Basic Downrigging

Downrigging is a method of trolling that uses a manually powered or electric winch and weight (cannonball) to carry your fishing lines and lures to a specific depth, where feeding fish are to be found. While downrigging is commonly thought of as a deep water fishing technique, it is more accurately understood as a method of "controlled depth fishing."

By using downriggers to control the depth of your lure presentation, you can place your lures at any depth from just below the surface to 200 feet deep and keep them running consistently at that depth. So once you've determined which depth the fish are feeding at, you can keep your lures in that "feeding zone."

When a fish takes your lure, it will pull your fishing line from the line release. This will allow you to fight the fish, without fighting a heavy weight.