What Size Downrigger Ball Should I Use With My Big Jon Manual Downrigger

Downriggers allow anglers to troll with fishing lures and baits upwardly to 400 feet deep. As a charter captain, I have used downriggers to catch salmon, wahoo, male monarch mackerel, halibut, rockfish, lingcod, and sharks. I have used both electric and transmission downriggers. In the bang-up lakes, I have used downriggers to catch male monarch salmon, coho salmon, and lake trout. In deep lakes, downriggers are oftentimes frequently used to grab walleye. The trolling speed, blazon of lure, and depth of lines all modify base on what fish is beingness targeted. The concept of how to use a downrigger is the same though, no matter what fish you want to catch.

Sometimes I stack two poles on each downrigger to get more than lines set deep. The deepest I accept defenseless salmon at with a downrigger is 240 feet. It is not uncommon for recreational and charter fishermen to catch fish downwardly 300 feet with a downrigger. Commercial fishermen use hydraulic downriggers to set lines to around 600 feet. A lure tin be ready on commercial fishing downrigger lines every half-dozen feet although 9 feet is more mutual.

In this commodity, I volition review the best electric and manual downriggers commonly used for recreational and lease angling. The offset decision yous will have to make is whether you want to buy an electric downrigger or a manual downrigger. So yous will need to decide if you want to spool it with wire or braided line. I will also discuss the all-time downrigger release clips and stacker clips. I have used most of this gear and if this article is read carefully yous will get all the equipment needed to catch monster fish in deep water!

In that location are two ascendant companies that brand up the majority of the downrigger market. The start is Cannon downriggers. This is a Wisconsin based company that is right on Lake Michigan. If yous fish the great lakes or east declension of the United States Cannon downriggers are the most popular brand. Scotty downriggers are based out of British Colombia on the west declension of Canada. If you fish in the Pacific North W in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, or California Scotty downriggers are the most pop. Line-fishing gear is very region-specific which is actually quite foreign. It is actually a proficient thought to stick with the geographic norms because there are more service shops in the area when things interruption. Going to a service store is much easier than mailing a downrigger for routine maintenance or repair.

Here Are The Best Downriggers
- 1. Scotty High-Performance Downrigger
- 2. Cannon Optimum Downrigger
- 3. Cannon Uni Troll Manual Downriggers
- 4. Scotty Strongarm Manual Downrigger
- 5. Scotty 1106 Electrical Downrigger
- vi. Scotty 1101 Electric Downrigger
- 7. Cannon Magnum STX Tournament Series Electric Downrigger
- eight. Cannon Magnum Series Electric Downriggers
- 9. Cannon Digi Troll 10 Electric Downrigger
- 10. Cannon Digi Troll 5 Electrical Downrigger
- 11. Scotty 1060 Compact Transmission Downrigger
- 12. Cannon Mini Troll Manual Downrigger
- xiii. Walker Mini Lake Transmission Downrigger
- 14. Cannon Lake Troll Manual Downrigger
- 15. Cannon Uni Troll STX Tournament Series Manual Downrigger
- 16. Cannon Uni Troll 5 Manual Downrigger
- 17. Cannon Easy Troll ST Transmission Downrigger

Here Are The Best Downriggers

i. Scotty High-Operation Downrigger

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Estimated Price: $850

The Scotty 2116 Loftier-Functioning Downrigger has a 36-lx inch telescoping smash. The rise speed is 260 anxiety per minute with a xx-pound weight. This model comes with 300 feet of stainless steel line. There is an option to buy this same downrigger and have it come spooled with braided line and that model is called the 2106B. They are the same downrigger information technology only depends on your preference of wire cable or braided line.

Concluding season I had braided line on both of my downriggers. The cable has slightly less resistance going through the water and therefore has less blowback. Blowback is the brawl getting pushed backside the boat because of drag. Using heavier weights helps to reduce blowback. I would run 15-pound downrigger weights and had no trouble fishing at 240 feet at troll speed around ii knots. If you lot are going to troll faster and deeper running wire is probably the better option.

The reason an electric downrigger is better than a manual is that when a fish is hooked a knob is rotated and weight ascends to the surface. If the line is not brought to the surface the fish will likely get tangled in the downrigger line. Having the downrigger come on its ain allows the angler to focus on communicable the fish. If the lines are set lx feet and above having a manul downrigger works pretty good. Once lines are set up deeper than 60 feet information technology is really nice having an electric downrigger.

