Downrigger mounting angle

[Octavius Brine]

Hi, on my used boat the owner before last (I think) mounted these heavy square aluminum bases for his downriggers (non-swivel). There is one on each gunwale, a couple feet from the stern to avoid getting in the way of seating, motor etc. That all makes sense... but they're mounted on 45 degree angle for some reason? Meaning, the booms would point out at 45 degrees toward the stern.

Any idea why you would want that? Obviously straight out from the gunnel will give you a wider spread, and surely it would work, but do you ever have a situation where you would WANT your rigger pointing at 45 like that?

I think I'll use those bases, but it seems like a stupid job to take them off and turn them 45 degrees, fill the holes etc.

 

[Derkd9]

I’m guessing they did that because that’s how they made it work with their spread..
keep the riggers close to straight out the back but not straight out the back.. more room to bring fish in straight down the middle..
Maybe dipsys and/or planer boards out the sides as well.
Just a guess

 

[hvyhaul]

Pictures always help @Octavius Brine to have someone offer advice.

 

[spincast]

ya mean like this?




Makes it way easier to deploy the dipsey and planer boards if I don't have them at 90 to the boat. (mine are mounted on swivels, so I have a few more options,) If I am only running two rods, I may swing it to 90 and place the rod in my track holders that you can see to the right. It also gives a wider spread than behind the boat, which can be a tangle saver if you are running long leads and there are lots of currents, and / or doing S turns. Swivel mounts are definitely the way to go if you can, tho.

 

[Octavius Brine]

Yeah, sorry for no pics. I’ll try and take one later!

It’s like spin cast shows. I would probably try to have swivel base riggers but either way I’ll just give it a go “as-is”, since I can always change it later.

I like those reasons, it makes sense about deploying the dipsey etc.

 

[Octavius Brine]

Here is a photo. The aluminum base is in the right. For now I put a Scotty rod holder base on it to prevent drilling more holes in the gunwales.

 

[Outdorman]

on an angle like that it may take some of the stress off the rod holder?

 

[Octavius Brine]

on an angle like that it may take some of the stress off the rod holder?

Hard to say from only a few uses but it was convenient to just put the Scotty holders on there for now and save holes in my gunwales.

When I get some riggers I’ll move the rod holders elsewhere and try the riggers on the 45 as it is…

 

[rcfire77]

This is how I run my riggers and it works well…. I run three off the back at 11/12/1 which leaves me room to run two dipsies per side without interfering with my riggers

 

[Octavius Brine]

Beautiful photos, thanks! I didn’t realize how many people use the downriggers at 45 degrees off the back corners. I’ve put plenty of time in at trolling but always with the same uncle in the same boat… so I basically have just seen what works for him.

I think for next year I’ll be mimicking the setup you have RC and spin cast. Two riggers out at 45 on the corners and then two dipseys off the sides mounted a few feet toward the bow. I do have space for a third rigger in the centre/chute, but maybe I’ll just run a lead rod way out the back. We’ll see what gear I rustle up over winter.

 

[spincast]

. I do have space for a third rigger in the centre/chute, but maybe I’ll just run a lead rod way out the back. We’ll see what gear I rustle up over winter.

you don't want a rigger cable anywhere near your prop. Chute rods are core or snap weights, where you can set them up off to the side them bring them to the middle.

 

[Derkd9]

Beautiful photos, thanks! I didn’t realize how many people use the downriggers at 45 degrees off the back corners. I’ve put plenty of time in at trolling but always with the same uncle in the same boat… so I basically have just seen what works for him.

I think for next year I’ll be mimicking the setup you have RC and spin cast. Two riggers out at 45 on the corners and then two dipseys off the sides mounted a few feet toward the bow. I do have space for a third rigger in the centre/chute, but maybe I’ll just run a lead rod way out the back. We’ll see what gear I rustle up over winter.

