Post by: Odell on February 16, 2019, 10:10:55 AM
I'm new to fishing out of a bigger boat, I have two manual down riggers on the boat I bought last summer. All they have is the line.
What weights should I buy?
Clips?
Accessories?
I want to fish kokanee on American lake. I want to troll for walleye in the potholes, other lakes. And I want to be able to troll for salmon in the puget sound and maybe up at Seiku.
I really don't know much at all about this kind of fishing so any advice would be awesome
Post by: hiway_99 on February 16, 2019, 10:22:03 AM
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Post by: ASHQUACK on February 16, 2019, 10:22:26 AM
Post by: Stein on February 16, 2019, 10:23:47 AM
Electric downriggers are really the way to go, you absolutely will fish harder and be more successful with electrics because you will adjust depth, fish deeper and check your gear more often with electrics. I tried to fight it for years, but finally made the jump and it is night and day.
Longer booms allow you to spread your gear and cover more water as well as avoid tangles.
I use Scotty, Cannon also has a following. Used electrics from Penn and others can be good as well. I don't think the advanced features are important and only add extra cost, complexity and computers to break or malfunction - just my opinion.
Talking about salmon again, I use Scotty releases on about 6" of 100# mono that I clip directly to the ball. I also run snubbers on the ball to make grabbing them and hefting the ball back in the boat easier. I use braid and would never go back to wire.
Take extras of everything or you will eventually ruin a day of fishing.
Post by: WAcoueshunter on February 16, 2019, 10:38:11 AM
Hey everyone,
I'm new to fishing out of a bigger boat, I have two manual down riggers on the boat I bought last summer. All they have is the line.
What weights should I buy?
Clips?
Accessories?
I want to fish kokanee on American lake. I want to troll for walleye in the potholes, other lakes. And I want to be able to troll for salmon in the puget sound and maybe up at Seiku.
I really don't know much at all about this kind of fishing so any advice would be awesome
You live in Bonney Lake, go down to Sportco in Fife and they will hook you up. Good prices, knowledgeable staff.
I also run Scotty 1106s, and use 15 lb balls. Heavier balls (15-18) wear down the brakes faster, but also make it easier to control depth, so a bit of a trade off. I like using the braided line versus wire. I also run a rubber snubber above the ball. Like Stein mentioned, have duplicate gear (e.g., extra ball, clips, snubber, even an extra downrigger itself if you have room) and the ability to replace it on the water, you'll need it eventually. You will need different release clips for kokanee versus saltwater salmon, but the sales guys should be able to help you with that too.
Post by: JKEEN33 on February 16, 2019, 10:40:55 AM
Keep something on the boat handy to cut the line if needed.
Post by: Crunchy on February 16, 2019, 10:46:11 AM
Post by: pbg on February 16, 2019, 10:52:17 AM
Post by: Odell on February 16, 2019, 11:19:47 AM
For salmon keep it simple and go Scotty 1106s. For weights 12-15. I wouldnt go heavier than that. I would make your own downrigger clips if you have the crimping tools. Just buy the clips, and releases and 150 pound mono and make them about 5 foot long or so.
Thats a good idea, I already have all that stuff from making texas rig decoys
Post by: Odell on February 16, 2019, 11:23:02 AM
Keep the tips coming, looks like I've got a lot to learn. Gotta figure out rod/reel combos too. That seems to be an expensive black hole lol
Post by: h20hunter on February 16, 2019, 11:24:32 AM
Post by: Stein on February 16, 2019, 11:35:48 AM
Lots of good advice on here, thank you guys. Electric down riggers are not on the table right now. I just need to fish some and see if this is for me before shelling out the $$. Although I would love an electric pot puller.
Keep the tips coming, looks like I've got a lot to learn. Gotta figure out rod/reel combos too. That seems to be an expensive black hole lol
You don't need to spend a bunch of money on fishing gear. I run Shimano TDR rods for salmon, you can get set up with a rod and reel for under $100 that is perfectly functional and durable.
