What are your preferences for the boom length on a downrigger when pulling a dredge on a smaller center console boat? I am looking to buy a downrigger for a dredge and am trying to decide if the 2 ft boom is fine or if I should go with a 4ft boom on the fathom or the extending boom on the cannon.
The longer the boom, the better off you will be, especially when fishing from a center console. The long boom will help keep the dredge out of the white water.
Most boats I have seen including my own have the 4ft boom on the penn fathom master.
I use a cannon uni troll with the extending boom. I’m glad I have the extended boom, I have to say thought the pressure of the dredge (especially multiple tier) makes the downrigger pop and I can tell it stresses it. I imagine one of these days something will pop and I’ll loose the whole thing in the water.
Mayhem
Pioneer 197
Sounds like the longer boom is the way to go. Thanks for the info and let me know if anyone is trying to get rid of one before I buy a new one.
TTKarl, have you tried tightly tying a rope from a cleat towards the front of the boat to the end of the boom? We usually do that to take pressure off the downrigger when needed.
I use a 4’ fathom master as well…I have 200 lb power pro on mine an pull a 36" strip dredge with a 48 ounce weight and it does fine. It stays down pretty good up til about 8 knots @ 50 or so back… Usually run it about 40’ back at 6-7 and it’s down a couple feet. On my little single engine 23’ it puts it in fairly clean water.
Think I would rather run it with an electric reel off the outrigger with a pulley, but For me that ain’t happening anytime soon. Best of luck.
In a 23 CC the odds are high that you have taco riggers or something similar running off your t top. If you try and run that kind of weight and stress off the rigger with a pulley…you are gonna see crazy pressure on that rigger and it will likely snap at the base or the weak extension. The sporty’s do it but that have fixed mount riggers attached to the boat with WAY more strength than our CC riggers. Good luck
quote:
Originally posted by No RegretsSounds like the longer boom is the way to go. Thanks for the info and let me know if anyone is trying to get rid of one before I buy a new one.
TTKarl, have you tried tightly tying a rope from a cleat towards the front of the boat to the end of the boom? We usually do that to take pressure off the downrigger when needed.
I have not but I think it’s a great idea!! Thanks
Mayhem
Pioneer 197
http://www.tournamentcable.com/pgs/proddet.cfm?itemid=800D-B1
I was looking at buying one these Tournament Cable Booms. They say you can mount a reel to it…but after I factored in the cost of the reel I am thinking a larger downrigger might be the better option for me…