Input on additional downriggers

[Misty IV]

I'm doing some upgrades this season to the boat and am stuck with deciding between adding 1 or 2 more downriggers. I run a Starcraft Islander 221, currently with 2 Cannons mounted as out-downs. I'd like to add a 3rd for down the chute, but the room is there to run a total of 4. The boat is an I/O with a small swim step on the starboard side transom and the kicker is mounted on the port side of the transom. I am having more and more friends ask me to go out this season, so I can up the amount of rods in the water. I also run leadcore and a copper line at times.

Given what I have to work with, would you suggest I go with just the single down the chute or go for the 4 total? I'm seeing a lot of charter boats have backed down from a lot of riggers to as few as 3. My only concern with down the chute is the cable getting caught in the prop. The 2 Cannons I have now are the Uni-Troll HP's with the extendable booms. Regardless of which way I go, the new unit(s) will be the MAG 10 HS's. Input/advice all welcome. Thanks!

[skipper19]

I have 4 across the back of my 8.5 ft beam and I find myself not using all four at one time 95% of the time when enough people are aboard. There is just not room enough to put all 4 in over 40 ft deep....UNLESS...it is very calm water. The weights can tangle and there is the potential for a snafu of terminal tackle in deep cross currents. I think you would do fine with just one more rigger down the chute where you can angle it a little to inboard side of kicker and extend far enough off the back so that a swinging ball does not crash the boat or the motor.

However I have run three riggers deep and the fourth inboard rigger shallow (under 20 ft deep) and use a 0 setting dipsey hooked to the release on the ball to achieve the "tailgunner set" straight back and out 120 or more. This keeps the fourth ball shallow and the added pull of the dipsey "drags" the ball back a little away from the other sets for less chance of a tangle.

Keep in mind sometimes less is more, especially when there is the concern for tangles and then there is the scare factor to the fish when they see/hear all those cables buzzing by. consider if you really need to run more than 5 or 6 lines when the fish are jumping on everything out. And as far as stealth goes in my opinion you can't beat far and wide from dipsy or big board presentations over concentrated downrigger sets. Outriggers are a plus for getting more width too and can be obtained for the about the cost of a down rigger.

Mark

[DEFIANCE1]

I have the same boat and currently have four downriggers. I like running the four downriggers during the spring when you are fishing below 50fow but it gets to be a little to much with such a narrow beam when you are targeting fish below 50fow, especially when you start running flashers off the downriggers. I have two mounts on the side and three across the back. Once I start fishing deeper I just run the two side downriggers and move one of the others to the middle. There is plenty of clearance with the cannon extendable booms. Also by moving the downrigger to the center makes netting fish alot easier.

[Misty IV]

Thanks for the input. Definitely gives me some other variables to look at I never thought of. I'll be back up at the boat next weekend and will look things over...possibly temporarily move some of the riggers around the boat (have someone hold them in place) and see if/how things would work depending on where I place them. I can see how having 4 may be tough in less than calm seas with only an 8.5' beam, but could be fishable if the lake is calm. Ah, decisions, decisions. That's why I ask here!

[ReelPower]

I have a 21' trophy (8'6" beam) that I run four cannons off. Two custom boom easi-trolls off the back and two unitrolls off the sides about 3 foot from the transom.

Key to the ability to manuever the riggers is the cannon swivel bases. I can also kick the transom riggers out or in a little to net easier.

With the right rod holder set up, I can run four riggers and four dipsys or four riggers and four board lines no problemo. The transom riggers are mounted on the opposite sides of the transom w/extra long arms (swim platform). I extend the side-mounted unitrolls out 2/3 of max. extension and have no problems with tangles.

Shark cannonballs keep the spread running accurately. Rough conditions haven't been a big problem for the four downrigger spread. Either I can fish or its too dangerous. I fish deep off the side mounted unitrolls (15 lb. sharks & probe) and shallower off the back two easitroll riggers (12 lb. sharks). This gets the back riggers "out" a little bit and keeps the spread from tangling.

Go for four! Use the swivel bases and get some hydronamic downrigger balls/fish.

