downrigger setup

starcrafttom · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 1:24 pm Post subject:

Well I have to chine in again about the bottom following downrigger. It is not a gimmick in any way shape or form and if you have fished with them you would know that. The comments about lines popping out is due solely to the fact of using the wrong , and poorly designed, releases. My rods almost ,maybe one a year, pop out. If you have a electric down rigger and you have to adjust for depth up or down you have to adjust the down rigger then the rod. If you are making a big change you have to do both back and forth 20 ft or so at a time. with the depth control you just have to reel the rod up or down, the down rigger takes care of its self. If your reels drag is set right you dont even have to mess with it when it goes deeper. so much less (?) running around when you are fishing, it cut the work in half. You can set the cannon to move if the bottom comes up 1 for or 100 ft. I set mine for 5 ft. so if the bottom changes 5 ft the rigger moves. I can not tell you how many hits I get while the down rigger is moving. It adds a little more action that you dont get with a regular down rigger. I also use the jigg function , cycling between to set depth say 20 to 40, to fish silvers and suspended kings. You get your hits mostly when the downriggers move up or down. covers a lot more water if you have one rigger set to 20 to 30 and the other set 40 to 50 as an example. But to each their own. just want people to know that its is not a gimmick in any way.

starcrafttom · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 1:31 pm Post subject:

Kushtaka · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 3:20 pm Post subject:

Okay Tom. This is what I was envisioning while I yearned for bottom tracking. I even envisioned my drag being set perfectly and the rod maintaining perfect tension as the weight dropped.

How do these perform going downhill? Is there a delay on downhill drops so the lure trailing the weight doesn't hang up?

I've blown my boat upgrade budget for the year, but if you do end up selling your old ones drop me a line! Maybe we can work out a trade for some Copper River salmon!

The patent issue is one that I can't really wrap my head around, nor is the reasoning behind these having their own transducer, for the same reason really: depth data can be provided easily via either NMEA standard, and a downrigger could use this info, plus the length of cable info and perform, and the link to the DIY downriggers I shared earlier show units that do exactly this (coincidentally, he is using a humminbird unit). Perhaps the sonar on the downrigger determines the depth of the weight by it's depth as scanned and so isn't relying on the amount of line spooled out, and that could certainly provide better performance, and require a dedicated sonar. I'm guessing that's how they work?

I just need to figure out how to get a bigger upgrade budget from the Admiral.

starcrafttom · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 6:10 pm Post subject:

These units date back to the 80's. so nmea was not used at that time. The line out is counted by the number of times the spool rotates. They use two different magnets in the spool to count how many times it turns. I once loss a magnet from my spool and did not know it. The line was only counting every other turn. 50 ft was 100 ft. that was a bad day until I figured it out.

I never have to touch the rods when they are going down for one depth to another. I just let the drag handle that. i like to keep my rods under a lot of tension and this set up works really well. as long as you are set up right with a good release and a long lead I have no problems with hanging up on the way down. My releases are about 5 ft long because of the long booms. I run my flashers 10 to 20 ft behind the release.

One thing that you have to take in to consideration is blow back at depth. If you are fishing 100 ft bottom and you have 100 ft or line out on your downrigger then you are really ( depending on total speed, your and the current, size of the balls and the thickness of the cable) at 90 ft. you have to fish your balls at 110 ft to hit bottom. The cannons allow you to set your lines at 100 plus 10 ft. So you are really fishing at 110 ft when you depth says 100 ft. its great.

C-Dawg · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 7:01 pm Post subject:

I was really speaking tongue in cheek when I said the bottom tracking was a gimmick. I'm a diehard Scotty fan, and I know Tom is a diehard Cannon fan.

Those Cannons definitely have their place, and they offer some cool features, but none of which fit my style of fishing. If I fished predominately in waters like Puget Sound, I'd seriously consider buying some. Well, if Scotty made them. Very Happy

Anyway, like Peter said:

starcrafttom · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 12:08 am Post subject:

we both agree with peter on electric because hand cranking just sucks. It like pot puller. I hand to go buy a new electric pot puller because my old one left home and moved out on his own. even got a new mower that year.

Kushtaka · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 3:14 pm Post subject:

Tom, it's like you're in my head! This downrigger convo is pre-planning the next upgrade. I'm now trying to figure out an electric line hauler out after installing a nice davit. I had been hauling line UP by hand, and at least now I can pull down, but I'm on the gray side of 40 and have the spine, knees and elbows of an 80 year old (too many rough sports and intense fieldwork in the past!) so hand hauling line, and cranking downriggers is quickly losing appeal for me. I have a new unit like the old hauler that moved out on you, but she won't be ready to install for another 10 years or so.

But I don't dare derail the thread with a line hauler discussion!

Jazzmanic · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 6:08 pm Post subject:

Kush,

The Brutus Ace Line hauler mounts on top Scotty Downrigger mounts and uses the same plug in. Very handy. They're a little spendy, around $500 but well worth it. I never want to pull a 50# shrimp pot from 300 feet ever again.

I'm not sure if they will work on Cannon mounts, maybe Tom can chime in.

Peter

starcrafttom · Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 8:55 pm Post subject:

you can order or buy at johns sporting goods, a ace with a cannon mount. Thats what I did.

starcrafttom · Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 8:57 pm Post subject:

oh and there are now two different cannon mounts with the new line of Cannons last year. So make sure you get the one you need.

Kushtaka · Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 2:53 pm Post subject:

I put a line hauler thread up, but it's just crickets chirping over there.

I've had a little experience with the Ace Brutus units (and other similar). 100lbs isn't enough for me. I wish it were. I already have a great davit, just need the powerhead and sheave, so it would be a $250 solution for me, but it won't pull a 90 hook halibut longline, It'll barely pull a 30 hook skate. I contacted the company and they warned me against putting more than 100lbs to it, even if I'm pulling too. I need at least a 200lb unit, preferably a 300 lb unit. I wouldn't want to be able to pull any harder than that.

Kushtaka · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 1:43 pm Post subject:

digger · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 3:11 pm Post subject: Downrigger voltage

Hey Tom, Pro Troll recommends voltage on the order of 0.65 for salmon, and the following: Chinook (KIng) Salmon .600 volts
Coho (Silver) Salmon .650 volts
Sockeye Salmon .750 volts
Kokanee Salmon .650 volts
Halibut .450 volts *
Laketrout (Mackinaw) .650 volts
Rainbow & Brown Trout .650 volts
Cutthroat Trout .650 volts
Black Bass .750 volts *
Sharks .400 volts *
Striped Bass .650 volts *
Sturgeon .500 volts *
Catfish .500 volts *
-- wondering what is really right. This is from their instructions. I used the .65 out of Ucluelet, and caught fish when the big charters were not. Just saying..... Ron

dgeorges

Here in the Great Lakes dipsy divers play a HUGE role in the chase for salmonids. I am always amazed how few fisherman in other parts of use dipsy's! You can do almost as much with dipsys as you can with D Riggers and the salmonids just CRUSH the lures when they are being towed by a dipsy. If you're havin any issues with riggers, work in a dipsy, you'll be impressed.

dgeorges

Here in the Great Lakes dipsy divers play a HUGE role in the chase for salmonids. I am always amazed how few fisherman in other parts of use dipsy's! You can do almost as much with dipsys as you can with D Riggers and the salmonids just CRUSH the lures when they are being towed by a dipsy. If you're havin any issues with riggers, work in a dipsy, you'll be impressed.