Downrigger with a fish on?

For yaks and hobies using downr
You hook a large potentially unpredictable and tricky salmon, your downrigger is still out. In those first moments, what do you do? To pull it up, or not to pull… That is the question.

Winding it up takes time and and a little control of the fish, but not winding it up one stands to break it off at the cable. After that happened once, I vowed to always pull up my cable. That choice has also probably lost some fish.  I’ve seen many people work around the downrigger cable, but always seems risky to me as a break off is just one well positioned run away.
  Perhaps this is a philosophical question...

Perhaps an already asked question. 


http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=84502.0

I still think downriggers are unnecessary for salmon fishing, with the possible exception of early-season fishing in Monterey Bay. Most fish are caught in the top 10 to 40 feet of water, and a diver works great for those depths.

If you prefer to use one anyway, I’d say leave the ball down and try to fight your fish AWAY from the kayak as much as possible by pedaling (instead of reeling) earlier in the fight. Don’t let the fish get anywhere near your kayak until it’s good and ready.


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I second what Alex said. good advise. When I started fishing with a down rigger (hobie and pb) I would always reel up the down rigger while trying to fight the salmon. Can't tell you how many fish I dropped due to line slacking while cranking the rigger up. Then I started leaving it down and landing the fish with it down. Haven't lost one in the rigger yet, but I'm sure it will happen eventually. The odds for me have been in favor of leaving it down. When I'm fighting a fish I always keep the boat moving in a circular motion on the opposite side of the rigger. Like Alex said, wear him out away from the boat and make sure he's good and wooped before you try and net him. I see so many anglers trying to net green fish that leads to disaster... Keep the drag light at the end of the fight, use your thumb for pressure so you can let off if it makes a mad dash. Have some patients and you will land more fish.

I've lost multiple fish to hanging downrigger cables, my vote is to reel them up. Then again I don't fish solo very often so I have an extra set of hands to reel them up.  I like fishing with downriggers since once it's popped out its only the fish and me with nothing in between.  Especially if I don't use a flasher/dodger then there is no leader which is nice.  But then again like Alex said its not required when fish are fish are so shallow!