Jarrett

[MCF]

I had a 22 Sylvan and ran four riggers for years with no problems. Also had a 1/2 platform off the back and a kicker on a bracket.

[Mickey Finn]

One thing that helps a lot with an 8 foot beam and 4 riggers is to run wingers on the outside weights. This will spread them out and you won't have trouble with tangles. I run four on my Starcraft with no trouble.

[Misty IV]

One thing that helps a lot with an 8 foot beam and 4 riggers is to run wingers on the outside weights. This will spread them out and you won't have trouble with tangles. I run four on my Starcraft with no trouble.

I saw the wingers advertised on a Lake Ontario tackle page. Now I fully understand what they do. May be worth looking into should I go the 4-route.

[Mickey Finn]

I use them even when I only run three riggers. Just gives you more spread down there. Make sure you use crimpless connectors on your cables. The wingers create a little more pull and a lot more cost if you break a cable.

[chowder]

I originally had 3 riggers on my Islander but switched to 4 this spring b/c the kicker 'took away a bit of netting room and I just never liked the rigger over the outdrive. An 8'6" boat w/ a kicker and a chute rigger doesn't leave much room for landing fish, especially if you fish w/ kids and or green horns! I do have a track setup which greatly facilitates changing and adjusting rod holder and rigger locations so I have my corner riggers far enough away from the transom that they don't stick out that far out the back. Now, even w/ the kicker I have a pretty 'clean' area for landing fish. I will say this though, most of the time I run 2 riggers/2 divers (slide divers or dipsies)/ and 2 coppers or cores or flat lines off the boards. So far I haven't used the 2cd set of riggers that much but once the browns move out to the 40s & 50s for the season and I'm after them I'm sure I will. -Andy

[Iceman]

Get four riggers, it gives you a better chance of creating a spread that will pull in fish from a distance. I run four on my 21'Lund & four balls down works the best!

[Misty IV]

Update: I went the 4 route. Got (2) Mag-10 HS's for my out-downs. Will move the Uni-trolls in to the inner two spots.

Here's another question. I have my Sub-Troll on one of the Uni-Trolls. Would you suggest moving it to the Mag-10 or keep it on the Uni? Not that it'd be a huge pain to move the cable over to a Mag, but thing I am thinking is if I keep it on a Uni, I could check temps without disturbing the outer spreads if I were only using the Mags at the time. Input?

[Mickey Finn]

I use wingers on my outside riggers for more spread. I keep my probe on one of the back riggers. I dont want to run the probe and a winger on the same rigger because of the extra stress on the rigger and the extra blow back it would cause. If I didn't use the wingers, that might be different.

[chowder]

Update: I went the 4 route. Got (2) Mag-10 HS's for my out-downs. Will move the Uni-trolls in to the inner two spots.

Here's another question. I have my Sub-Troll on one of the Uni-Trolls. Would you suggest moving it to the Mag-10 or keep it on the Uni? Not that it'd be a huge pain to move the cable over to a Mag, but thing I am thinking is if I keep it on a Uni, I could check temps without disturbing the outer spreads if I were only using the Mags at the time. Input?

Couple thoughts;

1. I think I would put the 2 HS units in the corners, these will be used a lot of the time and they will save you a lot of time if you use them the most.

2. I would put your coated cable on one of these corner riggers. You don't want to run coated cable on an out down if it's a Cannon- you will have trouble with pulley abrasion as the coated cable rubs at an angle coming up.

3. I think I mentioned it before but, I would consider mounting your corner riggers so they don't stick out too far. This will minimize conflicts w/ a 'hot' fish behind the boat.

[jimski2]

We have removed a lot of downriggers from our boats. Dipsey divers work fine and produce more fish. With the riggers out of the way, it is a lot easier to net a fish from the side of the boat rather than the transom mess. Line counter reels loaded with 30# braid get our lures out and away from the boat. Two dipseys on #3 settings for off the side and two on #1 settings are fine. Leadcore or dropweight lines on inline planers can add more sweep area if you need it. Good simple rod holders are all you need.