The "BREAKAWAY CANNON" . . .

[ez2cdave]

Last week, I got a PM and a couple of e-mails, asking about the Breakaway Cannon. So, to help others out in the future, here's a brief description.


The BREAKAWAY CANNON . . .

The purpose of the Breakaway Cannon is to prevent slicing your finger while casting heavy weights and/or large baits, especially when using braided line, on a Spinning Reel (In the UK - a "Fixed-Spool" reel).

The spool on a Spinning Reel rotates to allow a fish to take line against the force of the Drag, without exceeding the breaking strength of the line.

When casting a heavy weight and/or a large bait, the drag may slip during the cast and the line can slice your finger . . . In the case of braid, deeply !

Also, the more power that is being put into the cast, even with lighter weight(s), the more chance there is for the drag to slip under pressure, due to Centrifugal Force.

Whenever you are casting, including Conventional & "Multiplier" (UK) reels, a "Shock Leader" is recommended to prevent the danger of a heavy weight with sharp hooks breaking free and causing serious injury . . .

The "Rule of Thumb" for Shock Leaders is 10lb of breaking strength for every Ounce of weight you are throwing, including the weight of the bait. Weaker casters can get away with slightly less, but a powerful caster should always follow the "10lb per Ounce" rule.

The Breakaway Cannon prevents the spool from rotating during the cast, by having the line wrapped around a "capstan" on it, secured by a finger-released "trigger". It is an excellent device, which prevents injury and allows increases in casting distance, since you are able to put more power into the cast, without the line slipping.


Tight Lines !!!

[Keta]

Do you have a photo?

[Steve-O]

Do you have a photo?

I was reading about this last week and recalled the website.

http://www.breakawayusa.com/products/accessories/cannon/

[BMITCH]

Good idea for bait and weight...for throwing plugs or metal. IMHO looks too cumbersome. I just use duct tape over the last knuckle on my index finger

Bob

[ez2cdave]

Do you have a photo?

YEP . . . Here you go !

[ez2cdave]

[Wolli]

this an alternative (home made) construction

www.worldseafishing.com/columns/new-tackle/fixed-spool-trigger/

[ez2cdave]

this an alternative (home made) construction

www.worldseafishing.com/columns/new-tackle/fixed-spool-trigger/

Interesting idea . . . The guy in the UK said it's all Stainless Steel. If that's the case, it might be difficult to make one for less than the $20 you can get a Breakaway Cannon off of eBay for. Aluminum might be a reasonable alternative, but not corrosion-resistant, like S.S. is.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Breakaway-Cannon-Thumb-Button-Fixed-Spool-Casting-Aid-/171976741768

[Jeri]

Hi

They are a great little invention, that were originally designed for mono leaders, as the 'capstan' is quite rough in its finish, and when used with braid or braid leaders can cause some premature wear on the same point of the braid – especially if you are consistent in how much 'drop' you have off the end of the rod.

With the development of using braid and fixed spool (spinners) here in southern Africa, these have become more than essential for our rods – to the point where we are ordering them in bulk to build them onto rods before they are sold. The real benefit is that huge loads can be transmitted through the 'cannon' or 'bionic finger' as they are known down here. In some instances we are casting off 14' long rods combined bait and weight of 14oz or more, and still getting huge distances.

A comment about lure fishing with them, was that they look cumbersome, but again in surf spinning where distance is always at a premium, we have built rods with these for casting 2 & 3oz lures, and the pressure that you can exert through the clip is huge – infinitely more than you might through your finger tip. To the point where the strength of the rod is challenged, and thus giving out more power. With one 12' design we have we are casting 2oz lures to beyond 130 metres, with the cannon clips.

A couple of points about usage – in the first video clip, the guy wraps the leader round the 'capstan' three times – which leads to a very jerky release and delays the power of the cast – and generally causes a loss of distance. The second clip is perhaps correct with just one wrap over the capstan.

Basically a simple casting aid that really does work well, as it truly just replicates the finger action you would normally use with a fixed spool reel, so now 'learning curve' needed to re-educate the anglers. Although they are patented, they are available from dubious factories in the far east at much cheaper prices that advertised, and also in a range of sizes. The standard Breakaway product is great for full surf rods, but smaller ones are awesome on lighter spinning rods.


Hope that helps

Cheers from sunny Africa


Jeri

[ez2cdave]

Hi

They are a great little invention, that were originally designed for mono leaders, as the 'capstan' is quite rough in its finish, and when used with braid or braid leaders can cause some premature wear on the same point of the braid – especially if you are consistent in how much 'drop' you have off the end of the rod.

With the development of using braid and fixed spool (spinners) here in southern Africa, these have become more than essential for our rods – to the point where we are ordering them in bulk to build them onto rods before they are sold. The real benefit is that huge loads can be transmitted through the 'cannon' or 'bionic finger' as they are known down here. In some instances we are casting off 14' long rods combined bait and weight of 14oz or more, and still getting huge distances.

A comment about lure fishing with them, was that they look cumbersome, but again in surf spinning where distance is always at a premium, we have built rods with these for casting 2 & 3oz lures, and the pressure that you can exert through the clip is huge – infinitely more than you might through your finger tip. To the point where the strength of the rod is challenged, and thus giving out more power. With one 12' design we have we are casting 2oz lures to beyond 130 metres, with the cannon clips.

A couple of points about usage – in the first video clip, the guy wraps the leader round the 'capstan' three times – which leads to a very jerky release and delays the power of the cast – and generally causes a loss of distance. The second clip is perhaps correct with just one wrap over the capstan.

Basically a simple casting aid that really does work well, as it truly just replicates the finger action you would normally use with a fixed spool reel, so now 'learning curve' needed to re-educate the anglers. Although they are patented, they are available from dubious factories in the far east at much cheaper prices that advertised, and also in a range of sizes. The standard Breakaway product is great for full surf rods, but smaller ones are awesome on lighter spinning rods.


Hope that helps

Cheers from sunny Africa


Jeri

Jeri,

Thanks for that great information, Sir !

Since the "Capstan" can be rough, POLISHING it sounds like a very good idea to me !

Tight Lines !