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Downrigger
products
This
section will discuss products and their uses.
The
First product that I wish to discuss is downriggers.
In
my opinion, the best downriggers that are in Australia are Walker
Downriggers. This is not because they do sponsor me, but it's my
truthful opinion. I have used all the other brands in the
past and none of them have come close to the quality or easy
operation that Walker Downrigger provides.
Walker
Downriggers use solid boom bars unlike a lot of their competitors
who use hollow chrome tube. By using solid bars, Walker
Downriggers can use heavier weights which allows for greater
accuracy when targeting the fish around structures.
Walkers
are also extremely easy to lower and raise. Their spool is mounted
on a vertical, which makes retrieval a breeze, and lowering the
weight is a one-handed operation.
To
retrieve the weight, you only have to wind the handle and up it
comes. To lower the weight, it's a simple process which is to wind
the handle backwards, and down it goes. You can slow the descent
by simply winding the handle forward as if you are going to
retrieve it. A child could operate these units because they are
that simple.
Counters
are mounted on most of their models with only the smaller canoe
type units missing out. Walker Downriggers have a one-foot per
revolution on all of their models. So if you don’t have a
counter on your smaller unit, it's as simple as counting the
revolutions on the way down to give you an idea of the depth you
are at.
We
use The Lake Master model as a manual downrigger in conjunction
with a swivel mount base. The base has eight positions that it can
be locked in to and, unlike their competitors, their mounts are
made of metal not plastic.
This
model is consistently used on charters everyday and it is an
absolute pleasure to use. I use from 7 – 10lb weights on this
model and have never had an issue with it.
Other
mounts that can be used on all the Walker Downriggers are the
removable mounts. These mounts are made so they fit into
your gunwale mounted rod holders and are long lasting and easy to
use.
Risers
are also available and they are used when you have a rail that is
in the way. Risers are used to raise the downrigger higher than
the rail or obstruction so that normal operation can be used.
Electric
model downriggers
Electric
downriggers are top class and the standard downrigger retails at
about $890 and is pretty much bullet proof. The boom bars are
rated to 25lb and you can buy extension boom bars and screw them
together to create a wide spread. Again the boom bars are solid
metal and are extremely strong.
The
electric models can be mounted to the above-mentioned mounts and
risers if needed.
To
lower a downrigger weight it is as easy as flicking down the
toggle switch. The counter on top of the unit accurately gives you
the depth or once again it can be seen on your sounder.
To
retrieve the weight it is as simple as flicking the toggle switch
up and up it comes. The drag knob on these units should be
adjusted so if the weight gets caught or comes right up to the
boom the drag will hold the weight up but the unit will still
spin. This drag unit is great and is a big plus when you have to
race around the boat and raise other downriggers or retrieve rods.
These
units have an automatic stop, which can be set by the purchaser to
suit the depth you wish the unit to stop at.
Strike
Vision Downriggers
Well
what can I say about these units except that they are awesome and
they will change the way you fish. The Strike Vision
Downriggers actually have a camera fitted about a foot above the
downrigger weight. There are no extra cables to become tangled or
drag through the water as all the wiring is inside the downrigger
wire.
We
watch the live squid on the monitor and wait to see fish that are
interested in the offerings. We see Kingfish, Bream, Jewfish,
Tailor, Salmon, Trevally and even flathead take the trolled baits.
We have tested our camera unit to a depth of 65 feet and it is
amazing what is seen. At 65 feet you can clearly see
Kingfish attack live baits and also the behavior of many other
species as the approach your bait. For instance we found
that kingfish actually light up before attacking bait and in a
school of kingfish you can actually see which one will attack the
bait.
This
unit can be used at anchor as well. We have on many occasions
watched fish feed up a burly trail and swallow a carefully placed
bait in front of the camera. By using this new technology we
no longer go home wondering whether or not the fish were there. If
they come to the trolled bait but turn away it gives us the
opportunity to change the size or style of bait we are using and
see if it produces the bite we are after.
There
is one draw back when using one of these units and that is they
are highly addictive to use and you usually end up navigating
whilst watching Fishcam.
Again
these units are very robust and are very easy to use and maintain.
The
Shark Cannonball
The
Shark Cannonball is wonderful product that actually won the BEST
BOATING AND ELECTRONIC ASSESSORY at the recent AFTA show.
The Shark actually comes from Canada and took 3 years to develop.
These
chrome-plated weights are slim line design and as you can see in
the photo, look as though someone has taken a hammer to the sides
of it.
These
indentations are there for a purpose. What this cannonball
does better than any other I have seen is attract fish and more
importantly fish strikes.
The
indentations actually reflect noise, be it electrical pulses off
your transducer or noise from your boat. This telegraphed noise
actually appears to predators as baitfish and can be attracted as
far as 100 feet away.
Predators
like kingfish when hunting use sight, smell and the lateral line
along their body to pick up electrical disturbances. All baitfish
when in a ball emit the same electrical pulses as The Shark.
This
new downrigger weight has been a great asset to our charter
business.
I
have been using a Shark Cannonball now for over eight months and
have actually found that the downrigger that has the Shark
attached is the side that gets the most strikes. I have
changed the weight from one side to the other half way during a
charter and found that the fish follow to the side that The Shark
is fitted.
At
the moment I use the 10lb weight and there are other sizes
available. These weights are not cheap but are they worth
the extra couple of weeks savings, a big YES.
If
you are running an offshore boat then can I suggest that you
enquire about a 15lb weight? When offshore current, wind and of
course swell play a large part on how successful a day on the
water is.
By
using heavier weights it will allow you to have the weight track
directly below the boat and show up easily on the sounder. By
using the Shark as an attractor via the transducer beam you can
keep an accurate eye on the depth that your bait is at.
Flybridge
are the importers of this product and they can be purchased
through most tackle stores.
If you have difficulty finding them then use the bookings button
on the left of the page and leave us details of the product you
wish to purchase and the area that you live. I will pass on the
contact details to Peter at Flybridge so he can contact you
directly.
If
you have any questions regarding this product you can contact me
or go to the www.flybridge.com.au
and there is a
whole world of products and information for you to browse over.
Best
Wishes
Peter
Le Blang
Harbour
& Estuary Fishing Charters
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