Kayak downrigger questions

[huffy]

So. I picked up a mini-troll fo my kayak. 100' o cable and a 2lb ball. Does anyone here use a downrigger for their kayak? Got any tips or advice? I plan to try mine at Skaha next week. If nobody has tried, I will post some feedback.

[huffy]

On a side note, my yak is paddle powered

[EZM]

I've down rigged in a canoe ..... used the Scotty Lake Troll clamp on and a small ball like that as well.

The biggest drawback(s);

- on a small ball is a strike will pull the ball back instead of poping the clip.

- you can't "load" your rod to allow a automatic hook set upon a take - the ball is just to light

- a light ball has lots of blow back and you will be quite surprised to see it blowing back as far as it does.

However,

It does work ..... just not quite as well.

[aulrich]

On a related note has anyone tried dispy divers, can you get enough speed to get them down?

Also I have been fighting with my rod holders, at this poit I am using ram mounts and they are alright but I almost lost a rod to a pike and it's seems a fight to keep the rod handy but out of the way of the paddles.

[Northern Yaker]

I troll with my rod holders behind me, that's the only way I have found that I'm not hitting them well paddling. You can set the drag a little looser & you'll hear and feel that rod tip bouncing behind you( unless extremely windy). Don't lose the flush mount holders behind your seat fish can& will still steal your rod. Get a Scotty gimbal adaptor and use a proper rod holder on it.
Another technique I've seen is trolling backwards rod facing your bow.

[wildwoods]

I run small riggers on my 18' bayliner. I put a 5lb ball on them with no issues.
The trout and Kokanee fishing has been good on the shuswap the last week.

[EZM]

I run small riggers on my 18' bayliner. I put a 5lb ball on them with no issues.
The trout and Kokanee fishing has been good on the shuswap the last week.

There's probably a little bit of a difference between how your 18 foot, inboard engine, 3000 lb Bayliner handles a down rigger compared to his paddle powered, 10 ft, 100lb Kayak.

I'm not an expert - just saying it's not even in the same stratosphere.

[EZM]

On a related note has anyone tried dispy divers, can you get enough speed to get them down?

Also I have been fighting with my rod holders, at this poit I am using ram mounts and they are alright but I almost lost a rod to a pike and it's seems a fight to keep the rod handy but out of the way of the paddles.

Dipsy's should be - ok - if you slow down they will sink (they are negatively bouyant).

If you paddle hard, the dipsy will pull pretty hard too - so I'd use a smaller one if that was an option. You need a good rod holder with a dipsy.

Not a bad option though - probably easier to mange on the yak.

[wildwoods]

There's probably a little bit of a difference between how your 18 foot, inboard engine, 3000 lb Bayliner handles a down rigger compared to his paddle powered, 10 ft, 100lb Kayak.

I'm not an expert - just saying it's not even in the same stratosphere.

Just illustrating that a small rigger can handle a five pound ball. Nothing more nothing less.
My guess is it wouldn't be hard to paddle against that weight.

[huntsfurfish]

And make sure you have a good side cutter or cable cutter handy. Just in case.:)

[RavYak]

I use a scotty lake troller on my hobie outback and I use a 4 lb fin style cannonball.

To have your rod in front of you use whatever combination of scotty rod holder height extenders and gear head extender mounts you need, it should be easy to find a combination that works to have the rod in front of you but within hands reach.

The main thing with a downrigger is that it will create a lot of drag and force on one side of the kayak. In the outback it isn't bad because I have a rudder and can offset the one way drag with it, also the outback is pedal powered so it is easier to propel yourself. I am sure it can be done with a paddle kayak but you will probably tire out a lot quicker especially if you don't have a rudder and are fighting it the entire time.

Here are a couple pics of my setup.

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb267/murtyl/2015-07-15%2021.04.02.jpg

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb267/murtyl/2015-07-15%2021.04.11.jpg

[huffy]

Nice setup. I'm looking forward to trying it for the first time. If it's too much of a pain dipsy diver it is :shark:

[Brandonkop]

I'd use a larger ball than 2 pounds, that is too light. At Least four to 5 pounds. If you want less drag put on some braided downrigger line, like the dacron stuff. With that light of ball you can probably use 50 to 80 lb test on the rigger.
I fished for Kokanee on by yak before with a down rigger but I had a trolling motor on the boat. Worked great. I used an 8 pound ball, drag wasn't a problem with the trolling motor.

Here's the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOqTfJs3Aos

[southernman]

I have done a bit of down rigger trolling for salmon in my hobbie Kayak,
Best thing I found was sum torpedo's, think there were four weights, I use the two mid weights, green and blue, sum place on the Great Lakes made them, as they attach to you man line, you have less drag.
This is the biggest problem for a kayaker.
The small down riggers work ok, change the line out for 50-100lb braid as you will have less drag, 2-6lb weight depending on depth.
Any disk type planer for depth is very hard work, and you will quickly tire of them.
Large deep diving plugs, have lots of drag as well.
I will try and find a link for the torpedo.

[southernman]

http://www.torpedodivers.com/torpedo.asp

Hopefully the link works.