Downrigger For Outback

I mounted a Scotty Depthmaster on my Outback, and it works great.

Here's a video:



And a link describing how I installed it:

http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=14977.5;wap2

One option is to mount a scotty style rod holder 241 base inside the mesh pocket on the sidewall of a Revo.  Makes it easy to hang a scotty lake troller off the side (I only go ~4lb on the ball weight).  Used occasionally for kokanee fishing.  Improved my catching significantly!  Easy to remove for species that don't involve DR fishing.

I like the looks of the Scotty lake troll mini and using the mighty mounts to use it on a geartrac. Haven't decided if I'd use it enough to make it worth buying yet lol

it may be small and compact, but the mini troll and other comparably-sized DR's are limited to 5# max. that equals a ton of blowback. i love my 1050 - the bigger spool allows for cranking more line up with ease, i can use my 7# weight for less blowback and to reach deeper, more precise depths, thanks to the line-counter.

I like the looks of the Scotty lake troll mini and using the mighty mounts to use it on a geartrac. Haven't decided if I'd use it enough to make it worth buying yet lol

If you want to try out downrigger trolling, a Scotty Laketroller is an inexpensive way to try it out.  And it's easy to mount a Scotty Laketroller on a kayak using a deck mount or a flush mount.  But the Laketroller doesn't have a brake - the cable reel is stopped and released using a hand nut.  You need to control the descent of the weight by putting your hand or your leg against the edge of the cable reel.  And it's awkward to use one hand to hold the cable reel in place while you tighten down the hand nut with the same hand - it's a lot easier to use two hands.  Once you use a downrigger with a real brake, like the Cannon Lake-Troll, you'll probably prefer the bigger downrigger.  A Scotty Laketroller is only rated to handle a 4 pound weight, which is fine down to 75 feet or so, but below that depth it'll tend to get blown back out of the cone of your sonar.  I use an eight pound weight with my Cannon Lake-Troll downrigger, which allows me to troll a lot deeper.  But for trolling at medium depths, such as at 30-50 feet for kokanee, a Scotty Laketroller will work fine.

You need to keep your kayak moving forward when playing out fishing line, hooking your fishing line to a downrigger release, and lowering your downrigger weight.  This is no problem with a pedal kayak, since you'll have both hands free to mess with your downrigger and rod.  It's more of a problem with a paddle kayak, because you need to use both hands to paddle, and will have to set down your paddle periodically to mess with your downrigger and rod.  If you mount a Scotty Laketroller on a paddle kayak, mount it where you can lean the side of your leg on the edge of the cable reel.  This will allow you to control the descent of the downrigger weight with your leg while you paddle forward with both hands.  Another tip for using a downrigger in a paddle kayak on a windy day is to turn downwind before you start playing out line, so when you stop paddling to clip your fishing line into the downrigger release and lower the weight, the wind will keep your fishing line streamed out behind you, and you won't get blown back over your fishing line and get it tangled in your rudder or downrigger cable.

What do you guys have going for down riggers? I've dug up a few of the old threads, but was wondering what you've got in the works? I like the idea of using one of the cup holders for it along with maybe part of the tray. Also the possibility of adding a gear track to the tray and mounting to that also, but not quite as DIY. I definitely will want the DR in front of me because reaching back to make adjustments doesn't sound like much fun.

What is your primary purpose for said down rigger? Make sure it's really worth the extra effort and dedicated space.

Primarily for targeting Kokanee and Mackinaw this spring and summer, I could use divers or long lining weight but it's just easier with a DR. Whatever I do will need to be removable yet stable.

I like the looks of the Scotty lake troll mini and using the mighty mounts to use it on a geartrac. Haven't decided if I'd use it enough to make it worth buying yet lol

If you want to try out downrigger trolling, a Scotty Laketroller is an inexpensive way to try it out.  And it's easy to mount a Scotty Laketroller on a kayak using a deck mount or a flush mount.  But the Laketroller doesn't have a brake - the cable reel is stopped and released using a hand nut.  You need to control the descent of the weight by putting your hand or your leg against the edge of the cable reel.  And it's awkward to use one hand to hold the cable reel in place while you tighten down the hand nut - it's a lot easier to use two hands.  Once you use a downrigger with a real brake, like the Cannon Lake-Troll, you'll probably prefer the bigger downrigger.  A Scotty Laketroller is only rated to handle a 4 pound weight, which is fine down to 75 feet or so, but below that depth it'll tend to get blown back out of the cone of your sonar.  I use an eight pound weight with my Cannon Lake-Troll downrigger, which allows me to troll a lot deeper.  But for trolling at medium depths, such as at 30-50 feet for kokanee, a Scotty Laketroller will work fine.

