Northwest Reel Life November - December 2023 Volume 3 Issue 3 - Flipbook - Page 18
The constant attention to
equipment while on the
water and the inherent risks
associated with snags make
it an option easier to perform
on a vessel of larger size. With
that said, a downrigger is
not only doable on a kayak,
but it’s a technique that
can increase your chances
severalfold, and if you’re
fishing lakes where currents
and large waves are less of an
issue, a downrigger might be
the exact thing that puts you
on the fish.
The most common spots to
mount a downrigger are just
past the midline of your kayak
somewhere out of the way
of your peddling or paddling,
but also close enough to you
so that you can operate it
without too much struggle.
18 | NWFISHING.net
Most kayakers opt for smaller
downriggers like a Scotty lake
troller or the Cannon mini troll
downrigger. When mounting
your downrigger, you’ll want
to add a backing plate in
the hull of the kayak where
your bolts will attach. This
is essential for the kayak to
be able to handle the added
weight and pressure. Fish
finder and rod holders should
be mounted in close enough
proximity to the DR so that
you can monitor your rod
tip, fish finder, and DR at the
same time. Instead of using
the steel cable that comes
with most downriggers, it’s
wise to swap the cable for
250 # - 300# braided line.
This will lessen drag and it
will also allow you to cut your
line in case of an emergency.
With that in mind, you should
always have a knife attached
to your person in a place
that is easily accessible in
case that emergency were to
happen.
Stringers
For the longest time, I
struggled to find an effective
place to connect my stringer
to my Hobie Revolution
13’. I would typically have
my stringer attached to
a carabiner and then the
carabiner attached to a strap
that was a part of my seat’s
recline system. Eventually, the
rubbing from the constant
motion and tension of the
fish that were hanging off
the side of my boat would
fray the webbing around the
strap. I now have a stringer
cleat attached to one of my
track systems that holds and