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colbysmith



Joined: 02 Oct 2011
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 4:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for that info Peter. TO be honest, I only go Salmon Fishing a few times a year, but I've never changed the cable on my downriggers, and since I got them used I have no idea how old it is. I did go look at that Braid Scotty's sells on Amazon and looks like about $40 for 400 ft of 200#, which would be enough to spool both my downriggers. I should probably price the PowerPro 200# locally to see if it's cheaper, as I assume it's basically the same line more or less. How about the comments I just read on other forums about cutting into the spool or pulley? Colby
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Kushtaka



Joined: 17 Dec 2013
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, thanks for the input everyone!

So I need to ditch my mono and slap on some braid or some stainless, but check the voltage on the stainless cable.

I have fish-shaped weights, and they will go off to one side a bit. I believe they are 10 lbs, so maybe a bit light. Heavier weights that move out more dramatically may help.

I have thought about protecting my prop with something. I'll check out the recommendation from tbag (hi!).

I use my downriggers to halibut fish in currents as well, and probably more than anything It's a lot more fun to fish for buts without any weight on the line. They behave very very differently, and I've even had them run and jump on me. I'm only just getting into trying to troll with them, and am kind of ready to hang it up and grab my gillnet, but I'm going to keep trying!

Take it easy!
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Jazzmanic



Joined: 07 Feb 2005
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

colbysmith wrote:
Thanks for that info Peter. TO be honest, I only go Salmon Fishing a few times a year, but I've never changed the cable on my downriggers, and since I got them used I have no idea how old it is. I did go look at that Braid Scotty's sells on Amazon and looks like about $40 for 400 ft of 200#, which would be enough to spool both my downriggers. I should probably price the PowerPro 200# locally to see if it's cheaper, as I assume it's basically the same line more or less. How about the comments I just read on other forums about cutting into the spool or pulley? Colby


Colby, I’ve heard of that happening on reel spools as well but I've never had any problems with braid cutting into my DR spool but ymmv.

Kush, I'm glad all the suggestions were helpful. I like the idea of catching a hali off the downrigger. Thumbs Up
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digger



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PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 10:40 pm    Post subject: Prop guard Reply with quote

Many use a round prop guard on the kicker that surrounds the circumference of the prop. With that, even if the downrigger cable gets by the kicker, it will not be wound up in the prop.
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T.R. Bauer



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PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

get the cannons with the adjustable boom. Or buy a chunk of tube and make it however long you want to clear your motor. I have the cannons with the adjustable boom for just that reason. The other ones are great for small boats where you don't have to clear anything, but that isn't the case with our boats.
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Arend



Joined: 18 Oct 2009
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 1:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My scotties came mounted on our 22 with heavy spectra braid
(probably250#), which gave much more blow back than I wanted even with a 13 lbs pancake.
For comparison I changed one down rigger to 150# power pro fishing line, which made a big difference when fishing deep.
Now both of them have 300ft of#150 fishing braid and it works very well.

Arend
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Kushtaka



Joined: 17 Dec 2013
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

found this article about rudder flasher, seems to get your gear out to the side, and might help.

http://www.theoutdoorline.com/blog/tag/dirty-downrigger-trick/

Used my downrigger to get this monster on Saturday night, but it was just holding a can of chum. I didn't put a line on it, I just jigged on the other side of the boat. The downrigger cost me two other fish probably about as big as I was fishing solo and they didn't get pulled up quickly enough. Fun night though!

http://www.c-brats.com/albums/album2505/IMG_3779.sized.jpg

It looks like the above rudder flasher is especially good for halibut on riggers. I am thinking about finding some.

I have some 100# braid at home that I could use on my riggers. Not sure if that will be strong enough to troll for buts with my weight potentially hanging up, but should be just fine for anchoring and fishing buts that way. I don't usually troll near the bottom (tough with manual riggers), but I'd like to do exactly that.

It occurred to me that NMEA data being standardized, it would be very easy to tell your downrigger to stay 10' off the bottom and have the unit move up and down based on sounder data it receives in an NMEA network, after all the downrigger knows how deep it is fishing. This seems like an ultra useful and easy tool to provide, but I see that it is available as a very very proprietary setup with a humminbird sounder paired to canon mag trolls.

Seriously? Why don't electric riggers just integrate into an NMEA network and work at established depths off the bottom? I found this DIY setup that is the closest thing I could find to what I think should be widely available:

http://www.downrigger.pages.fi

I may build a pair someday. I doubt it though, I'd rather go fishing.
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Kushtaka



Joined: 17 Dec 2013
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lemme try that picture again. I just got my photo album, so just starting to play with pics here:

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starcrafttom



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PostPosted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 3:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That is a very nice fish. As for keeping your baits off bottom. try looking at the cannon digitroll 4 or 5. I have a a set of older digitroll 4s that I just love. They work great. They can follow the bottom contour or move from one depth to another at set times.
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Kushtaka



Joined: 17 Dec 2013
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 7:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

starcrafttom wrote:
That is a very nice fish. As for keeping your baits off bottom. try looking at the cannon digitroll 4 or 5. I have a a set of older digitroll 4s that I just love. They work great. They can follow the bottom contour or move from one depth to another at set times.