You need to keep your kayak moving forward when playing out fishing line, hooking your fishing line to a downrigger release, and lowering your downrigger weight.  This is no problem with a pedal kayak, since you'll have both hands free to mess with your downrigger and rod.  It's more of a problem with a paddle kayak, because you need to use both hands to paddle, and will have to set down your paddle periodically to mess with your downrigger and rod.  If you mount a Scotty Laketroller on a paddle kayak, mount it where you can lean the side of your leg on the edge of the cable reel.  This will allow you to control the descent of the downrigger weight with your leg while you paddle forward with both hands.  Another tip for using a downrigger in a paddle kayak on a windy day is to turn downwind before you start playing out line, so when you stop paddling to clip your fishing line into the downrigger release and lower the weight, the wind will keep your fishing line streamed out behind you, and you won't get blown back over your fishing line and get it tangled in your rudder or downrigger cable.

This is good to keep in mind. I've always been told the rule of thumb is 1lb for ever 10 feet of water you are fishing. That may be overkill but nevertheless the 4 or 5lb limit on the smaller models would limit me to some extent.

This is good to keep in mind. I've always been told the rule of thumb is 1lb for ever 10 feet of water you are fishing. That may be overkill but nevertheless the 4 or 5lb limit on the smaller models would limit me to some extent.

I haven't heard that rule of thumb.  Last weekend I spent a lot of time trolling for lake trout at 140-170 feet with an 8 pound weight, and I used to troll down to about 75 feet with a four pound weight.  The kind of lure you use,  how fast you troll, and the width of your sonar cone will all affect how deep you can see your downrigger weight.  A lure with a lot of drag such as a Flatfish or Kwikfish will pull your downrigger weight out of the cone of your sonar at a shallower depth than a low-drag lure.  You'll be able to see your weight deeper when trolling at 1.2 mph than you can when trolling at 1.6 mph, because the faster trolling speed will blow your weight back out of the cone of your sonar at a shallower depth than a slower trolling speed.  And if you set your fish finder to a wide angle sonar, you'll be able to see your downrigger weight at greater depths.

This is good to keep in mind. I've always been told the rule of thumb is 1lb for ever 10 feet of water you are fishing. That may be overkill but nevertheless the 4 or 5lb limit on the smaller models would limit me to some extent.

I haven't heard that rule of thumb.  Last weekend I spent a lot of time trolling for lake trout at 140-170 feet with an 8 pound weight, and I used to troll down to about 75 feet with a four pound weight.  The kind of lure you use,  how fast you troll, and the width of your sonar cone will all affect how deep you can see your downrigger weight.  A lure with a lot of drag such as a Flatfish or Kwikfish will pull your downrigger weight out of the cone of your sonar at a shallower depth than a low-drag lure.  You'll be able to see your weight deeper when trolling at 1.2 mph than you can when trolling at 1.6 mph, because the faster trolling speed will blow your weight back out of the cone of your sonar at a shallower depth than a slower trolling speed.  And if you set your fish finder to a wide angle sonar, you'll be able to see your downrigger weight at greater depths.

Can't remember exactly where I had heard that, but It's good to know it's not a fast and steady rule.

This is how I mounted my walker lake master. Very easy to remove when not needed.

This is how I mounted my walker lake master. Very easy to remove when not needed.

Dude my shoulder hurts just looking at that thing that far behind your set.

This is how I mounted my walker lake master. Very easy to remove when not needed.

Dude my shoulder hurts just looking at that thing that far behind your set.

+1

Tried that setup and learned very quickly that it wasn't gonna work for me. I check my bait every 20 mins or so, which means lots of cranking over the course of the day. Hope you have a different experience.

Dude my shoulder hurts just looking at that thing that far behind your set.

Mojo, I'm looking at the same kind of install.  The further back the downrigger in the Outback rear tray, the less I need to rotate to reach the handle.   Basically I lean my left knee as if I'm looking over the back of the boat, and the downrigger handle and  brake are right there.

Next step is a mock-up and trial before committing holes.

Damn glad you guys are that flexible, I'd be damn lucky if I could do that at the end of summer when my arthritis is finally starting to feel 10% better.

As someone who has done the behind-the-back, I can say that "yes, it sucks".

If you mount the DR on the gunwale where you can reach it (next to or slightly in front of you), you can keep pedaling while you crank your DR and reel up at the same time. This means you can change depths rapidly, on the fly, with less risk of tangling your gear. It also means your tank well won't be full of downrigger, which means you can fill it full of fish (or other stuff).


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