Need some pointers on mounting downriggers and rod carriers

B

Beartrack

New member
Well, the 2001 22-foot C-Dory (my first) just left Ohio tonight for the trip out here to Seattle, Washingon. However as soon as it arrives (scheduled for Thursday) I want to immediately get to adding a couple items. I was hoping some folks on the site might be able to provide some pointers. Already picked up 2 Cannon Uni-Troll HP downriggers with the swivel bases for the boat and was wondering if there are any tips or tricks I should be aware of in mounting the downriggers and ball holders. For example, are there particularly good locations, and do I need to mount some type of backing plates, etc? Any other pointers?

Also, I really need to get some type of arch to mount on the hard top to store the fishing rods when we're under way, as when my buddies and I go fishing we may have as many as 8 poles with us (fewer when it's the family and I but still several) and I don't want them banging around in the way down inside the boat. Any recommendations on models and/or sources for buying them - or tips on installing them?? I've seen some very nice pictures in the photo albums but haven't seen any reference to where the owners got them. If the arch is something like a double arch where I can mount pole holders on the back of it now and put a radar on the top of it later, all the better - but not required.

Lastly, the boat has an 80-hp Yamaha 4-stroke. Can this be used reasonably for trolling at Neah Bah for Kings and Silvers - or will it be too fast? The Dory doesn't have a kicker on it yet, though I do have a 20 hp short-shaft kicker on my other smaller boat... could that be used or will I need a long-shaft kicker?

Any info much appreciated folks as I'm HUGELY looking forward to getting this out in the Puget Sound for some trial runs, then on to Neah Bay for salmon and over in the Canadian waters for halibut, both during August. Thanks a million!!!

Beartrack
 
Beartrack":25wnjcjv said:
Well, today is my birthday, and the 2001 22-foot C-Dory (my first) just left Ohio tonight for the trip out here to Seattle, Washingon. I can hardly imagine a better birthday present! :D
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Happy birthday!! :cake

Beartrack":25wnjcjv said:
However as soon as it arrives (scheduled for Thursday) I want to immediately get to adding a couple items. I was hoping some folks on the site might be able to provide some pointers. Already picked up 2 Cannon Uni-Troll HP downriggers with the swivel bases for the boat and was wondering if there are any tips or tricks I should be aware of in mounting the downriggers and ball holders. For example, are there particularly good locations, and do I need to mount some type of backing plates, etc? Any other pointers?
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The usual location for downrigger mounts on a 22 is on the gunnels just a bit forward of where the well underneath ends. Here's a photo of where they were mounted on mine. I would suggest a backing plate - on mine the factory guys installed with large fender washers but a backing plate would be better.
New12OutletAndCockpitEPanel.jpg

If you do chose to mount in roughly the same location, I would suggest that you get a couple of the downrigger weight holders and mount them aft. If you do this, you will need to check the length of the boom and adjust the two locations so that the boom comes reasonably close to the holders. If it works out, you can simply swing the riggers over and drop the weights into the holders when you run to a new location. Here's what I'm talking about

DownRiggerBallRetainer.jpg


Beartrack":25wnjcjv said:
Also, I really need to get some type of arch to mount on the hard top to store the fishing rods when we're under way, as when my buddies and I go fishing we may have as many as 8 poles with us (fewer when it's the family and I but still several) and I don't want them banging around in the way down inside the boat. Any recommendations on models and/or sources for buying them - or tips on installing them?? I've seen some very nice pictures in the photo albums but haven't seen any reference to where the owners got them. If the arch is something like a double arch where I can mount pole holders on the back of it now and put a radar on the top of it later, all the better - but not required.
Click to expand...

There are a number of suppliers for radar arches - I bought one at the factory garage sale (C-brat dinner during the Seattle Boat show) for about $200 or $250. Retail for a nice double arch out of stainless will generally be around $750-$1000. You can contact the factory to find out who makes theirs but if you do a search on "radar arch" on this site, I'm pretty sure the factory supplier is named in some post as are a number of others. You can get pretty much anything you want..... for money.