The role I similar all-time about Scotty electrical downriggers compared to cannon is being able to control the descent speed with the handle and clutch break. This means that I tin can send it down slow at first and quicker once the gear is at depth. This is peculiarly helpful when a fish is marked and the bait tin be adjusted quickly. With the cannon electrical downriggers, a button is pushed and there is simply one decent speed. The decent speed can be adjusted but not continuously. All manual downriggers have a handle with a clutch brake performance.

This downrigger with the Fish Hawk X2 is exactly what I would buy if I was running a charter fishing visitor. It is pinnacle of the line gear and provides all the information needed to give the anglers the best chance of catching fish. This would exist a summit of the line fishing setup without being over the top expensive.

I used two of these downriggers that were a few years onetime and simply hand one break during the 5-month flavor in Alaska. It broke afterwards hanging upwards on the lesser. These do have a built-in circuit breaker that will finish the downrigger from working if the downrigger is hung up on the bottom or is lifting heavy weeds or kelp. The internal excursion breaker resets subsequently 15 seconds. The downrigger should also exist wired on an external circuit breaker with a 30 amp fuse. The fuse tripping is not uncommon as catching the bottom or lots of weeds is bound to happen from time to time when angling.

For charter operations, we always have a backup downrigger on the boat though. These downriggers are not perfect just are the best electric downriggers that I accept used. Scotty downriggers likewise come with a limited lifetime warranty. It is always good to accept back-up weights, cable, and release clips on the boat also in-instance a line breaks.

Fish Hawk X2

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Estimated Price: $740

Ther Fish Militarist X2 is the easiest mode to get an authentic temperature, depth, and speed at the downrigger ball. There is a Fish Hawk X4 that is more advanced but requires mounting the receiver on the back of the boat. I actually like how this system works because the integration is then uncomplicated. I will review the Fish Hawk X4 in more detail afterward in this article.

This device helps catch more than fish for three many reasons in my opinion. Starting time, information technology allows the temperature of the water to exist adamant at different depths. Figuring out what temperatures fish are at helps institute what depth h2o to target. If fish are biting or are non biting it gives greater insight into why this might exist the case. 2d, it allows for the exact troll speed of the lure to be determined, even in strong currents. The former fashion fashion to practice this is to look at the bending of the downrigger line backside the gunkhole every bit an estimate of the speed at the downrigger ball. This bending varies based on line depth and currents and then knowing the exact speed is awesome.

The third and probably the most important is that this device shows the true depth which allows for the verbal distance from the bottom to be determined. For many fish, like king salmon, the best depth for baits is a few anxiety from the lesser. The old fashion way of achieving this is to set the counter on the downrigger 10-20 feet deeper than depth on the fish finder to account for blowback. The fish hawk allows for the bait to be kept a few feet off the bottom which definitely helps take hold of more fish.

One common business organization is if the downrigger ball gets caught on the bottom the line will break and the transmitter will be lost. This is a valid concern as ownership a new transmitter toll most $300. This system comes with a safety clip for the device that makes a second connection to the downrigger line. I would also recommend connecting the downrigger weight to the Fish Hawk transmitter with a line that is 50 pounds less potent than the mainline. This way if the brawl gets hung up only the weight will be lost. Well-nigh of the time when a downrigger line breaks it is nearly the brawl not in the eye of the wire. That beingness said I am sure many of these transmitters have been lost then taking extra precautions to preclude this is a proficient idea.

Here is a video I made on how to use downriggers.

2. Cannon Optimum Downrigger

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Estimated Toll: $1800

This is the meridian of the line downrigger from Cannon. If money was non a gene and the boat has infinite for large downriggers this would be the ultimate setup. This downrigger has an rise speed of 250 feet per minute with a 20-pound weight. This downrigger has a 24-53 inch telescopic blast. The line depth and other data is displayed on a iii.5 inch LCD brandish. This downrigger comes pre-spooled with 400 anxiety of 150-pound stainless steel cable. This cannon downrigger does come up with a limited lifetime warranty.

