downrigger setup

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.
 
starcrafttom":2i8pzagy said:
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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I have my Safe-T-Puller (not installed yet) and an independent davit, so marrying pulling and DR no longer on the table.

When you mention that the cannon link and Humminbird system can control MAG 10 or 20 DRs, does that include bottom tracking? If so, then this would be my most likely option as I can get a set of used Mag 10 riggers for small dollars, add an 898ci (I have one!) and be bottom tracking with the purchase of a cannonlink?!

It doesn't appear this way to me looking at the info on the Cannon website. But they want me to buy DT10s and I don't want to spent $2500 on a set of downriggers. I still have radar and autopilot to buy, as well as adding a radar arch.
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
dipsy's divers have their place and do work well but the fish have to be where you can get to them with the DD's. DD's work to about 60 ft max and have to have a heavier rod to do so. They are great for silvers that run from 10 to 60 ft deep. They even work well for pinks. I have used then for pinks in the river set for 15ft with a dick nite spoon.

King is the sound are mostly bottom feeds. Even the migrating kings that hit possession bar and the out side of the San Juans are deeper then that, 85 to 150 ft even when suspended. If you are only going to fish silvers and pinks or kings off the coast ( they can be good even at 50 ft off parts of the coast) then DD's will get it for you.
 
Outstanding response to my DD post. I thank you for your wisdom. We great Lakes fisherman use DD's down to 100 ft easily by using the magnum versions which can easily dive as deep as 150 when coupled with seven strand 32 lb steel line and small torpedo weights. It's a great lakes thing.

Recent studies by scientists out here in Lake Michigan found them able to achieve depths of 700 feet (verified by sensors on the gear) with a combination of deep drop reels/steel line/torpedo divers/DD's to target Kings feeding at these great depths. No one is going to do this on an ongoing basis as it requires 3,000 ft of line out due to blowback.

I fished the Pacific out of Bodega Bay, CA for many years and understand some of what it takes to catch pacific coast fish. You boys out in the Sound got it good. But I gotta say, these great lakes are something else, with their own techniques that allow us to harvest five salmonids per day of any type (only two lake trout per day). Tight lines to ya'll.[/u]
 
I would love to fish the great lakes some day. I have seen the pictures of 30lbs browns . With a boat running 10 rods at a time it must be reel fun with the school hits even half of them.
 
Yep. It is as good as it seems. I'm always amazed at the diversity and size of the various salmonids. Browns patrol the shoreline and out to 50 ft deep. They are super wary, but can be fooled with the right stealth. The Silver's run 8-12 by mid summer, and are varocious. They have adapted to the decline of the baitfish by eating everything from insects to non native gobies. The Steelhead fishery is incredible. They roam in packs out 10 miles or so and eat everything from insects to gobies. Man do they jump when they get hooked. The lake trout are all over the lake, and feed throughout the entire water column. Finally, the Kings. Well, they're Kings. Moody, mean, finicky, and hard to catch. They are declining here on the lakes becasue they only eat the suspended baitfish, which are in decline as well. Many predict that they will be gone within a few years. Doesn't matter. the great lakes has a lot more to offer. Including gynormous walleye.

You are right about the multitude of rods. Most captains run 15 rods when they have a full charter. I have a CD16 Angler that I can easily run six rods out of (were allowed three per person out here). Generally, we run two riggers, two DD's. and two planer boards way out wide away from the boat with 300 ft of 32 lb copper or leadcore, or even a combination of both. Some days, the copper lines get the most fish. Quite an experience seeing a steelhead jump 300 ft behind the boat......5 to 10 times....... per minute!

If you ever decide to come out thisaway, don't be bashful. Shoot me a PM and we'll hook up. Thight lines. :thup
 
I come from Lake Erie, but never used downriggers til I got to the PNW. None of the Great Lakers I take on my boat seem to have any idea what to do with a downrigger. Not to say it's a universal thing, but I've been fishing dipsy divers, planer boards, etc for awhile.

in terms of what I'm after with this post these tools don't really do it. Yes, you can go deep, but I'm trying to fish off the bottom with a minimum of blowback, and I'd like to be able to fish a set distance off the bottom, vs, a set depth from the surface.

I'm thinking that the digitroll IV is the one for me, but not too many around. I'll keep my eyes peeled on the used market. No way I can justify a Digitroll 10 at the moment, and a Digitroll 5 with a dedicated sonar isn't likely to win either.

Honestly, I feel like there are better things for me to spend my limited upgrade budget on than a pair of DT 10 at nearly $3k, but I sure could see spending somewhere just under $1k for a pair of nice used DTIVs!!
 
Well i finally put a new pair of dt5s on the boat so I have one set of digitroll4s coming you for sell. Send me a pm and we can talk about it. My set with come with link cable and a set of mounts with swivels. You will need a depth sounder puck for it as the I am keeping the old one on my boat, or I will buy and new one and sell you the old one.
 
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