What type of releases do you use?
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Greg , I have used all kinds of release's and I always seem to come back to the Off-Shore release's. I use the Walker release's when pulling dodgers for Coho and I really liked the Invader release's when I first got them but after a couple years they lost thier tension and the replacments didn't seem to work as well . This past year I started using the Scotty pinch pad release's a little bit and seem to like them but I still run the Off shores most of the time. I have tried rubber bands and still use bands for fixed sliders sometimes and for small fish in the spring I will half hitch a rubber band on the line and then put the band in the release to see any shakers. I think you should run what you get comfortable with and have confidence in and I probably shouldn't be trying different ones all the time but as I said before I like to try new stuff and experiment.
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I like the Off-shore releases, for their simplicity and ease of operation. I haven't ever used anything but the Offshore and don't see the need to change........but I'm open to suggestions. Best, Chip
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On the band buster I don't use a hitch at all - didn't like the rubberband coming on the reel everytime - so I just wrap the rubberband around usually three twists depending on the weather maybe a fourth on a rough day. Then I take the two ends and hook that up to the band buster - that way when the line cuts through the rubberband just disappears and I got nothing to jam in the first eye. LOL I think Craig turned me on to that too.
I had no problems with the OffShore realeases as a matter of fact I have a huge bag of them for the planer boards. Just tried something different and liked it and didn't switch back. In my opinion the Off Shores are by the far the best I have used in terms of tradtional releases, and I haven't gotten rid of them yet LOL.
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Hey Greg, when we fish together I'll look forward to seeing all the things that you do on your boat differently. I am pretty new to this deep water stuff and always looking to imrove my game...... I hope to get over to Ludington quite a bit next year so we'll have to hook up......next time you are in Capt. Chucks tell 'em I said Hi!! and see if their stock of Ridgebacks is OK!! Best, Chip
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My only issue with the OffShore releases (all pinch type for that matter) is that I have a hard time squeezing them. The rubber bands make it a tons easlier for me to set the lines.
Jennifer
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Hey Jennifer, its all about easy.........especially in 3-5 ft rollers!!! I guess I'll have to get someone to show me the ropes about rubber band releases!! Thanks for the input........ Best, Chip
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I really like using the Big Jon rubberband releases too. It is so easy to control release tension with the number of wraps around the line. And, it's easy to "pop" them when you want to change up lures.
Of course, they don't work very well when the whole bag of rubberbands goes overboard at 6:00 AM...right, Greg?
Tom
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Well, here is the "rest of the story" (at least the way I remember it...Greg may have a different take )
We left the dock at 5:30 or so on the Grady-White...headed out of Ludington about 5 miles straight out. It was pretty dark, and as we were running, we started to get our tackle ready. Once we cut back to trolling speed, we started to put out lines...beginning with the two Dipsey rods...then on to the 4 riggers. Greg rigged the portside forward rigger and I was working on the starboard side.
He moved on to the portside rear rigger and asked for the rubberbands...I told him I didn't have them. The whole bag of them had been sitting on top of the livewell right next to the portside front rigger. We started looking and they were nowhere to be found. We searched high and low...in the tackle bags...in the livewell...in our pockets...you name it, we looked there....no rubberbands. So, in desperation, we used some very heavy ones that we had stashed in the tackle bag.
We were grumbling and mumbling at each other (and at H20Hazard too) all day about who lost the rubberbands...not the best day we've spent fishing together. Finally, at about 1:00 PM we decided to pull lines and head in. As we pulled in the portside front line, it was really putting up a fight...like an unreleased Dipsey...we're saying there must be a fish on there that we've been dragging...but no...up comes our entire bag of rubberbands...hooked in right in the top of the bag with all 3 hooks. We'd hooked it accidently when the first line went in the water in the morning...and we'd been dragging it ever since.
Moral of the story...change up your baits more often than every 8 hours.
Tom
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Amazing thing was that we had changed out everything but that one line - we changed up riggers, etc... we knew we had a hot combo on that line - just didn't know that they hot combo included a bag of rubberbands. Moral of the story - change it up (atleast check it) even it is working somewhere else on the boat.
The amazing thing was that the bag never ripped away - the hooks had barely made a rip in it. It was good for a number of laughs and stories - and we used the bands for the rest of the season
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Too funny.....you couldn't make up a story like that!! So bottom line is you guys don't ecommend rubber bands as an attrantant?? At least you found the bag 'cause you'd STILL be wondering where they went if they weren't hooked!! Best, Chip
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