Advanced features include the One-Boat Network. This wireless network allows up to 4 downriggers to communicate and share data which can all be transmitted to a smartphone or tablet. It also allows for information to be shared with the Fish Militarist system. Data can as well be shared with newer hummingbird fish finders. All the same, I practise non think having my downrigger data on the fish finder would be enough to make the switch to a hummingbird fishfinder.

My favorite feature of this downrigger is lesser tracking. I talked to a guy fishing a super fancy gunkhole and he loved it. The wireless engineering allows the data to exist sent to his iPad where he controlled his downriggers. He said he had his chrome flashers just scraping the gravel and that was the central to communicable more fish. You still have to pay attending to what is going on especially when the lines come up with auto-tracking considering the slack needs to reel in on the line. The drag tin can exist set fairly loose to permit the line to be pulled out when the downrigger goes deeper.

Bottom tracking only works if the boosted Cannon transducer is installed. With the transducer installed it will track bottom based on the depth given by the sonar. This depth value will oft be negative or below the footing to get the downrigger weight shut to the bottom. This is because the line counter depth shows how much line has been let out which does non business relationship for blowback. The most accurate style to bottom track is to additionally get the Fish Hawk system which will requite the true depth of the brawl.

The last feature I will talk most is positive ion command. In that location are enough of people that swear by adding a positive voltage to there downrigger cable. Usually between .45 and .75 volts. This downrigger has this feature built-in and is fully adjustable. This is similar to the Scotty black box positive voltage command arrangement. These systems only work with wire cables, not a braided line. Some people use downrigger with snubbers to connect the weight to remove most electrical noise traveling down the wire. All boats have some type of electrical output into the water. Some are really favorable and some are non. These details are overlooked by many fishermen. If you stopped catching fish near the boat there could really exist a battery or grounding issue on the boat.

Fish Hawk X4D Organization

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Estimated Price: $700

The Fish Hawk X4D system is the all-time organization on the market to make up one's mind the temperature, depth, and speed at the downrigger ball. The transmitter wirelessly sends sonar signals to the transducer that is mounted to the back of the boat. The transmitter is powered with iv AA batteries which terminal for virtually 100 hours of use. The device is water activated so there is no worry about turning the device on or off. The transducer also provides the surface temperature of the water.

The transducer in the FishHawk X4D is mounted to the bottom of the boat which is different than the Fish Hawk X2 which has a sideslip connectedness that placed a minor wireless transducer onto the downrigger line. Both have advantages and disadvantages only the FishHawk X4D is easier to use once setup. The X4D too sends the information over bluetooth to other devices which tin exist very helpful. This indicate provides a more than accurate depth reading which tin can be incorporated into bottom track features of downriggers.

If you lot never had this data earlier you do not know what you are missing out on. Once people have this data it makes line-fishing without information technology seems similar luck, not strategy and skill. This Fish Hawk system will work with any downrigger and can exist used with steel cablevision or braided line. To integrate with the cannon optimum I initially idea y'all could simply by the transmitter. However, yous exercise need the systems transducer mounted on the boat and the X4D display module to transmit the signals over Bluetooth to the downriggers wireless network.

3. Cannon Uni Troll Manual Downriggers

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Estimated Price: $345

The Uni Troll Series manual downriggers past Cannon are very popular and well-congenital downriggers. This telescoping Uni Troll model has a stainless steel boom that extends from 24 to 53 inches. It comes with a swivel base of operations which is actually a $lxx option on other models. This downrigger comes pre-spooled with 200 feet of 150-pound steel cablevision and tin can exist used with upward to twenty-pound downrigger weights. The depth is displayed with a three-digit analog display. The retrieval speed is 2 to one which ways that one turn of the handle moves the spool to revolutions which brings up two feet of line. The weight descends buy pulling back on the handle wich released the clutch mechanism.

The advantage of using a manual downrigger is that a power source is not required. The design is also simpler and in that location are fewer parts to interruption which makes at that place downriggers very sturdy. The extendable nail is mostly useful to go along the downrigger line from hitting the boat or motor prop when making a turn.

In general, extending the boom is a pain because it makes it t is more difficult to put the angling line on the release clips. There are downrigger weight retrievers available that are used to pull the weight close to the boat. Sometimes in strong currents, if the boom is not extended turns are non possible and gear needs to be reset for each drift. This can even happen with extendable booms. Almost days I do not extend the booms on my downriggers but if I run into the line is getting about the boat or prop is bully to have the option to extend the blast.

