TIME TO GET DOWN

The basics of using a downrigger

By Erwin Bursik

MAN’S determination to catch fish goes back thousands of years,and it’s that determination that varies in accordance with the availability and quantity of the species he is targeting.

It is also true that the harder it is to entice a fish to feed, the more thought and cunning is needed by the angler to achieve his goal.

Herein lies one of the greatest rewards in the sport of angling.If the plan you have devised and implemented results in a strike from the fish you are looking for,you are the victor.

One of those plans lies in the art of trolling a bait or lure. Using conventional trolling tactics,fishing takes place in the top metre or two of the ocean’s surface.

Fish will be attracted by the movement of the bait/lure from a specific depth below that,depending on a number of factors,including water clarity,the angle of the sun and degree of cloud cover.

That depth will obviously vary,but is unlikely to be more than 10 metres at the outside.

To achieve variable trolling depths — or,in fact,getting baits down to where the fish are presumed to be holding — a weight of sorts has to be resorted to.Before the advent of deep trollers,either a forfeiture weight or a deep planer was used.The forfeiture weight (see figure 1) — some as heavy as 3kg or 4kg — was attached ahead of the bait leader by means of a complex spring-loaded release mechanism.On strike and hookup,the heavy weight dropped away,thus permitting the angler to fight the fish unhindered.

The planer method — the old Luxon planer (see figure 2), amongst other devices — was very restricting during the fight as one was required to use very heavy tackle and had to fight both planer and fish.

Then,along came the deep troller (see figure 3).This system not only allowed one to control — fairly accurately — the depth of the troll,but by using a release clip also allowed the angler to fight his catch unrestricted by hardware.Post hookup the weight is retrieved and removed from the water, and is then ready to be re-rigged when trolling recommences.

A braided wire cable is used to lower the weight from a manual or electrically operated reel system mounted on the gunnel or transom of a craft.This cable minimises water resistance,and at normal trolling speeds — 2-3 knots — is suspended almost directly under the boat.

Another very helpful device is the displayed depth counter which enables the angler to regulate his depth setting to within a metre of where he wants his bait or lure to be trolled.

Planers have also been remodelled over the years so that they now run off a separate line,either attached to a reel-type device or tied directly to a cleat on the transom,while the fishing line is attached via a release clip or roller troller. Some skippers prefer the Z-wing type planer (see figure 4) to the lead downrigger ball as they maintain the action of this device imparts more movement to the bait or lure which,in their experience,increases strikes.

SORTING OUT THE HARDWARE

There are two major aspects to the art of deep trolling.The first is the mechanics of the system and how best to rig and use the downrigger of your choice.The second aspect is how, where and when to fish the system.

A number of different downriggers are available in South Africa,a range which considers both affordability as well as practicality in terms of the different sizes of craft used in this country.

What is perhaps of greater importance is the terminal or “weight end”and how to rig it to ensure that one’s fishing line does not part due to the thin line wrapping itself around the steel cable (see figures 3 & 4)

This is achieved by rigging the weight with good quality snaps and swivels,and by making sure that when the weight is lowered there is sufficient pull of the lure/bait provided by the troll speed to stop a wraparound.If for any reason the boat stops,then it is essential to wind up the weight and ensure no wraparound has occurred before recommencing the troll.Do not try to use your deep troller for drift fishing as it is guaranteed to wrap.

A good idea is to use elastic bands attached to the fishing line before attaching it to the roller troller clip,as one would do when using one’s outriggers.This prevents line bruising and often helps in the initial setting of the hook,especially when fishing for ’cuda with trebles.

The distance between the rigger clip and the terminal tackle depends on the type of fish one is targeting and the area one is fishing.At least 15 to 20 metres is a good call.

WHERE AND WHEN?

“When and where should I use my downrigger?”you might ask.Your sonar is your best friend and advisor in this regard. If there are no fish showing in the top five fathoms,there is no point in fishing in it.Look further down to see where the shoals are holding and whether or not there is a thermocline. Fish don’t easily cross a thermocline,i.e.move from hot to cold water or vice versa.

Establish whether there is a thermocline and whether the fish are above or below it,then set your downrigger accordingly.One is often able to see the tracing of the downrigger weight on the sonar screen during slow troll speeds,and this is a good check to ensure you are fishing at the right depth.

It is then that you dig deep into your tackle box of knowledge and plan what bait or lure you are going to use because, after all,all your downrigger enables you to do is get your bait/lure down to a level where the fish require a minimum degree of effort to strike.A big ’cuda may,for example,be prepared to dart two or three metres to catch a perceived prey, whereas it would not swim up 20 or 30 metres to attack something splashing along near the surface.

It is also essential to concentrate very seriously on one’s fishfinder,especially if one is trolling along the edge of a dropoff or around and over a reef or structure.A pinnacle or misjudged shallow reef will,without fail,snag your downrigger weight.This is a costly exercise,as it normally wrenches the braided cable from the reel,either breaking it or,worse, the anti-reverse mechanism of the deep troller.

In effect,that’s the end of your deep trolling for the day as few skippers carry both spare weights and braided cable.

It is safe to deep troll two to three fathoms off the top of the reef because most fish,even bottom feeders,will rise four to six metres to feed.Most of our gamefish patrol at about six metres above the reef.

Very often clutter or debris is observed over large,sandy areas which,we presume,is weed or sediment stirred up by the current,or small fish.It pays to troll a bait in or just through the upper layer of this murky water,especially a large dead- or livebait or,better still,a daisy chain of live mozzies or mackerel.This is sure to make a wary ’cuda throw caution to the wind and attack.

With the downrigger system having proven its success for slow trolling,many skippers have played with the design of weights and planers to enable them to troll at faster speeds, up to six knots,thereby enabling them to target species such as tuna and billfish with fast running lures.

Success in this regard has made them strive even harder to get the right combination to enable them to go deeper and deeper,whilst retaining a set SOG.However,as one speeds up, drag on the wire and the weight causes the trolling depth to decrease (see figure 5 above)

The USA has a number of very interesting planer-type inventions that have come onto the market,including the Zwing.Some of the bigger and more effective devices are a little too big and difficult to handle on an outboard-powered skiboat,being more practical on a sportfisher where crew can handle the awesome pull/drag of the big planer.

There is,however,a downrigger weight,designed in

Kenya,which is shaped roughly like a rapala that holds its depth fairly well at rapala and stripbait troll speeds of 5/6 knots (see figure 6,below)

The best part of fishing with a downrigger is when a single downrigged bait produces a lot more fish than the three or four surface-trolled baits.Just watch the crew get all agitated,each wanting a turn on the skipper’s downrigger!

Above all,a downrigger enhances one’s fishing opportunities by broadening one’s ability to efficiently hunt areas for fish that have been out of reach up to now.