Fish will move and move they do. The main reasons are feeding habits, comfort ranges in the environment and reproduction habits, movement through the water column is a constantly happening. At times, fish will be very near the surface and at times, they will locate in the deeper depths. When the fish go deep, surface fishing is going to be poor. The deeper the body of water, the poorer it will get unless, you can get down into those depths where the fish locate.

Realizing a long length of heavily weighted fishing line was not doing the job, the fishing people started coming up with some ideas. One idea was called "Ski Fishing". It works fairly well but is not favored by most people. It requires lots of work to set up. Not really what is desired for recreational fishing. The other idea brought forward and developed, is the "Downrigger". It became the favored procedure for deep water fishing among recreational fishing people. A downrigger is a device with a reel that will lower and raise 200, - 400 feet of steel wire which is fastened on a 2, 4, or 6 foot long boom and pulley assembly. Secured to a boat properly with 8, 10 or 12 pounds of weight added on the wire's end and a release, you are in business. Most of the first downriggers were manual in operation. As years passed, models with electric motors came out. Currently, downriggers can be purchased which are computerized and offer many different features. For this publication, we will stay with the basics in downrigger fishing.

Most downriggers come with a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket should always be fastened on a strong metal or wooden area of the boat. You don't want it to fall off your boat. If the mounting bracket swivels allowing your downrigger to operate in various positions, that is all the better. Allow plenty of distance between your boat's outdrive, prop and rudder. Keep in mind the number of downriggers you will have on your boat. Try to allow 4 to 6 feet between the downriggers. (The writer's preferences are a downrigger on each side of the boat's stem or one on each side but forward of the stem 4 to 6 feet.) The side-mounted downrigger would have to be on a swivel mount. From my experiences, more fish are caught on the side-mounted downriggers. So I favor that position over stem mounted. The boom lengths for side mounted downriggers should be 4 to 6 feet and, stem mounted 2 or 4 feet. The bottom line is that your boat's design will dictate where the downriggers can best be mounted.

Downrigger releases are different from surface line releases. They do the same job but look and operate differently. When buying them, watch for the differences. Styles will differ somewhat. I break them down into two types, Rigid and Shaker. For the average and large fish both types work very well. The Rigid release reflects very little, if any, action on the fishing line that seldom transmits movement on the fishing pole. The Shaker release allows for movement of the fishing line and that movement of the fishing line is transmitted to the fishing pole. For small fish, the rigid type release may hold in place and may not allow you to see an indication; you're dragging a small fish.

Generally, Rigid releases fasten onto the downrigger wire. Shaker releases usually fasten on the downrigger wire or the weight's trailing end. (The writer uses both styles but prefers the Shaker release.)

Downrigger weights come in various sizes and styles. Usually the round or fish shaped styles are preferred. The 8, 10 and 12 pound weights will work very well. If you stack fishing lines on a downrigger wire, you might consider or prefer 10 or 12 pound weights. If your installing two downriggers on the same side of the boat, one fishing off the stem and one fishing off the side, you may want to consider a Side Winger on the outside downrigger wire. It will pull the weight further out to the side, away from the inside downrigger weight. The Side Winger really helps in preventing tangles.

Using the downrigger to improve your fishing experience will take a little time. Don't get discouraged. I'll give you some idea's which I use. They work well for me and I feel they will work for you. We will set one downrigger with a bottom fishing line. Then we will stack another fishing line 20 feet above the bottom fishing line.

First, all my fishing lines have leader lines on them. Each leader line has a swivel and lock on it. I like 20 pound tested swivels and locks on each end. Every leader is about 42 inches long. I always make extra leader lines for use at a later time. On my fishing line end, I have a 20-pound tested bead chain. The bead chain is important to prevent the line from twisting.

Once the fishing pole and line are ready for use, let about twenty to thirty feet of line out behind the boat. Take the fishing line and install it into the release located nearest the downrigger weight. Loosen the fishing reel drag to allow line to pull out and put the fishing reel clicker on. Set the fishing pole in a pole holder. Now allow the downrigger to lower the weight to 20 feet and stop. Lock the downrigger reel. You have just set the bottom fishing line. Now get another fishing rod and reel ready. We will call it the stacker fishing line. Let the fishing line out twenty to thirty feet behind the boat. Using a Stacker Release, install that line into the Stacker Release and clip the stacker release retainer on the downrigger wire. Loosen the fishing reel drag to allow line to pull out and put the fishing reel clicker on. Set the second fishing pole in another pole holder. Lower with care, the downrigger weight to 55 feet and lock your downrigger for 55 feet. You now set your reel drags for about seven pounds of pull. Leave the reel clickers on. You are now fishing two lines. A bottom line at 55 feet and a stacker line at 35 feet, on one downrigger.

Follow the same procedure on the next downrigger set up. Only this time, lower the downrigger weight to only 48 feet. This allows two things. First, it allows you to fish at different depths. Secondly, it greatly reduces the chances for tangles. Believe me when I say, "you don't want tangles".

An extra bait can be added to the fishing line when you get set up. It is called a slider line bait. The slider line bait can be the most productive bait on many days. It is not hard to use and can be put on the line very easily. To make up a slider line, take one of those extra leader lines you had made up. Attach a bait on it. Preferably a light weight spoon. Now attach the other end of the slider line around a fishing line using the lock on the swivel, The lock should slide very freely on the fishing line. Carefully release the bait into the water and allow the slider line to slide down the fishing line to the bow in the line. Generally, it is half way between the pole tip and the release. You can add only one slider line bait to each pole. It is seldom that a slider line bait ever tangles up. Try it, you will catch fish on it.

Fishing reel clickers can be turned off once a fish is on or when reeling in.