Suggestions for downrigger

Apologies if this topic/question has been posted prior but I did a search and didn't see anything....newbie to kayak fishing in half moon Bay Area and since I am local I will be launching out of Pillar Point harbor and fishing the area around the green cans. I've got a 13-ft old town sportsman pdl and would like to know what down riggers people recommend for trolling - thanks!

The Scotty Laketroller is most popular.  Most replace the wire with braid so you don't risk it capsizing you when the downrigger ball gets snagged. 

I started with a Scotty Laketroller, then switched to the 1050 because of the added brake handle.  I did shorten the boom on it to 11" so it doesn't extend as far over the side.

I like my old scotty solataire (i think that's the model) - boom is already short, has the brake handle and the larger spool so it's 2' of line a turn as opposed to 1'. equivalent today would be the 1060 model.

Cheers,
Brad

The Scotty Laketroller is easy to mount, and is an inexpensive way to try out downrigger trolling.  However, it's a primitive downrrigger which doesn't have a real clutch or brake; the cable spool is locked by a hand nut. Cannon rates it for a maximum of a 4 pound weight. That will get you down to about 75 feet if you keep your trolling speed under about 1.5 mph, but at greater depths or faster speeds a four pound weight will get blown back out of the cone of your sonar.

The Cannon Lake-Troll is a lot easier to use and can handle an eight pound weight, which will let you troll deeper and faster.  At the speeds that I troll, I routinely troll down to about 225 feet.  I described how I mounted a Cannon Lake-Troll on my Revolution, explained why I set it up that way, and described how to downrigger troll from a kayak in a post at https://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=12575.msg138905#msg138905.  The details of how I mounted the downrigger on my Revolution won't be useful, but the rest of the post should help you figure out how to mount a downrigger on your Sportsman.  If you mount a downrigger on a gear track, you need to find a point of support off to the side of the track so the downrigger won't rock from side to side on the gear track as you crank up the weight.

many thanks for the responses - very helpful

Apologies if this topic/question has been posted prior but I did a search and didn't see anything....newbie to kayak fishing in half moon Bay Area and since I am local I will be launching out of Pillar Point harbor and fishing the area around the green cans. I've got a 13-ft old town sportsman pdl and would like to know what down riggers people recommend for trolling - thanks!

Hey Bud!  I have a Scotty you can have for free.  I’m in Santa Rosa.  I use the downrigger ball as a door stop. I’ll miss  that door stop. !  Not sure on exact model I have.

thanks for the offer Vash but I decided to go with the Scotty 1060

again really appreciate all the responses and advice

The Scotty Laketroller is easy to mount, and is an inexpensive way to try out downrigger trolling.  However, it's a primitive downrrigger which doesn't have a real clutch or brake; the cable spool is locked by a hand nut. Cannon rates it for a maximum of a 4 pound weight. That will get you down to about 75 feet if you keep your trolling speed under about 1.5 mph, but at greater depths or faster speeds a four pound weight will get blown back out of the cone of your sonar.

The Cannon Lake-Troll is a lot easier to use and can handle an eight pound weight, which will let you troll deeper and faster.  At the speeds that I troll, I routinely troll down to about 225 feet.  I described how I mounted a Cannon Lake-Troll on my Revolution, explained why I set it up that way, and described how to downrigger troll from a kayak in a post at https://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=12575.msg138905#msg138905.  The details of how I mounted the downrigger on my Revolution won't be useful, but the rest of the post should help you figure out how to mount a downrigger on your Sportsman.  If you mount a downrigger on a gear track, you need to find a point of support off to the side of the track so the downrigger won't rock from side to side on the gear track as you crank up the weight.

Pete, your downrigger article (and your other write ups) is a gift that keeps on giving!  Thank you!

If I were you (or if I were me...) I would skip the downrigger and just use a Double Deep Six diver. ItÂ’s a whole lot simpler, and works great for the depths most salmon are caught here in the Bay Area.

I have a Scotty downrigger that is nicely set up (see video below) but I just prefer the simplicity of the DD6.

I like to check my bait about every 10-15 minutes, and that can be a real pain in the ass (and arms) on long days if you’re using a downrigger.




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If I were you (or if I were me...) I would skip the downrigger and just use a Double Deep Six diver. ItÂ’s a whole lot simpler, and works great for the depths most salmon are caught here in the Bay Area.

I have a Scotty downrigger that is nicely set up (see video below) but I just prefer the simplicity of the DD6.



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I like using a diver as well. I probably use a lead ball and sinker release the most. Im not saying its better, by any means, but it is pretty simple and easy. I don't like having a bunch of stuff and clutter on my deck. Even fish finder is too much stuff to deal with. KISS rule

I like using a diver as well. I probably use a lead ball and sinker release the most. Im not saying its better, by any means, but it is pretty simple and easy. I don't like having a bunch of stuff and clutter on my deck. Even fish finder is too much stuff to deal with. KISS rule
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Lead ball and sinker release was pretty popular 20-30 years ago (am dating myself), but with the advent of the DD6, why keep on donating $10 in lead balls to the deep blue? Plus lead is toxic.....Don't want to start an argument, to each their own.

Lead ball and sinker release was pretty popular 20-30 years ago (am dating myself), but with the advent of the DD6, why keep on donating $10 in lead balls to the deep blue? Plus lead is toxic.....Don't want to start an argument, to each their own.
[/quote] Yeah no arguments here. The cost and toxicity are definitely the downside. I like my divers too but I feel a lead ball is more effective at deeper depths. But you are right

I like using a diver as well. I probably use a lead ball and sinker release the most. Im not saying its better, by any means, but it is pretty simple and easy. I don't like having a bunch of stuff and clutter on my deck. Even fish finder is too much stuff to deal with. KISS rule

Lead ball and sinker release was pretty popular 20-30 years ago (am dating myself), but with the advent of the DD6, why keep on donating $10 in lead balls to the deep blue? Plus lead is toxic.....Don't want to start an argument, to each their own.
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My main thing is that at the end of the day, as awesome as the DD6 is, its still a lot of drag and weight compared to the small copper release tubes. Im 1:1 on weight fish this year with the rest on the downrigger, but i haven't picked up my DD6 since last sept.

I like my old scotty solataire (i think that's the model) - boom is already short, has the brake handle and the larger spool so it's 2' of line a turn as opposed to 1'. equivalent today would be the 1060 model.

Cheers,
Brad

This is what I use too! An old blue scotty soltaire! You forgot to mention that it also has a counter. Hard to find them nowadays, but you do see them on craigslist every now and then. The only problem is if you switch to braid, you have to pick a diameter that is similar to wire. Otherwise the counter won't be accurate. I decided to stick with wire.

Another good old/used downrigger you might find are the Big Jon portable.