Downriggers - How much do you use them?

[Waterfish]

I am planning to buy two Scotty electric downriggers (model 1101) this spring. My main use for them will be for Mackinaw and Brown trout fishing in Central Oregon lakes. I am wondering how much other people use downriggers for steelhead/salmon/walleye fishing in the Columbia and Willamette rivers, Drano Lake, etc. If you have downriggers, do you use them in the rivers in place of divers, lead line, etc? Two new electric downriggers will cost me around $800.00. I am trying to justify this purchase by learning if they will pay off for other fishing besides Mackinaw and Brown trout.

[5-Cents]

I have two downriggers and I only used them once to fish for lake trout on Odell. I never use them on the CR. I should take them out of my storage box on my boat to make room for other stuff....

:cheers:

[Rubber Robin]

I bought two Scotty downriggers (manual) for a fishing trip to Barkley Sound on Vancouver Island in Canada. That is the only way they fish up there so we were forced into it.

It is a great way to fish and gives you another technique for catching.

I have used mine at Buoy 10 and out in the ocean. They work!!!!! You know exactly how deep you are fishing and you can run two rods of one downrigger.

I highly recommend them.

[boater]

i bought mine mainly for fishing puget sound but i use them alot for fishing salmon in the deeper rivers trolling plugs around. you should try berrys bait in canada they are alot cheaper.

[Fishslayer]

I agree with boater, try barry's for a price check. I have 3 on my boat and need a fourth. Would not be without! Work great!Scotty's are the right way to go. If you do any salt water fishing it is a MUST!

[thousandcasts]

My "big water" fishing takes place in Lake Michigan...downriggers are an absolute requirement for that type of fishery, although flasher/fly combos trolled behind a dipsey diver are starting to be as productive as riggers. Invader makes some great manual models that are durable and affordable.

I have room for 4 downriggers on the back of my boat, but only have two installed. Lead cores and dipsey's make up the rest of my rod arsenal.

The good thing about riggers is that you can run a second lure on a slider and cover two different depths with the same rod...

[Stabiman]

Hey guys... thanks for the tip on Berry's Bait!! :bowdown:

Downriggers are great and pretty indispensible here in Puget Sound and up in Canada. I've been fishing with Cannon manuals for the past 7 years. I really like them but they're gonna be sold with the old boat.

Planning to put electric Scotty's on the NEW boat... just heard so many GOOD things about them. Will definitely be ordering them from Berry's Bait across the border.

Again... many thanks :cheers:

[Waterfish]

I've heard they work good for salmon at Buoy 10, but with my lack of experience, and my relatively small 17.5 foot cuddy cabin boat, I don't know if I will ever take it into the big waters of Buoy 10. 5-Cents, I read about the close call you had coming in from Buoy 10 last summer, and that was with your 22 foot boat... That story and others have made an impression on me, and keep me leery of big water. So my question on downriggers is still about how much use I may get out of them on the Columbia, Willamette, and Drano Lake.

Boater, do you have a web address for Berry's Bait?

[Fishplay]

berrysbait.com (http://http://www.berrysbait.com/)

[1pump]

I use my Cannon on lakes, and that's pretty much it. I've tried it on the Willamette/MC, but there's not much point in it when you're fishing in 15' of water. One of these days I'll try it at the T-Bay jaws.

[Spoiled Daddy]

We purchased a set of Scotty manuals (1085) while in Canada this past summer. We got a great price break on the units themselves and on accessories, but I have to admit that the place where we got them was having a sidewalk sale and my wife talked the salesman into an even better deal. (She's really, really good at that! :bowdown: ) We used them alot on that trip and then again when we got home for Chinook on the big blue out of Newport.

We are going to Odell for Kokes in May and that will be the first time they have been used in fresh water.

We have really enjoyed them, but still haven't used them as much as I first thought I would.

