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Downriggers Club

Downrigger Techniques

The fishing industry over the last 10 years has exploded with new technology and products that make catching fish easier than ever. The product that has really taken off over the last few years in my eyes has been downriggers.

Downriggers are an extremely effective way to catch fish of all types. They are easy to use and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to catch fish whilst using one.

Now downriggers serve three purposes on a fishing vessel. The first is to get the bait or lures down to a specific depth to target selected species. The second is to spread the lowered baits out and away from the boat so that tight turns can be made around schools of fish. The third is to give you the ability to track down targeted species at depth whilst trolling.

In the estuaries downriggers are in a league of their own. You can effectively target numerous species such as Jewfish, Kingfish, Tailor, Flathead and Bream just to name a few.

Once you have decided on a species of fish to catch its time to find an area where they are likely to be. For the purpose of this article I will choose a few of the prized species that are on offer and start you off with a few hints on how best to catch them.

The first species is my favourite of all fish, THE KINGFISH.

KINGFISH

The first thing you need to do when arriving in a new area is to sound the area checking out the water depth on your trolling pattern that you want to use. This step is needed no matter what species is being targeted and how often you have fished an area.

This step is very important to prevent the loss of you downrigging weight. You want to make sure there are no rises in the area or other snags before lowering your weight. Once you are confident with the area its time to note which way the current is running and how fast it is pushing. This step is important if you are going to troll live baits like squid because you need a slow speed and this slow speed can make it difficult to control your boat if you’re not ready for it. Trolling lures at faster speeds is easier if you are not confident.

Once all the planning has been done (10 minutes max) its time to start well up current from your structure. I use a 2-hook rig with Squid and bridle rig Slimmies etc. If you don’t know how to bridle rig then you can always nose hook the livie. This is done by hooking the fish into one nostril and through to the other.

Remember to use trolling hooks, as offset hooks will make your livie spin or die.

The areas to target for Kingfish on a downrigger are all the same successful areas you are already catching fish at.

In Sydney Harbour for instance, I would troll live baits set at mid water past Old Mans Hat, Quarantine Point, North Head or in Pittwater I would try West Head, The Kingfish Highway or The Supermarket just for starters.

When I state mid water it is generally half way to the bottom. If you are fishing in 10m of water then only drop your downrigger weight to a depth of 5m or thereabouts.

You want the Kingfish to rise from underneath the bait and swallow it before trying to return to the rough terrain that these fish usually haunt. If after a few runs past the fish have not risen to take the bait, then lower your weight and try again.

The drop back for Kingfish is only short with a maximum of 10m back away from the release clip. Most of the time I use a length of 3 to 6m as a drop back. When fishing for Kingfish I use their curiosity to catch them. I paint and decorate my downrigger weight so that it will actually attract the fish’s attention. With my live Squid or Slimy only 5m back they usually get smashed once seen.

Ok so we have a new area mapped out, we know the water depth, current direction and have collected live Squid and Slimies for bait. What next?

As already stated start well up current of your structure and whilst placing your baits out, motor your boat directly into the current and start trolling at 2 or 3 knots. Keep the boat straight and hook up your bait onto one of the rods available. Place the bait into the water and let out 5 or 6m of line and connect the mainline to a release clip. Spring release clips are the easiest to use. Place the rod into a sturdy rod holder and either release drag pressure or put reel into ratchet free spool. Lower the downrigger weight with the line attached to the release clip. When the mid water depth has been achieved lock off the weight by use of the downrigger brake. Place reel back to fighting drag pressure and wind the reel until a good working curve is achieved on the rod. The loading of the rod is required so that when the fish hits the live bait, the line is pulled from the release clip and the rod automatically hooks the fish for you.

You are now ready to turn the boat around and head for your fish holding structure.

If you are fishing over or around a wreck, pinnacle etc remember that you must travel along each edge of the structure. It is a waste of time if you continually follow the one path all day. If the Kingies were holding deep in tight against structure they may not be able to see the offerings available to them. This is why we troll all directions possible around the structure. Most of the time if the fish are holding there, baitfish or food supply is somewhere close by. If you can find their food source then we usually stick close by making the odd run from the bait school to the structure.

