Conference wahoo::fishing

    I was recently at Zylas in Merrimack. They carry Mac Jac downriggers.
    While favoring Cannons these rigs had a couple of features that
    I was impressed with. 1) 1 turn of the reel = 2 feet of cable-this
    can make a big difference when your down 80 ft. 2) They have a
    clutch/brake lever that acts like a drag. It allows you to lower
    up to a 20lb weight without cranking the spool at any controlled
    descent-read, slow or fast. 3) 8 position, removable base, standard
    on all Mac Jac's. 4) 3 choices of boom length- 12,24,48 inches.
    
    The only one they had was the 12" boom. Zylas price: $100
    A similiar Cannon is around $140, add the 8 position base 
    for another $44.
    
    If anyone out there knows of anywhere else Mac Jac's are sold, 
    please reply.
    
                                    Jeff (Captain) has Salmon fever
                                    Team Starcraft

    
    
    
      My recomondation is for BIG JON they gotta be one of the best on the
    market. more than mac jac but they are alot better quality!
     
      If you are going to be spending alot of time on the great lakes I
    would recoment electrics, the reason is if you get into the kings it 
    takes alot longer to clear rods when you have to manually bring up the 
    downriggers, and if you are down 150-200 ft your arms will be very
    tired at the end of the day.
    
              Just a suggestion...........
                                                 Lee
    

    Howdy,
    
        Well, I can offer my experience with Walker's. I have two manuals
    that seem to have the nicest clutch/brake system that I've seen.
    Comparing Cannon's (which in order to get the clutch/brake system is 
    extra $$'s and Big Jon's- not sure if they have clutch/brake systems
    but I know they're electrics are obnoxious). I've used Walker's for
    many years (I've got two manuals and one electric that I use on both
    Lake Champlain and lake Ontario on my 22 ft. Sylvan-Offshore and other
    than preferring Black releases over the standard releases I love them.
     
        They are warranted for life and great people to deal with.
    
          Hope this helped.
                                                                        
    
             John
       "Rusty Zipper"
    
    
                     

    Thanks for the replies!
    
    I have ruled out electrics because I am fishing Georgian Bay's infamous
    Thompson's Hole that has a depth not greater than 100'.  In addition, I
    found that I can bring manuals up faster than electrics.
    
    I'm going to the Toronto Sportsman's show this weekend to buy the
    riggers.  I'll let you all know what I've purchased and why next week.
    
    Thanks again for the help.
    
    "KING" Duncan who_gets_SPRING_fever
    

    
     I concur with your logic. The only reason I have one electric along
    with my manuals is that I fish Lake Champlain here in Vermont and
    sometimes fish in 200-300 ft. of water and need the flexibility of
    being able to hit a switch and bring up at least 1 rigger while I'm
    cranking on the other one. The manuals are extremely fast though and
    go down with much ease. Just back off on the handle and adjust the
    speed via the handle.
    
          Good luck at the show.
    
            John
       "Rusty Zipper"

    	I've got Penn downriggers and they work fine. 
    
    	Is there anyone surprised by that?  ;^)
    
    	At least I'm consistent.
    
    Regards,
    Paul

    From reading the replies to this topic it seems to me that everyone
    is happy with their own downrigger selections. Doesn't seem to be
    any "bad ones". 
    I was at N.B.S. last week and ordered 2 Mac Jac Classics with the 
    2 foot boom. $98 a piece. They appear to be very rugged all steel
    construction, easy on-off, 8 position base, and a 90 degree throw-
    clutch/brake lever. Also the one turn = 2 feet feature is one that
    will be very handy. I will be picking them up Thursday and hope-
    fully get 'em wet this weekend. I will report on how they work out.
    
    P.S. When I was at B.P.S. I got anxious and bought a Cannon Easy 
    Troll 2. When I took it out of the box it was all plastic construction.
    Fixed base(also plastic), and of small body design. This is when I
    called back N.B.S. (Northern Bass Supply in Brentwood, N.H.) and 
    ordered the pair of Mac Jacs. FWIW...The Easy Troll 2 was $124.95.
    
