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Voltage the boat puts off


misty79

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I know I read somewhere about copper line changing boat voltage in the water. And how to test it was to take a ohm meter and ground the negative cable to the battery and stick the positive cable in the water. I did this and I got readings from .240 and then dropped down to .162. It flucuated up and down in these ranges. I am wondering if this is good voltage or bad voltage when it comes to fishing. We don't run any copper line at this time. Does anyone know what the readings should be?

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I think the whole voltage is a myth, no more that the e chip. Cold water and picking the right lure puts fish in the box.

Not if your boat is dumping stray current into the water, you can literally see fish streak toward riggers and then blast in the other direction. It's real and it can turn fish off of your inside spread. Some guys that have kickers that aren't bonded can notice a big problem with this.

Stray current can sink a boat if not addressed.

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my readings were from .240-.162 and it fluctuated between them readings. thats less than a quarter volt. is that considered stray current. I was told that if the zink plates are dirty it will throw current off. but my plates are clean and in good condition. I would like my boat in proper working condition. so i would like to figure this stuff out to put more fish in the box.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nobody that fishes the Great Lakes (that I've ever seen or heard about) has ever raved about the black box, that's just a fact. Another fact is that stray current from a boat can drive fish away from your boat. Echips haven't ever really done much for me and I haven't ever noticed a difference in catch between them and a standard flasher.

If you think the stray current thing is BS, ask Salty how many fish his riggers took until he bonded his kicker. It's not about knowing everything, it's about learning from people that know more about a particular subject from experience. I realize that you've learned quite a bit in the past year but let's not forget how long it took you staring at a diver to learn how it's supposed to work.

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People caught fish before echips and black boxes. You want to catch fish put the right lure in the right place at the right time. You dont need to shock the water with volts and amps. However I realize that some of us know everything about anything fishing related, I am calling BS on this one....

Ever see a study of what fish do when electrical current is present under water- say when downriggers aren't properly wired and the termination is letting the current down the rigger wire and out thru the weight? They turn and run far and fast- that's a fact. It can also be an issue of a bigger problem that can seriously affect your boat and any others nearby in a marina.......If stray current wasn't real, there'd be no reason for slipped boats to have sacrificial anodes- and there'd be no reason for a Mercathode system on a Mercruiser.

You have ideals, but you're lacking in information.

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