Full_Monte
Well-known member
I've been thinking that a tight downrigger clutch could make the boat capsize under some conditions. I have Scotty electrics. What do you guys do?
Do you set the drag on your downrigger?
- Thread starter Full_Monte
- Start date
Help Support Kokanee Fishing Forums:
SilverBullets
Super Moderator
I have Scotty 1060 Manuals and adjust the clutch every couple years..it's easy to do while the boat is out of the water. You want some give incase of a snag to avoid ripping the downrigger off the boat.
Bduck
Flaming Gorge Forum MODERATOR
I have 2 Walker tournament series electrics. I have snagged before but had the clutch set. If I didn't, it might rip it right off my boat. Just to loose a downrigger weight costs alot of money anymore.
twisted lines
Well-known member
With the scottys Don't spray your cable with WD-40 Thinking its a good thing for it while your cleaning the salt water off things, it set my drag for a while until I Did some deep cleaning it was a drag. 
Big Al
Well-known member
I put 50 pound braided line between the cable and the ball. It still takes a good snag to loose the ball but that is better then the downrigger,but I make my own downrigger balls so I have lots of them.
Propnut69
Well-known member
I have Cannon mag 5's on my boat ,and setting the drag is no big deal.As long as I can move the spool by hand ,and it doesn't slip when the weight is on.I figure it's good to go.
ll kaidoy ll
Well-known member
I haven't done it yet, but it's on my to-do list before this year's Kokanee season.
SilverBullets
Super Moderator
I haven't seen this mentioned yet...always have a good pair of cable cutter's within arm's reach for emergency situations!
HiTechKoke
Well-known member
Definitely tune your clutches in case of a snag and have cable cutters nearby in case of emergencies. It's easy to tune the Scottys and the wrench is inside the cover of the electric models.
Propnut69
Well-known member
This is a very good idea. About 8-10 yrs ago a 24ft boat was sunk at the bottom of breeze hill on the gorge. They had hung up a downrigger weight ,and got turned sideways in to the wind. A big wave rolled over the stern,and they started taking on water.Because of the downrigger being mounted on the stern and it was hung up ,it was the lowest place on the boat when the waves started filling the boat with water. They didn't have a single thing on board to cut the SS downrigger line
Kokaholic
Well-known member
Great topic. I just put new Scotty on my boat. I will be adjusting them before I hit the H2o.
Full_Monte
Well-known member
Thanks, guys...here is what I'm thinking of doing. With the boat on the trailer, I'll put a 20 lb. weight on the downrigger and adjust the clutch so that the 20 lb. weight starts to unwind wire. Since I intend to use a 10 lb weight, it will take an additional ten pounds of pull from a snag to start unwinding wire. Does this sound like a reasonable approach?
SilverBullets
Super Moderator
I use the weights I intend to fish with. With the boat sitting on the trailer and the downriggers mounted put the balls on and work the clutch...raise and lower the ball and either tighten or loosen to where the ball stops and doesn't free fall. I think adjusting to a heaver weight might put excess stress on your boat and downrigger when a snag up occurs. I would rather have it adjusted towards the loose side rather than tight. Believe me...the minute you snag up you want that downrigger to start peeling off wire fast! Your reaction time will be a bit delayed before you have a chance to cut the motor and get turned around.
Last edited:
Full_Monte
Well-known member
That's a good point, Silver Bullets. I was thinking that you wouldn't want the downrigger to pay out line if you skipped your weight off the bottom a couple times. But, with only a 15 1/2 ft. boat, I should be extra careful about my drag settings. If a snag can capsize a 24 ft. boat, it sure could do so with my little boat, and a lot faster. I'll take your advice. This has been a very good thread, full of great safety advice. Thanks to all of you who contributed.worthy12thumbsup
I hung a ball this weekend and the clutch being set right gives you enough line to get the boat turned around without riping the downrigger off your gunnel. At 1.2 mph I don't think I'm going to capsize anything. In the case of this past weekend I was able to get turned around and pop it free going the other direction.
Troutski
Well-known member
Cable...
I removed the cable and replaced it with 50# Dacron braided line, this accomplished two things. First the diameter is far smaller than the cable so there is less drag and the ball hangs almost straight down (10# ball). Secondly it removed the cable howl, man I hated that. It doesn't take much to break the line along with setting my clutch light - so far so good on getting unstuck.
I know from my friend that if you are using an electric downrigger with the auto stop you lose that function with braided line. Mine is a manual rigger.
Chuck
I removed the cable and replaced it with 50# Dacron braided line, this accomplished two things. First the diameter is far smaller than the cable so there is less drag and the ball hangs almost straight down (10# ball). Secondly it removed the cable howl, man I hated that. It doesn't take much to break the line along with setting my clutch light - so far so good on getting unstuck.
I know from my friend that if you are using an electric downrigger with the auto stop you lose that function with braided line. Mine is a manual rigger.
Chuck
DLM
Oregon Forum MODERATOR
No need to lose the auto stop with braided line. I have an electric scotty with braid. Your friend needs to get special auto stop triggers that scotty makes for braided line. The look and work just like the ones for the steel cable, except they fit on braid. He can find them on their website.
Troutski
Well-known member
fish-on-bend
Active member
Cannons have clutches you can release to full free spool right on the spool shaft that you can hand turn in a second. This is an issue that seems to be specific to Scottys. As for the auto stop feature, it will NOT work with braid on the newer Cannons as the auto stop functions by elelctronically sensing the water surface. Braid will not conduct the current required to do this.
Full_Monte
Well-known member
I just talked with Scotty Support about setting the drag on my 1106 electric downriggers. They said the set point is 43 pounds before the line should pay out. That's a lot more than the 10+ pounds I set it to. I had trouble with one of my riggers paying out three or four feet of line after the auto-stop hit. I'm going to try to adjust it today, but apparently, Scotty does not intend this to be a real useful safety adjustment. What do you guys think?
