Accessories

To be successful when fishing with a downrigger,there are a couple of accessories that you will need to purchase.


HUMMINBIRD 406480-1 DEPTH FINDER HDR610 IN DASH DEPTH

Depth Finder
There are a couple of reasons to use a depth finder with your downrigger unit.  Downrigger weights and fishing tackle cost money, and if you don’t know the depth, you will paying a lot of it to replace that equipment.  If you are going to be trolling around at depths of 100 feet or more, it is vital to know how deep the water is.


Furuno LS4100 Fish Finder with Transom Mount Transducer

Fish Finder
A modern fish finder will pinpoint the location of fish and many will even distinguish between schools of small baitfish and different species of larger game fish. It all depends on how much you want to pay for your fish finder.  Once fish have been found, the downrigger allows the fisher to take his lure or bait to the exact depth where the fish are feeding.
Look for a fish finder that can show fish even if they are very deep to give you the knowledge of how far to let out your downrigger.  Fish finders with a dual angle cone or wide-angle transducer are preferable because this will also allow you to see your downrigger weight even when trolling.  Then you can set your lure at the level of the fish.


Lowrance Speed Probe

Speed and Temperature Probe
While expensive, for the serious downrigger fisherman, these units can be priceless.  A speed and temperature probe snaps in line between the downrigger cable and weight, sending a signal is sent up to the fisherman, telling him the water temperature at the weight and the trolling speed at the lure.  This is helpful because sometimes, due to currents, the speed at the surface is not the same as at the depth of the lure.  A speed probe can help you prevent line twisting and, since most lures are sensitive to speed, this information can also mean the difference between hooking a fish and not.



Cannon Offshore Line Release

Release Line
If you are trolling for small fish, get a release which is attached to the downrigger cable or weight with a short length of line.  This type of release is handy because it has greater sensitivity and will help you recognize when you have a fish on it.  If you can see that you have hooked a fish, then you won’t spend all day trolling around with one fish hooked to your bait.  “Offshore Release” by Cannon is a good product for this type of release.
If you are trolling for big fish, use a release that is connected directly between the cable and the downrigger weight.  They have adjustable tension and allow for greater penetration on the strike, which you will need with the bigger fish.  They also come with a swivel on the center pin, which will help keep the line from twisting around the downrigger cable.



CANNON 1907022 Adjustable Downrigger Rod Holder Mount – Silver

Downrigger Rod and Rod Holder
If your downrigger doesn’t come with a rod holder, then you will need to purchase a couple to mount near it.  I recommend a rod holder that will allow you to get the rod quickly so you can set the hook before the fish shakes it out of his mouth.  Rods designed specifically for downriggers are great when fishing for big fish, however, if you are fishing for small fish, a light action spinning rod with bait casting reel works just fine.
Termination
“Crimpless” cable terminators to fix your weights to your cables protect the downrigger cable.  Crimp type connectors weaken the cables after extended use, and often these cables will break.


Downrigger Weight Retrievers Weight Retriever

Weight Retrievers
These are useful to pull the weight pull close to the boat and hold it in position while you attach your line to the release.  Purchase one of these if you have a downrigger with a longarm.