# Downriggers?



## Vicious Fishous (Sep 12, 2006)

Hi does anyone who trolls the big lake use downriggers on their kayak? Or what is the preferred method to get your offering deeper? To me it sounds weird, but a friend suggests that I get some smaller 4# balls and give it a shot. He has a 30' boat, I have a kayak. Thanks.

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## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

The drag would kill you. Then, unless you have a Hobie...figure out how you will set the line, drop the ball, and keep tension on the line all while paddling so you are still moving and straight. Small dipseys will get you down, but they are a bit of a pain as well due to the increased drag. Small dipseys and deep crank baits will get you down to 20-40....maybe more if you really try. You could also use snap weights, dive bombs, lead core, etc. But, unless you are just jigging, I don't see alot of good options for fishing down real deep.


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

I have seen guys rig small portable clamp on downriggers on their SOT's but take Wartfroggy's advice. I would try other options first before I would go that route. The simple plan is usually the better plan. The drag would suck and to be honest, not sure dragging cable is a great idea from a yak. I know it's open water in most cases but my luck, Murphy would show up!

I figure if the fish are that deep, the yak just isn't the right tool, at least if you your trolling.


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## Vicious Fishous (Sep 12, 2006)

Thanks, 
I have a pro angler 12 and an outback with the outriggers. It does seem like a mess though. I'm looking at being able to do more than long line troll, but sounds like I'll need a bigger boat. Thanks for the info.
Pete



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## sjk984 (Jan 4, 2010)

How about dipsys

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## diztortion (Sep 6, 2009)

Try west coast style..

16oz cannon ball on a dropper..

Something similar to this diagram..










You could run a spoon, stickbait, etc off the back.


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## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

diztortion said:


> Try west coast style..
> 
> 16oz cannon ball on a dropper...


 While I'd rather deal with that instead of a rigger on a yak, you'd still be suprised at how much drag you get. What ever you do, do the same or similar on both sides. I tried to flat line one rod and run 1 dipsey.....and it was terrible. You had to fight to not troll in a circle the whole time! :lol:


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## sjk984 (Jan 4, 2010)

Run 2 dipsys to even out the drag

How fast do you troll in a yak?


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## blackghost (Oct 2, 2010)

I'm going to set up a rod holder going directly behind the boat for running a dipsy and hopefully avoid travelling in a circle. I'm also running copper - I have a 35, 50, and 70 lines set. I figure if I add a dipsy to the 70' copper I can get pretty deep. I troll anywhere from 1.5 mph to 3 mph depending on the wind.

I want a bigger kayak though - I'm fishing in a 10.5 footer...


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## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

blackghost said:


> I'm going to set up a rod holder going directly behind the boat for running a dipsy and hopefully avoid travelling in a circle. I'm also running copper - I have a 35, 50, and 70 lines set. I figure if I add a dipsy to the 70' copper I can get pretty deep. I troll anywhere from 1.5 mph to 3 mph depending on the wind.
> 
> I want a bigger kayak though - I'm fishing in a 10.5 footer...


A 10 footer is gonna be tougher to track with all that gear out than a longer one for sure. A rudder would help. I am not sure quite what your plan is as far as running copper behind your dipsey, but it sounds like it could become a cluster real quick. I would try to keep things simple. I'd go w/ 1# drop weights like Dizzy mentioned earlier before I did a copper/dipsey combo. Also, the coppers could be a real PITA when setting them, because as you are paddling, you will also need to be feeding out the line by hand to get it started. Leadcore is tough enough to feed out while paddling, and not nearly as likely to tangle up on the spool as copper is.


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## blackghost (Oct 2, 2010)

I'm going to try a few things this weekend. I do alright with the copper lines - they aren't that long so that helps. With flashers and dodgers I use their own weight to start pulling the lines out. If its a little breezy I'll drift and let some line out, then I'll start paddling. I find that the 45 lb copper is much easier to handle than the 30 lb. I'll post a report monday or tuesday.


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## Zofchak (Jan 10, 2003)

I tried (And totally failed) to use a downrigger on my kayak. :lol: Not only is the drag an issue, but setting the releases was a nightmare and even if you manage to hook a fish you still have the downrigger cable to contend with. Trying to get enough tension on the rod and at the same time working it close enough where you could reach the release was almost impossible.

After 2 unsuccessful attempts I gave up and decided to keep it simple. I now use 12 and 16oz inline mini cannonballs on drop away releases. The cannonballs are cheap if you make them, so trading one or two for a fish is not a big deal. Plus it's simple as can be, and simple is a big deal when you're paddling, avoiding boat traffic and dragging multiple lines through the water.


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## Vicious Fishous (Sep 12, 2006)

Thanks for the info. I realized dragging some ballz around in a yak would be a nightmare. Your post confirms that. I will hopefully be up somewhere on Friday to putz around. Im trading some noodle rods for some trolling set ups. Im going to try to get lighter rods for the sake of the fight. Can't wait to catch some fishes.
Pete 


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## blackghost (Oct 2, 2010)

I said I'd post a report and that report is that it was too windy for me to get out and fish. Maybe this coming weekend.


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## Cpt.Chaos (May 28, 2006)

What about running lead core?


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## fisheater (Nov 14, 2010)

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## Flyfisher (Oct 1, 2002)

I was going to suggest the Torpedo Divers but have had good luck with the smaller (not mini) slide divers. Run one rod on each side of the kayak to even things out a bit. There are also plenty of crankbaits that are effective and will run 20'-30' down on 20lb braid. Tried to run leadcore but it was problematic to feed the core out while trying to paddle. I suppose a stiff tailwind would have helped?


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