    
                                       Jeff (Captain)
                                       Team Starcraft

    
    
    Hi,
    
    I purchased two Walker Striper Combo's at the Toronto Sportsman's show
    last weekend.  I had the opportunity to compare the Big Jon Captains
    Pak manual with the Walker manuals (they were sitting side by side).  My
    conclusions were that both manufacturers made a good quality product
    which I'm sure would provide years of trouble free Downrigging.  
    
    I chose the Walker Striper manuals because of the increased functionality	
    for the same cost.  The Walker comes with 2 fully adjustable locking rod
    holders, an 8 position swivel base and a 2' per crank retrive ratio.
    The Big Jon comes with 1 rod holder (which tightens with washers and
    bolt), no swivel base and a 1' per crank retrieve ratio.  One feature I
    did like about Big Jon was their all aluminum body and arm.  This would
    probably be a real asset in salt water.  The Walker components which
    are steel (swivel base and sectional arm) are protected by a chip
    resistant anodized paint (which probably gives adequate fresh water
    protection). 
    
    I did look at the Cannon products only to decide that they didn't offer 
    the price performance (/functionality) or comfort in quality of design 
    and materials used.  I don't have any first hand experience with
    Cannon's.  It seems that they are still a popular rigger despite my 
    apprehension with them.
    
    The Penn rigger's look like they were well thought out.  They have a
    some interesting design features (like the oversize depth read-out)
    which would make them an attractive to both fresh and saltwater
    anglers.  The feature which eliminated them from my picks was the lack
    of a sectional boom.
    
    Duncan     

    
    Hi,
    
       I'm also considering the purchase of 2 Downriggers for my 21'
    center console. I will be using them mainly for trolling in the 
    salt for bluefish and stripers. My question to those of you who all-
    ready have them installed is, can a downrigger be used with a 90
    degree angle from the gunwale? I would like to be able to use my
    existing flushmount rod holders for trolling on top and the down
    riggers running deep to the  port and starbaord of the boat.
    Another reason for this setup would be to eliminate the need
    to reach over the approx 2' motor well, to set up.
    
    I have been looking at the manual Penn and Cannon models and I'm
    concerned about the stress on the plastic mounts from trolling a 
    10lb+ weight, and wire at this angle.
    
    I would appriciate any feedback on the Pro's and Cons's of this set up.
    
    thanks
    Mike
    
                                        |
                                        |
                                        |
    =======================================================
                           | () |      |()|               |
    =======================================================
                      rod holder       down rigger |       |
                                                   |       |-----
                                                   |       |     |
                                                   |       |     |
                                                   |
    
    

    Mike,
    
       I've got a 22' Sylvan Offshore and I'll try to describe the set-up
    I have.          |
                     |      Stern
              _______|__________________________________
              |  O   |    O                 O       O    |
Rigger _______|________________________________________ | ________ Rigger
                     ^
                  Rigger
         The O's are extra rod holders for running extra flatlines or
    Dipsey Divers or running extra lines one the riggers.
    
    
    
        As long as you get the swivel bases, generally they give you a
    position every 45 degrees. I run mine most of the time at 90deg to
    starboard and port on Lake Ontario and here on Lake Champlain. I have
    run them on the Ocean as well and also run deep diving Rapalas' for 
    Blues at the same time without any problems.
    
      (Mine are Walkers)
    
    Hope this helped. If not, please call. Dtn 266-4894.
    
         John

    
    I have PENN manuals and have been using them for 5 years on my 16' boat
    at Ontario among other places. I have the long boom which is sectional
    and allows me to use them at full length or half length. I run them at
    90 degrees no problem (they have swivel bases).
    
    They are great for fresh or saltwater.
    
    The only thing I don't care for is the lock mechanism for the swivel
    base. They may have changed that by now.
    
