The downrigger model I use is a Cannon Easy Troll 2 The boat I have is an old model Orkney Longliner, it has a flat platform type section at the rear of the boat and this makes it ideal for mounting a downrigger. The mount is through bolted to the boat and backed up with 1/2” ply. I use a 8 or 12lb cannonball with an Offshore line release, white for small fish and black for large fish or if I am trolling deep or pulling attractors or dodgers. The rod I use is an old 8 1/2ft fibreglass spinning rod with a soft action, this allows me to put a good bend in in the rod while trolling and the soft tip of the rod lets me see if a small fish is on but can’t trip the release,  * I have recently changed my downrigger rods to Fladen "Paxton " 8ft epoxy downrigger rod model no9180  these rods cost me £30 each, they are well made and have a soft tip but plenty of strength lower down the rod to handle big fish*. The reel I use is a multiplier that has a loud clicker on it, this will alert me if a fish has taken the lure.

When I run a lure on the downrigger I put it quite close to the cannonball, 10 to 15ft back. My latest accessory for my downrigger is a swivel base, this allows me to swing the rigger into the boat, set the lure and then swing it back out to the fishing position (no more hanging out the back of the boat in a big wave!). When I am going to send the lure down to the fishing depth, I clip the line in the line release and lower to the desired depth. I then wind down the reel and put a good bend in the rod. You can at this point add a second lure to the downrigger. This is called a slider. To do this you have a 4 to 5ft length of line with a snap swivel at each end, on one end you put a lure and on the other side you clip over the line from the rod tip to the water and then drop the spoon in the water, this will work it’s way down your line to about midway. This lure will slide up and down on your line according to the amount of belly in the line from your rod to cannonball. When a fish hits the slider the snap on the line will run down to the cannonball and trip and the lure on you main line will stop it going any further.

Line releases

The line release I  use is either the offshore tackle pinch pad  release or a simple rubber band looped onto the line and hooked to the cannonball with a snap swivel, both methods have their good points , the offshore is easy to use but if you lose one it means either paying over the odds for one in this country (and they are hard to get) or ordering on from the US which may take 6 weeks to get here. The rubber band method is simple and effective. I haven't decided which method I prefer, the offshore release is quick to use but if you hook a small fish that cannot pull the  line free from the release you may end up dragging the fish for miles (it happened to me on loch Earn I must have dragged a 1/2lb trout for about 2 miles). While the rubber band method will allow a small fish to "show" on the rod as it pulls the band will stretch and the rod tip will bounce about alerting you to the fish, and if a big fish takes it simply breaks the band and the fish is then free to take line as normal.

From 2003 onwards I have used rubber bands exclusively for holding the line to the cannonball I have found that they are quicker and easier to set and you don't get any false releases. I use  size 16 rubber bands 2 bands doubled for most of my trolling and 3 bands when I am pulling attractors or large lures. To keep the bands handy for use  I load them up in pairs onto the rod holder  on the downrigger, that way  the bands ready for use.

cannonball with offshore release .                           cannonball showing rubberband clip

Method of fastening the rubber band to the line you loop the band over the line and pull tight and this will grip the line and then clip band into link swivel.

(I have left the band loose for the photo)                    

This year (2002) I decided to add a second Downrigger to my boat, as an Orkney Longliner is quite narrow at the back 40" I was worried that the riggers would be too close to each other and could cause tangles when fishing. So I looked around at other websites to see how riggers are mounted on different boats, this ended up with me deciding to put both riggers on a downrigger bar or board. You can buy downrigger boards with all the fittings from places like Cabelas or Berts Custom Tackle they are made of aluminum and are around 6ft long and cost upwards of £350 and with carriage and tax probably adding the same again it was to dear for me!!.

I knew I could make something that would do the job for far less than that, here is a breakdown of what I used and the costs.

• Mounting board 1 x length of flooring joist 7"x2"x5ft long, cost free.

• 2 x Seat pedestal   7" high, cost £25 from Cabelas.

• Base plates 1/2" thick by 7"x7" sq bolted to boat to accept the pedestal bases that are fastened on with 8 hand wheel knobs ( the base plates are optional I have then so I can remove the  board for winter storage) cost £80.

• Assorted nuts and bolts to fasten all the bits together cost £10.

  Here is the back of my boat showing the old set up of the rigger, it is on a swivel base that is bolted  to the boat.

This is the new set-up with the riggers mounted on a board, this makes them much easier to use it allows you  lean against the board when changing lures and retrieving the cannonball  to set the lines in the release. I was never happy hanging over the back of the boat on a windy day  when setting lines, you can also see the cannonball holders, they also make life a lot easier as it gives a "home" for the cannonball  when moving from place to place on the Loch, it stops them from bouncing and battering about the place. I have mounted a rod holder in the center of the board this is the rod I run lead core on, straight out the back with the lure running around 70 yds back.

If you have a boat that has steel grab rails along the side to the stern adding a downrigger board couldn't be simpler, just get a board like this to fit your boat and use a couple of "U" bolts each side to secure the board  to the rails, and you then have a good solid base to mount your downriggers without having to drill holes in your boat.