Downriggers, made by Walker, Scotty, Penn, Cannon, Mac-Jac and others, have many plusses when it comes to fishing. They eliminate the guesswork in getting your lures or baits down to the exact depth you want it to run because of the depth counter. Also, by using a stack release, as veteran fisherman Ed Reeves of Spartanburg does, two rods can be fished using one downrigger.
The fun part of using a downrigger is that the release frees the line from the ball, allowing the fish to be played on a light rod and reel.
Prices on downriggers start at under $100 for a basic model to over $500 for an electric like Reeves uses. You may add a swivel base, gimbal mount or pedestals, depending on your style boat. You may also add a dual rodholder.
A downrigger trolling weight or “cannonball” comes in sizes from from four to 12 pounds with the 10-pound ball being standard. These may or not come with the downrigger, and they vary in price from $20 to almost $50.
Releases, which are usually attached to the downrigger ball, can vary the tension from two to eight pounds. Stacker releases can be added so that you can fish on more than one lure.
Be the first to comment