Pancake vs round downrigger weights

[Waterfish]

I am new to downrigger fishing, having only been one time last summer on my brother's boat. Since then I have purchased two Scotty electrics and I am getting them set up and mounted on my boat. I will use them mainly for Macs, browns, and kokanee.

My brother uses 12 lb pancake weights. He said they don't result in as much blowback as do round weights. I sat in on a downrigger seminar at the Sportsman's show, and the speaker said pancake weights were good as long as the fins don't get bent - if they do get bent he said they won't track straight and one pancake weight may swing over to the other downrigger line, resulting in horrible tangles.

I was looking at 12 pound pancake weights at GI Joes this weekend, and they seemed pretty solid. The fin was part of the weight, and I wonder how this could get bent? If not for the possiblity of a bent fin causing the pancake weights to track wrong, it seems to me that pancake weights would be the way to go.

I know that some people bounce their weights across the bottom to trigger a mack bite. Would a round weight be better for that? It seems like the narrow pancake weight may have more chance of cutting into the bottom and getting hung up :idea: What are your thoughts and experiences with pancakes vs round weights?

[cptdarel]

depends on the application, I don't feel this speaker has much experence in taking advantage of the wing or rudder effect. We as Commercial salmon fisher drop our lead down as deep as needed, most of us take the advantage of bending a rudder blade to the proper angle the separate the lines, if they were bent inwards then you would have a problem. just my:twocents:

[FallRiverGuy]

If I were to start over I would just use pancake weights. And if I were to bounce a downrigger weight off the bottom I would not use a standard weight. I have heard of fishermen using a big piece of rebar with an eye welded to one end. This is a connected to the downrigger cable by a black rubber bungi. That way if you hang up the rebar all you loose is a piece of rebar and a bungi.

[hookjawfreak]

I have only used 12 pound round weights on my electric Scotty. A buddy of mine does a lot of guiding for bulls and other big trout, and he has warned me to stay away from the pancakes. He says that the pancakes will run straight just fine, but when it comes to making tight turns they can have minds of their own and cross each other.

Dan

[ratcitycat]

My buddy uses the pancake style for salmon fishing in the salt.He has bent the fins on each in opposite directions.This causes the weights to either swing out from the boat or swing into each other and tangle up:redface: . This is nice(swing out) when turning tight or when hooking up into fish but really bad if you do not put them on the proper side of boat or in combat fishing where you are liable to tangle with other boats.As far as being more streamlined and less drag through the water,I have heard both yes and no.They do look like they should have less drag then the round balls,but I have been told that sphere shaped objects have less resistance while moving through mediums(air,water...)
Mike

[Roperguy]

I have pancake weights and I can only suggest that a SLIGHT bend works. I am always careful about which side they get dropped after tangling once.
As far as bouncing the bottom, I have accidentally hit bottom a few times and the pancake tends to lay flat and slide over rocks pretty well (based on the scrapes on the sides)
good luck
Maury