Beartrack":25wnjcjv said:
Lastly, the boat has an 80-hp Yamaha 4-stroke. Can this be used reasonably for trolling at Neah Bah for Kings and Silvers - or will it be too fast? The Dory doesn't have a kicker on it yet, though I do have a 20 hp short-shaft kicker on my other smaller boat... could that be used or will I need a long-shaft kicker?
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I think that you will have a hard time getting a troll under 3 kts with the 80 hp main. In addition, it's an expensive motor on which to troll (both in terms of gas and maintenance). Someone else can comment on whether the short shaft kicker will work. I have twin Honda 40's and I can troll at a minimum of about 1.5 kts at low idle. With twins, there's not a lot of room to put a kicker but if I had the larger main, I would want a kicker for sure. It's also good insurance for getting home. The water around Neah Bay can get a bit rough at times and IMHO, you don't want to be single engine very far off shore out there. Especially if you plan to run out to Swiftsure or Bluedot for hali and/or kings.


Beartrack":25wnjcjv said:
Any info much appreciated folks as I'm HUGELY looking forward to getting this out in the Puget Sound for some trial runs, then on to Neah Bay for salmon and over in the Canadian waters for halibut, both during August. Thanks a million!!!

Beartrack
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Beartrack,

I have the same riggers as you, but I didn't want to have the bases permanently mounted on Valkyrie's gunwales so I use the Cannon gimbal mounts (12" with the 25 degree shaft) which fit securely into flushmount rod holders that have a 30 degree angle.

The rodholders are mounted in the same location as Roger's. With the swivel bases that come with your riggers, it's easy to swing them out to run 90 degrees from the gunwale.

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
Happy Birthday!

Roger's setup really works well. If however you want removable mounts I highly suggest the "Offshore" mounts.
DownriggerMount4_640.jpg

This picture is on my sled but they will mount on the side of the Gunnel or on a railing as I have in the picture. To remove the Riggers simply lift up out of the mount. The newer ones also have the ability to use locking pins if you want. I think 3 Rivers Marine carries these and Outdoor Emporiumn might have them as well.

I use mine with Scotty Electrics.

As for Kicker/No Kicker. I bet the 80 will do fine for Silvers. However I would still want to have a kicker out at Neah and Sekiu as a backup to the main. A Yamaha T8 would go nicely with the main! Add in a TR-1 and you would have the best of all worlds for fishing :)
 
rogerbum - Thanks for the photos, it looks very nice! Do you happen to have a picture from the top? I'm wondering about how it lines up with the molded-in diamond pattern non-skid surface. Also, I was curious about the nice switch panel - what are all of them for if you don't mind my asking? Nice setup!

Valkerie - that sounds VERY convenient. One question though - the owner over at Teds Sporting Goods said he'd be worried about any downriggers with over a 24" boom creating too much leverage for a mount like that in the rod holder... have you had any problems at all?

On those offshore mounts, slick setup, I just don't have any rails back there yet. But that would sure be convenient if I did.

Thanks to all who responded, this is very helpful info!
 
Beartrack,

Quite frankly, I have only used them a few times so far, but it hasn't been a problem.

I know quite a few fishermen who fish a lot and love them and in a similar thread on this site, I remember they have a few fans here, too.

By the way, I'm going to install four more flush rod holders- two right behind the cabin for dispseys and two on top of the lazerettes, all the way aft for another mounting position for the riggers. Just looking for a little more flexibility, I guess.

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
I'd highly recommend using a cannonball snubber. Makes it easy on the hands to handle.

i016139sq01.jpg
 
Beartrack,

The slot mounts don't have to mount on rails. They can also be mounted on the vertical side just above the opening where Roger has his switch plate.

From Rogers photo gallery
(rogerbum) 6 switch electrical panel in cockpit. Top L is Man Fore Bilge, Top C is Man Aft Bilge, Top R is Auto Aft Bilge, Bottom L is cockpit lighting (12V rope light to be installed), bottom C is SpotLight, bottom R is new 12V outlet (to right of panel, below downrigger power)
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I use the Rubber bungies on the downrigger balls too. They are great as they can really save your hands. BTW: These can easily be made out of nylon parachute cord with the same effect and the cord is a lot stronger and cheaper.

The other thing I do is to use the Scotty clips with the 60" leads. This way you can use your dehooker to reach out and grab the clips and you don't have to pull the downrigger cable all the way to you. Plus IMHO it amplifies shakers hitting the line.
 
Another thing, instead of mounting the holder for the downrigger ball on the lazerettes I set mine on the shelf under the gunnel. I had to take a belt sander to two sides of the holder to make it fit though.


I didn't use any back plate. Mainly becuase there just wasn't room, especially on the starboard side. There's just too many cables running under it to fit a peice of wood there too.
 
