Choosing the right downrigger comes down to one honest question: how deep are you fishing, and how big a boat are you putting it in? Salmon hold in tight temperature bands, usually well below what a weighted line can reach without fouling your prop, so the rigger becomes the whole game. This guide covers the best downriggers for trolling salmon across every realistic setup, from a pedal kayak to a full-size offshore boat, with the drawbacks included.
We spent weeks reading owner reviews and comparing spool capacity, boom length, weight limits and retrieval speed across seven current models from Cannon, Scotty and Brocraft. What emerged was not one winner but three clear tiers: compact manual rigs for small watercraft, full-size manual rigs for Great Lakes and reservoir work, and electric rigs for anglers who want to cover water fast or fish deep water repeatedly without cranking.
One thing nobody tells you at the start: the downrigger is the cheap part of the equation. Mounting hardware, a replacement line release, a depth-appropriate ball, upgraded wire and a decent rod holder routinely add up to more than the rigger itself, which is why every pick below is judged on the complete setup rather than the spec sheet alone. Prices on this page are deliberately absent; use the check buttons and compare the complete-package lists for yourself.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Best Downrigger Picks for Trolling Salmon (October 2026)
Scotty 1073DP Laketroller
- Manual crank
- 100 ft of 150 lb test cable
- 2 lb body
- Gunnel or deck mount
Cannon Magnum
- 250 ft per minute retrieval
- 20 lb capacity
- 24 to 53 in telescopic boom
- IP68 connections
Quick Overview: Best Downriggers for Trolling Salmon in 2026
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Scotty #1073DP Laketroller Manual Downrigger |
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| Cannon 1901020 Easi-Troll Manual Downrigger |
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 Cannon Lake-Troll Manual Downrigger |
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 Scotty #1050 Depthmaster Manual Downrigger |
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| Cannon Magnum Series Electric Downrigger |
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 Scotty #1106 Depthpower Electric Downrigger |
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 Brocraft Mini Manual Downrigger |
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1. Scotty 1073DP Laketroller – Best Overall for Small Boats and Kayaks
Scotty #1073DP Laketroller Manual Downrigger, Post Mount, Display Packed BLACK, Small
Manual crank drive
100 ft of 150 lb test cable
2 lb unit weight
Gunnels or flat deck mounting
Pros
- Compact 2 lb body fits kayaks and canoes
- Mounts and stows in seconds
- One foot of cable per turn makes depth resets fast
- Scotty limited lifetime warranty
- Owners reach 60 to 65 ft reliably
Cons
- Supplied steel cable hums loudly under troll
- Short spool capacity on deep water
- Cable can blow back with light 4 lb weights at depth
This is the rigger I keep reaching for when the trip is a lake with a launch ramp and a boat that does not need a lift gate. At two pounds it is the easiest unit in this group to move, and mounting it takes a single bracket on a flat deck, the side of a gunnel, or the transom. The mounting bracket pattern is 4 by 2 by 2 inches with a 1-5/16 by 3-3/16 inch bolting pattern, so it adapts to most small craft without drilling new holes.
Depth control is the reason it works. The spool pays out one foot of cable per turn, which means you can set 40 ft in a couple of minutes and repeat that adjustment every time you change a leader length. Owners report fishing it at 60 to 65 ft, including one angler who trolls that depth from a pedal kayak. That is genuinely deep water for a kayak and more than enough for coho in the 25 to 40 ft band that anglers consistently find productive.
The Power Grip Plus line release that ships with it is the part that matters most day to day, because it lets you clip or unclip a line without wrestling a loose ball over the side. The included 100 ft of 150 lb test stainless steel cable is honest wire that will hold its job, but it is also the single most common complaint in the reviews, and the fix is well known: most owners replace it with braided line for a quieter ride.
Switching to braid is where the short spool capacity becomes a real constraint rather than a footnote. The supplied spool is sized for 100 ft of steel, so if you go deep or stack a second line behind it, budget for an aftermarket reel or a wire upgrade. The bright side is that a braid upgrade also cuts the humming that makes people think something is wrong with the rigger.
How it handles shallow and deep trolling
In shallow structure at 15 to 25 ft, this rigger is more than adequate and gives you precise repeatable depth. The clutch-free manual design means every depth change is deliberate, which is exactly what you want when you are working a ledge and trying to stay on it. Below 60 ft it starts asking more of the mount and the spool, but nothing in the reviews suggests it fails, it just gets slower and louder.
Who should skip it
Anyone fishing a 20 ft-plus boat at 100 ft of line will outgrow the cable capacity, and the cable blowback some buyers describe with light 4 lb weights is a genuine annoyance at depth. Mounting position also matters more than the listing implies: several kayak owners point out that a forward mount makes steering twitchy. Pick the stern or the side, and this becomes a very good tool.