The swivel base is a must and then the downrigger can stay mounted on the boat all the fourth dimension. Some bases are fixed and the downrigger needs to exist removed when docking. A hinge base can also assist get the weight out of the way when netting a fish. The amend style to become the weight out of the way when netting fish is with a downrigger weight retriever. The weight retriever prevents the weights from swinging and hitting the side of the boat.

In this picture show, my Dad is belongings a small rex salmon. We are fishing with two Cannon Uni Troll manual downriggers and stacking ii lines on the starboard side downrigger. This is an 18-feet boat and on calm days we could all the same become out there and grab every bit many fish as the large boats. This is actually fall fishing in Lake Ontario New York for rex salmon, coho salmon, steelhead and lake trout.

4. Scotty Strongarm Transmission Downrigger

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Estimated Price: $207

This scotty manual downrigger has a 23-3/4 inch stainless steel blast. Scotty does brand a strongarm downrigger with a 30-inch blast. This downrigger comes pre-spooled with 200 feet of 15o pound test stainless steel cable. The boom is an adjustable rodmaster II rod holder. Pulling back on the clutch handle released the large clutch brake and descends the line.

Crank handles on Scotty manual downriggers are horizontal. Cannon downriggers have verticle creepo handles. I prefer and vertical handle simply both work well. Some charter boats utilize this manual downrigger. Electric downriggers are definitely better for people who fish every twenty-four hour period. Manual downriggers are great for people who fish for fun and have other people on the boat that tin help run the equipment.

5. Scotty 1106 Electric Downrigger

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Estimated Price: $680

The Scotty 1106 has a 36-60 inch telescopic boom. This is a time-proven sturdy downrigger that actually has some advantages to its high-performance rival. The 1106 model has a retrieve speed of 203 feet per minute with a 15-pound weight. This is less than the 295 feet per minute of the high operation only the 1106 model uses ane/3 the battery depict. The weight limit for this downrigger is 15-pounds. When fishing in a higher place 240 anxiety 15-pound is all the weight that should be needed. There is an 1116 model which is this same downrigger but with 2 congenital-in rod holders. The 1106B is the same downrigger simply comes pre-spooled with 300 feet of 200-pound braided line. All the Scotty downriggers come with a limited lifetime warranty.

I have used this downrigger for charters in Alaska. It gets the job done and is the best choice for most recreation anglers in my stance. It is the most purchased and therefore the most popular Scotty downrigger. This has the everyman amperage depict of any electric downrigger on the marketplace which is not bad for when electric ability availability is an issue. It comes with a 360-degree swivel base that locks in 12 positions.

I am stacking ii poles in the picture show using a Scotty high-performance electrical downrigger. The deep angling rod is in the downrigger rod holder. The shallow rod is in the holder toward the stern of the boat. Typically I stack lines thirty feet apart on the port side of the boat and track lesser on the starboard side of the boat.

vi. Scotty 1101 Electric Downrigger

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Estimated Cost: $697

The Scotty 1101 model is basically the 1106 model just has a xxx inch fixed boon rather than a telescopic smash. Information technology is nice to take the option of a telescopic boom only every bit said before I rarely extend the boom. A xxx-inch boom gets the line pretty far abroad from the boat. This is a good option if the downrigger will be mounted in a mode that the line will not be about the props or able to rub on the side of the boat. The lower the boat sits in the water the less probable the line is to rub on the boat or hit the prop.

vii. Cannon Magnum STX Tournament Series Electric Downrigger

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Estimated Price: $796

Cannon Magnum Series downriggers are very large and have a scope smash that extends from 24 to 53 inches. The spool comes pre-rigged with 250 feet of 150-pound stainless steel cable. When a 20 pound weight is used the retrieval speed is 250 feet per minute. This downrigger might be cheaper using the link for Mangum serries downriggers beneath.

