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Downriiggers?


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I'd go with manuals for now.....double your action....or used electrics. If you are only running one battery you may want to stick with manuals.

Edited by Sk8man
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Manuals but I learned a trick to make a manual into an electric if you go on youtube and look up making manual downriggers into electric you will find a guy taking a normal battery powered drill and take the hand crank off and use the drill to pull the ball up and down

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Manuals will be fine if you only fish a couple times a year otherwise get one electric for now and a dipsy' or two. You can add another electric next year.

Edited by stinger
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When I first started to get into downrigger fishing I got 2 manual downriggers given to me, that right there should have told me something?? so I mounted them on my 18ft Troller and commenced to go fishing, being a rookie sent the first rigger down to lets just say 80ft and then go to crank up the tension on the pole so it has a nice arch to the rod and POP, the line comes out of the release, so crank up 80 ft of cable and start all over, 10 minutes later fish on, get a little trout of some sort, OH yea the ball is still at 80 ft so crank er back up set everything back up and now go to the other rigger set that one up and send her down to 60 ft go to put tension on that rod and POP there that rod comes out of the release, I must not of had something right, so crank that one up. Now I'm pi$$ed off, sweating and arms feel like they are dragging on the floor, moral of the story, next trip out I had 2 electric cannons I picked up for $150.00 a piece with 4ft booms, from a guy that wanted 6ft booms, they are heavy duty riggers that are powerful, they lift 12# weights no problems. If you are learning like me and if you get into fish the manuals will beat you up, save up enough to buy one electric rigger, for now and get another one later you won't regret it, if you insist on manuals I have 2 I'll give you, that's what I think of those things, OH I forgot to mention the riggers I bought for $300.00 I have over 10 years now and still work like new, so it's a investment that will last a long time :yes:

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I'd check here or eBay/Craigslist for some electrics and if no luck I'd go the manual route. You can always upgrade later but still at least have 2 functional riggers. I never get too mad about cranking them up if I'm putting fish in the boat.

Honestly the best deals I see are on Craigslist from people that don't realize exactly what they're selling. U just have to check daily for deals. I saw somebody last week out here by me post an older Big Jon electric for $60. If I could have grabbed it fast enough I would have just to pass the deal along here.

Oh- just remembered my first set of riggers came off eBay for $90 (Riveria manuals) and put plenty of fish in the boat for almost nothing. They weren't fantastic, but worked till I could swing some Cannons. Polished them up and later sold them for $120 lol

Edited by Meals-On-Reels
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It depends on what you want to do. It's an investment- if you plan on fishing the lake or a while the riggers can always swap from boat to boat as you upgrade. You might want to go with a newer electric.

If you are going for cheap- go 1970's manual lol you can find riviera manuals for next to nothing and they work just fine. More work but they all do the same thing.

I would save my money and do it right.

Good luck!

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Brings back memories....I had a pair of brand new Riviera's with the 4ft. booms back in 1975 and folks on Seneca Lake  asked me if I was doing research with the Navy barge....as the downriggers were one of the first on the Finger Lakes (and folks hadn't seen them before) and I remember some irate lady at the State Park saying to me that it was shameful that I was taking such advantage of the poor fish with my depth finder and downriggers :lol:

Edited by Sk8man
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Pap is spot-on. Used electric riggers are the play!!! I got my cannon 4'ers for 200 at a garage sale with tons of gear. I had no trouble to replace the resettable breaker and crimping new ends on, and that's all ive had to do with them except fish. No way would I crank up manuals all day.

justin

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