One of the most deadly inventions for inshore fishing is the downrigger.

Probably one of the most deadly inventions that has come to us for inshore fishing is the downrigger. It is especially deadly on bluefish, but can be used for most other species as well. There are several good units made today from manual to electric models and you can spend as much or as little as you desire. There are several different methods of mounting these units. One of the easiest is to use the rod-holder mount. You don’t have to drill holes in you washboard to use downriggers. I have used the Penn 600 unit since 1978 and I find that they do all that I need to do. They have helped catch just about every species that we have here and many more in Florida. I have fished lures, dead bait, and live bait on these units and they have served me well.

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One of the problems that you have with downriggers is how to get them to release easily. If you look at the diagram, this is the rig that I use that has worked for me for 20 years. There are several other setups, but this one allows me to fish line as light as 6 lb test on the downrigger and not break it. Blacks also makes a downrigger release setup that would probably work as well.

I would be willing to bet that under normal circumstances, more blues are caught deep than on the surface. Some people use a planer on a rod or off the transom to get down, but they have obvious disadvantages over a downrigger. They make you handline the fish in for the last 30-60 feet and because of the way they work, they take away from the fight. In addition, you must stop the boat to get the planer in while you can simply give a healthy jerk on the rod on the downrigger to release it. Wire line is also used but it does not get as deep as easily as downriggers do.

Whenever I am trolling blues, there are always 2 downriggers down. To set the units is really easy, and they are always the last lines that I set. The reason is simple: if you are letting out line on other rods with downriggers down they often tangle. Set the rod in the rod holder with the clicker on and in free spool. Slide the lure you are using out with about a 6 foot leader of 50-80 lb. mono. This will allow you to swing a fish in and eliminate the need for gaffing which allows you to release them if you wish. I always set the lure at least 50-60 feet behind the ball. After you have the right amount of line out, twist a loop of about 6 turns in the line and clip it into the clip. Now, put one hand on the drag control for the downrigger and thumb the spool of the reel lightly as you let out cable to the desired depth. When you reach that depth, lock the drag on the downrigger and stop the spool of the reel and put it in gear. Then take up the belly in the line by slowly turning the reel handle until you feel the tension. The less belly, the easier it is to hook the fish. There will be a bend in the rod when you do it right. Sometimes, especially when trolling at higher speeds, the line will not stay in the clip due to the pressure. To stop that, take a #32 or 64 rubber band and wrap it in your loop. then clip the band into the clip. The stretch that the band gives you often is enough to keep the clip from releasing prematurely.

There have been days when every fish was caught on a downrigger.

How to know how deep your line actually is is another problem. I troll blues at about 3-4 kts. Because of the drag of the ball and cable in the water, I figure that about 10-15 feet more cable than the depth you seek should be out. Set the downriggers at different depth according to what you see on the fishfinder and when you hit a fish, note how much cable is out. If the fish are tight to the bottom, you must remember to reel the downrigger balls up to the depth of the bottom if you slow down as you fight a fish so as not to drag them. Often when you slow down, you can see the balls on the depthfinder. As the day goes on, you will often find that the fish will go deeper and your surface lines will stop catching. There have been days that every fish was caught on the downriggers.

Stripers are another fish that can be targeted with downriggers. The main difference between trolling Bass or blues is the speed and lures that you use.

I am sure that if you try a downrigger, you will be pleasantly surprised with how much it will help you to catch fish.