    Dan

    Ref., using existing flush mount rod holders, Cannon makes a mount
    that fits in your existing rod holders. I'm very happy with my Cannons
    The Warden

    	I usually swing my Penns aft but the base can handle 90 deg. I 
    have the long boom so I can clear my swim platform on one side and
    my auxilliary on the other. 
    	I may purchase the rod holder adapter and move them, primarily
    so I can totally remove the base when not in use. Don't want it in the
    way when I finally get my Tuna on a handline.    ;^)
    
    Paul 

    Has anyone had any experience with the Pancake style of downrigger
    weight?  Do they snag easily on a rocky irregular bottom?  I've heard 
    that they track straighter and almost vertical from the boom.  In 
    addition, they have a large trailing-fin which is ideal for flashy tape.
      
    Tight lines,
    
    Duncan

RE: .9

Mike,

	Your note mentioned that your considering either Penn or Cannon riggers.
I recently began recieving a magazine called Tackle Test which is reportedly
the "Consumers Report" for fishing tackle. In the first issue they did a 
comparison between Penn and Cannon electric downriggers on the Great Lakes.
The article goes into great depth on the pro's and con's of each and the
Penn's won hands down. 

	If you want more info, I could type in part or all of the article in
a day ot two OR I could FAX you a copy of it. Let me know and I'll try to
oblige.

Later,

Bob 

re:     <<< Note 1554.15 by BTOVT::FARNHAM_R "SW ENG - Burlington, VT - 266-4527" >>>


>> I recently began recieving a magazine called Tackle Test which is reportedly
>> the "Consumers Report" for fishing tackle. In the first issue they did a 

Bob,

Do you have an address/telephone number for this magazine? I don't know of any other
magazines that do these type of comparisons. It would be interesting to see what
this magazine has to offer. 

Currently, I find that all the other magazine product reviews are either product 
descriptions or they only tell you just the `good' things about a product. 


	Steve

Hi Steve,

	II'll look at the magazine tonight and enter the address/phone #. I 
received the offer for this magazine in the mail, I assume the In-fisherman or
Field and Stream sold my name to them, and sent in my $24 for 12 issues. I
have received 2 issues so far and am pretty impressed with thier evaluations
of products. They have evaluated Bait casters, Elec. Downriggers, etc. and
in the back is a list of all the back issues and what they covered. They seem
to cover just about everything to do with fishing, although the magazine is 
rather small (maybe 25-30 pages) and covers 4-5 topics per issue.

Bob

    
    	Tha address and phone number for TACKLE TEST magazine is:
    
    
    			Tackle Test
    			P.O. Box 2076
    			Knoxville, IA 50138
    
    			800-876-7581
    
    
    I got my subscription for $24 for 12 issues because I am a accepted the
    special offer that came in the mail. It appears that the price is now
    $36 for 12 issues accoring to the little pull-out coupon in the latest
    magazine. Still not a bad deal for all the in-depth articles you get.
    
    
    Hope this helps,
    
    
    Bob

    Why would anyone buy anything other than a Penn downrigger?
    
    Not only are they the best, they have the best prices.
    
    re: .9
    
    I think most people fish their down riggers 90 degrees from the
    gunwhales.  This way you get the most separation.  I have separate rod
    holders (fish-ons) that I also use when I'm not trolling.  I put the
    rod holders near the pilot station so I can get there in a hurry when
    I get a hit.
    
    /brett

    Here's my story: While my first choice (economically speaking) was the
    Mac Jac's I didn't end up getting them. The dealer N.B.S. in Brentwood,
    was having a difficult time in contacting the manufacturer.
    
    I ended up buying the Cannon Uni-Troll HP Special. This unit has a 
    50% faster retrieve (which I figure is 1 1/2 feet per turn) and is 
    a medium size body. This rigger came with a telescopic boom that
    extends 2-5 feet and made of stainless steel. 
    
    I will be mounting this to my Starcraft Medalist 1500. The boat is 
    fiberglass as is the place I will be mounting it. My question is:
    Will using the Cannon deckplate to mount the downrigger to the boat
    be strong enough. I can't (don't have access) to the underside of the 
    mounting surface. What the deckplate is: it provides a larger mounting
    surface 6" X 5 1/2" area for strength reasons. Does anyone out there
    have any first hand experience with this type of installation. I plan
    on using wellnuts to mount the deckplate.
    
    
                                       Jeff (Captain)
                                       Team Starcraft