Acceptable hardware for downrigger

Hello,

I wanted to get some insight from the some of the experienced anglers. I am looking at installing a down-rigger on the kayak. I was wondering what hardware is acceptable to mount it on the kayak. I'm assuming mounting it in a track is not an option as the force of the down-rigger and cable could pull the track out. The position I would have to mount the  down-rigger is in spot where I would not be able to get to via a hatch so  obviously the fasteners I would have to use is either self tapping screws and or pull fasteners. But, do to my lack of experience I don't know if that is  good way of mounting it either. I also have flush mounted rod holders but they are a stretch to reach so using the adapter for that isn't exactly an option. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I would have to most likely use the scotty laketroller as I don't have much flat space that is close to my captains chair.

What kind of kayak do you have?  I've done a lot of downrigger trolling from a paddle kayak, but it's a lot easier to use a downrigger from a pedal kayak.  Some kayaks are a lot easier to mount downriggers on than other kayaks.  For example, the Hobie Outback has wide flat gunwales which provide a very stable base for a downrigger mount, but the Hobie Revolution has narrow gunwales, so it's harder to devise a way to mount a downrigger on a Revolution.  For a description of how I mounted a Cannon Lake-Troll downrigger on my 13’ Revolution, see http://www.yakfisher.net/smffiles/index.php?topic=9918.0 , which is a spiffed up version of a posting I made on this forum at http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=12575.0 .  Several members of this forum have posted descriptions of how they mounted downriggers on their Outbacks.

My first downrigger was a Scotty Laketroller.  They are inexpensive and easy to mount, and will allow you to learn how to use a downrigger on a kayak, but it's a rather primitive downrigger, and can only handle a four pound weight.  Once you try a fancier downrigger with a real brake or clutch system rather than just a thumbscrew, you'll sell your Scotty Laketroller.  I built a mount for a Scotty Depthmaster and used it for a couple of years, but my favorite downrigger is my Cannon Lake-Troll.

I have a FeelFree Lure 13.5. Lots of information. Thanks for the Info.

Because the Freefall Lure is a paddle kayak, you have to choose a kind of downrigger, and a place to mount it, which won't interfere with your paddle stroke.  This limits your options.

From pictures on the internet, it looks like the Lure has pretty flat gunwales next to your legs with gear tracks set in them. So it should be easy to make a plastic or wood base plate for a downrigger which can be bolted onto the gunwale using one of the gear tracks.  See my posting on how to make devices which mount on gear tracks at http://www.yakfisher.net/smffiles/index.php?topic=9917.0 , which is a spiffed up version of a posting I made on this forum at http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=13167.msg144750#msg144750. If the gear tracks stick up a bit from the gunwale, you could add blocks or shims to the back of the base plate which contact the gunwale, to prevent the base plate from rocking from side to side on the gear track.

However, in order to keep the downrigger from interfering with your paddle stroke, you can only use this gear track to mount a very low profile downrigger, or to mount a downrigger way forward next to your ankle where it wouldn't be convenient to operate.  The downrigger doesn't need to be centered over the gear track; you could position it as far towards the center of your kayak as you can without getting in the way of your leg, to provide more clearance for your paddle stroke.  I posted a description of how I mounted a Scotty Laketroller on my 13' Trident (a paddle kayak) at http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=11486.0 .  I made some suggestions in that posting about how to position a downrigger so it doesn't interfere with paddling. A friend mounted a Scotty Laketroller in a flush mount on the side of his Trident, next to the gunwale, with the cable reel at about a 45% angle to the water and the boom pointing straight forward or straight backwards next to the gunwale, which does a good job of keeping the downrigger out of the way of his paddle stroke.