Every bit discussed in detail with the cannon optimum this has positive ion control which sends a small voltage down the downrigger wire which helps attract fish. This downrigger also has a shortstop characteristic that retrieves the ball to the waterline with the button of a button. The downrigger is gear up to stop when the line counter goes to zilch anxiety and downrigger beads are not needed like they are with Scotty downriggers. Pre-gear up stop points can also be fix. This is nice because downrigger balls do go lost when the dewdrop does non piece of work or slides on the line which tin can happen with Scotty electric downriggers.

Downrigger Tip: The image above shows the setup I would e'er run on the starboard side of the boat to track the bottom with. A 15-pound downrigger weight is attached to the downrigger line. There is a metal chrome flasher tied 2 feet behind the ball. About two feet above the ball I would connect a commercial-way stacking clip. These work with braided or steel cable. The allurement which is a herring is placed about 6 anxiety dorsum from the release clip. This setup helps attract fish with a flasher and gives the best action to the bait.

8. Cannon Magnum Series Electric Downriggers

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Estimated Price: $343 – $900

The Magnum 10 STX with Rod Holders: This downrigger has very similar specs to the tournament series magnum described above. It additionally this downrigger has two aluminum adjustable rod holders. These rod holders are mounted between the swivel base of operations and mounting bracket. The entire rod holder fixture can exist removed if the rod holders are not needed. The Downrigger has a 24-53 telescopic smash, positive ion control, a 250 feet per minute retrieval rate and is rated for upwards to 20 pounds of weight.

The Magnum 10 STX: This is the same downrigger but does non has one build it rod holder rather than two custom rod holders.

The Magnum 5: This is the aforementioned downrigger but has a 24 inch fixed boom rather than a large telescoping boom. If the telescoping smash is not needed this is a great value for a powerful electrical downrigger.

The picture above shows a Cannon Mag20DT. This is the older model of downrigger but gives a expert representation of the size of the magnum downriggers mounted on a gunkhole. The Mag20DT also had the 24-53 telescopic blast with a similar size profile. Interestingly this downrigger is setup with a downrigger weight snubber which would likely reduce the positive ions near the bait.

ix. Cannon Digi Troll ten Electric Downrigger

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Estimated Price: $1190

The Cannon Digi Troll 10 has very like features to the cannon optimum with the exception of wireless integration. This downrigger can incorporate the Cannon Intelli Troll system which can provide temperature, depth, and speed ratings at the ball. Fish Hawk described previously is a similar system but this is the catechism version and does not have a wireless option.

This downrigger comes with 400 feet of 150-pound stainless steel cablevision. The telescopic boom extends from 24 to 53 inches. When a xx-pound weight is used the line remember speed is 250 feet per minute.

Advanced features include bottom track, soft stop, positive ion control, and ii dual-centrality rod holders. The bottom rails requires an additional transducer that is sold separately. This downrigger is uniform with the Cannon Link Fishing arrangement which is besides sold separately and allows command of the downrigger from Humminbird fish finders.

There is a Digi Troll 10 tournament series option available with a stainless steel spool and painted white.

10. Cannon Digi Troll v Electric Downrigger

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Estimated Price: $755

The Digi Troll 5 downrigger is like to the Digi-Troll 10 except it does not have a depth cycle, lesser rail, and adjustable speeds. The big 1 here is not having bottom track. If you are not planning to go the additional transducer and Inteli troll organization this would exist a lower-cost selection compared to The Digi Troll 10.

This downrigger does take a soft stop feature and positive ion control. The telescoping boom extends from 24-53 inches. This comes pre-spooled with 400 feet of 150-pound exam stainless steel cablevision. The weight capacity is 20 pounds and the retrieval speed is 250 feet per minute.

xi. Scotty 1060 Compact Manual Downrigger

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Estimated Price: $207

This Scotty Meaty downrigger has a clamp-on bracket that can exist used clamp directly onto the boat. The tradition Scotty mounting bracket does also work for this downrigger. It is called the master pack when it comes with the mounting clench. The downrigger comes with 200 feet of 150-pound stainless steel cable. The line is retrieved at a charge per unit of one foot per turn. The boom length is 23 inches and it comes with a boom-mounted rod holder. When you practise not want to install a permanent mount for a downrigger this is a slap-up choice. John-boats, cannons, and kayaks are the typically vessels this downrigger is used with. A limited lifetime warranty comes with this downrigger.

