Selecting a Downrigger

So you have finally bought a boat with all the goodies. The fishing has been spectacular all spring and early summer. As the dog days of summer hit, the fish seemed to just turn off. Did they disappear? Not likely. They probably just moved deeper than can be reached with conventional gear. Summer is the time of the downrigger.

As with any type of fishing or boating gear, the proper downrigger will make angling easier and more productive. On the same note, the wrong one for you or your boat will cause headaches and inconvenience.

When first selecting a downrigger, the angler must take a few things into consideration.

The depth of the water one will be fishing is important. An angler who typically fishes in the top 20-40 feet can usually get away with a manual downrigger without much extra effort. Because shallower depths do not require heavy weights, one can often use a smaller “lake troll” like a Cannon Mini-Troll model to achieve the proper depth. In very deep water a manual can still be used, but the electric units save much cranking and allow the angler to tend to other lines while the weight is being retrieved. Most of the electric and heavy duty manual riggers allow the use of heavy weights (10-15 pounds) necessary to fish waters over 50 feet effectively.

Boom length is determined mostly by the boat and location of the downrigger. If the riggers are to be used from the side of the boat, a short boom model will work fine. If they are used in conjunction with rear mounted riggers, longer booms spread lines to prevent tangles. For rear mounted units the boom length will be determined by the layout of your particular boat. Boats with swim platforms, outboard motors or large splash wells will require long boom models. Vessels with inboards or inboard/outboard motors often sport short booms off the transom.

Automatic stop are very convenient especially when running multiple rods. This allows the weight to stop just below the surface, preventing the weight from slamming into the boom pulley. Most electric riggers offer this as a standard feature, whereas some consider it an add on.

Anglers who use monofilament and braided spectra line often choose a rigger with a stainless steel spool such as the Cannon Mag 10 TS . This prevents the spool from warping as the line constricts around the spool.

Many downriggers offer 2 or 3 rod holders. These allow the angler to “stack” more than one rod on a single rigger cable using a stacker release. While this does increase the number of rods that can be utilized, it can be a bit more time consuming as both rods need to be pulled when one of them has a fish on. Many anglers use the extra rod holders for flat lines or placing rods out of the way while fighting a fish.

Most downriggers are mounted with the provided base attached to the boat with through bolts. While this is by far the most solid method of installation, some prefer the gimbal mounts (by Cannon or Scotty) which simply slide in the existing flush mount rod holders. This eliminates drilling into the boat, thus increasing the resale value as well as making removal easy when using the boat for cruising or other types of angling.

By selecting the proper downrigger and accessories, the “dog days” of summer may become your most productive time of the year.

Good Fishing.
Brian Emerick