Guys running riggers in tracks

[hookedupf7]

How many you guys running your riggers on tracks? Wondering how big of tracks you using and if you plated back sides under gunnels?

[dry net]

I run mine in cisco tracks. Have a Lund so had to add the brackets and rigger mounts. Never had a problem, good luck!!

[sherman brown]

1 hour ago, hookedupf7 said:

How many you guys running your riggers on tracks? Wondering how big of tracks you using and if you plated back sides under gunnels?

the only time I did it I had forgotten my riggers at home in Indiana when we went to Geneva Ohio walleye fishing. a great guy on a fishing forum I was on sent me a message after I posted about missing my riggers. he let me borrow 2 Big Jon electric with 3' boons and we were using 12# pancake weights. the only mounts he had that we could use were track mounts. I was worried because I put my track on using stainless screws. when I got them set I took a rope and tied the riggers to the boat so if the track failed we wouldn't lose his riggers. we used them for the week we were up there fishing. the tracks had held up great with nothing coming loose or pulling out.

 

but I do not recommend running riggers with screws used to fasten the tracks on. if you are going to use your riggers in your tracks using some kind of backing is a must. you don't have to put a backing on where you can't get to them. i do recommend using bolts with countersunk screw heads and the size that will work in the tracks. on the bottom use any size backing that you can fit on them. I have mounted riggers to the gunnels on some old boats I owned 35 or 50 years ago. what I used was the large SS Fender Washers. I did this for years and never had one come loose.

 

 

[jmyers8]

I run mine off a 6 inch track on the corners bolted down through a backing plate. I dont have any issues with 12 pound weights 

[sherman brown]

11 hours ago, sherman brown said:

the only time I did it I had forgotten my riggers at home in Indiana when we went to Geneva Ohio walleye fishing. a great guy on a fishing forum I was on sent me a message after I posted about missing my riggers. he let me borrow 2 Big Jon electric with 3' boons and we were using 12# pancake weights. the only mounts he had that we could use were track mounts. I was worried because I put my track on using stainless screws. when I got them set I took a rope and tied the riggers to the boat so if the track failed we wouldn't lose his riggers. we used them for the week we were up there fishing. the tracks had held up great with nothing coming loose or pulling out.

 

but I do not recommend running riggers with screws used to fasten the tracks on. if you are going to use your riggers in your tracks using some kind of backing is a must. you don't have to put a backing on where you can't get to them. i do recommend using bolts with countersunk screw heads and the size that will work in the tracks. on the bottom use any size backing that you can fit on them. I have mounted riggers to the gunnels on some old boats I owned 35 or 50 years ago. what I used was the large SS Fender Washers. I did this for years and never had one come loose.

 

 

I had 2 24" tracks with 1 butted up about 3" away from the ends. then I had 2 rod holders with 2 rods running lite bite slide divers and the rigger at the very back of the track. but tying the riggers to the back cleat for safety gave me peace of mind so I could concentrate on fishing. i only ran them for a week but without anything coming loose.

 

when I installed my tracks using screws to hold them on I was a little anxious about them failing. so I installed 2 of my Cannon ratcheting holders and set them out to the side I then took hold of them and lifted all my 250# body and held on and even bounced up and down to see if the tracks were safe to use. After that test, I never worried about them coming loose using 3 holders with 3 rigs using 3 of the lite bite slide divers per side.

 

the 24" track just wasn't long enough to have enough space between the rods and reels. Instead of buying a longer track, I got 2 more of the 24" and added them on. my oldest son and I bought a larger boat so I bought 2 Cisco 24" tracks and added them on. now i have extra room with mu 3 rigs and an extra holder as a spare and a Traxstech angled fixed holder on each side with an Ego S2 slider dip net on each side.

