A downrigger are a tool that allows a person to lower fishing lures to a specific depths in the water. Using a downrigger is necessary for placing bait into the depth where the fish is suspended. If a person fishes near the surface of the water, the fishing lure will not reach the depth where the fish live.
In this case, a person must use a downrigger to reach the depths where the fish live. A person control the depth of the lure with the weight of the downrigger ball and the speed of the boat. A heavier downrigger ball will sink to a deeper part of the water column.
How to Use a Downrigger for Fishing
Additionally, water resistance will push a heavier downrigger ball backward more resistant. The faster a boat move, the more water resistance will act upon the downrigger. This water resistance will cause the downrigger cable to bow backward, which are called blow-back.
Blow-back will cause the fishing lure to not go as deep into the water column as the person intend. Therefore, if a person increases the speed at which the boat is moving, they will have to add more weight or more cable to the downrigger to maintain the same depth that the lure is supposed to reach. Depending on the type of fish that live in a body of water, they will occupy certain depths in that body of water.
For instance, salmon lives in depths between forty and eighty feet of water. Salmon like to live in the cool water near the thermocline. Trout live in depths between thirty and sixty feet of water.
However, both trout and salmon may live in similar areas depending on the water temperature. Walleye live in areas that are between fifteen and thirty feet deep. Lastly, lake trout live in depths deeper than seventy feet.
To fish for any of these species, a person will have to adjust the downrigger and the speed of the boat to the depth where the fish live. Another factor that will impact the depth at which a person set their fishing lure with a downrigger is the angle of the downrigger cable. A person can measure the angle of the downrigger cable with an angle gauge.
If the angle of the downrigger cable is very steep, the fishing lure will go to the depth that a person intend. However, if the angle of the downrigger cable is shallow, the fishing lure will not go to the depth that a person intends for the lure to go. A heavy downrigger ball will maintain a steeper angle of the downrigger cable than a light downrigger ball.
There are different types of downriggers that a person can use when fishing. Manual downriggers dont use battery to power the downrigger. Instead, a person must hand crank the manual downrigger to lower the weight of the downrigger ball.
Electric downriggers use electricity to lower the downrigger ball. Additionally, electric downriggers often have digital counters that displays how many feet of line has been released from the downrigger. A person can use different type of clips to attach the fishing line to the downrigger cable.
Pinch clips are the strongest type of clip and are used for heavy fishing gear. Rubber bands can be used for lighter fishing gear. Lastly, a person can use stackers, which allow a person to have multiple fishing lure attached to a single downrigger cable.
In order to effectively use a downrigger, a person has to follow a few step. First, a person must use a fish finder to determine the depth of the fish. Second, a person must use a downrigger ball that weigh enough to reach the depth of the fish.
Third, a person must lower the downrigger to the depth where the fish are located. Fourth, a person must clip the fishing line to the downrigger cable. A person must monitor the fish finder and the angle of the downrigger cable while using a downrigger.
This is to ensure that a person can adjust the boat speed and the downrigger ball to maintain the depth at which the fishing lure are going.