DIY Downriggers
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Work-Up
Forum Description: Game fishing related topics here
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=99657
Printed Date: 23 Jun 2026 at 10:22pm
Topic: DIY Downriggers
Posted By: otdrmn
Subject: DIY Downriggers
Date Posted: 17 Mar 2014 at 5:11pm
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After some info if guys don't mind sharing about downriggers and in particular DIY downriggers Some questions
Ball weight or cylindrical and benefits / drawbacks of each Minimum weight required for say a Jack Mac vrs a Skippie Minimum strength of downrigger braid (nylon) - is 50lb to light Are you banding on to the leader with the bait about 2mtrs behind Ever run lures from your DR and how successful was this There will no doubt be more questions as answers are forthcoming. Look forward to any pictures you can share as well Thanks in advance G ------------- The 4 R's ~ Rods, Reels, Rifles, Rooting |
Replies:
Posted By: Jaapie
Date Posted: 17 Mar 2014 at 6:11pm
Edit: Just thinking back, we had to make up some new balls we lost whilst in Indonesia. We used melted lead we got off an island scrap yard and poured it into coconuts. Odd shaped, but relatively round if you looked quickly, and they worked pretty ok.  ------------- "Only when the last tree has died, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught,will we realize that we cannot eat money" - 19th Century Indian Creed |
otdrmn wrote:Posted By: krow
Date Posted: 17 Mar 2014 at 9:04pm
Here's mine. They do "blow out at trolling speeds for sure. I just use them when slow trolling or drifting. 2x saucers of lead with a aluminum blade. I connect the double (end of windon) to a break away. All hits we've had to date are from fish with teeth instead of bills.
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Posted By: kiwiboy_
Date Posted: 17 Mar 2014 at 9:29pm
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What exactly are you wanting to use the down rigger for?? Down riggers are nothing short of impedance for any form of marlin fishing. Use them for night time sword trolling ( if that's your thing) ... Otherwise flag them. Most predators have a 60m range whether it's eye sight or sense ( give or take) ... If your baits out of sight ... Half the time its had its tail bitten off and the release clip hasn't tripped out ... Well all you've done is towed a head around for 2 hrs. Yes you catch marlin using on down-riggers... But your success rate in general won't be any better than the next boat without . And if Peter B Wright thinks the same thing ... Well it's good enough for me not to bother. I've watched marlin from a long way whether I marked it or it tailed in from a ridulously long way behind the boat nail my live skippie set leader length off the transom . Honestly .., I don't think you need one unless you were slow trolling for swords at night.just keep it simple Good luck ------------- You gotta be in the right place at the right time |
Posted By: Titahi
Date Posted: 17 Mar 2014 at 9:48pm
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I really like what Krow has done, I have an electric canon and attempted to get a hold of some pancake weights here in Oz :( I ended up using 2 dive weights bolted together with a sliver of 2mm aluminum between them to act as a fin, worked fine, albeit with bigger blowback due to increased surface pressure as it is wider than a pancake weight.... F N mackeral have bad eye sight and after biting it and not the beautifully presented stitched gar fish it eventually got snipped off :( :( New one in the pipe line ------------- "I love standing by the ocean and just knowing what its for" |
Posted By: wanabe
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2014 at 3:51pm
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Graeme I have a 10 lb weight mold in a fish shape you can make your own if you want , I have also heard that a 2 " galvanized pipe about 2 foot long could work and when I get the time I will try it |
Posted By: Blue Asparagus
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2014 at 5:55pm
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I use them for marlin fishing, what a waste in my opinion lots to shift about on hook up but I used it for live jacks set at.....I did make my own using a broken rigger pole with a bent butt, I have now removed the reel and use it with my teaser it makes for a very easy return. weights are also made from concrete for bait bombing in very deep drops say 100m I also have a Penn Fathom master, it has 500m of 100lb braid, I have a number of weights for it from pancakes to balls 6lb to over 10, use it for night time swords towing a squid. If you need to use a down rigger during the day try and get the hang of bait bombing 1st, a couple of 4oz sinkers do the trick nicely, you will find your results increase as will the excitment but dont take my word for it ------------- Ultimate GAME Fishing Adventures. Northland |