Stacking the downrigger!

Been doing a fair bit of kokanee fishing and made a video of stacking the downrigger.  Koke bite was really nice last night, I limited in about 2.5 hours.  If it is not too windy I might try this for pinks and put a line at 25 and 35 feet.  A double on pinks would be a hoot.

Enjoy.

You're a man of many talents -- downrigger coordination being one of them! 
Nice video, it really shows the challenge of wind, paddling and all the DR connections to double deploy.

Thanks.  If it is too windy you just don't even try it.  Sure is fun when it works though.

I made a downrigger with stacker last year. It's tough to deploy from a paddle kayak.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=55253.15

Kudos for doing it on the paddle. Scott

Thanks, I just use a simple Scotty Laketroller.  Cheap and effective.

I've given up trying to stack two fishing lines on the same downrigger cable, and trying to long-line troll and downrigger troll at the same time, because it involves juggling a lot of gear at the same time, and creates a risk of time-consuming and irritating line tangles.  Congratulations to Widgeonmangh on figuring out how to handle two downriggers at the same time!

When I'm downrigger trolling from a paddle kayak, I turn downwind before I start to run out my fishing line, so the wind will keep my fishing line streamed out behind my kayak.  If you run out your fishing line while paddling upwind, and then quit paddling to clip the line into your downrigger release and lower your downrigger weight, the wind can blow you back over your fishing line and get your fishing line tangled around your downrigger cable and weight.  It sucks when you get a bite, and can't get your fishing line to release from your downrigger weight because it's wrapped around the weight and cable.

A big advantage of a pedal kayak when downrigger trolling is that you can keep paddling forward while using both hands to  deploy your fishing line and lower your downrigger weight.  When you get a bite, you can also keep pedaling forward to keep tension on the fish and to keep the fish away from your downrigger cable while you hang onto your rod with one hand and quickly crank up your downrigger weight with your other hand.  When your downrigger cable and weight are safely above the water, you can quit pedaling and start playing the fish in towards your kayak.

Thanks pmmpete
Just for clarity it is one downrigger and two lines (probably what you meant)  

It does suck when you are wrapped around the downrigger line!!  Been there and done that.  Mostly when I have recently caught a fish on the upper line and then being lazy I fail to bring the rigger all the way up to make sure it didn't wrap when I was fighting a fish and not paying attention.

Because of the twin hulls  the Wavewalk wants to turn into the wind when you are weight forward( messing with your down rigger)  So it creates a unique set of problems.  On the other hand I can mount the downrigger front center so taking one pole off each side is not such a problem.  I think that is probably how I avoid quite a few tangles. 

Love a good challenge though!

Thanks pmmpete
Just for clarity it is one downrigger and two lines (probably what you meant)  

Whoa!  In the video, your body is between the camera and your downrigger.  Because your poles are pointing in two different directions, I assumed that you were using two different downriggers, one with a cable on the right side of your kayak, and the other with a cable on the left side of your kayak.  But apparently you are using a single downrigger which drops down between the twin hulls of your kayak, and are stacking your two fishing lines on that cable.  Wow!  Could you explain your technique for clipping your fishing line(s) into your downrigger weight and cable when the cable is between the hulls of your kayak, but the fishing line is outside the hull of the kayak? That would be comparable to me having my downrigger cable on the right side of my kayak, and my fishing line entering the water on the left side of my kayak, so the fishing line runs under the keel of my kayak to my downrigger weight.

There are two tricks that I use.  One is that I use about 40 lb mono in-between the downrigger ball and my first release.  That leader is long enough that I can pinch my line in it and then get the release around the front of the left hull.   I then go down 5 feet and attach my second clip into the downrigger cable with a halibut clip (small one that I use for my longlines duck hunting) This clip also has a long enough leader (that is attached to the release) so that when I pinch in my line, I can get it around the hull tips.  With my rods pointing in opposite directions it keeps the lines spread apart to the right and left. 

These words create the right picture in my mind but I am not sure if they will be clear in yours.  Does that make sense?

Yes, I can see that this setup provides you with quite a few feet of horizontal separation between your lower fishing line and your upper fishing line.  The amount of separation would depend partly on how long the leashes are between your downrigger weight and the lower release, and your downrigger cable and your upper release.  The same setup could be used on a downrigger which is mounted on the side of a single hull kayak, with one pole pointing right and the other pole pointing left.   

Exactly.  It helps that I am paddling and have the rigger forward because I do not have any fins or rudders to be concerned about. However, deploying, stopping, and wind are your greatest danger areas for the dreaded rats nest of a tangle!     Probably head out again after work tonight.  Smoked up Tuesdays catch and I will try and get as many in the freezer as I can!