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live in PNW and have my first whaler, 285 conquest. boat came with 2 x cannon mounts and power lines but a few friends and the stores seem to favor Scotty brand. so before I buy the actual downriggers - any input on which brand people prefer?
I'm handy but new to boat DIY, so looking for something that will be reliable.
I run Cannons and fish out of northern CA (Bodega Bay). I also belong to a fishing club with the ongoing debate of Cannon vs Scotty. There are other makes which escape me at the moment but show a lot of promise that should enter the conversation. I love my Cannons. I have used them commercially. I know that several of the charters prefer them over Scotty. Very simple (unless stacking). Clip on your line release, attach your line trailing anywhere from 3' to 12, to 15' (the 3' set back is preferred by one fisherman I know but against the norm), lower to the desired depth with the switch, when your fishing line gets released by a fish or a snag.......hit the up button and forget about it. The stainless cable is part of the circuitry and when the ball leaves the water it stops. Thus, for all the features to work you are married to stainless steel cable unless you go Digitroll 10 (the 5's do not have an autostop programming) or the new Optimums (I think that is what they are called). I run the Mag 10's. The plugs are a tug of war and you need a well installed receptacle if you plan on continually removing them.
If buying with a toggle switch, go with the most recent series where the switch is under the unit and do not go used where the switch is on the back of the unit. Your leg or hip hits it at the most opportune time. The new mounts are a "female" receiver and your downrigger slides in. The earlier mounts are "male" and the downriggers slide over it. My guess is you have swivel mounts and if you have the early male series, no problem..........you can swap the tops to the modern style, no need for an entire mount.
Scotty's use a bead system and a lot of fellows like them because you can run braid, not cable. You can place the stop beads wherever you like. Simple, easy plug. My choice is Cannon but I do wish they would do something with the plug.
To answer your DIY and reliable.......Cannon. No beads, no fussing, easy learning curve........toggle switch down, toggle switch up.
I could not pull up your photo. The modern mount for the Cannon downrigger is a large female receiver and the male bottom on the downrigger. The plug is male on the downrigger and female receptacle on boat. Early Cannons had a lamp cord type wire with smaller connections. Stay away and get the new series if that is what you have. A serious tug of war disconnecting the modern plug so the female piece on the boat needs to be solidly installed. I use TriFlow with teflon for lubricating. Also dielectric grease. The Mag 10 has the telescopic boom, swivel mount, as part of the package. The Mag 5 fixed short boom and I forget the mount. Go Mag 10 as a complete package is my advice. Post some pictures if you can, easier for me to decipher. Maybe the club can help format.