[hookedupf7]

 Am currently running them bolted on but trying to make it so I can remove them and the dual rod holders all in one shot. I plan on leaving the boat dry docked this summer. And want to be able to put the cover on the boat. Now I have to remove the dual holders with 4 screws. Figure with the track I can remove the whole assembly as one . I have it plated now and should definitely plate the tracks and thru bolt them . Thanks for the input. Gotta see what I can fit up under there I know it was a sob getting plates up there

[dickey]

I run my Scotty’s off tracks that came on the boat from the  factory (fishmaster 196). I through bolted with stainless bolts/locking nuts and put 4” x 4” plates underneath every spot where there was screw holes in the tracks. Even did it for the tracks near the helm that I run my trees off of. Maybe overkill but wasn’t hard to do. 
 

[sherman brown]

if you don't have enough room for a backing plate a fender washer would be better than not having anything. and as long as most are bolted on with backing and nuts I believe they would never come loose. and I agree with others that a locking nut would serve you better than a standard nut that might vibrate loose over time.

 

the 1 trip was the only time I bused riggers on my tracks. but I did run 3 diver rods per side with mine screwed on and never had a screw come loose in all the years I used that boat. we bought a used larger boat 2 years ago and I mounted the tracks on it with screws. One thing I do is drill my holes just large enough that the screws are a tight fit but not tight enough they get stuck on the way in.

 

but I have no plans to ever run riggers off my tracks. the cannon riggers that we are using now came with the boat and are mounted to a board going across the rear of the boat so they are left on the boat. on my old boat, I had 2 Big Jon riggers that were mounted on the back cross-section inside the boat. we also used that boat for playing in the water so I used the Big Jon slide mounts so i could just slide them off.

[G-Daddy]

We ran cannons in 60” Cisco tracks.  Used fender washers as backers. 

[Yankee Troller]

We run our Cannon downriggers in a track with a 4" pedestal on our Lund. I run them on a 45* angle from the boat and don't extend the booms. Most of the time I'm shallow water fishing with these and running 10 or 12lb Sharks. On occasion I have run 15lb weights. It doesn't flex the gunnels this way. If you have access to put in a backer plate it's always a good idea.

 

[ColinC]

4 hours ago, Yankee Troller said:

We run our Cannon downriggers in a track with a 4" pedestal on our Lund. I run them on a 45* angle from the boat and don't extend the booms. Most of the time I'm shallow water fishing with these and running 10 or 12lb Sharks. On occasion I have run 15lb weights. It doesn't flex the gunnels this way. If you have access to put in a backer plate it's always a good idea.

 

What length track are you using for the rigger and diver rod holders?

[steelydan]

I run them in Traxtech tracks. No room for backing plates but I have 2 hD fender washers on every bolt and I have 5200 between track and mounting surface. 4 years and nothing getting loose

[Yankee Troller]

17 minutes ago, ColinC said:

What length track are you using for the rigger and diver rod holders?

 

There are two tracks on either side of the boat. I will measure them this weekend, but I think they are 36" tracks.

[strik]

Anyone know if a scotty and 3 holders would fit on a 3ft track?

[Yankee Troller]

10 minutes ago, strik said:

Anyone know if a scotty and 3 holders would fit on a 3ft track?

 

It should

[strik]

26 minutes ago, Yankee Troller said:

 

It should

Thanks

[sherman brown]

1 hour ago, strik said:

Anyone know if a scotty and 3 holders would fit on a 3ft track?

I was running 3 Cannon ratcheting rod holders on 24" tracks but they were too close for me but they did work. A 36" trach should give you the extra room for your rigger mounted at the very back of the track and have extra space between your holders. you should be good.

 

where are you getting 30" tracks? and what brand are they? Usually track size goes 24" then they jump to 36" and so on. i have looked at Traxstech, Cannon, and Cisco tracks, and all of them jumps to 36" and Cisco has the best price of these brands.

[strik]

Not 30" a 3 ft 

 

Guess if your looking for a 30" you would need to cut down a 36"

 

[Yankee Troller]

On 3/1/2024 at 1:38 PM, ColinC said:

What length track are you using for the rigger and diver rod holders?

 

They are 36" tracks