Dowinrigging

[stefan]

hey got one of those downriggers from online shop (~$130) as im never gonna use them much cept looking for kingfish. The downrigger is the same as a normal downrigger with a bomb that weighs 40g and a clip that has a metal latch to which you put your line on and then latch back in (and you can vary the pressure) I tried it out thursday and i had some issues which i think ive narrowed down to 2 problems.

1: i can see the downrigger wire going down at at least 30 degrees from the vertical if not more. Does that mean its not heavy enough or are downrigger wires not meant to go straight down. (of couse some water resistance is expected) Im currently using what i think is a 40g bomb is that too light? Can i make a home made downrigger or wrap a bunch of sinkers together with wire?

2: whenever i reeled in to check the bait i found that my swivel was almost right next to the downrigger clip. The clip that was provided does not clamp on the line but rather acts as a guide (described above) as a result i think the bow in the line down to the clip is creating enough resistance to let the line slide through the guide until the swivel hits the clip. So to solve this i was thinking of either using the rubber band method of attaching line to the clip (to stop sliding) or get a better clip (by either making one with rubber bands and a peg or forking out an extra $30 for a good clip).

If there is someone nice enough to read this and give me a reply I'd appreciate it so much. The answer might just be as simple as a yes and yes.

Cheers

Stefan

[jim77]

Hey Stefan

I used to do a fair bit of downrigging... Still a good way of finding the fish when they are a bit slow on other methods.

In regard to your bomb - i don't think you mean 40g! Most of the bombs seem to be measured in lbs for some reason? A common size for the harbour would be between 4-8lb (2 to 4kg approx). If you downrig in deeper water you will need a bigger bomb. I have an 8lb and a 12lb bomb that i use. You can make your own quite easily, i'm sure there would be something on the net about it.

The straighter you can get the mainline down the better - and more weight will help with this, but some blowback is inevitable. 30 degrees that you mention is much too much, indicating that you need more weight.

For the release clip don't bother wasting money on one. IMO the elastic band method works way better anyway and you can get more tension on the rod. Just run a length of strong mono (100lb) off the back of your bomb (about 50cm is fine). On the end of that tie a clip swivel. Let your bait out behind the boat to the desired distance then twist the elastic band around your main line. Get the 2 loops of the band and put them into the clip swivel. Lower the bomb to the desired depth. Tighten up your main line to get a decent bend in the rod - now just wait for a fish to come along!

Once you get the hang of it is really easy. Some people frown on downriggng but it is a very effective method of catching Kings - and can be good for weeding out better fish if you put on really big baits.

Good luck

[Dave66]

Hey guys,

I have used down riggers for years chasing trout and only found that if it started to trail too far behind it would be a speed or drag issue as in too much resistance at the bomb. Some of the attractors on the market are a little big and would pull the bomb back further. This may not be relevant to your setup, but the size of bait or lure could give the same result.

The only problem I have had with bombs, especially some of the ball type, is that if the rudder is to small, they can spin under water and cause problems with the release as well. Once you have your setup fine tuned to your trolling speed vs bomb weight and size of lure you will find the down rigger to be a very versatile tool that will sometimes catch you fish on days when other methods fail.

Good luck with it and I hope some of this helps.

Dave.

[stefan]

thanks guys... this is exactly the info i was looking for and such quick replies as well. Its good to know one can still come here in the chat section and be confident in getting a question answered!

btw the bomb had the number 40 on it which i presume musta been 40 ounces not 40 grams lol i wasnt thinking. That makes it about 1.1 kg which seems too light compared to the 2-4kg u recommended

Edited October 2, 2010 by stefan

[Guest Aussie007]

those light bombs are common on online shop in a missile shape they would be ideal for a kayak that is moving slowly remember when u downrigg u downrigg with the current not against it and to catch kingys i have found u have to go as slow as possible leave the motor at idle speed click the motor into gear and just steer do not go above idle speed i have found the kingys wont take the bait i have used 4lb and 8lb weight/bombs in my tinny the only difference is the 8lb weight on the downrigger line chops into my fingers as i lean over the side of the boat to pull the weight into the boat for rerigging also u can reduce 50% of the blow back by using quality 100lb braid instead of the stainless steel cable but again its not needed unless u fish deep water i have used the cannon and attwood stainless steel cables to 35 foot and worked well

[adkel53]

Another trick I have read about is to knock the motor out of gear every now and then, allowing the bomb to swing forward and drop deeper. This also changes the "action" of the livey, lure, squid etc that you are towing and may help induce a strike. The article I read was about freshwater fishing but I can't see why the same principle won't apply to downrigging in the briney.

Kel

[Outnumbered]

if you want to use the clip all you need to do is twist the line a few times creating a loop then put the loop on the clip release, that will stop the mainline running back through the clip. works best if your using mono.

[Guest Aussie007]

this is the best release clip i have used u can place the line anywhere on the rubber grip and it has 3 clicks to adjust the clamping amount so there is multiple combination u can use i found moving the line 2/3rds back on the rubber clip and 1-2 clicks works best with 20lb braid or half way one click with 45lb mono does the trick other release clips i have tried are pretty much useless i have another black clip with yellow grips i think its a scotty clip just the current unclips the line

Edited October 7, 2010 by gazza