Are downriggers worth it?
Downriggers are an efficient way to put live bait and lures in precise zones of the water column, and all anglers know that being in the right depth leads to more fish in the box. Downriggers are consistently used to target king mackerel, amberjack, cobia, grouper, among others.
How do I choose a downrigger?
When looking at downriggers, make sure the boom is long enough to clear the back of your boat and the gunnels, wherever you plan to mount it. Also, make sure that the downrigger comes with a base or that one is available to meet your needs as far as fixed base, tab lock or swivel base.
What is the best weight for a downrigger?
Six to eight pounds is typical for most moderate depth freshwater applications and ten pounds is typical for saltwater. (see Weight Table). The amount of weight needed on a downrigger is a function of the speed you are trolling and the depth you are fishing.
Can you troll without a downrigger?
Reels. The secret to trolling without a downrigger is being able to replicate success. That is why I highly recommend a level-wind reel with a built-in line counter. When trolling without a downrigger, you need to let out more line to get down to the fish.
What are the four basic accessories needed to fish with a downrigger?
Downriggers consist of four major components, the weight, cable, pole or boom, and the spool. A fishing line is attached to the downrigger cable by means of a “line release.” The weight is normally a five-to-twenty-pound mass of lead which is connected to the stainless steel cable.
What is downrigger blowback?
Blowback is the angle or horizontal distance between your downrigger weight and your downrigger. It is created by the resistance of the water to the downrigger weight and line as you pull it through the water behind your boat.
How fast can you troll with a downrigger?
Most people troll at 1.5 to 3.5 mph. How do you know if you are at the right speed? Sure, you can look at your GPS speed over ground readings, but you see your downrigger lines are almost straight at 2 mph.
Can you put a downrigger on a kayak?
Mounting a Downrigger on a Kayak Before deciding where to mount it, spend some time in your kayak and get comfortable fishing and landing fish from it. Most kayak anglers are going to opt to install compact manually cranked downriggers rather than large heavy electric powered ones.
Which is the best downrigger on the market?
Here Are The Best Downriggers. 1 1. Scotty High-Performance Downrigger. Buy from Amazon. Estimated Price: $850. The Scotty 2116 High-Performance Downrigger has a 36-60 inch 2 2. Cannon Optimum Downrigger. 3 3. Cannon Uni Troll Manual Downriggers. 4 4. Scotty Strongarm Manual Downrigger. 5 5. Scotty 1106 Electric Downrigger.
Which is the best downrigger for Solar Sailor?
The ideal downrigger should be easy to use, very sensitive to bites, yield excellent depth control, and should be easy to mount. 1. Cannon Uni-Troll Manual Downrigger 2. Scotty 1101 Depthpower Downrigger 3. Cannon Magnum 10 TS 4. Scotty 2106 Electric Downrigger 5. Cannon Mini-Troll Downrigger
Which is the best downrigger for a pontoon boat?
The Cannon Mini-Troll features a compact downrigger design, which is ideal for use on pontoon boats, canoes, bass boats, and smaller fishing boats. It comes with a horizontal reel/brake, 100 percent of stainless steel downrigger cable, and a swivel-head depth counter. Backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
What kind of fish can you catch with a downrigger?
Downriggers allow anglers to troll with fishing lures and baits up to 400 feet deep. As a charter captain, I have used downriggers to catch salmon, wahoo, king mackerel, halibut, rockfish, lingcod, and sharks. I have used both electric and manual downriggers.