Where and How to install downriggers?

[advTHXance]

After looking at your boat, I can think of 2 ways I might tackle this.

#1 remove the stern rails and use these:

View attachment 53588 Right angle mount for boats with narrow gunnels, can be more location options with these

There is a short video too:
https://scotty.com/product/no-1025-right-angle-side-gunnel-mount/

#2 have someone bend plates of aluminum into brackets, something like this highly skilled technical rendering:

 

[Capt_Ed]

I like them mounted as far back as I can so their not in the way when netting fish.

 

[Foxsea]

Id be leary mounting them like this. It could put a lot of strain on your rails if you get hung up on bottom. Those rails are only fastened on with a couple screws.

^^^ true!
Many of us fish near the bottom and structure. If you consider the breaking strength of wire or braid times the lever arm of the downrigger boom plus the height of the railing, the stanchion mount (in the likely event of a bottom catch) puts a huge strain on the railing mounts and the surrounding fiberglass - something it was not designed for. What is going to fail first? It may not be the braid.

 

[Pineapple Express]

That's a nice boat. You'll have a lot of fun with that!

If I were in your shoes here's what I'd do:

Option #1:
Do what @advTHXance suggested as his option #2


Option #2:
Mount the downrigger on the gunnel between the bimini support and the aft railing. Either have a custom gunnel mount made, or use the Scotty 1025 gunnel mount
http://scotty.com/product/no-1025-right-angle-side-gunnel-mount/
Combine this with a riser to get the downrigger up a bit so the booms don't dip in the water when the boat lists or waves roll the boat, also so the downrigger boom can be swung aft and sit over the existing railing
http://scotty.com/product/2606/
By mounting the downriggers further forward they'll be easier for the captain to reach from the helm which will be nice if you're fishing solo. You'll have to be careful about making sharp turns, especially when fishing the strong currents off the Fraser, Thrasher, or near the mouth of the Cap, but you can compensate somewhat by getting the 60" Scotty booms (ie 1106 downrigger model)


A distant Option #3:
Use the Scotty 2027 stanchion mount as suggested previously
http://scotty.com/product/no-2027-stanchion-mount/
I'd be reluctant to do this personally because of the reasons mentioned above. If you snag your cannonball on the bottom it can put a tremendous force on the rigger line. On my Whaler the railings are only secured with coarse thread screws and I'd be very concerned about pulling the screws out if the downrigger got hung up. Whalers are really great boats, but the fiberglass skin is actually quite thin and can be more fragile than you might expect.

 

[tubber]

Whalers are really great boats, but the fiberglass skin is actually quite thin and can be more fragile than you might expect.

Which is why any thru bolt option will distort/flex the inside and outside of the gunnel noticeably. I wouldn't care on my 1970's whalers, but this is a new boat.
I believe I have read on continuoswave about how the railings can be strengthened by pulling the screws, enlarging the hole, filling with reinforced epoxy resin, then waxing the screw (perhaps one with a larger thread) and replacing while resin is still wet. This creates a threaded hole.

Is the stern cleat just screwed on?
Modified rail/stanchion mount with aluminum support piece that fits beneath cleat. No new holes. ???

 

[Love it]

I have same boat 17 Dauntless I have used
Rail mounts and manual riggers. It works great. The down riggers come off quickly if kids are using boat for skiing for tubing. With seat flipped forward you can face your rods and steer quite easily.

 

[advTHXance]

I like them mounted as far back as I can so their not in the way when netting fish.

There are 2 schools of thought (for me anyways) when it comes to this.

Mounting them at the back is great if you have a rear steer or a fishing partner. Most CC guide boats are set up with the downriggers mounted beside or just behind the center console so its easy for the guide to access all the gear and run the boat at once. It would be like designing a kitchen and having the stove, fridge, counter, all on one side and then way over on the other side of the room is the sink. Not very practical if youre constantly having to run back and forth.

For this boat in particular, I might remove the back rails as theyll be in the way of the downriggers no matter how you position them. The sidewalls on the 17' whalers arent very high so it wouldnt be ideal but I can see it being a struggle with those rails there no matter how they DRs are mounted. Personally I like my back deck and gunnels as clear of obstacles as possible. If removing the back rails isnt something youd like to do, Id mount them where the bimini top meets the gunnel (might have to move bimini anchor point) but that would be with my fishing purposes in mind (sometimes solo sometimes with others)

 

[Love it]

I have them at rail where the middle support is right at back.

 

[profisher]

Tubber if you have a stiffening plate on both inside and outside joined on the top by a 3rd piece and then fastened up to the rail..it will be super strong and no flex.

 

[ericl]

I have mounted downriggers on 5 different boats; none were real straightforward; there will most always be compromises.

The Scotty 2027 mount appears to be the strongest candidate at this point:

(1) Location for use/access is pretty good
(2) stress will be distributed amongst all 3 rail attachment points

Scotty support should be able to provide feasibility info to you
Use a short boom
Downrigger gear DOES get hung-up on the bottom, but there is a drag/slip mechanism; Scotty should be able to provide info on how strong the drag is set to
Using lighter strength downrigger braid will create less drag enabling to use a lighter all weight. Also use brain on your reels. Back when electric's were illegal w/o special permit I used 90# S/S wire with 12# balls & could fish the gear at 200ft. I DID however run the 8" flashers when fishing hoochie's deep. Except with a hoochie you do not need a flasher; you can imitate everything you need to with a plug or a spoon. You can also troll bait real slow for getting deep.
I'd rather break-off a ball than damage the fiberglass any day of the week.

You could reinforce the F/G as mentioned; marine plywood attached with 3M 5200 might be a bit ugly; otherwise you could cut-open the glass & reinforce on the inside.

 

[Pineapple Express]

<snip> Back when electric's were illegal w/o special permit I used 90# S/S wire with 12# balls & could fish the gear at 200ft. <snip>

Electric downriggers were illegal?!? When did they become legal without a special permit?

 

[scott craven]

Early 90's

 

[Aces]

Electric downriggers were illegal?!? When did they become legal without a special permit?

You had to get a letter from your doctor to get the exemption certificate

 

[Gear'n'beer!]

Which was a complete joke......pretty much every doctor had zero problem writing you the exemption......didn't last very long.

 

[Rain City]

So in my old bayliner it had thin sides like that as well. I installed the 90 degree angle brackets but in order to get backing (starboard) inside I just cut a nice 6" round hole and installed an access panel. That's where I also mounted my plug so I didn't have to drill another hole. I also filled the cavity with low expanding foam for added support. Worked like a charm. You might have to mount a pedestal, which you can cut down, on top of the bracket to raise your rigger above the rail. Good luck

 

[Aces]

Which was a complete joke......pretty much every doctor had zero problem writing you the exemption......didn't last very long.

Remember when i was the only Tofino guide with electric downriggers?

 

[ericl]

Remember when i was the only Tofino guide with electric downriggers?

No, but I DO remember having two landing nets; fishing WAS that good!!