Down-riggers are one of the most underutilized pieces of equipment a fisherman trolling in saltwater has at his disposal.Did that get your attention?
Generally I don’t like making such blanket statements, but in this case, I’m absolutely certain I’m correct.
If you regard your down-rigger mainly as a necessary evil to get a bait below the surface, this column is aimed at you. Down-riggers can put baits in front of gamefish but, like anything else, how anglers use these fishing tools can mean more or fewer catches.
Maybe part of the resistance to using down-riggers in saltwater comes from being introduced to them by freshwater anglers who made the switch. Many saltwater anglers would call that an “upgrade” — but that’s another discussion. The better freshwater anglers have been using down-riggers for years when chasing salmon, lake trout, striped bass, hybrid white bass/stripers, walleyes and others species.
In general, a down-rigger resembles a large reel with a short stout rod. The line is usually a braided wire or cable and at the end is a heavy weight and release mechanism.
The impact of a fish striking a lure or bait pulls the fishing line from the down-rigger release clip, and the angler subdues the fish without the added stress of a weight or planer.
Check out some of the more highly-equipped freshwater fishing machines at places such as the Great Lakes. Most boats have multiple down-riggers and may have six or eight — or more. In addition, Great Lakes anglerso often stack more than one line on each down-rigger.
There are two primary categories of down-riggers. One is manual, where the fisherman must let the line down to the desired depth and crank it back up after a strike or to check a bait or lure. Electric rigs retrieve the down-rigger line automatically. Some auto-rigs take lures or baits to a programmed depth. Other electric down-riggers have an assortment of special features, including bottom tracking and variable depth jigging. Some even release a small electrical discharge into the water.
While manufacturers warn against it, some anglers switch out down-rigger wire for monofilament or fluorocarbon line or add a lengthy section of monofilament or fluorocarbon to the end of the wire. The monofilament or fluorocarbon must be the same or a smaller diameter of the wire it replaces or excessive “blowback” (deflection of the line caused by the drag of it being pulled through the water) may occur.
However, substituting one of the small-diameter superbraid lines for wire has become popular during the last few years. The smaller diameter superbraids are strong and seem to handle trolling’s demands.
My suggestion, if an angler wants to experiment with exchanging down-rigger cable, is to leave the original wire on the spool and add 100 to 150 feet of monofilament, fluorocarbon or superbraid. The original wire acts as a “cushion” for the added line and helps protect the down-rigger spool.
Many down-rigger spools have multiple pieces and the stretch of the mono creates extra stress. It’s wise to remove the down-rigger ball at the end of the day and let out a little more down-rigger line than was used at the deepest setting, then slowly reel it back with no pressure and layer the line evenly on the spool.
If changing line of an electric down-rigger with the “auto-stop” feature, be sure the auto stop continues to work after the change. Some of the auto-stop mechanisms use the down-rigger wire to create a “ground” in the water and cease to function if the ground is broken. Monofilament, fluorocarbon and the superbraid lines aren’t good electrical conductors and can prevent the auto-stop feature from working properly.
Reasons for removing down-rigger wire from the water include:
• Getting rid of the hum: Some down-riggers create a significantly audible hum when fished at deeper depths and using wire;
• Avoiding cutoffs from the wire: “Murphy’s Law of Moving Mono” (my theory) states “the moving mono will always cut the stationary mono, regardless of size.”
When a fish is running with the 15- or 20-pound line and wraps around a down-rigger line, the smaller mono will cut the larger mono or fluorocarbon. This isn’t true with superbraid lines that will abrade the mono just like the wire.
• Easier to handle: Monofilament or fluorocarbon is easier to handle when lifting a heavy down-rigger ball into or out of a boat. Superbraid lines are usually smaller in diameter than the wire and can be tricky to handle.
So how can anglers use the down-riggers to catch more fish?
The basic function of a down-rigger is to position baits/lures at desired depths (where target fish species are located). That means watching a fish-finder’s screen, then trolling baits/lures where baits or gamefish are located.
