Downriggers

A downrigger does one thing nothing else does as well: it holds your bait at an exact depth, all day, regardless of speed or current. The weight carries the line down, the release clip lets go when a fish strikes, and the counter tells you exactly where your bait is running — which is how you repeat the depth that's producing.

Manual downriggers like Scotty's Depthmaster and Depthking suit smaller boats and shallower programs, and they're simple enough to run for years without maintenance. Electric models earn their price on big water and deep programs, where retrieving a heavy ball by hand every check gets old fast. Match the ball weight to your depth and speed, and boom length to how far you need the cable from the boat.

New to riggers? Our Dockside downrigger buying guide covers manual vs. electric, mounting and rigging. You'll also want Downrigger Accessories — weights, releases, snubbers and line — to fish them. The full Scotty line is in Scotty Downriggers.