How to Fish With a Downrigger: Deep Water Trolling Tips for Trout, Salmon and Walleye

Learn how to rig, deploy, and catch fish with a downrigger for consistent success targeting trout, salmon, walleye or any other deep water fish.

The author hefts his personal best lake trout, caught while downrigger fishing on Lake Superior. | Photo by Joe Shead

Downriggers are standard equipment for Great Lakes anglers, but they have practical applications for inland trout anglers and even walleye anglers in some places. They are an effective tool for getting down deep and trolling your lures at a precise depth.

What Is a Downrigger and How Does It Work?

This gives you the basic idea of a downrigger set up. There is a heavy weight at the end of the downrigger line which controls the depth. The line from your fishing rod is attached to that downrigger line using a quick-release clip. From that clip your fishing line runs back to your lure. | Illustration by Fishing On SI

In simple terms, a downrigger is an oversized reel with a cable with a lead ball at the end. The angler lets out his fishing line, then attaches the fishing line to the downrigger with a release. The lead ball takes the fishing lure to a precise depth. When a fish bites, the angler can pop the fishing line out of the downrigger release and fight the fish, unencumbered by the lead downrigger ball.

Choosing Between Electric and Manual Downriggers

Several downrigger styles are available. Electric downriggers are standard on most charter boats. An electric 'rigger deploys and reels in the downrigger weight, which may weigh 10 or 12 pounds or more, saving the angler a serious workout. What's more, "smart" downriggers are now available that allow you to sync a downrigger with others and which can be programmed to raise up if they get near the bottom or change depth every few minutes. Obviously, electric downriggers are the most expensive option, but they are well worth the investment if you're a frequent troller.

An electric downrigger has a motor that saves the angler the trouble of manually cranking up a heavy downrigger ball. | Joe Shead

Manual downriggers have to be cranked up by hand. Some you have to lower by hand as well, cranking the downrigger backwards by hand. Others employ a clutch mechanism that pays out line when you crank the handle backwards but stop when you crank it back forward. You still have to manually crank up the ball, however.

Downrigger Mounting Options for Any Boat

Most of these 'riggers are permanently attached to the boat, or at least their bases are. Many styles can quickly slide out of the permanently mounted bases if you want to remove the downrigger from the boat. There are also clamp-on downriggers which can be attached to nearly any boat with narrow gunwales; even a canoe. These portable styles are a great choice for inland trout.

Clamp-on downriggers are portable and can be used on small boats and even canoes for inland trout. | Joe Shead

Best Lures to Troll Behind a Downrigger

Trolling spoons or flasher/fly combos are typically fished behind downriggers. When using spoons, let out about 30 to 40 feet of line. When running a flasher/fly combo, keep it a little shorter; maybe 20 feet, although the exact distance isn't critical.

Setting Up the Release Clip: Tips for Success

Next, attach your fishing line to the downrigger release. (Side note, heavy monofilament line of 15- to 20-pound test is ideal. Mono is more forgiving than braided line and will stay in the release better).

There are numerous release styles. Some are permanently attached to the downrigger cable, some hook into a ring at the ball and stacker releases (used to add a second line above the first) can be clipped anywhere onto the cable. No matter which style you choose, put your fishing line into the release's jaws, per the manufacturer's directions.

A downrigger ball at the terminal end of the downrigger cable with a downrigger release attached. | Joe Shead

Step-by-Step Instructions for Lowering Your Line

With the fishing lure trailing behind the boat and the line clamped in the jaws of the downrigger release, it's time to lower your lure to your chosen depth. It's helpful to engage the clicker on your fishing reel (if it has one) to prevent backlashes.

Open the bail to allow the fishing line to pay out. Then, keep tension on the reel, either with the clicker or by lightly placing your thumb on the spool. Next, lower the downrigger, either manually or by flipping on the "down" switch. Lower the ball to the desired depth (most downriggers have a line counter). Then stop the downrigger's descent and at the same time, flip the bail on the reel to stop more line from paying out.

Put the rod in the rod holder. (Most downriggers will have an attached rod holder, but you can use an adjacent rod holder if yours doesn't). Now add tension to the rod by reeling in the line. You want your rod to double over. Downrigger rods are inexpensive and are made to be torqued over. If the line isn't cranked tight and the rod not doubled over, you won't be able to see a bite.

Cranking in the line is a fine art. You need to get plenty of tension on it, but if you give it too much tension, the line will come out of the downrigger release and you will have to crank up the downrigger and start all over. After time, you'll get a feel for the right amount of tension.

A semi-permanent manual downrigger with the rod properly bent to detect bites. This downrigger has a slide-in base that allows the angler to quickly remove the downrigger from the boat. | Joe Shead

Hooking and Fighting Fish with a Downrigger

If you get a bite, you'll see the rod tip bounce. Pull the rod out of the holder, reel the rod tip down toward the water's surface and jerk the rod. This will pop the line out of the downrigger release, allowing you to fight the fish.

How to Stack Multiple Lines on One Downrigger

You can add a second line to the same downrigger if desired. This is called stacking. Repeat the process listed above for the first line. Only this time, only lower the downrigger ball 10 or 15 feet; whatever vertical distance you want between the two lines. With the first line down 10 or 20 feet, pay out your second fishing line. Keep the top line closer to the boat than the bottom one.

The metal clip on a stacker release can be clipped anywhere on a downrigger cable. The actual release jaws are identical to the regular release at the downrigger ball. | Joe Shead

With the second line back, attach a stacker release to the downrigger cable, then pinch the fishing line in the jaws. To lower two lines at once, you will need to use clickers or enlist the help of a friend.

With the bails open and clickers on, slowly begin lowering the downrigger ball to the desired depth. Once you've reached it, stop the downrigger, then close the bails on the reels and crank the rods tight, just as you would with a single line. Keep note of which rod is the top line and which is the bottom. If you get a bite on the top rod, pop the line out of the release and simply reel in the fish. If you get a bite on the bottom rod, have a partner pop out the top rod and reel it in while you take the rod with the fish to prevent tangles.