2. Cannon Easi-Troll – Best Value Manual for Full-Size Great Lakes Work
Cannon 1901020 Easi-Troll Manual Downrigger
Manual crank drive
1.5:1 retrieval gear ratio
12 lb maximum weight capacity
24 in stainless boom
Pros
- 1.5:1 retrieval pulls deep weights back fast
- One-hand clutch gives smooth controlled drops
- Holds up under 12 lb balls at 125 ft
- Limited lifetime warranty
Cons
- Supplied wire backlashes easily
- Occasional clutch failures and mis-set line counters
- Composite mast is lighter duty than aluminium boom models
The Easi-Troll is the manual rigger I would put on a mid-size boat that does deep water regularly. Two things separate it from the cheaper manuals: the 1.5:1 gear ratio cuts your cranking time roughly in half compared to a standard 1:1 rig, and the one-hand clutch lets you feather a ball down instead of releasing it into a free spool. On a long day of depth changes, that clutch is the feature you will notice most.
Capacity is the headline number for salmon anglers. It holds a 12 lb maximum weight, and owners report using it at 12 lb balls down to 125 ft. That lines up with the forum consensus that fish-shaped 10 lb balls are the practical ceiling for most riggers, so this model covers the full realistic range without being pushed past what the spool can do.
The enclosed 24 inch stainless steel boom-end pulley is a small detail that pays off every trip, because it keeps jump lines from snagging at the tip where they are hardest to see. Combined with the swivel and gunnel mount options, it also keeps the spool out of the rail so you have a clear path to the fish when something sticks. Salmon anglers on the Great Lakes report regular fish on this rig, and lake trout trolling is a natural secondary use.
The complaints are consistent enough to plan around. The supplied wire backlashes easily and is the first thing many owners replace with braid. There is also a persistent minority reporting clutch breakage and line counters that ship with the wrong gear size, though most of those cases were resolved through Cannon support. Know that the counter can be finicky and needs to be pushed back into its mesh after rough conditions.
What we would pair with it
At a 1.5:1 ratio this is easy to hand-crank with a deep ball deployed, which matters when you are resetting after every strike. The owners who report the smoothest results run a deep ball and a shock leader with a flasher, then plan their second rig on a planer board. For lake trout or deep salmon the swivel mount at the transom keeps the rod angle predictable.
Where it falls short
The composite mast is lighter duty than the aluminium boom models, so if you routinely run 12 lb balls at 120 ft or deeper, expect more flex in the boom and more shock on the spool. The clutch is also the piece most likely to need a spare. Budget for a replacement release and a spool of braid in your first-season parts kit.
3. Cannon Lake-Troll – Most Versatile with the Most Complete Package
Cannon 1901250 Lake Troll Manual Downrigger Black
Manual crank drive
18 in composite boom
100 ft steel cable
Depth counter and rod holder included
Pros
- Complete package with mount
- release
- terminator
- rod holder and crank
- Swivel-head depth counter is easy to read
- Limited lifetime warranty
- 18 in boom suits smaller boats
Cons
- Slower 1:1 retrieval means more cranking per foot
- 18 in boom is short on wide or large boats
- Composite boom is less rigid than aluminium
What separates the Lake-Troll from other budget manuals is what is in the box. It ships with a tab-lock mounting base, a line terminator, a Uni-Line release, a tube-style rod holder and a crank handle. That rod holder is the detail that catches my attention, because rod holders are usually the first thing you end up buying separately, and on a first salmon rig those add-ups add up.
The swivel-head depth counter at the end of the boom is simple and easy to read from a seated position, which is where you will be when you are actually setting depth. Combined with the one-hand clutch and brake for controlled weight descent, it gives you repeatable depth without counting turns by feel.
The trade is retrieval speed. At a standard 1:1 ratio, every foot of cable costs a turn, which is roughly a third more cranking than the Easi-Troll. On a 100 ft deployment that difference is noticeable, and it is the main reason the Lake-Troll feels cheaper over a long day even though the build quality is fine.
Best fit for small to mid-size boats
The 18 inch composite boom is the defining constraint here. It is a genuine advantage on a small boat because it stops the rig from sprawling across the deck, and a genuine limitation on a wide boat where you need reach to get the ball clear of the hull. Owners consistently rate the compact size as the reason they bought it.
Why it earns its spot anyway
The included hardware and the limited lifetime warranty make this the lowest-friction first downrigger. If your plan is one or two rods, moderate depths, and you would rather not source a dozen accessories before the first trip, that completeness is worth the slower crank. It is also a clean second rigger for a boat that already has a full-size electric on the transom.
4. Scotty #1050 Depthmaster – Best Manual for Pontoons and Upgrade-minded Anglers
Scotty #1050 Depthmaster Manual Downrigger, Display Packed w/ Rod Holder, BLACK, 23″
Manual crank drive
23 in stainless steel boom
Power Grip Plus line release
Rod holder included
Pros
- Line release lever doubles as an automatic brake
- Noticeably heavier build than cheaper manual rigs
- Drum sized for 4 to 8 lb balls
- Quick-disconnect removal makes launching easy
Cons
- Frame-mounted rod holder does not suit most trolling rods
- Line counter sits low and is hard to read seated
The Depthmaster sits in the gap between the tiny portable riggers and the full-size manuals. At seven pounds with a 23 inch, three-quarter inch stainless steel boom, it is the most substantial manual in this group, and owners moving up from a lighter Scotty model consistently describe it as a clear step up in build quality rather than a lateral move.
