07-16-2008, 03:36 AM
Ditto what everyone else said, but for me trolling was always a LAST choice because I flat didn't really enjoy fishing with that big ol' lead core line much, but I too bought a boat that came with a couple of downriggers and I love using them. They're fun to use, and it certainly is a lot more fun to fight the fish on conventional line than on a big "cable". You can spend the big bucks for a fancy one, or just get one or 2 of the basic ones like the Sport Troll. There are several kinds of mounts, but some of them are pretty pricey. You can even use a standard spinning rod and reel if you like, although a dedicated trolling rod and reel with a line counter is probably a better choice. I too track the depth with my sonar, so I always know just how deep I am in relation to the bottom, and if I need to I can bring it up quickly over a hump or point, and immediately go right back down again. Try doing that with your 300 feet of lead core.
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