downrigger choice

[frenchy 1957]

tryng make my mind  between cannon mag10 ore scotty 1116

Edited February 29 by frenchy 1957

[jmyers8]

Have you checked out magnum metalz

[HB2]

X2 on the Magnum metals . Built well no plastic .I saw them at the show and almost pulled the trigger some walkers came with my new boat . 

 

 

[Hobo]

Great product I own 2.  Crappy management. 

[spoonfed-1]

19 hours ago, frenchy 1957 said:

tryng make my mind  between cannon mag10 ore scotty 1116

My Scottys just keep fishing year after year. Trouble free. I have a couple since 1994. I think 2 belt replacements and a couple spool tension adjustments in all those years.

[UNREEL]

19 hours ago, frenchy 1957 said:

tryng make my mind  between cannon mag10 ore scotty 1116

You should also consider the lifetime warranty on Scottys. 

[Gator]

I'd tell you that we put Magnum Metalz on last year and love them, but you asked about Scotty vs. Cannon.

 

Ford vs. Chevy. Our Cannons lasted decades and are still running on somebody else's boat. But we lost a few probes over the years due to how fast they are and how quickly they stop. Upgrading to a Fishhawk X4D was our main motivation for going with Magnum Metalz. The clutch system and spring brings the weight to a silky smooth stop. But the small spool demands that you keep the cable tight. Every rigger has it's own personality. I'd bum a ride with folks who run different models to see if you like them or not.

[dickey]

I put Scotty’s on my new boat in 2020 so not a lot of years on them but so far I love them. No issues so far. I am sure you will find guys that love their cannons. Good luck!

 

Rick 

[sherman brown]

it's really hard to suggest one over the other. all of them will be good riggers. what I would do is look at what each one offers like speed, auto stop, and how they stop. I bought new Big Jon pro tournament riggers with auto-stop. the auto stop on them is a bead on the cable that trips a switch on the rigger boom. on our 3rd trip 1 rigger stop didn't work. the next day the other one stopped working. I believe with the speed they go when they start up using 12# weights the soft plastic beads holes were enlarged to a point they failed to keep working. no need to repair them as they wouldn't last. now we just watch the counters and stop them manually.

[jerryriggin]

I would say magnum metals but it that wasn’t an option it would be Scotty’s. I’ve seen more guys with problems with cannons then anything.

[Total Chaos]

Seems like a lot of Magnum Metalz here. I also have them and would pick them over the cannons and scottys!

[Josh A]

I have 4x of the cannon mag 10s. I really like them however I would recommend down rigger snubbers. These things stop on a dime and if its choppy sometimes its enough to snap the ball.  You dint want that especially if your running fish hawks. 

[cassey4322]

Have had my scotty 21 years never had any problems never replaced anything 

[billbobthorpe]

I put Magnum Metalz on last year and they work great!! Compact, simple design, super smooth. You can custom order for your needs like the amount of cable, 2 different motor speeds, the amount of power cord needed and many different rod holder configurations. They have adapter plates to configure to your existing mounts. No need to worry about how heavy your weights are they will pull everything you throw at them. The only thing I can say negatively about them is they are custom made to order so it takes a while to get them. Mine took about 2 months to come after ordering. The other is it takes a trip or two to get used to the switch and clutch function. The switch is a little light and takes some getting used to. Goes from up and down pretty easily. But you get used to it quickly. Customer service is great and you can call them with any concerns and they are happy to help. You can order them right off there website. I would highly recommend them!!

[guffins fisherman]

I’ve never used magnum metals, but they look really nice. I have however, extensive time with cannons and Scotty’s. For me, the simplicity of the Scotty’s is hard to beat. They just work and can be serviced on the water if needed. If needed. With that said, I did have to replace a digital counter on my 2116’s last year. That’s it, since I’ve owned them. The other two get wet almost daily and keep on ticking. The only downfall to Scotty is they are large. On a smaller boat they would take up a lot of space. The electronics in cannons can be finicky. I did like the speed of them, but they went through some terminal gear. I added snubbers and didn’t care for the extended blowback. 

[HB2]

Don't be fooled on price with the cheaper Cannons . Many guys have lost probe due to the he abrubt stop .I know a guy who lost 2 on 10 trips . That over 1 k . 

 

Factor a lost probe and weight and you could have bought the better ones that don't do that . 

[13owhunter]

I have used some old cannons and now have big jons.  The abrupt stop on the cannons is simply not acceptable to me.  Way too much stress on everything. My (newish) big johns stop really softly but do overshoot a couple of feet which is very easy to get used to.  They could be a little faster but they arent slow and probably fine for 9/10 people.

 

I dont think the magnum metalz are much more expensive than the big jon captains pack.  If I needed new ones i would be looking at those or scottys.  A few of my buddies run scottys and love them.

 

That said, new ones of any brand are not cheap and there are a ton of used BJs and Cannons out there.  Id take an old cannon over manual cranking any day!

[kayaker919]

Note that Cannon Digitroll 5 (and I assume Digitroll 10 and Optimums?) have fast retrieve, but slow stop when nearing water surface.

[brucehookedup]

Scotty's 100% life time warranty. (never needed)

[spoonfed-1]

11 minutes ago, brucehookedup said:

Scotty's 100% life time warranty. (never needed)

X2. Lifetime on the motors only.

[Andre wallyandre]

Scotty for over 25 years. Never had any problem.

I like the fact that I can lower the ball at the speed that I want w/o having to play with the round knob, being able to lift the mast, being able to put a stopper where I want specially when I use a 2nd rod on the same rigger. I customize the rod holder on mine with a orca rod holder.

[UNREEL]

18 hours ago, spoonfed-1 said:

X2. Lifetime on the motors only.

I don’t believe that’s true. According to Scottys warranty, ONLY the digital counters have a limited warranty for two years. Downrigger cable and terminations of course are not covered. 

I took this pic at a fort in St. Augustine FL.  Couldn’t resist

[spoonfed-1]

25 minutes ago, UNREEL said:

I don’t believe that’s true. According to Scottys warranty, ONLY the digital counters have a limited warranty for two years. Downrigger cable and terminations of course are not covered. 

I took this pic at a fort in St. Augustine FL.  Couldn’t resist

Maybe changed with the new style? When I bought mine it was lifetime on the motors.

[Last One]

Started with Big Jons broke two booms and went to Cannon Digitrols. After 20 years one Digitrol died and Screwy Louie replace the board and turned into a Mag 10

Also don't like the short stop and speed. Went to Optimum, wow speeds are adjustable and retrieve has a soft stop. Like bottom track and all the other bells and whistles.

Friends mostly have Scotty's and love them. Never tried or even seen the Magnum Metalz. Good Look