How to Troll With Down Riggers

Downriggers are effective for trolling in large lakes.

The downrigger is a trolling system used to control the depth of the line. The tool is effective for anglers who must troll at a constant depth. The consistent depth allows you to avoid obstacles and place the lure or bait directly in front of the fish. Downriggers are not complicated to use, but you must develop a trolling route and use a fish finder to determine the most appropriate depth. Downriggers are most effective for fishing heavy tackle in deep water.

Things You'll Need

• Downrigger ball
• Fish finder
• Rod
• Lure
• Rod holder

Instructions

1. Garb the end of the downrigger cable. Locate the clip on the end of the cable and attach it to the loop on the downrigger ball. The ball is the weight for the downrigger.

2. Drive around the lake and use a fish finder to locate fish. Note the average depth of the fish as displayed on the fish finder.

3. Tie a lure or bait on the end of the line with a clinch knot. Feed the line through the eye of the lure, make seven turns in the line and feed the end through the gap at the base of the turns. Pull the knot tight and cut the tag end with line clippers.

4. Drop the downrigger ball over the side of the boat without releasing tension on the cable. Locate the clip attached to the cable. The clip is typically one foot above the downrigger.

5. Drop the lure in the water and release 10 feet of line. Attach the clip on the cable to the fishing line. Place the rod in the rod holder.

6. Release the downrigger cable and count the clicks until the measurement aligns with the depth of the fish. One click equals a foot on most models, and electronic models automatically measure the depth.

7. Drive the boat at a slow speed to troll the lure through the school of fish. Make small adjustments to the depth if necessary and continue trolling until one of the fish strikes. Yank on the rod to release the line from the clip and set the hook in the fish. Crank the downrigger handle to remove the cable from the water while you play the fish.

Tips & Warnings

• Select an area on the lake with a flat bottom. This allows you to troll without making adjustments to the downrigger depth.

References

• Sea Hag Marina: Fishing With Downriggers
• Scotty: Downrigger Manual
• Walker Downriggers: Downrigger Basics