DIY trollpro

I made a housing for my GoPro that's designed to attach to a downrigger. It's modeled after the "trollpro", which is ridiculously expensive---this version only cost a few dollars.

The pictures should give you the idea. The top side of the housing connects to the downrigger line, and the DR ball connects to the other side of the housing.

Here's a brief video. I didn't get the angle quite right, so the lure (rapala, without any hooks) is not always visible. There's not much to see, but I swear if you look close at about the 2:30 mark, a big fish is visible for a moment. Or, that could just be my imagination...



Although the video looks a bit jumpy, I think it'll actually work pretty well. The up-and-down motion is mostly due to waves on the topside, and the side-to-side motion is not too bad---the lure tends to stay centered in the frame. Under ideal conditions, I think I'll be able to get some decent video.

Great project. Show us the specs please. I've actually tried to make the same thing, but I couldn't source the funnel shape PVC like you have.
thx,
ernest

That's pretty cool!  How deep and how fast where you trolling?  I can hear what sounds like the line humming.  You using cable or braid?

BTW, did you go to UVR last Wednesday?

Looks good.

I saw the fish, that thing was huge!!!!

That gizmo looks a lot like an old style track lighting can.

I Zod Out

DAMN that fish was HUGE!    I need to get one of these!!!! 

very nice. abs 6/4 reducer to a cap? very ingenious. i'm going to make one for my cam.

thanks for the pictures. its brilliant.

Thanks for the comments, and sorry for the slow response. I got distracted by this horrible thing known as "work".

The black part is a 4" to 2" ABS reducer. Miraculously, 2" PVC pipe fits it perfectly, and then there just a 2" PVC end cap. The ABS reducer was available at my local Lowes, but I didn't see them at HD. Other than that, it's just a couple of stainless eye bolts and I bolted the plastic together instead of glueing it. The camera is attached via the standard gopro tripod mount.

Btw, I was really surprised at how little drag it created. I used a 4 pound ball and had it down about 40', and it was almost vertical---it stayed on my FF view most of the time. I'm not sure how fast I was going, but it was my usually trolling speed. Off of the DR, it was 50 pound powerpro, with 20 pound mono to the ball, which was about 2' below (wanted to be sure I could break that off and save the gopro if need be...).

As for the humming, maybe that had something to do with the shark shield. I didn't seem to get that most of the time.

BTW, did you go to UVR last Wednesday?

No. In spite of being off work, I couldn't break away---seems to have something to do with kids in school and wife working lots of odd hours. Anyways, I'd still like to give it a go at least once this spring. If the fish are biting, let me know!

Looking good. Way to DIY.  Cant wait to see some salmon attack footage.   I too get line humming using 100 lbs dacron line. Ill bet most of the down riggers out there are humming too.

Looking good. Way to DIY.  Cant wait to see some salmon attack footage.   

That's my goal for this year.

Ditto... Race ya