Trolling with a strong current over the top and down to the back of the structure is better than trolling into the current. If you constantly troll directly into the current you will drown the live Squid eventually. Troll across the current or simply pull up the baits and race back up current before setting them out again.

Slimies handle quicker speeds and can be trolled directly up current but you have to remember most of the time you will be approaching the target from the rear.

Ok, the Kingfish has slammed the bait and the reel is howling in protest. The first thing to do is shunt the boat forward with a little extra pace so that when you place the boat into neutral you still are traveling away from the hooked fish. Wind up the downrigger weight and place it inside the boat if possible. If you cant put it in the boat then wind it to the stop at the top of the swivel and clip that secures the weight to the cable. This will stop the weight from going through the hull of your boat if you’re battling a fish in lumpy conditions.

If you haven’t already got the rod out of the holder do so and make sure the fish is still under pressure. During the battle if the fish refuses to stop running you are 9 times out of 10 better off chasing the fish whilst trying to gain line. The shorter the piece of string between you and your monster fish the better. The fish once you have started backing down on him and shortened the distance will more than likely change direction. Once again chase him and recover as much line as possible and keep repeating the process until hes in the boat.

This technique works extremely well for Kingfish everywhere.

If you are going to troll lures or soft plastics for pelagic fish then the technique stays the same. The only thing that will vary for you is the speed and the downrigger weight you will use.

When trolling large lures of 14cm or more I use a 10lb torpedo weight. The torpedo shape cuts through the water with less drag than the round weight. With this 10lb weight I can troll 14cm lures at their optimum speed without the worry of the dreaded pop out.

Pop outs occur if you are trolling too fast for the chosen weight. Always get an idea of the speed required for the lure by running it next to the boat before its attached to the downrigger. Once the speed has been noted, slow the boat and attach the lures. Set the lures down to the required depth remembering to take into account the depth the lure dives. Bring the boat back up to the lures optimum speed and you’re fishing.

Use the same trolling patterns as you would with the live baits mentioned above but at speeds to suit the lures.

For soft plastics use the same technique but use a bibbed hook or action disc to enhance the action whilst trolling.

FLATHEAD

Flathead are easy to catch with a downrigger and they were my first targets some 15 years ago.

I targeted big Flathead on big diving minnows. The idea was to troll the big lures at a depth where the lures are puffing up sand as it moves along. Now it is again pretty important to find suitable areas where the Flathead will be ready to ambush the next fish that swims by. Sandy areas or muddy areas are great places to start. Remember to get a good idea of the water depth and spend 5 to 10 minutes to check the area for drop offs or reef patches. The edges of both of these are great for XOS Flatties.

My favourite area for this style of Flathead fishing is Broken Bay outside Umina Beach. The area is blessed with loads of Flathead and there doesn’t seem to be much weed to snag the lures.

Trolling speed for Flathead is about 2 to 4 knots always with the current. With Flathead if you troll up current you will again be approaching these fish from behind and will probably scare away more than you will catch. The weight to use is 8 or 10 lbs. If you have a smaller model downrigger and weight then just slow your speed and use deep diving lures of 5m or more.

JEWFISH

Jewfish are a fish that always requires a lot of time and patience. To catch one on a downrigger is a mighty feat and takes an immense amount of time to study an area. For Jewfish it is important to try to keep the bait or lure down deep and close to structure. I can assure you that you will loose weights if you pursue them whilst trolling, but its always fun when it pays off.

The best time to troll for Jewfish is about an hour before high tide through to an hour after the high tide. This time of the tide usually allows you to troll closer to structure more confidently because of the lack of current. This is the time when these lazy fish decide its time for a cruise and a feed.

Trolling for Jewfish with live Squid or Mullet is my preferred way to attack these fish as it is exciting and you cover a lot of area whilst tracking them down. The bigger the bait the better but it must be in good condition.

After sounding an area and you are happy with your patrol path its time to start. It is important that you troll as slow as possible across the current on the deeper side of structure. By trolling your baits deep down only a metre or two off the bottom you are placing your baits in the strike zone.

