Fish Rider
Member
I was looking at buying another downrigger for the back of the boat and was wondering what the success rate is and if its worth doing?
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Running a third downrigger off the back of the boat?
- Thread starter Fish Rider
- Start date
Fish Rider
Member
Yes two on the side and third off the back.
Roofus
Member
My friend fiberglasses a lot of guide boats for lodges and a lot of them have three one on each side with 60 inch booms and on straight off the back between the two huge outboards again with a 60 inch boom with one of those weight retrievers gotta imagine it is used to fish shallower must be a pain in the butt to clear lines when a big fish is on
LOL, have fished 3 riggers for years. Only time I don't is in winter month, cut it back to 2. I fish the middle rigger the deepest. Would never go back to 2 riggers in the summer months. Just cover that much more depth of water. I fish pancake leads with the stainless fins...just a slight bend on the outside ones so they pull away from the boat. keep the middle blade straight. Don't mix them up!!! The only thing you have to watch is other boats passing to close with there bent finned leads....have been wire to wire with another boat a few times.
Northislander
Member
I'm in the process of setting a third up right now out the back on the opposite side of my kicker. Picked up a HP Scotty so that I can run a 20lb ball on the closer down rigger out the side and a 12 lb ball out the back to give me some separation. I figured this would be better than stacking rods on one down rigger. Cover more depths this way and create more chaos when we get into some fish.
I run all 15 pound leads. I get the separation by putting the middle (deeper) one the farthest back from the boat and stagger the other two, one in the middle one closer. The finned leads keep the wire apart with the booms extended. I can even crank the boat hard over no problem
Northislander
Member
Going to try out my plan this weekend and see how it works. May have to try your method profisher if mine fails.
Peahead
Well-Known Member
3 riggers ( with pancakes on outside and ball in middle) works great for me in more shallow water fishing like coho on the flats in 18' of water and its a bit too shallow to stack effectively. Also 3 riggers are great for socs. Lots of guys here on the bigger boats use 4 riggers. Also its always a back up rigger if one fails for whatever reason.
Derby
Crew Member
In the heat of battle on Swiftsure 3 gets a bit much.. On a slow grind on the shoreline maybe, but my 3rd rigger usually stays stowed as a spare..
jeffywestcoast
Well-Known Member
I lost a nice spring this year on a buddies boat after he failed to turn on the retrieve on his electric downrigger.. Couldn't imagine having three to bring up in the heat of the battle..Nothing more disappointing then watching a nice spring swim away with your spoon in it's mouth after circling the downrigger...oh ya there is , watching it swim away with your spoon and flasher..
ReelSlim
Crew Member
Haha LastChance..........No doubt.......sometimes it's hard to ever get both rods out at the same time let alone a third.......Come on summer holiays! On the right boat with an experienced crew I think it would great to have the third rigger on some days......IMO
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Derby
Crew Member
Yup total agree.....there is a time and a place for 3... with a good crew and a system in place, its a blast when all hell breaks loose...