12. Cannon Mini Troll Manual Downrigger

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Estimated Toll: $91

The Cannon mini troll downrigger comes pre-spooled with 100 feet of 120-pound test stainless steel cablevision. It has a 2 one/two inc C-clench base. This downrigger has a weight capacity of 4 pounds. That is non much in terms of downriggers merely is way more weight then you would want to reel upwards on a fishing pole. This is a common downrigger used for canoes, kayaks, and john-boats.

When fish are being targeted in less than 100 feet of h2o from small watercraft this is a great option. Fifty-fifty though information technology is modest this is still a groovy way to consistently become baits set downwardly deep. This is a cannon downrigger but has the horizontal reel/brake setup like to Scotty manual downriggers. The horizontal reel makes the downrigger more meaty and portable. The depth counter is connected on a pulley bike on the stop of the nail and has a similar appearance to a compass gauge.

13. Walker Mini Lake Transmission Downrigger

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Estimated Price: $121

The Walker Mini Laker downrigger has a 12 inch anodizes boom. Information technology retrieves the line at a rate of one human foot for each turn of the handle. The weight chapters for the downrigger is six pounds. The cable that is included is 100 feet long and 195-pound examination. Also included is a terminal release clip.

This downrigger is set with a threaded clamp that fits on gunnels or brackets up to two-two/4 inches. A rod holder is mounted to the downrigger. There is a one-year manufacturer warranty from the date of buy.

14. Cannon Lake Troll Transmission Downrigger

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Estimated Price: $150

The lake troll downrigger has an 18-inch polymer boom. It comes pre-spooled with 10 feet of 135-pound stainless steel cablevision. It has a verticle clutch breaking system and crank handle. The base is a quick-mount tab-lock fixture. The downrigger is meant to be portable and taken off the mount before docking at the end of the fishing trip. This has an analog depth gauge at the terminate of the boom. This downrigger comes with a limited lifetime warranty. This downrigger is rated for an eight-pound weight. If y'all are angling in nether 100-feet of water at tedious troll speeds this downrigger will get the job done.

15. Cannon Uni Troll STX Tournament Serial Manual Downrigger

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Estimated Price: $381

This is the aforementioned Uni Troll downrigger model shown in pick iii. The Uni Troll tournament serial is painted white and has a stainless steel spool. The steel spool is said to allow for monofilament use. I practise not know when monofilament would be the best line option unless information technology was being used as a commercial fishing reel. This downrigger comes pre-spooled with 200 feet of 150 pound stainless steel cablevision.

16. Cannon Uni Troll 5 Manual Downrigger

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Estimated Price: $287

This is the same as the other Uni Troll Models with two exceptions. The Uni Troll 5 has a fixed twenty-inches boom length. Also, it has a base that does not swivel. The low profile swivel base would cost and additional $70 and is sold separately.

17. Cannon Easy Troll ST Manual Downrigger

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Estimated Price: $216

The Cannon Easy Troll is similar to the Uni Troll 5 and has a stock-still boom length of 24 inches. The line retrieval rate is 1.5 anxiety per turn compared to 2 feet per turn on the Uni Troll models. This downrigger comes pre-spooled with 150 anxiety of 150-pound stainless steel cable. The Uni Troll serial is rated to use twenty-pound weights compared to 12-pound weights on this Easy Troll Downrigger. Looking at the comparing the Uni troll series seems like a much better selection. The like shooting fish in a barrel troll is slightly smaller and lighter only not significantly.

Cannon Downrigger Ball Weights

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These vinyl-coated downrigger weights are awesome. They come in weights from iv pounds to xvi pounds. The most common downrigger weight is probably 12 pounds. This works well for troll speeds nether 4 knots and depths under 120 feet. When angling deeper than 120 anxiety I would recommend getting the 16-pound downrigger weight every bit long equally the downrigger being used is rated for that much weight. I have regularly caught salmon at 240 anxiety on the line counter using downwards using a 15-pound downrigger ball. The allurement was probably at 220 anxiety later on accounting for blowback of the line.

Downrigger Terminal Kit

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This is a terminal kit with crimps for 150-pound stainless steel cable. The safety stop and swivel will nevertheless work if the braided line is used. I similar to add two ore more rubber stops earlier the hinge. The stops allow some give if the downrigger weight comes all the way up and hits the downrigger. Without the safe stops the line will likely break and the downrigger ball will be lost. This could also damage the internal and external parts of the downrigger.