The best location for a down-rigger bait is at the top level or just above pods of suspended baitfish. Most fish see straight ahead and above them, but few see below without dipping their heads (which fish aren’t made to do very well). In other words, fish look up a lot — so drag baits/lures above them.
Knowing exactly how the down-rigger ball is tracking is required to position a bait at a specified depth. While there is a meter on most down-riggers to determine the amount of line let out, “blowback” can result in baits/lures actually being too high in the water column. Blowback occurs when a down-rigger line enters the water at any angle other than straight down.
Anglers can overcome excessive blowback by using several remedies, including slowing the trolling speed (but that’sn’t always the preferred way). Another is by switching to a smaller diameter down-rigger line to reduce the resistance of the water. A third is by switching to a heavier down-rigger ball. Specially-designed down-rigger balls (narrow or fish shapes) also reduce the resistance of the weight.
In an effort to remove all possible resistance, I mount the down-rigger release on the down-rigger line and use only a single snap swivel at the end to attach the weight. This removes some hardware (and drag) from the water and allows adjusting the height of the release above the ball and custom fitting the down-rigger to the boat.
While I have experienced some corrosion problems with the electrical down-riggers’ connectors, they offer other features I believe attract fish:
• Variable-depth jigging: Typically available with the more-expensive electric down-riggers, it allows programming a down-rigger to constantly vary its depth. Often a king mackerel, cobia or other predator will follow a bait in a sort of “cat-and-mouse” game, swimming behind the bait but not striking. But a sudden movement of the bait/lure will cause the predator to strike. A jigging down-rigger creates this sudden movement as it raises or lowers a bait.
• Electrical discharges: Several years ago I had a boat with an electrical discharge we couldn’t find, but it burned up several sets of zincs (sacrificial anodes in most outboard owner’s manuals) during the summer. There were numerous times with that boat when we pulled into crowds at a favorite spot and came away with a big fish. Discharging a small electrical current into the water has been proven to attract fish. I don’t understand exactly how it works, but certain frequencies and voltages stimulate various fish.
Cannon Down-riggers refers to this minor current discharge as “positive-ion control” and touts it as a feature of their electric down-riggers. The amount of voltage released can be regulated, which alters the effects of the electrical field.
Using this feature successfully involves a lot of experimentation and sometimes attracts undesired species. Other factors, such as salinity, will alter the settingso.
I’ve seen “positive-ion control” work exceptionally well, but it’s an inexact science and difficult to duplicate in every situation.
• Chum deploment: Down-riggers can be used to get chum or scent mixtures into the water at depths where the baits/lures are positioned.
Trollers must attach a chum container a little below the down-rigger release. Personal experience has taught that positioning the fighting-line release 30 to 36 inches above the down-rigger ball and attaching the chum container to the small eye of the down-rigger ball works well.
Placing the down-rigger release on the down-rigger line and adjusting it to fit the boat is easily done. Beginning with the end of the down-rigger line, slip some kind of foam or rubber shock absorber on the line for when the down-rigger is cranked up too quickly and the release slams into the end of the boom. A practice foam golf ball with a hole drilled through it works nicely and is available at most sports or general market stores.
Follow the shock absorber with the first ear of an upside-down outrigger release on the line followed by a crimp sleeve then the other ear of the release. Don’t crimp the sleeve. After these items have been attached to the down-rigger line, tie a snap swivel to the end of the line. Billfisher Kroc snap swivels from Sea Striker are stronger with a smaller diameter wire and help reduce blowback.
Once the down-rigger is mounted on the boat, lower the weight to about a foot below the chine and raise the release until the shock absorber ball is against the tip of the boom. Now crimp the sleeve in place to position the release above the weight and chum and allow them to remain barely in the water, but out of the way while fighting a fish or putting a line in the down-rigger release.
The release is easy to use as it’s just below the end of the down-rigger boom and within easy reach of an angler. See the diagram that accompanies this story.