On the sounder watch for large arches and schools of balled up baitfish. If you find either stay in the area and be patient.

The drop back when chasing Jewfish is only short. I only drop back the live Squid three or four metres from the downrigger weight. This short drop back, stops the live bait from swimming up and out of the danger zone. Quite often when you use a long drop back a live Squid or Mullet will sense danger and swim to the surface trying to avoid the notice of the upcoming predator.

Another great device that we have found recently that helps with dead baits whilst targeting Jewfish are Head Starts. This product allows you to troll dead Garfish, Yellowtail, and Pilchards even strip baits without spinning. By using these weighted bibbed heads you can raise the downrigger weight further up the water column and use the weights of these heads to place the bait close to the bottom and structure. The hook on the Head Starts are fully adjustable so a hook can be placed in the tail of a dead bait or Squid strip.

If trolling is not your thing then target Jewies with a downrigger at anchor right over a drop off in current. Rig up as if you were going to troll and set the drop back to 8 to 12m from the release clip. Lower the weight as you would as if you were trolling for Kingfish only lower the weight to 1 m from the drop off edge. This will allow the bait to drop over the edge of the reef and into slacker water where hopefully a Jewfish is waiting. The biggest advantage of using a downrigger whilst chasing Jewfish is that once the fish is hooked and the line breaks free from the release clip, you fight the fish with no weight except that of the fish.

By using this technique and varying the drop back depending on your anchoring skills it is extremely effective on Jewies.

BREAM

Bream can be tricky critters to catch especially in shallow water because they are pretty wary fish. These are the fish I don’t target with the downriggers.

Instead I troll the deeper water areas that are known holding or bream feeding areas. I use smaller downrigger weights where possible and smaller lures with long drop backs of about seven metres.

All lures or flies that are normally used whilst targeting bream are great and will be just as successful trolling as they are casting. Once again it is important to get the lure or fly down to where the fish are feeding and once again any lure that dives is an advantage to you whilst trolling rough ground.

Lighter line is used and we normally use 8lb mono with 10lb traces when targeting big bream in rough territory. When attaching the mainline to the downrigger I use an adjustable release clip made by Walker downriggers.

These clips can be adjusted so the slightest bump from a fish can release the line from the clip. In calm water this is a real bonus because the lure will rise away from the bottom and resume its natural diving depth a metre or so below the surface. Most of the time this will trigger a bigger hit from the fired up Bream.

Places to try and down rig for Bream are numerous with The Hawkesbury River one of my favourites. The Vines is a ripper and is best trolled on the last of the run out tide with the current, close to shore. A lot of the time you can simply drift along the shoreline with the strong currents whilst watching the rods for any action.

In Sydney Harbour any of the structures are worth a go as is North Harbour and Rosebay.

Bream are not a difficult species to catch on the downrigger at all. In fact quite often we catch a 36cm bream on a live Squid that was being trolled for a Kingfish.

In fact we have footage on our website www.estuaryfishingcharters.com.au of a live Squid being trolled on the Strike Vision downrigger and a bream is seen harassing it twice before being muscled off the bait by a kingfish. Click onto the site and enjoy the underwater experience.

Now that’s covered a few of the species in the estuaries and harbours that can be caught with little fuss. Of course there are many more such as Tailor, Salmon, Trevally and the summer traveling species such as Amberjack, Samsonfish and Cobia. All of these fish and many more will be covered in more detail in following articles and will be under the heading of Downrigging Formulas For Success.

Snapper

Using downriggers offshore targeting reef species such as Snapper is again very successful and a great way to pick up other fish that are also close by.

The best time to target Snapper seems to be when the Cuttlefish die and float to the surface. At this time of the year, which seems to be about May, Snapper are quite often gorging themselves on these dead Cuttlefish.

To target Snapper at this time of the year it is really a matter of going to known Snapper grounds and using Squid strips or live Squid or Cuttlefish. The candles are the choice bait and we use our kingfish 2 hook rig with great success.

