Ever use a downrigger on a yak?
 

Just bought a Scotty downrigger to use to catch some deep water trout on troll after my last trip to Irvine lake. I metered a lot of fish on the troll, at 30-40 feet, as my rapala was somewhere near the surface. Thought it would be cool to play with and more fun then bait fishing.

Has anyone used a downrigger on their yak?

http://www.scotty.com/fishing-gear-e...cket-mount.htm

Only on my boat.
 

Sounds like a good idea; is the contraption too much leverage or size for the yak? Could you get 30-40' deep another way? Maybe, braid, keel style keel sinker, fluorocarbon leader, then lure will get the depth. The beauty of the downrigger is once the bite happens you aren't fighting the sinker weight and the fish.

Keep us posted,
Dwayne

Check this out.
http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?page=32

I've tried it with a normal Scotty downrigger which didn't work to well and then scaled it down to a smaller one that I made myself that worked alright

The problem I found using standard downrigger from a kayak is that as soon as you stop paddling the ball stops the yak in its tracks and as it sinks actually then pulls the yak backwards until it's centered over the ball. If your trolling multiple lines the lines all go slack and you end up with tangles. This is one of those cases where a Hobie could do it better since you could peddle while reeling in or reeling up the downrigger.

The only way to get around this paddling is troll the ball right on the bottom, but then the issue becomes drag because a decent sized ball creates a lot of drag when you pull it along in the sand, and if you hang the ball up while dragging it you don't have the leverage to pull it loose from a yak.

To get around all that I decided to use lighter gear more like I was bounce balling. Here's the mini-rigger I made, a small Kencor level wind and custom min rod, pictured here with a small grapple anchor I use while freshwater fishing. ( I also use it as a anchor tender)

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/2866/anchor3.jpg

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/5298/anchor4.jpg

That rig has eighty pound spectra rather then wire, and I usually use a 12 to 16 ounce sinker for the weight. I still use a Scotty clip like with normal downrigging and that system has worked well for me fishing halibut and Tsharks.

It's small enough to stow doesn't weigh that much and actually does the job.

I like the thing, and if I lived some place with a decent salmon fishery I'd probably use it a lot, but there are so many other ways to fish around here I hardly ever use it except for freshwater.

If you do try a normal off the shelf downrigger use less weight then normal, go spectra instead of wire, and make sure the end of the dowrigger arm does not stick out more then an inch or two. If you use standard gear with a long boom and hang up the ball it will pull you right over and dump you in any kind of swell.

Jim

Yeah I read this post before I ordered the downrigger......switching the cable to Spectra looks like the way to go and then not getting hung up on anything with the weight. I purchased a 4lb weight and the clip and will be trying it out on my Hobie Revolution. I don't think I will be using it in the Ocean (at least around here)......should arrive in the mail on 1-25 and is the one that was recommended for the yak

Thanks to you, Dwayne and Jim on the Info:D

Thought I'd throw one more trick at you, that might work for you at Irvine.

Often this time of Year at Castiac stripers suspend down between forty and sixty feet. I've tried downrigging for them but have had better success using heavy jigs.

Take a heavy ball jig in a 4 to 6 to 8 ounce size.
http://www.ramseyoutdoor.com/product...42d0432da2.jpg

You run ten inches of line up to t3way swivel and feet feet of line back to a small lure like a floating rapala. For stripers I like to use a BBZ shad behind it but the idea is to use a light weight lure that stays up high with lots of action. Drop it down and troll with it just like your fishing a downrigger.

Never taken trout with it but I have caught stripers, and my take is the jig just adds fish attraction unlike a dowregger ball or plain weight.

Jim

Hobie is definitely the way to go. I'd probably use mine a lot more if I owned a hobie. Good luck with it!!

Jim

Hey Jim,

do you think if I mounted it like this guy that it would be sticking out too far?

http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewt...p?f=11&t=11947

I'd think that's a little too far when straight out, but the deal with the Scotty mount is you could turn it angled forward or back and get the cable tight to the side of the yak.

The most important thing I'd say is that you want to be able to reach it easy while still peddling so you can quickly adjust it. That location is cool but I'd keep it angled forward so the cable as tight to the yaks side as possible, and that way you can reach the clip easily when winched up. That location is decent if you can reach the winch handle enough to adjust depth etc.. but I'd angle the boom forward not leave it straight out.

Jim

Cool, thank you for the advice :D

Ive fished irvine many times (more than 10) and have seen fish at 30 to 40 feet ive never needed a down rigger just lead line 4 1/2 colors or just a sinker on main line then swivel 4 feet of 4lb leader then your lure.


let me now how it works for ya, some of us are headed out there this saturday.

yeah what he said...:reel::linesnap:

Good luck out there Saturday! Thanks for the info