You have the same year boat and same engine we have. Hope you love it as much as we love ours! :thup

The 80 will not go very slow for trolling. A kicker should be in your future. We recently got an 8hp and I can go as slow as 1.5mph if I trim the main engine all the way down and create max drag. With the main trimmed full up (prop out of the water) I can get over 6 mph so far, using only 1/2 throttle...still breaking engine in so I hope to get a couple more mph top speed when I can finally open the throttle all the way.

I mounted our downriggers back on the aft corners for a couple of reasons. I wanted to be able to have them installed while my camper canvas was up, and I wanted them accessible but out of the way. Works for me. I installed with a plywood backer and had to move the cleats outboard slightly. I just leave the balls hang from the boom hooks and there's 1/4" or so of clearance from hitting anything. We did this on our last boat with no problems.
canvas_16.jpg

Radar arch...we just bought a factory "low" arch. They are very pricey! They come with 4 rod holders welded on the aft edge...and I recently installed more clamp-ons on the sides. We also have a couple of Scotty Strikers mounted on the bow rail for extra storage or for dinking around when we're on the hook.

Good luck...you're gonna love that boat.

Rick
 
Congratulations on your new boat Beartrack!

Noticed you hadn't received a response yet in regards to kicker shaft length so, if your going to mount on the transom, it should be a long shaft.

If your going to be fishing the areas you indicated in your initial post, it would be wise to have a kicker as an alternative means of propulsion. Considering the boat is used and new to you, I'd also consider bringing along a seperate source of fuel. A five or six gallon remote tank with connector hoses should fit nicely between your fuel tanks.

IMO, I wouldn't get hung up thinking a kicker is neccessary to fish for Kings and Silvers where you indicated you will be fishing. Fish prone to biting your bait, will be actively feeding, and capable and willing to chase baits up to five or six knots. While I can't attest to the lowest trolling speed for the Yamaha, my Honda 90 trolls plenty slow enough for both species. Typically, I'll troll with the tide to find fish. If I want to concentrate in a paticular spot, over a pod of fish for example, I'll turn around and troll against the tide. I do utilize my kicker occasionally when fishing in terminal areas such as Elliot and Commencement Bays and I wouldn't be without it on the Columbia River. Another good application for the kicker is to slow your drift while Halibut fishing.

Good luck and have fun with your new boat. Tim
 
A comment seemed applicable here regarding the length of you arms. I have heard the admonition for short arms as well but defied this wisdom last winter when I built the downriggers on Huda Thunkit. What started as my trying to use something easy to work with actually ended up being a great choice. I used 5/8 solid fiberglass rods and left them 4 ft. long! My engineer friends tell me the energy moment is long enough to cancel out most of the leverage which we have proven at this point to be true. 10 lb weights and all attached gear deflect the rods less than 6 inches and everything ride very smooth even in rougher conditions. The riggers are rail mounted and quite solid this way, even with only a large washer on the underside.
Using the boat pole simplifies bringing the clip on board to change gear or rebait and the whole system is pretty handy. An added benefit to length is prop protection.
Just some more rambling from Alaska.
Mike
 
Hi all and THANKS! The info is fantastic.

Greenie/newbie question on the cannonball snubbers: :oops: What do they do and how do they go on?

I did pick up a used Yamaha 8hp high-thrust 2005 kicker Friday; good thing. We took the boat out for it's maiden voyage yesterday after back flushing the carbs, replacing and upgrading the fuel-water separator, replacing the fuel filter, and putting in new batteries. Not good... or perhaps I should say, good thing we had the backup kicker! We made it from the moorage down the river about a mile and had to come back. Main 80 hp Yamaha 2001 motor never did come up off of running on just 2 carbs (or at least 2 cylinders.) I'm going to post some questions over on the "Outboards and Systems" forum as this has me baffled!
 
The snubbers go between the end of the downrigger cable and the ball. They have many things they are good for.

They are easier on the hands than the cable so pulling in and putting out the balls is easier on the body.

They reduce shock on the gunnel if someone just drops the ball over the side (been there done that). If not careful you might actually lose the ball when this happens.

The lower breaking strength might save your gunnel when you get hung up on the bottom.

They are a great place to attatch the clip leads to instead of the cable as they won't move up or down on them.

FYI: I fished a lot for 2 years without them. They are NOT required but are nice to have.
 
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