The drop back for Snapper whilst using Squid strips- dead baits is about 12m. The extra length allows the bait better movement and a lighter rubber band is used with the adjustable release clip.

Once again as with all inshore species the rod needs to be loaded but care is needed not to beak the rubber band or pull it from the release clip. Stiff rods are not suitable for this style of fishing.

To target Snapper you will normally need to keep your bait 1-2 metres from the bottom. Troll where the reef meets the sand and normally this is the better area to target.

A slow trolling speed is needed but any where from 1- 4 knots can be used. The important thing is to use a weight that will have it traveling directly under your boat. When the weight is directly under the boat you can adjust the depth of the downrigger weight with great accuracy, which is needed for these fish.

If your downrigger is mounted on the same side as transducer you can adjust your downrigger weight whilst watching it on your sounder.

Cover the edge of the reef completely from all directions and remember to turn away from the reef when turning. By doing this you can actually make your bait a target instead of just another thing floating over the reef. Try the down current area of the reef first as quite often this is where most of the baitfish can be found and predators are normally not far away.

If the edge of the reef method has failed to produce the goods then raise your baits, attach a Head Start or a sinker or a weighted soft plastics head and troll the reef. To allow the weighted hook to be below the depth of your downrigger weights depth you have to play with your trolling speed. If you use the Head Start product you can use a pilchard, which of course you all know is a favourite food of theirs.

Marlin

These fish are of course at the top of many anglers wish list. To target Marlin on downriggers it is important to point out that Lake Master and small downriggers have no place here.

To target marlin heavy tackle, big baits and heavy downrigger weights are the normal. We are talking 15lb plus weights when chasing these large fish.

Why the extra heavy weights I hear you ask?

Its simple, big baits, varying winds and currents make it necessary if you want a chance at one.

When targeting Marlin we are normally working depth from 10m down to 120m deep. At the greater depths it is recommended to use an electric downrigger. Walkers electric models can lift a 15lb weight 150 feet in 1 minute. This ensures that when a fish takes the bait the weight can be removed from the water and placed out of harms way. To wind a manual downrigger from the depths is something that should not be experienced I can assure you. A manual downrigger has a retrieval or 1 foot per revolution. So this equates to 360 plus turns to retrieve it from 120m of water.

Our normal trolling depth for Marlin along The Shelf is from 35-50m. At

these depths we can also stack lines which means that we attach more lines off the downrigger cables. At 35m we can usually attach 4 lines with little fear of tangles. (Note: stacking will be covered in an up coming article) Notice though I did say “little fear”, you will get cross overs from rampaging fish so depending on your skill levels it can be a recipe for disaster.

The formula for Marlin varies but this will put you in with a chance.

Firstly I use circle hooks that have no offset i.e. trolling hooks. We mainly troll bridled fish such as big Slimy Mackerel, Striped Tuna, Yellowtail or big live Squid. These live baits are attached to a Walkers adjustable tension release clip and a no18 rubber band to connect the mainline to the clip. The release clip is set with a medium tension, as it is extremely important to let the fish have the bait with a minimum of resistance. The tension on the release clip is set at just enough to hold the trolled live bait.

We do not load the rods when using circle hooks for Marlin. Instead we have only enough tension on the reel to stop over run and birds nests.

When a fish has taken the bait let the fish run at first and slowly increase the drag and don’t strike to set the hook. By placing the reel into the fighting drag setting, the hook will automatically be driven into the corner of the fish’s mouth.

Striking will only pull the bait from the fish.

The drop back when placing out one bait per downrigger is about 6-8m.

We troll current lines, water temperature changes, The Shelf and of course are always on the lookout for floating objects and baitfish on the sounder.

When bait schools are found on the sounder don’t troll with the baits high in the water column. Get those baits down to where the bait schools are and if possible use figure 8 patterns to tempt a strike.

As mentioned earlier in this article I will have more for you to read on other species in the coming months. I will cover as many species as I can and would love to hear from you all about species that you would like to target. By this interaction I hope that we can learn off each other and introduce more people to the exciting world of downrigging.

See you on Pittwater.

Peter Le Blang

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