I'm buying one of those Cannon's downriggers, and having it installed on my boat.
What models are the best? I do not want the powered ones because it will drawn down the battery power for my other gadgets. (I've already got three batteries on my boat.) So it will be hand-reeled ones. Thanks for your reply.
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I've used the Sport Troll model. It is great for open water trolling. I tried using it at the Gorge for Macks on the bottom. Not a lot of fun. You spend more time cranking on the rigger than cranking on fish trying to keep it near the bottom. On Strawberry, it was invaluable. Mark the fish at a certain depth, set the rigger 2-3 feet above, hold on!
Don't forget to run your lure out 30-200 feet (depending on where you are and what fish) before you connect it to the release. I tried a lot of the releases, and I like the offshore model. The cheapo pinch that comes with the rigger is very hard to set to an exact pressure. Sometimes the fished pulled the line from the release, sometimes I had to yank the line from the release.
Keep the line on the rod as tight as it will let you too. That helps with the line coming out of the release when the fish hits.
Get a stacker! Having the ability to connect another line to the same rigger lets you have two poles (where legal) or have two people per rigger. It works very well to have your lures 3-10 feet apart on the main line. The lower line is let out further than the upper line to help avoid tangles.
Use those "rubber snubbers" too. When a big cut hits the lure, it will break lighter line (8-10lb) without having one on. I've only caught a few kokes, but I'm told that they have such a soft mouth that the snubber helps with the hook not tearing out too.
My take? As long as you are fishing in "productive" open water, they will increase your catch.
Hope it helps.
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[#ff0000]i fish alot with downriggers ,i wouldnt' be with out them.i have two cannon electic mini-mags and you would be surpized that they really dont draw that much power from your battery.with out a downrigger it really limits as too where and what kind of fish can be caught.fishing with a downrigger is like anything else,alot of trial and erorr.i have tryed many different type of releases and i too like the off shore brand the best.the one thing that i have found when useing d/rs it a good fishfinder that has good tracking ability when fishing close to the bottom.whether is a hand crank or a electic haveing a downrigger is a very useful tool to have,and it will help to catch more fish[/#ff0000]
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oh,btw i for got to say that there is a very good article on mack fishing with adownrigger posted by "lundman"
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[red][size 3]They are great when the fish are deep or suspended along a thermoclime. They are not much use in shallow waters <20 feet perhaps, or when the water stays cold top to bottom and the fish are widely dispersed - such as rainbows at Fishlake most days. I've used both electric and crank and it just depends what you like, ease, ball weight, expense, power usage, or exercise. With three batteries on your float toy I would go with the electric. The electric ones are nice as the weight and cable come up automatically, with the flip of a switch, while you are messing with the fish, instead of it hanging 70 feet down for the fish to swim figure eights around, or have another thing for your buddy to reel in. I've never had a fish tangle in the wire with my little crank one but there is the potential. [/size][/red]
[red][size 3]A fish graph is pretty much a given, unless you are prone to walking on unsafe ice, posted property, and river running without a life vest to catch a fish. A bow mounted transducer is the best in case you run up on a ridge, you can set your shallow alarm on your fishfinder a little below the depth of your weight so you have an extra minute to bring it up to clear the bottom. Sometimes the wires cause a bunch of static or artifact on your finder if your transducer is close to your wire or if you are using multiple downriggers. [/size][/red]
[#ff0000][size 3]I have used the cannon and scotty downriggers. They are both good that I have found. I prefer the vertical reels over the horizontal models. They are more comfortable for me, especially the manual ones and seem to take up less space. [/size][/#ff0000]
[#ff0000][size 3]I like a Scotty release the best. Sorry, don't know the model number but it has a plastic peg that your line folds over and then the peg pushes into a round sleeve. The tension is widely adjustable by turning a plastic nut over threads around the sleeve. Perfect, predictable tension every time. The clip on releases are junk. [/size][/#ff0000]
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Downriggers are indispensable for western fishing. Cannon makes a fine downrigger, though they rape you on accessories. I also think you need to rethink your decision on manuals. After one trip to the Gorge fishing macs in 80-120' of water, you'll be wishing you had electrics. Especially if you're fishing solo. I have a pair of Mag 20 downriggers hooked up to my cranking battery, along with my console graph. I've NEVER had them drain the battery. Even if that were to happen you've got your two other batts on board you could use to jump the dead cranking battery.
I wouldn't pay to have them installed either. All you need is a drill. Get the swivel bases. And just make sure that you have at least 1/2" of plywood backing under your gunnels.
I use a cannon unitroll it came with more cable and a swivel base. The base is a $65 accessory.
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I'll second the opinions about choosing an electric downrigger over a manual. I'm looking to put an additional downrigger in my boat soon, it will definitely be an electric this time. I purchased the manual based mainly on price since I was in school at the time. Every time I fish the Gorge (which is often lately) I regret not saving my $ and getting the electric. Mine is mounted using the Berts Custom Tackle aluminum track system, but came with the $65 swivel base, which I haven't used. If anyone is interested picking up the swivel base for a lot less than $65, PM me and we'll talk.
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