Black’s Releases And Why We Use Them

Black’s releases from Black Marine Products are by far the best release type that we use on our charter trips. There is also a very similar type called a Dubro’s which performs exactly the same way. In this post we will discuss why we use them as well as how we set them up for Lake Ontario fishing.

Black's releases
Black’s Release

The main purpose of a release is to hold the fishing line with tension until there is a fish strike. Tension on the Black’s releases is adjustable. Both the Black’s and Dubro’s allow incremental tension adjustment by simply turning a screw. The screw itself is under tension so that adjustments stay put. There is infinite adjust-ability with the Black’s.

Picture of Dubro's release
Dubro’s Release

On our charter boat, the “Ace“, we take it it one step further. Our method, once set up correctly, takes all the guess work out or the release tension adjustment. In fact, once we set our Blacks, we virtually, never have to touch them again. Once set, they are set.

Why We Use Black’s

Our initial tension settings are for attractor rods such as those used for flies or meat. We set our Black’s tight. There are no false releases. When a rigger rod fires off of a Black’s, its always from a fish bite, i.e., not from too loose of tension. But you might ask, “what about lite line fishing? Won’t a too tight adjustment break the line upon strike?” Not to fret!

In our next post we will disclose how we fish lite line with Black’s releases without the line breaking. The method we use also insures a good hook set but allows us to see shakers. We use rubber bands.

As always, feel free to contact us with our contact form,

You can always call us at 413-346-7675 with any questions or if you would like to book a trip.