Kindly school me on small portable downriggers..best options..

[bulletbob]

 First off, let me say I am not a troller.. Don't much care for it.. I like it  a bit better when the fish are near the surface, and can be caught flat lining in the spring or fall.. I usually just run 2 rods out the back with REALLY long lines, and over the years have caught some really nice trout and salmon..
 I do not keep the boat moving when flat lining..  Fish on, I kill the motor, and fight the fish as if I were casting, from a drifting boat..

 I  do realize however that I am really limited once the fish go deeper in May/June..
 I am thinking of putting on 2 small cheap portable riggers to get the lures into the zone.. If the  silver fish are deeper than say 70 feet, I won't bother, but I know that browns and salmon are often ony 25 to 50 feet down, depending on conditions...
 I plan on doing the same thing  I do when I flatline... Simply cutting the motor, and fighting the fish   on  fairly light tackle from a drifting boat, after the release pops..

 I need portable because they will have to be able to go on any of 3 boats I have...
 They would be used to get me in the zone,  when other options aren't feasable..
 Which are the "best" portables.. i don't need fancy, just functionality..
 

 I would need what?.. 2 riggers, 2 weights[6 lbs??] and 2 releases, correct??.. any thing else??..

I don't want  sliders, cheaters, stackers, whatever.. just  2  lures dragged behind the boat at the depth I am reading suspended fish at.. Over the years I have noticed that if I see 1 fish at 35 feet, typically I see a lot more marks around the same depth not  too far away.. Thats would be my initial approach.. Start trolling where I see marks.. Very simplistic, I understand, but I just want to better my chances without becoming a  "real" dedicated troller.. I just want other options than jigging lake trout.. Any advice on what to get would be appreciated... bob

Edited August 31, 2014 by bulletbob

[marcstevens]

A couple small cannon clamp on. U can probably git them at gander

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[ddubs3]

I used two clamp on Walkers when I first started with 4# weights. They worked fine down to about 50'. I could part with them for a decent price since I dont use them anymore now that I have electric Cannons.

[apb]

The mini cannons have issues with the spool of cable coming loose while you are cranking them up and down.

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[Absolut40]

I've used the Walkers for years with no issues.They are much more user friendly than the Cannons..

[bulletbob]

I used two clamp on Walkers when I first started with 4# weights. They worked fine down to about 50'. I could part with them for a decent price since I dont use them anymore now that I have electric Cannons.

 Interested..  please email me .. [email protected]

[Jeremy Goodison]

I have had two cannon clamp downriggers on my pontoon boat for couple yrs and there great. It is a two handed deploy but easy to get use to. I used six lb balls and 70 feet would be max (not that I didn't go 90 ish) cause the blow back is bad. But they did put the lure in the strike zone as advertised.

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[hermit]

Hey Bob hope all is well.   I've had similar thoughts in the past but have done okay without, I've been spending the spring trolling and then switching to jigging late June or so. (Not this year though.)  I use dipsey/torpedo divers and deep diving cranks and can get down to the 40-50 pretty easily.  I've been successful up to the first week of July or so with this and quit when the fleas and weeds get out of hand.   Just something to think about and would save you the trouble of rigging a portable downrigger board or something. 

Edited September 1, 2014 by hermit

[TileMan Dan]

Not knowing the particulars of the boat types you have I would say a pair of Cannons with adjustable booms and mounting plates for each boat

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[TileMan Dan]

Six pound balls are gonna have wicked blowback

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[ontherise]

You could rig one of your three boats for trolling

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[ERABBIT]

You could rig one of your three boats for trolling

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...... or a trolling board that you could put on the boat you want to fish that day...............your mount for your rigger would be on the board with rod holders or what ever..... then you could make the board "

portable " .............

[bulletbob]

You could rig one of your three boats for trolling

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problem with that is conditions.. Many days my 14 footer would be great, and I would prefer to fish from that.. Its light and easy to handle myself.. However, If it was a windy day I might want to put the riggers on my 15 foot glass boat which is a stable, dry tri hull, thats very wide and open.. I would rather not have a dedicated  "trolling boat"...  I don't relish the idea of a  boat bristling with rods and 8 lines out.. I don't  want to get that involved with deep trolling.. Just want  something else to try when jigging isn't working.. Also I would like a shot at a silver fish once in a while, instead of lakers every trip... bob

[devilfishIII]

I'd get one small cannon manual with 3 bases not the clamp they don't have a rod holder and are a pain. And I would fish one flatlined lead core which would be 2 different presentations and both have their days

[bandrus1]

I have 4 old school mini riggers prob used for walleye style trolling you can have for $20 a pop

[Hookedup]

If your never going to fish below 60 ft just get snap weights. You put two small riggers on you still won't be using light line when fleas start.

[joetroller]

I know you said you wanted to fish light lines but I would suggest rigging a couple dipsey diver rods they do a great job but you need good rod holders

[Thun]

These clamp on Down East Rod Holders are great and super sturdy. I use them right now for wire line dipsy's, until I can mount a track for a couple of Cisco's.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fishing-Rod-Holder-for-Boat-side-pole-double-Clamp-Down-East-SportsCraft-/181510025944?pt=US_Taxidermy&hash=item2a42d732d8

[Squad41]

I have two manual Walkers with 2 ft booms insteak of the 1 footers that came with them, I also have one clamp for an or lock.  I have used these with up to 8 lb weights down to 80 feet.  At 80 ft it does get a little tiring but it works.  You are welcome to them for whaterver you think is fair plus shipping.

[bulletbob]

 I am going to go with dipsy divers.. It makes the most sense for what I am going to do.. Once the fish are much deeper than 40 or 50 feet, and the fleas get bad, I won't troll anyway... bob

[ERABBIT]

 I am going to go with dipsy divers.. It makes the most sense for what I am going to do.. Once the fish are much deeper than 40 or 50 feet, and the fleas get bad, I won't troll anyway... bob

If you go with dipsy and wire the fleas will not be a issue anyway..... I don't think your going to like them takes a lot of the fight out of the fish that you get now with jigging...... but they catch fish.....