Rubber Band Question

[Full Circle]

How to attach #64 rubber band to fishing line prior to inserting into downrigger release? Josh mentioned "One snap swivel attaches to the downrigger weight, and the other opens to receive the loops of a #64 rubber band, wrapped figure-eight style around the main line."

[Jared D]

Never heard it called "figure eight style" so I won't say this is exactly what he meant, but the way we do it is to take the rubber band and just got around the main line three or four times, then put each one of the loops (from the top section of the rubber band and the bottom section) and place those into the clip.

Hard to describe, but its very simple.

[pitch bait]

How ever you attach it you want to make sure that the rubber band or bands do not slip on the line. I use two ruberbands and I wrap them together four times around the line then pull one end through the other. If you are using a clip instead of swivel you can use a "hanger" it is a dacron loop that is slid on the line to go in the clip.

[BahamaLure]

The following originated from Walker Holcomb's school of 'How to do Stuff' - ( I recently graduated )

1. toss all your #64 rubber bands, you have already discovered how unwieldy they are and how hard it is to grip the line with a thick band like that. ANY slippage will quickly result in heat build up and degrade or even melt your line on the strike.

2. buy a bag of #32 bands, there is nothing you can not drag with a #32 band and it will grip the line with NO slip every time

3. deploy your lure where you want it, clip one end of the band to the release clip and pass the band over the line then pass it through the clip so now you have the line held about an inch from the clip and maybe 2 inches of band still available. Start to weave the tag end back and fourth in a figure 8 pattern around the legs of the "V" you have created in the line. After 6 or 8 of these passes clip the tag end back into the release clip and you are good to go. Will not break or slip.

4. this method works even better without a release clip at all, but with any kind of hook snap, clip etc. The band provides the release making actual release clips redundant. No more fussing with tension on the releases either.

[James80]

The following originated from Walker Holcomb's school of 'How to do Stuff' - ( I recently graduated )

1. toss all your #64 rubber bands, you have already discovered how unwieldy they are and how hard it is to grip the line with a thick band like that. ANY slippage will quickly result in heat build up and degrade or even melt your line on the strike.

2. buy a bag of #32 bands, there is nothing you can not drag with a #32 band and it will grip the line with NO slip every time

3. deploy your lure where you want it, clip one end of the band to the release clip and pass the band over the line then pass it through the clip so now you have the line held about an inch from the clip and maybe 2 inches of band still available. Start to weave the tag end back and fourth in a figure 8 pattern around the legs of the "V" you have created in the line. After 6 or 8 of these passes clip the tag end back into the release clip and you are good to go. Will not break or slip.

4. this method works even better without a release clip at all, but with any kind of hook snap, clip etc. The band provides the release making actual release clips redundant. No more fussing with tension on the releases either.

Can you take some pictures that sounds interesting.

I usually take two rubber bands and pass them around the line and threw them but instead of making spirals around the line the end goes into the loop. This is repeated on each side of the line about three times.

[waynofish]

Take a #64 band and while holding one end, wrap the other around the line 5 or 6 times. Then take the two loops and put in the clip. Be carefull not to let the two loops cross. Wrapped that way, if the clip opens before the band breaks the band will just unravel itself from the main line and fly into space. You won't have a balled up rubberband to worry about trying to remove when it reaches the guides. Fewer then that on the wraps may result in slipping which is not good.