Nice to leave the back open for bringing in fish.
I run 4 dipsys whether I have 2 or 4 people on board
There would be no need for anymore rods

 

[hvyhaul]

I can run 6 dipsys no issue, which leaves a rigger and or lead core out the back, but the way the dispsys have been working, the most I ran was 5.

My riggers came mounted on an elevated board, making landing fish a team effort.

The swivel bases allow multiple angles if needed.

 

[Octavius Brine]

you don't want a rigger cable anywhere near your prop. Chute rods are core or snap weights, where you can set them up off to the side them bring them to the middle.

Sorry, maybe wrong choice of words. You Can’t see from the pic because it is just one side, but I could probably run 3 riggers. Not actually in the centre but to the left of the main motor (opposite side as the kicker). But anyhow, I am gonna run a lead rod down the middle. It makes the most sense, without a planer or something since it will just go way the heck out the back by the time I get 5+ colours out.

Yeah haha 4 rods seems like loads to me (2 rigger and 2 more with lead or dipsey). Even with tougher fishing we often ran 3 rods only and had plenty of action.

The swivel bases seem to be popular. I am looking at some used manual riggers in a couple weeks (found in classifieds), so we’ll see what they come with and probably I could grab swivels for them.

 

[rcfire77]

I personally shy away from the leadcore straight out the back. It seems to get easily tangled especially if you get a bow or salmon on another line. I have 4 leadcore set up which I never even put out this year. 3 riggers and 4 dipseys were the perfect set up for my boat

 

[Octavius Brine]

I think I finally got this figured out. Picked up some used manual downriggers from the classifieds forum. The pic shows how I am planning to install. The kicker I run with a steering bar connected to the main.

The cannon has a boom extension that can go to 4 feet if needed, so it automatically is placed on the side closer to the kicker. It can be turned 90 degrees for storage/docking etc.

The big Jon is the little short boom one, but it fits so nicely out of the way on the 45 degree angle it’ll hardly ever interfere with anything. Pretty sure that those mounts left on my boat by another owner were made to fit big Jons.

From there I have some Scotty holders I can mount a bit toward the bow for lead or dipsey rods. And it leaves the back wide open (well, minus the outboards!) to net fish as @Derkd9 suggested.

Tracks and cannon holders would be nice, but that’s more like future wish list stuff.

Any suggestions or improvements?

 

[mick]

nice boat @Octavius Brine

looks like a wilker ..1985 or close to it..and a classic 115 merc and a kicker..
i had a new 85 galaxy wilker 115 merc & 15 honda kicker 3 riggers

start with what you got
you got plenty there to work with..2 riggers and 2 rod holders

ya you need to watch turning riggers off the sides
just maybe longer booms
i use 8 lb cannon balls ..average blowback

flat lines with cranks ...add one inline planer starboard side..
offshore brand is less resistance
if you like that.. get the port side..

mixed bags rrfins high lead core off the 2 boards early season
with 2 to sometimes 3 lines tops
off my 2 riggers worked good mid season
40 down strike zone RRfns
best am myself 12 for 12 pics before 8am glasgow

more lines more trouble

fishing chatter..send me a message

 

[Octavius Brine]

Yeah @mick you nailed it. 1985 Galaxie 17. I really love this boat.

You said it- more lines, more trouble. I will look for an inline planer board. I have one rod I can use with dipsey set up which is directional too… so I should be able to run 4 lines without adding too much or buying a ton more gear.

That’s plenty of lines for me to tangle!

 

[mick]

ya an 85 @Octavius Brine your wilker boat will do good for you, To mention the owen sound guy I sold my wilker is very happy with his ..
Ya you got a good start there and with up to 4 lines..plenty

good luck with your boat..

 

[Octavius Brine]

How can you tell it’s an 85 @mick ? Is it something about the outboard that gives it away? The only major detail I could notice about the Wilkers was that the windshield changed from having a wood piece around the edge to all aluminum at some point before 1985.

If I have time over winter I plan to redo the interior with new vinyl floor, rebuild the rotten “pockets” under the gunwales and reupholster the seats. And Polish the hull and she’ll be like new.