The Little Black Box

For years we have heard of the Little Black Box. Most of the time you hear about it when an aircraft has crashed. It gives answers to many questions when the crew can’t speak for themselves.

The Little Black Box I’m talking about is the one angler’s use with downriggers. I had never heard of one until I went to a tackle show in Charleston, Oregon. They had several company representatives there, showing how their brand of tackle was more valuable than the other guys. I talked to one of the downrigger manufacturer’s there about this thing he called a Little Black Box.

It was a cone shaped device that slipped over the downrigger cable, and had an adjustment voltage LED located remotely on the downrigger. I asked him what it was for, and he told me it was to adjust the electrical voltage around my cable.

This was news to me; how on earth could there be an electrical voltage around a steel cable in the water, without any voltage being applied to it? I am an electrician by trade, and now he had my full attention.

He told me that salmon, trout and Steelhead are all attracted to a certain electrical voltages. If you have more it could actually repel the fish; too little and they won’t even give it a second look. There is a fine line of voltage where you can actually see the fish following your bait behind the downrigger on your fish finder.

He told me if you set your fish finder to the highest sensitivity you will see a thin line that looks like moss being dragged behind your ball. If he turned the voltage up the line would disappear and when you turn it back down the line would appear again. 

 I have done some research on the internet and came up with two companies that make Little Black Boxes and both have good articles about what voltage is best for certain species. One even goes into detail on how to measure the voltage, not only around your downrigger but also from your entire boat. Aluminum boats are the most important because of the metal hull. You can see these websites at www.outdoornews.4t.com and click on the links page.

The electricity that’s produced is the same theory as a car battery. The water moving across the Stainless Steel cable creates a positive voltage and current flow back to your battery. Your motor is grounded to the negative terminal of your battery and completes the circuit. If you’re fishing in salt water this voltage could drastically be different than in fresh water, so be sure to recheck the voltage every time you go out and every time you add a new piece of electrical equipment to your boat.

Also if you have any iron parts such as cleats, handrails, or any other metal fasteners on the boat that could come in contact with the water, they should be bonded to the negative battery terminal.

The representative told me he has been fishing with a Little Black Box for the last two years. The year before he started using it he caught and released 45 fish in one season. The next year using the box he caught and released 100 fish. This year he has caught and released over 125 trout so far, up to 21 pounds. As this man told me this story you could see the conviction in his face that he was talking from the heart.

I know since I started fishing with downriggers at Bass Lake I’m hooked on them. I’m going to check out my downriggers, and my boat. This Black Box thing could be the greatest thing since the Little Green Box fish finder that Lorance came up with in the 60’s. The box is available for about $100. The unit comes standard for two downriggers, but will handle up to six.     

            Remember to only take what you can eat, and leave the rest for the next angler. People first, then money and then stuff. Make a youngster's day take them with you, kids spell love TIME. As always, good luck and be safe.

I can be contacted at (541) 572-0905 or outdoornews@earthlink.net