Sounds like a cct breaker. This is from the Scotty site. Yours maybe faulty so I would take it in for repair.
Circuit Breaker
Your Scotty electric downrigger is equipped with an automatic circuit breaker to protect the motor from overload. If you hang up on the bottom or on a heavy mass of weeds and then push the power up button, the circuit breaker will probably trip. Wait 5 to 10 seconds for it to automatically reset and you will have power again. However, do not repeatedly attempt to lift a load too heavy for the downrigger motor. If possible the downrigger line must rst be freed from the obstruction.
Note: It is also possible to trip the circuit breaker by raising a weight over 20 lb. from extreme depth. The circuit breaker is designed to trip at 15 amps. If this happens allow the circuit breaker to cool several seconds before resuming lifting