Downrigger Weight Snubber

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The rubber snubber is placed between the downrigger line and the weight. This helps absorb daze and provides electrical insulation nearly the allurement. The electrical insulation would not be good if the downrigger is providing positive ions from the downrigger or the Scotty blackness box organisation. Braided lines and steel cables are not stretchy materials. Calculation the snubber allows some much-needed give to the arrangement if the weight gets snagged on the bottom.

Downrigger Release Clips

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This is the downrigger release that I would recommend using. This a Scotty downrigger release and the hinge connects to the downrigger ball and the line gets placed in the xanthous end of the clip. The further the line gets placed in the clip the more tension it takes to pull the line out of the prune. There is as well a back-slider piece that when pushed back increased tension of the clip.

Cannon makes a black release clip and a crimson release clip. The cherry-red clip offers quite a bit of tension and the blackness i is a very light tension release clip. I would not recommend using the blackness clip. If that is the only one available the tension can exist increased by doubling upward the line and twisting it earlier putting it in the prune. If lots of tension is needed there are outrigger manner release clips that take a knob to adjust the tension. These clips can be tightened and then much the line will non even release.

Downrigger Stacker Clips

The stacker clips shown above are the ones I had on my boat this year. The black clips are to light and I practise not recommend ownership them. The red cannon clip with the Scotty release is one the I made and worked practiced. The easiest fashion to stack a second line is the Scotty release with the commercial clip. The commercial clip goes on the downrigger line and the fishing line goes in the downrigger release. The second stacker line is typically clipped twenty or more feet above the ball. For salmon line-fishing, I always stack the second line 30 feet above the downrigger brawl. This covers unlike depths of water and helps prevent the lines from getting tangled.

Scotty Downrigger Stacker Clips

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This is the same downrigger stacker clip I showed in the picture higher up. This clip comes with an 18-inch line but I arrive so the line is about 6-inches long. The eighteen-inch length would be fine when stacking just I also use this to set the lesser line when a flasher is used on the downrigger ball. I show a sit-in of that in the, how to employ downriggers video shown previously. The commercial style prune works on wire or braided downrigger line.

Downrigger Stopper Chaplet

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These downrigger stopper beads are used with Scotty electric downriggers. When the bead goes through the mechanical slide the downrigger stops. The downrigger brawl should simply barely exist out of the water when the downrigger stops. These can also be used at mid-depth points to stop the downrigger when two lines are stacked on a unmarried downrigger.

Scotty Gimbal Rod Holder Downrigger Mount

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The Scotty gimbal rod holder downrigger mount holds a downrigger using the rod holder of the gunkhole. Many anglers do non desire to drill holes in the boat to mount a downrigger. Specially if it is merely used occasionally. These mounts allow a downrigger to be quickly added and removed from a boat. There are two size options. The 1028 mount is a 9 -inch version with a i-1/two inch tube. A larger 1029 mount is a 12-inch version with a 1-three/4 inch tube. This works with Scotty downriggers and Connon makes like gimbal mounts.

Manual vs. Electrical Downriggers

Electrical downriggers are definitely nice to take when a fish bites considering at a press of a button the downrigger weight can exist sent to the surface. This gets the downrigger line out of the way with little effort and allows more time to be spent driving the boat or fighting the fish. The line-fishing line volition likely become tangled around the downrigger line if it is not brought to the surface. Having multiple practiced fishermen on the boat makes using manual downriggers less of a disadvantage and is merely a trivial more work. When line-fishing in depths under 100 feet using manual downriggers is non to much extra work. Once the target depths start becoming more than 10o feet quite a bit of effort goes into reeling up the downriggers. If only one downrigger is existence used a transmission downrigger can ordinarily get the job done.

In lodge to utilize an electric downrigger power has to exist available. Most marine deep bike batteries can provide enough power bold they are existence charged regularly by the motors. It is not advised to run two downriggers off i battery. If outlets for the downriggers are not on the boat custom outlets would demand to be installed. The outlets are setup near where the downrigger will be used and run to the batteries. The downrigger then plugs into the outlet. This way information technology is like shooting fish in a barrel to remove the downriggers without messing with the battery connections.

