Kayak downrigger Advice

[GreenLaker75]

Hope everyone is having a good Spring! I couldn't get anything in the skinny water to cooperate last couple days so let's talk deeper!

 

This season I have a goal to experiment with a downrigger setup via Kayak, and am looking for some general advice. 

 

**ball weights/shapes, anyone use 1-3lb weights with success? Reading through older threads I see preference for 10-12lb, makes sense, but that is a lot to manage in a Kayak.  Any shape or style help combat blowback?

 

**Any safety issues with using a down rigger with a Kayak? Does the kayak still "ride" the chop and waves ok? Any issues with the downrigger weight pulling the gunwale into the water?

 

*rod action - do you need a pretty light action to allow the rod to bend when you clip to the downrigger line?

 

Sorry for the long post - just always could use help getting through the learning curve!

 

 

 

[Tip-sea-tuna]

Depending on how deep you want to fish, you might want to look at just using lead core vs having to deal with the added complexity of a rigger, weights, releases, etc.  A 10 color (a full spool which is 100 yards) will get your spoon or whatever down about 50' and you can run 2 or maybe 3 at the same time depending on your kayak.  You could also add some in-line planer boards and get the lines out a ways from the kayak giving you a wider spread.  It would be a lot of paddling to keep your kayak at the 2-2.5mph that people typically troll at (not impossible just a lot of constant paddling).  Would definitely be sweet in a powered rig or a pedal kayak.

 

Food for thought.

[GreenLaker75]

22 minutes ago, Tip-sea-tuna said:

Depending on how deep you want to fish, you might want to look at just using lead core vs having to deal with the added complexity of a rigger, weights, releases, etc.  A 10 color (a full spool which is 100 yards) will get your spoon or whatever down about 50' and you can run 2 or maybe 3 at the same time depending on your kayak.  You could also add some in-line planer boards and get the lines out a ways from the kayak giving you a wider spread.  It would be a lot of paddling to keep your kayak at the 2-2.5mph that people typically troll at (not impossible just a lot of constant paddling).  Would definitely be sweet in a powered rig or a pedal kayak.

 

Food for thought.

Thanks for the reply! I have had some success with lead core, I don't like the resultant fight with the fish,  you just kind of drag them in....I think it's just more enjoyable to fight them on light spinning tackle like I do when long lining the shallow stuff early spring 

[Fly n Fish]

I have tried the downrigger on a kayak not the best.  Torpedo weights/Divers with braided line works great.

[JJBat150]

See some of my previous posts on how I've rigged my yak...

 

IMHO downriggers on kayaks are best if they yak is peddle or motor powered.   Trying to paddle and run a downrigger / rod isn't easy.

 

Torpedo divers either clipped on or using a redirig  instant downrigger is the way to go.  https://www.redirig.com/products  Also started using their planer floats, and have had good experiences spreading things out.

 

Lead core is an option; however in my experience I've lost quite a few fish trying to get the slack out of the line when you get a hook-up.    Pedal drive helps, because I can maintain forward momentum.

 

I generally use 4 or 6 lb. balls - Running deep with the 6 or 8 lbs, I do notice that there is some resistance on how the yak rides; if swells are big, I'll try to keep the downrigger downwind / downstream so that side rides in the wave through.    I run braid on my down rigger, and keep the clutch fairly loose in case I get hung up.   As with any down rigger, best to always keep the weight in the water rather then swinging around when you're fighting a fish / setting things up.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GreenLaker75]

On 4/25/2022 at 10:05 AM, JJBat150 said:

See some of my previous posts on how I've rigged my yak...

 

IMHO downriggers on kayaks are best if they yak is peddle or motor powered.   Trying to paddle and run a downrigger / rod isn't easy.

 

Torpedo divers either clipped on or using a redirig  instant downrigger is the way to go.  https://www.redirig.com/products  Also started using their planer floats, and have had good experiences spreading things out.

 

Lead core is an option; however in my experience I've lost quite a few fish trying to get the slack out of the line when you get a hook-up.    Pedal drive helps, because I can maintain forward momentum.

 

I generally use 4 or 6 lb. balls - Running deep with the 6 or 8 lbs, I do notice that there is some resistance on how the yak rides; if swells are big, I'll try to keep the downrigger downwind / downstream so that side rides in the wave through.    I run braid on my down rigger, and keep the clutch fairly loose in case I get hung up.   As with any down rigger, best to always keep the weight in the water rather then swinging around when you're fighting a fish / setting things up.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I appreciate the reply! How far in front of your lure are you running the torpedo diver?

[JJBat150]

Run it anywhere from 5 feet to as far as 150 feet.   It depends on the lure / depth that I'm running; generally, if shallow running I stretch out the lead pretty far, the deeper Igo, the closer to the weight the lure can be.

 

 

[ChrisS]

I've got that Scotty laketroller down rigger and I used a mount with two t-track attachments to try and spread the load a little bit.  I paddled with it a couple of times, and it's a pain.  I switched over to torpedo divers and redirig instant downrigger.  I've got a leadcore set-up that I use sometimes too. 

 

I recently picked up a bixpy, so I'm going to give the downrigger a try again, but only if I need to go really deep.  Even if underpower, that rigger can be finicky to deploy and manage in a kayak.

 

 

[Dlott]

3 way swivel an a weight would be about the same 

[jk1]

Try jigging, more fun to me than trolling......jk