I would suggest getting an electric downrigger before an electric pot puller if you are doing a decent amount of salmon fishing. Shrimp is a one day event for most guys and crab pots are pretty easy to pull and many guys are successful in 50-60' of water. This thing really helps.
http://scotty.com/product/no-750-trap-ease/
Check the classifieds for downriggers, there are usually good deals by guys upgrading and manual crank downriggers are pretty durable devices.
Post by: Blacklab on February 16, 2019, 07:04:54 PM
Post by: MIKEXRAY on February 19, 2019, 05:49:57 AM
Post by: throttlejocky20 on February 19, 2019, 12:01:29 PM
Post by: onmygame on February 19, 2019, 03:05:06 PM
It's also nice to have sonar that lets you see the depths that fish are hanging.
10 lb balls should be adequate for the sound unless you are fishing a crazy rip - and 4 lb balls are fine for lakes and smaller fish where there is no current IMO.
Post by: lokidog on February 19, 2019, 06:07:22 PM
I use a 10lb fish and a 12lb streamlined "ball" with a fin that I made. I like the Scotty release clips best of several types I have tried. I have not tried new ones in a long time though.
I tried 15lb balls yesterday, they definitely dropped more straight down, but they were a bit of a strain on my old Cannons.
Skagit recycling had 15lb balls in their scrap lead bins about a week and a half ago.
Post by: Stein on February 19, 2019, 06:47:15 PM
Skagit recycling had 15lb balls in their scrap lead bins about a week and a half ago.
Great tip, thanks. I usually donate one to Davey Jones a year. I didn't lose anything last year so I'm worried about this year.
Post by: lokidog on February 19, 2019, 10:24:43 PM
Skagit recycling had 15lb balls in their scrap lead bins about a week and a half ago.
Great tip, thanks. I usually donate one to Davey Jones a year. I didn't lose anything last year so I'm worried about this year.
It was $1.50/lb
Post by: CLARKTAR on February 19, 2019, 10:37:44 PM
Lots of good advice on here, thank you guys. Electric down riggers are not on the table right now. I just need to fish some and see if this is for me before shelling out the $$. Although I would love an electric pot puller.I'm in the same "boat". Bought a boat last year, been buying pots , and bought some manual down riggers also. Need to figure how to mount these on my boat and then start figuring out all the gear etc. Feel free to share any tips you get with me!
Keep the tips coming, looks like I've got a lot to learn. Gotta figure out rod/reel combos too. That seems to be an expensive black hole lol
I'm in Port Angeles if any of you salty guys are nearby let me know!
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Post by: lokidog on February 19, 2019, 10:43:05 PM
Post by: blackpowderhunter on February 20, 2019, 07:16:59 AM
I have 2 medium action and 2 medium heavy action, depending on what we're chasing. for 29.99 each you wont be AS mad if someone steps on one or one breaks..AND you can keep a spare on the boat in case of an emergency (failure, broken, etc)
reels...pick your poison..if you're right hand retrieve, you got more options, left handed retrieve okuma has some good options for under 100 each. get them at sportsmans and they'll spool them up with mono for you too.
half the time between a ball bearing swivel, flasher, and spoon or hoochie, the stuff on the end of my line costs more than my rod!
electronics make a huge difference, id opt for spending money there if you can.
ALWAYS keep spare downrigger balls, terminal kits, and clips on the boat.. you will lose them :sry:
looking at nets for salmon...get the longest handle one you can that you can maneuver in your boat, chinook aren't big fans of getting close to the boat.
if you have extendable booms on your riggers, the line retreivers are a great addition to pull the ball in without leaning way over the side of your boat. keep some basic tools handy for field repairs on the downrigger as well.. nothing worse than going from 2 lines in the water to 1 due to equipment failure.
for downrigger balls i found a guy that makes his own and sells them for a LOT cheaper than the store..i forget the price on smaller ones, but 15 lbs for 25$ and i think 12 lb are 20 bucks each...let me know and i can put you in touch with him.