SD

[Slugranch]

Used to fish right across from the boat ramp at Brown's Landing. Used a downrigger on my drift boat, and trolled upstream along the east bank (right off the gas line sign) set them at 18 feet and would catch a fish a day for about a three week period. The guy that owned the landing watched me catch better thab half my fish and was amazed at my "luck". That one spring, better than half the fish on the blackboard at Brown's were mine. Went up there last spring and couldn't buy a fish,,,,,,,,go figger

[umrules]

Waterfish,
Check out tyeemarine.com A buddy of mine just bought 2 30" boom electric Scottys with mounts and all for a bit over $600. It's up in Canada so it will take about a week to get 'em but you will save some bucks if you don't need 'em tomorrow!

[FallRiverGuy]

I read an article in "In Fisherman" about using downriggers. In the Great Lakes region, they use them for Pike, Small Mouth Bass, and any other fish that is below 20 feet. I use mine for Kokanee, Brown, and Bull Trout. I even use them for fishing only 10-5 feet down for Kokanee in the spring. The reason is that I know exactly how deep I am fishing that way.

[Hawgwash]

1Pump: They work well at the jetty of T Bay as they cut through and collect the weeds before they get to the bait! However they get heavy at times, bring em up and clean em often. Because of this, we tend to only run 1 rod off a line there.

We use our electric Scotty's at bouy 10 and in the ocean around CR. Great way to get the bait down fast right by the silvers to where the kings live.

Have fun.

[ 02-28-2003, 08:52 AM: Message edited by: Hawgwash ]

[Bob Barthlow]

Waterfish, I have 2-1105's and a 1100 Scotty and they have givin me troble free service for the last 5 years.
I use mine Aug. thru Oct. at Drano lake and in the Hanford Reach.
:cheers:

[Lundman]

I own two electric Scotty's(purchased from Berry's) and really enjoy the kokanee fishing and lake trout fishing at Flaming Gorge.

I have seen the reports from Lake Billy Chinook and they use downriggers with the AC plug and catch alot lake trout and kokanee.

Just an FYI - you will get a UPS bill (NAFTA) for about $20 after you recieve your order. Something about purchases over a certain $$.

The cost of the electrics alone will inspire you to use them as often as you can. And the taste of the kokanee will provide a reward in itself.

[timinthegorge]

Have used many manuals, but now I have a Scotty electric (1116) with the 5 ft. boom. Very sweet. For kokes in lakes, for CR in deep water, can't be beat..... and running two rods is no problem.....

[Wood N' Fish]

I had been wanting downriggers for year's-----Originally for Koke's, but more recently for other situations as well. e.g. while fishing for springers, near Camas last year, I noticed that most of the Wa licensed boats, had downriggers.(at anchor) I kept notes of hook-ups, and found that the downrigger folks were more successful. If anyone out there doesn't believe in their sonar-----well to bad! Simply stated, downriggers are a whole other way of doin' it.
Anyway, I bought two Scotty riggers, and won't look back!! Controlled fishing is THE only way to go in my experience-

[Spoiled Daddy]

Waterfish,

Umrules gave you the store web page for the outdoor store (Tyee Marine) in Cambpell River, BC where we bought our downriggers while we were up there last summer. Their sales staff was pretty knowledgeable on the different models and can answer questions. We got the swivel and tip up bases and have really found them useful to get the riggers out of the way when running hard and coming into dock.

SD

[Waterfish]

Thanks for all of the responses! I checked Berry's Bait and Tyee Marine, (prices at Tyee's are a little less than Berry's), and it looks like I can save about $100.00 per downrigger with either company. For those of you who use downriggers in the Columbia, Willamette, or Drano, could you give some specifics on rigging, depth, type of fishing, etc.?

[scrod]

Why do you want downriggers?
Blackmouth
Coho
Kokanee

[UN REEL]

About down riggers,,i have a 20ft sled,,fish astoria,ocean,lakes,,love them...when you get that hook up,,,its you and the fish,,,with good fish finders,,you can put your bait on their nose...fish onDon