Downriggers ?

[prayingmantis]

Most of our fishing has been casting. We are just starting to get into trolling. I now have dipsy divers and planner boards. I wanrt to get some downriggers. Not sure want to get. Can anyone give me some suggestions. I dont have a big budget. Thanks for any help

 

[robert graham]

I have some that we've used on the back of the boat for deep trolling for trout....they work O.K. but seem like not as much fun as surface casting....I don't use them much but if the fish are deep and I'm serious about catching some then not a bad method...

 

[LongLine]

There are quite a few good rigg'rs out there. Decide if you want to go with manual or electrics first. Cannon, Scotty, Big Jon are all good. Kind of like the Fords vs Chevy dilemma. I suggest you search for some Great Lakes fishing forum sites and ask there. Then search ebay or those site's classified sections. Myself, I've run Cannon manuals on Lake Ontario for a long time. (I don't mind a little exercise)

Tom B.
(LongLine)

 

[ngt]

I like Scotty DR's. The lift up so you can get the ball easier. Also suggest chamberlain release setups.

 

[Teamster]

On a small budget you might want to look into snap weights and run in-line planer boards to set out your spread,...

I've run 8 ounce snap weights to get down to 50 feet or so,......

Depending on how deep you want to get leadcore might also work,...

As would the new tadpole weights from Offshore Tackle,.........

 

[bruceb58]

I use Penn downriggers that i have had forever. They aren't made anymore but you can still fi and them used on eBay. I always liked them better than Scotty's.

 

[DeepBlue2010]

I have Scotty and Cannon on my boat, both electrical. Both do have pros and cons. Overall, I like Scotty better for the following reasons..

1- I can swing the boom all the way up to reach my ball and/or release faster
2- I can install a braided line on it if I want to (Cannon needs the metal wire for automatic stop to work)
3 - I can use the same base and electrical outlet for a crab pot puller

But at the end of the day, both will work just fine.

 

[blackhawk180]

For me, it was a case of "how often and how deep". As it turns out, it's often AND deep so I have electrics but when I was starting out, we used a pair of manual scotties and they worked just fine. It's hardly worth the expense of electrics if you fish less than 50' in my opinion. I do like the Penn manual setup.

 

[Starcraft5834]

Ive got a manual Cannon Mag 5... make sure what ever you get, get a swivel base, easier to set em up rather than hang out there and risk falling in the drink,, also consider getting rid of your cable and use "braided line",, ive got 200lb braided line,,,, no hum.. much cheaper than cable... as for releases,, get "Blacks" they r the best....I've been told my a charter Capt on Lake Ontario,, to get Blacks,, that's what they all use,, I got some, they are the best

 

[Georgesalmon]

Well, been fishing with down riggers for about 25 years now. Most all of them work pretty well. Started with manual ones and now have 4 electrics. two Big Jons and two Scottys. Like the Scottys best. You can get and use ball retrivers for most all of them, we never tip anything up anymore. For manuals Cannon and Big John are pretty good. Get yourself used ones from fresh water and you'll save a lot of money. Now-a-days we have been switching to more and more copper and lead lines and doing better than we have done with down riggers, though its not as much fun with all that weight to pull in a medium size fish.

 

[undone]

You can find manual DR's on CL for about $100.00 each, sometimes less. I have Scotty's, Penn and Lake System. I use 3 manual Penns right now. I sold the electrics because I don't fish that deep anymore. Most brands will work fine.

 

[ngt]

Ive got a manual Cannon Mag 5... make sure what ever you get, get a swivel base, easier to set em up rather than hang out there and risk falling in the drink,, also consider getting rid of your cable and use "braided line",, ive got 200lb braided line,,,, no hum.. much cheaper than cable... as for releases,, get "Blacks" they r the best....I've been told my a charter Capt on Lake Ontario,, to get Blacks,, that's what they all use,, I got some, they are the best

What makes Blacks better than Chamberlain releases? (serious question)

 

[rolmops]

Praying Mantis, hmm. That is the name of a 25 foot Steiger with 2 Honda 250s running a Charter service out of the Little Salmon River and very successfully fishing Lake Ontario.
Ok that is probably not you.
For Down riggers,you should ask how deep, how fast and how often
I started with Penn Manual riggers, they worked great,but having to manually winch the 12 pound torpedo weights from 90 feet down took the fun out of it.
If you fish solo,then electric riggers is the way to go.Push a button and the rigger comes up while you fighting the fish.That means one less thing to worry about.
The brand does not matter much,just make sure that they have automatic stop.
If you fish fairly shallow,then there will not be very much fish behind your rig because your engine noise just chased them to the sides. It might be time to think about planer boards and mast. That gizmo will enable you to run 6 lines at different depths on the sides of you boat., (double keel otter boats) if you use lead core and or copper lines in addition to your dipsies you will have a better spread and presentation. The space behind your rig is clear of lines which makes it easier to bring in your fish without tangles. The best thing about planer boards for solo fishermen is the stability that they provide. You have two equal forces pulling in opposing directions. This will make your boat go straight without having to constantly steer.
Black, Chamberlain or Scotty? We use Blacks and Scotties with rubber bands. On the Scotties we often use 32 inch leads. This enables us to see a fish that is not strong enough to pull the line out of the release,because the rod will start dancing.