Penn Downriggers

[rolmops]

I am about to change from Penn manual down riggers (the ones I bought from rndn) to electric
Does anybody here use electric Penn down riggers?
How do they compare to Scotties and Walkers?
Which ones will haul up a 13 or 17 pound rigger weight?
Please give your opinion and advice.It is quite an expense and the more info the better. Thank you,Rolmops.

 

[sasto]

Re: Penn Downriggers

I used the Penn computerized electric for several years.....went back to the manual. The electric gave me fits due to saltwater enviroment and UV. You may not have this problem though.

Something I learned while using the manual downriggers was how to rig and re-rig without lifting the weight. Not good explaination but...I make a release clip from a rubber band. Take 2 ends of the band and wrap it around the line 3 or 4 times at your desired location. Join the 2 ends of the band together and therad swivel clip thru them. Place the open clip around your deployed downrigger wire and latch. Open the bail and let the clip, band, and line lower to desired depth. Fish strikes and breaks band. clip slides to the weight. Re-rig. I can keep the weight deployed all day without having to retrieve it.

 

[rolmops]

Re: Penn Downriggers

I used the Penn computerized electric for several years.....went back to the manual. The electric gave me fits due to saltwater enviroment and UV. You may not have this problem though.

Something I learned while using the manual downriggers was how to rig and re-rig without lifting the weight. Not good explaination but...I make a release clip from a rubber band. Take 2 ends of the band and wrap it around the line 3 or 4 times at your desired location. Join the 2 ends of the band together and therad swivel clip thru them. Place the open clip around your deployed downrigger wire and latch. Open the bail and let the clip, band, and line lower to desired depth. Fish strikes and breaks band. clip slides to the weight. Re-rig. I can keep the weight deployed all day without having to retrieve it.

That would be a big problem when fighting a 30 pound salmon.
We have to be able to get everything out of the water really fast because these guys will run circles around all the other gear and make a huge mess of whatever is in the water.Also mono and power pro tend to be cut to shreds when the fish pulls the line around the rigger cable.

 

[sasto]

Re: Penn Downriggers

That would be a big problem when fighting a 30 pound salmon.
We have to be able to get everything out of the water really fast because these guys will run circles around all the other gear and make a huge mess of whatever is in the water.Also mono and power pro tend to be cut to shreds when the fish pulls the line around the rigger cable.

I'm not suggesting leaving he downrigger line out when landing a fish. We catch marlin, dolphin, sailfish, wahoo , swardfish. lake trout and salmon, using this method. all very fiesty fish. I am only stating we get better service out of the manual vs. the electric.....and sharing an idea.. If you land every fish hooked up.... this method would not suit you. The choice is yours.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Penn Downriggers

I grew up cranking Penn manuals in the Great Lakes on my dad's boats, and I'm currently looking for a nice pair for my Starcraft, so I am more than a bit biased here.

I've never used the electric Penns, only Walkers(no complaints on those either), but I'd be willing to bet that the Penn are just as good if not better.

Looking at them, it seems to me that they kept what works from the manuals and added a motor, so the hardware is time-tested and proven to last. The only concern would be motor failure and a warranty should cover that for a few years.

For the price of brand-new electric I can crank happily for some time, but if you are fishing deeper than 150' they sure are nice for getting lines up and down after a release.

Save the energy for catching the thirty pounders right?

How deep do you fish in Ontario?

 

[rolmops]

Re: Penn Downriggers

The main reason why I want to go electric is being alone on the boat.
When a big one hits everything has to get out of the water,mostly because my 19 footer will not keep a straight course in wavy water if I am not on the wheel.I have lost a 9 pound pancake because I winched it up to fast while fighting a fish that got caught of the other downrigger.Having to bring up 2 riggers,reeling in the second rod and fighting a fish is complicated to say the least,I lost plenty of fish because of this crazy multi-tasking.
With electric downriggers at least the rigger lines will come up at the touch of a button.That prevents a lot of going in circles or zigzagging while running back and forth in an aluminum boat that does not have enough weight and draft to stay on course in the waves.
My preference for Penn is mostly because everything they build is high quality and their service department is great.
As for using rubber bands to send the hardware down.That works great until you come to the point where the water pressure on the line above the rubber band becomes stronger then the downward pressure of the weight of the hardware.It is very hard to position the lure within a few feet of the thermocline when it is below 90 feet and although I can see the 13 pound torpedo weight on my fish finder,it is not good enough to see the lure and dodger as well.
On the South side of the lake after strong northern winds the thermocline or any water with a 48 degree temperature is often below 120 feet so it is either going out to the 500 FOW line ,which is about 12 miles off shore and fish at 70 feet depth or stay closer to shore and fish at 120 feet down.I guess that the same is true on the Canadian side when there are strong southern winds.