How to Use a Downrigger

Downriggers are mounted onto the boat using mounting brackets. The downrigger arm hangs off the side of the boat where a big weight is placed on the downrigger line. Attached to the weight is a downrigger release clip which is where the angling line from a line-fishing pole with a lure is attached. With the gunkhole moving forward at a wearisome speed the weight information technology lowered with the downrigger and line is let out on the fishing pole. The downrigger tin can be stopped at any depth up to 300 feet. Once a depth has been selected the gunkhole moves effectually trying to find fish. If a fish bites the lure the line is released from the clip and is reeled in with the fishing pole. The weight is reeled in with the downrigger and this process is repeated.

Ofttimes Asked Questions

What type of fish are defenseless with downriggers?

The about common fish defenseless using downriggers are salmon, walleye, and king mackerel. I take used downriggers to catch salmon, wahoo, king mackerel, halibut, rockfish, lingcod, and sharks. Halibut, rockfish, and lingcod are not targeted with a downrigger but often get defenseless when trolling baits most the lesser. Other fish people frequently target with downriggers include steelhead, brownish trout, and striped bass.

What is the best size weight to use for downriggers?

The proper weight size mostly depends on the maximum target depth being fished. Typically weights used range from 4-pound to 20-pounds. When fishing shallow 4-12 pound weights are typically used. Setting lines deeper than 120 feet typically requires a 15+ pound downrigger weight. If the boat is trolling fast a larger downrigger weight is going to aid go on the line deeper. The downrigger line will always have some blowback but the downriggers should never be at an angle greater than 60 degrees. The goal of the downrigger is to set the line deep not behind the boat.

What happens if you hit the bottom with the downrigger brawl?

Many fish are well-nigh the bottom so downriggers weights are going to spend some time near the bottom and aye unintentionally striking the lesser from fourth dimension to time. This is not typically a problem. If it is a sand, gravel or mud lesser there will be some jerks on the line and the line can typically be raised without an issue. If the depth gets shallow speedily and the lesser is rocky the downrigger ball might get stuck on the bottom. The tension on the clutch should exist set so line pulls out when this happens. The boat should be taken out of gear immediately and all the line-fishing lines brought in.

Virtually of the time backing over the area where the snag occurred volition free the downrigger brawl. Other times the line breaks. Never pull the line past hand. Even electrical downriggers have a back up manual way to pull up the line. If all else fails cutting the line may be needed. Even if the ball gets stuck it should not damage the downrigger unless the boat was traveling at a loftier rate of speed. The line is typically 100 pounds to 200 pounds which is very strong so be very careful when retrieving stuck downrigger balls.

What is downrigger blowback?

Downrigger blowback is the downrigger ball moving backside the boat due to drag as the boat moves forrad. The farther the downrigger line is angled back the more blowback is present. This can be reduced by slowing down using a heavier downrigger weight or line-fishing at a shallower depth. Having some blowback is perfectly normal just realize that the true depth of the line is shallower than what the counter depth on the downrigger says. Typical blowback makes the line about 10 feet shallower per 100 feet what trolling around 3 knots with a xv-pound weight.

How fast can yous troll with a downrigger?

This actually depends on the downrigger beingness used, the amount of weight and type of lure. I have used a manual cannon downrigger with a 12-pound weight to troll for wahoo at well-nigh nine-knots. The downrigger clips were the outrigger style release clips that can exist adjusted to handle the drag of the lure. The lure was a skirted ballyhoo. If y'all are not careful it is possible to damage the gunkhole and break the downrigger. A better selection for high speed trolling is using planers or heavy trolling weights on large heavy-duty fishing poles.

Thanks for visiting Global Line-fishing Reports. I hope these suggestions help choice the best downrigger!

If you accept any suggestions or questions about downriggers, go out a annotate below!

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Captain Cody has worked on charter angling boats in the Florida Keys, Virgin Islands, and Alaska. Growing upwardly in Pennsylvania Cody has also done extensive freshwater fishing including bass fishing tournaments. Cody strives to provide detailed information most the all-time line-fishing gear and tactics to help both novice and experienced anglers take a more than productive and enjoyable time on the water. Cody also has a groundwork in aerospace engineering and neuroscience but really but takes pride in being skilful at one thing and that is fishing!