Post by: Viking360 on February 22, 2019, 01:03:04 PM
Post by: smdave on February 22, 2019, 11:24:34 PM
The scotty pot puller is awesome, I just bought one last year from Costco for $380. They mount to your scotty base and use the same plug. I like the scotty better than the other brands because its way more compact and easier to use. Also a note on downriggers, if you get electrics I would recommend scotty sure stops, they make sure your ball stops at the same spot every time. Cant tell you how many times I have had the normal stoppers slide down to the ball and have the ball come up and hit my boom, no good!
I have Cannon electric downriggers. Scotty pot puller, I spliced in a Cannon plug to it so it all matches.
Post by: lokidog on February 26, 2019, 12:39:07 PM
The scotty pot puller is awesome, I just bought one last year from Costco for $380. They mount to your scotty base and use the same plug. I like the scotty better than the other brands because its way more compact and easier to use. Also a note on downriggers, if you get electrics I would recommend scotty sure stops, they make sure your ball stops at the same spot every time. Cant tell you how many times I have had the normal stoppers slide down to the ball and have the ball come up and hit my boom, no good!
I have Cannon electric downriggers. Scotty pot puller, I spliced in a Cannon plug to it so it all matches.
I bought higher quality non-brand plugs for mine. It seemed that any brand name plug I used didn't last more than a year or maybe two. My puller is on a larger circuit, but has a similar plug, just larger.
Post by: Stein on February 26, 2019, 12:53:26 PM
Post by: Kc_Kracker on March 03, 2019, 07:40:49 AM
Post by: MooseStock on March 03, 2019, 09:27:33 AM
Post by: Crunchy on March 03, 2019, 09:29:23 AM
Post by: blackpowderhunter on March 04, 2019, 08:57:14 AM
Not sure where you live but they do warranty work at Sportco in Fife. Not sure where else.outdoor emporium up in seattle as well.
get them in NOW for quick turn around though...closer to summer, longer the wait. :tup:
Post by: WAcoueshunter on March 04, 2019, 09:07:05 AM
Just thought I'd ask a question off of this topic....any of you downrigger guys know of any of the dealers that still do any type of a "tuneup" check and clean on Scotty's for a fee? Mine are not broken....got them when I bought my boat used 10 years ago so I am not the original owner. I have always done my own maintenance on them such as brake adjustment, changing wire and belts. I would just like someone really knowledgeable to go though and check them out and clean them up professionally. I know Sportco and others work on them for warranty but just wondering if anyone knows if any of the dealers that offer this type of service. I have read in the past that Johns in Everett did this....tried to contact them with no answer....Lots of great info on this site fishing wise as well as hunting......Thanks in advance.......Les
About five years ago Scotty tightened their warranty policy, so now you can only get free warranty work if you are the original owner and have registered your downrigger. But if it's registered, you can still take it in and get it worked on free of charge. Cleaning and basic maintenance should still be covered if registered. As others mentioned, Outdoor Emporium and Sportco offer it, so does Auburn Sports & Marine. I imagine most of the independent Scotty dealers do, not sure about the big stores like Cabelas and Bass Pro.
Post by: Stein on March 04, 2019, 09:31:11 AM
Post by: huntnphool on March 04, 2019, 10:48:42 AM
Post by: Odell on March 17, 2019, 05:23:14 PM
Odell, i am in lacey, if you want to drive over i will show you beginning to end how to use them, how to rig up specific gear, and the ins and outs.Thanks! I might take you up on that!
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Post by: blackpowderhunter on March 19, 2019, 10:43:59 AM
always carry spare down rigger balls/terminal kits/clips...
a day on the water can be ruined real quick like without them :chuckle: :bash: