Silver King Charters - Lake Michigan Salmon and Trout Sport Fishing

Downriggers are used to get the lure down to the depth that the fish are at. They consist of a 2 - 4 foot arm with a reel of stainless steel cable, an eight pound weight, and a release to hold the fishing line. The fishing line is hooked into the release and the weight is lowered to the fishing depth. The rod is placed into a rod holder and there is tension between the tip of the rod and the release causing a bend in the rod. When the fish hits the lure, it pulls the line from the release and the tension is removed causing the rod to snap up. This "tip up" signals a fish has hit the lure. Downriggers allow you to catch fish that are in deep water without having to use heavy weights on the fishing line to get your lures down deep.

Downriggers consist of three major components, the weight, the cable and the spool. The fishing line is attached to the downrigger cable by means of a "line release." The weight is normally a mass of lead which is connected to the stainless steel cable. The spool is brought up either by a manual crank or via an electric motor.

Using a downrigger began in the early 1900’s in effort to pick up the productivity of catching fish in larger bodies of water. One of the more popular models of downriggers is called the Scotty set up. It was developed by two Canadian West Coast fishing innovators named Charlie White and Blayney Scott. They developed this model in the 1970s that used a ten pound weight. It was described as a good model for finding the right depth at which fish were feeding. Downriggers are used to troll at a certain depth and speed. People began using them in oceans and others later developed smaller downrigger systems, which are good for smaller bodies of water such as the great lakes. They are now used all over the world and catch a large variety of fish.

Big Jon Downriggers are an easy to use tip-up boom that makes setting lines easy and safe. It is built of High Strength Aircraft Grade Aluminum to last a lifetime!

The flexible boom reduces stress that can cause the cracking of fiberglass and metal fatigue in your boat's transom and gunwales!

Features:

2, 3 & 4 ft. sectional, "tip-up" boom
Powerful 12 volt sealed motor w/ adjustable disc clutch
4 in. x 4 in. mounting plate w/ four hold down knobs
Bright, protective anodized finish
Footage counter
200 ft. of stainless steel cable
Line release included