But that requires a humminbird sounder as well, correct? It's all proprietary??? I'd prefer something that uses the NMEA standard. Apparently, it's not a thing. Go figure.
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starcrafttom



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PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 11:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

no it does not the digitroll four is a complete stand alone unit. It has its own depth sounder puck. You dont need anything else. You can go with the cannon humming bird link system to control up to 6 cannon MAG 10 or MAG 20s. that is the system you are thinking about. The new digitroll 10 does not need that and is self contained. You can link up to two of the digitroll 10s to one sounder puck, that is how my boat is rigged. I have three, well four digitroll IV units but one is in need of repair. I am thinking of selling them and buying the newer digitroll 10 units.
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starcrafttom



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PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 11:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://store.cannondownriggers.com/products/390763/Digi-Troll_10
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C-Dawg



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PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 5:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not a certified downrigger engineer, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Braid vs wire: braid all way if you're fishing salt water at any appreciable depth. Less blow back from thinner diameter and no worry of salt corrosion. Cable probably lasts forever in WI fishing freshwater. I wrap the inside of my spool with duct tape to mitigate the chance of it splitting from the braid digging into itself. (Hint: to keep braid from digging into itself, quit hanging your ball up on the bottom.) Speaking of hanging up on the bottom, if you set the clutch correctly, you don't need to have super high test braid. I think mine is 175 lbs. I also use a shock-bungy to connect the ball so the newbies that stop it too quickly on decent don't snap it off.

Downrigger boom length: I used to have the short 24" booms. They're fine if you're fishing in flat water and pay attention when you turn. Keep the kicker on the inside of your turns and you'll never have a problem. But, if you fish in strong cross currents or slip down the face of a swell, you'll eventually run that 'rigger line into the kicker prop. I've lost two balls that way. Two remedies--prop guard as mentioned, and longer booms. Scotty booms are just shy of $100 each. Well worth it, IMHO, especially if you're fishing divers off the stern at the same time; you get a wider spread and fish more water.

Bottom tracking downriggers: Gimmick. Waste o' money. If they were necessary, Scotty would make them. Cool Seriously, they have a purpose if you're fishing winter blackmouth in the Sound. Those fish are real bottom huggers and won't come up to chase bait. However, if you fish the ocean or a body of water in excess of, say, 200', you're more than likely trolling for suspended fish in the 60-180' water column. Even halibut will come 20-30' off the bottom to chase bait, so I don't think they're necessary for 'buts, either. The other problem I have with those bottom trackers is how it affects the tension on your rod. Let's say your tracking 5' off the bottom in 100 FOW. You then go over a 30' trench and the downrigger lowers the ball like it's supposed to. Will the fishing line stay in the clip or release? My bet is it will release from the extra tension. What about the opposite when the sea floor comes up 40'? The downrigger brings the ball up, and now you have too much slack in your fishing line. Just not my thing.

Another tip: If you have Scottys, use about a 10' length of tuna cord between the braid and the ball. Use a large SS swivel to connect the two lines. The swivel will act as a 'stop' when the ball's at the surface. You won't have to worry about those plastic stops slipping on the braid.

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Kushtaka



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PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 3:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I get the advice about the gimmick, but I'm not over that variable of a bottom, and I'm working on improving winter king fishing. Often they are on the bottom here as well, that's why I'm interested. More often we get king salmon on halibut gear on the bottom than halibut on trolling gear mid water.

I became interested in this feature because as I fished I wanted it. Sometimes yearned for it. I just figured it would be a simple add on to any electric downrigger, but not the case, or so I found when I went looking. Glad to see there are some other options out there. I'm somewhat new to this gear type so not familiar with all of the various models, but I'm sure I will be very soon.

I manually operate the downriggers I have, and just set my drag so that the rod maintains the bend I want as the weight is lowered. As I raise the downrigger, my rod slacks and I can easily see that and crank up and tighten it. Not sure why electric downriggers would be different, except I don't have to watch the sounder and raise and lower the riggers, just tighten up rods as they get slack. If I were after halibut and I had a slack line I wouldn't worry about it for a second. For a king it would be a bigger challenge.

I'm sure there are better ways to fish these, and I realize I sound a bit stubborn above, but I'm not. It's just that I didn't learn about the bottom track feature on Canons and decide I wanted one, I yearned for one because I was on the boat and realized how cool it would be for the way I fished. But I am a little bit tempered by the proclamation of these being a gimmick and I think I'm cooling my jets a little bit! Maybe I just need to try out some electric downriggers and see what I think about them before I decide what I want (need).

Maybe I just need Tom's old riggers so he can move on up!
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Jazzmanic



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PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 4:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kushtaka wrote:
Maybe I just need to try out some electric downriggers and see what I think about them before I decide what I want (need).

I would most DEFINITELY consider electric downriggers, no matter the make.

Peter
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