Downrigger Manual vs Electric

[lakertaker97]

Hey guys is it worth waiting to find a good price on some electric riggers or should I just pull the trigger on some nice hand crank riggers like cannon uni-trolls. Is it really that big of a hassle to hand crank them? I'm looking at getting 2.

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[Ray]

Depends upon...depth of water fishing, pounds of downrigger weights. I fish mainly from 120 ft up to the surface and upgraded to electrics. It gets tiring using manuals to retrieve the weights and with auto stop on electric riggers you can multi-task.

Food for thought.

[JR]

I have 4 Manuals on my boat and don't mind cranking them up, it keeps me in shape but when fishing deep 100' plus with 15 lb weights on a busy day it can be a bit tiring but I have used electric one's and they are sweet and could easily get spoiled using them, Go with what you can afford to use

[holy mackerel]

We all fished with manuals in the old days. If you are young, no problem. I switched over when I got the money from winnings. and sold the manuals in the swap sheet. (anyone remember the swap sheet? )

[G-Daddy]

We use 4 Uni-Trolls on our boat. Last season I was only 62 years old, but Ibuprofin was my friend. On a four-day trip the first three were ok, but that fourth day my body was aching from all the cranking. I'm thinking my 13 year old grandson needs to learn the joys of running the riggers.

[lakertaker97]

Alright thanks guys i think im going to take what i can get then.

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[JakeyBaby]

Go with the electric you will be alot happier in the long run!!!! Last year i had 2 electric and 2 uni-troll's on my boat and what a differnce between the 2 when you are running them at the same time! With nothing else said..... I have 4 electric's now .

Matt

-Jakey Baby-

[lakertaker97]

Ya Im going to try to find some electrics butvif I can't find any reasonably priced ones then I'm going to have to go with hand crank.

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[Fish Hunter]

Just pulled our Walker hand cranks off the little boat, and replaced them with flea-bay-purchased Big Jons.

Was happy to have the hand cranks when purchased, but also happy not to use them any longer.

[dbutts]

i always used hand cranks. you dont have to worry about wiring them, or about them breaking down or switches going bad or etc. else that can go wrong with an electric. when i got my penn yan it came with 4 electric cannons. I now only use two, the other two are in my basement because of issues with the switches. unless you fish really deep with your riggers, hand cranks are the way to go. electrics also draw on your batteries, and what about electric currents through riggers? do hand cranks need a black box?

[W.W.IV.]

Try cranking them up with a little tendonitis in your elbows. I started out with hand cranks also but I worked in a machine shop and got stuck running an old lathe and screwed up my elbow, I had to go electric. I changed my share of switches, and its a pain in the pocketbook .

[dbutts]

Yea, it is nice to hit the switch for up while you work on something else. You do have to consider though, if a guy is starting out, a lot of money can be spent reel quick. Between rod/reel combos, lures, electronics, fuel, & beverages/snacks, a day on the lake can add up fast. A cheap second hand manuel rigger or two can be a reel blessing.... Shop around, you could get lucky if someone is looking to upgrade. It's all about what you can afford in this economy....

[BAZOOKAJOE]

I have the manual uni-trolls...they aren't too bad to crank up.

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[skipper19]

If you go with manuals, try to get the old proos with that huge wire reel. They are fast on retrieve and give you lots of leverage with that big reel. One crank will bring in at least 2 feet or close to 2.5 to 3 feet of cable (the reel is 10 inches in diameter....a little math (pie x diameter) ..3.1416 x 10 = 31.1416 inches per crank. Of course electrically powered riggers are just plain easier, and if fishing alone it can be trouble with a screaming king and then a second one, and the riggers are still hanging in the water waiting to saw your prize off the line when it wraps around the cable. I know, I speak from the experience,....more than twice, ....a day....cranking fish and riggers at he same time has not been one of my best dances.

Mark

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