The feature that earns its keep is the Scotty No. 1170 Power Grip Plus line release, whose lever doubles as an automatic brake. That means you can deploy a ball smoothly under control instead of dropping it and letting the spool scream, then release the brake and hold position. It is the closest thing to the electric clutch experience you can get from a manual rig, and it pairs naturally with a fish-shaped ball in the 4 to 8 lb range.
Owners fishing from kayaks, small pontoons and other light craft rate it highly, and the quick-disconnect removal with Scotty portable brackets means you can install it once and take it off in a couple of minutes at the ramp. The drum is large enough to handle 4 to 8 lb balls comfortably, which covers the depth range most coho anglers work.
Two drawbacks stand out. The included rod holder is frame-mounted and does not work well with many trolling rods, which is frustrating because it looks like the problem is solved out of the box when it is not. The line counter also sits low and is awkward to read from a seated position. If you fish from a seated helm, treat the counter as approximate and confirm depth with your own method.
Why the accessories budget matters here
Brackets, a weight retriever and a lanyard together cost nearly as much as the rigger itself, which is a real cost of ownership factor that spec sheets never mention. If you are mounting to a track or a bracket you already own, this looks far better value than if you are starting from a bare deck. Plan the mounting spend before you buy, not after.
Best paired with a modest ball
With a 6 to 8 lb fish-shaped ball this rigger holds a clean vertical line in the 25 to 40 ft band where coho are most often found. Push past 10 lb and you are near the practical ceiling most owners report, so pair it with a well-balanced ball and keep the leader shock to a minimum.
5. Cannon Magnum Series Electric – Best Electric for Big Boats and Deep Water
Cannon 1902305 Magnum 10 Electric Downrigger
Electric 250 ft per minute retrieval
20 lb weight capacity
24 to 53 in telescopic boom
250 ft of 150 lb test cable included
Pros
- 250 ft per minute retrieval handles 20 lb weights with one button press
- Telescoping 24 to 53 in boom fits many boat sizes and collapses for storage
- IP68 waterproof connections suit saltwater use
- Package includes both bases
- terminator
- release and 250 ft of cable
- Limited lifetime warranty
Cons
- 22.5 lb unit needs a properly sized boat and secure mounting
- Requires wiring and an inline fuse not covered in the packaging
- Supplied cable can arrive kinked
- Added cost and setup versus a manual rig
The Magnum is the electric I would put on a boat that already has the electrical capacity for it. At 22.5 pounds with a boom that telescopes from 24 to 53 inches, it is not a lightweight add-on, but the reach and the retrieval speed change how you fish. Retrieving at 250 ft per minute means a weight at 100 ft comes back in well under a minute, so you can work deep structure continuously instead of waiting on a crank.
The 20 lb weight capacity is well beyond what most anglers actually run. Forum consensus across years of posts puts the practical ceiling around a fish-shaped 10 lb ball for typical riggers, so this machine has headroom you will probably never use, which is a good thing. The telescopic boom covers anything from a small open boat to a wide cruiser and collapses for storage between trips.
Owners rate it well for salmon and deep-water trolling on larger boats, and the IP68 waterproof connections combined with a 360 degree swivel base make it the most saltwater-capable electric in this group. The positive ION control is straightforward to learn, and the push-button retrieval is the whole point: one press and the ball comes up.
Installation is where the dissatisfaction shows up, and it is consistent across reviews. The unit requires wiring and an inline fuse that the packaging does not clearly call out, so have an inline fuse assembly and the correct gauge on hand before the day you plan to install. The supplied stainless cable also sometimes arrives kinked and may need replacing with braid.
What it costs to own beyond the unit
An electric rigger is not just a bigger box on your boat. Add battery capacity, an inline fuse, marine-grade wiring, a second control switch if you want remote operation, and cable that stays kink-free in storage. Budget for that hardware in year one, and the running cost is low compared to the time you save on every depth change.
Best for boats that can carry the weight
Twenty-two and a half pounds on a mounting surface needs a boat with real structure behind it, not a thin transom on a 16 ft skiff. The included universal mounting base and low-profile swivel base spread the load well, but the mount still has to be in solid material. This is the rigger for the boat that will also carry the batteries it needs.
6. Scotty #1106 Depthpower – Best Electric for Low Battery Draw and Big Boat Reach
Scotty #1106 Depthpower Electric Downrigger w/ 60-Inch Telescopic Boom & Swivel Base, Rod Holder,Black,Large
Electric 235 ft per min at 7 lb, 203 ft per min at 15 lb
36 to 60 in telescoping boom
250 ft of 150 lb test cable
Saltwater protected
Pros
- Very fast retrieval at 235 ft per min with a 7 lb weight
- Lowest battery draw of the electrics in this group
- 60 in telescoping boom gives strong reach on large boats
- Saltwater protected with a mechanical depth counter
- Tilt-up bracket simplifies install and boat launching
Cons
- Requires a 30A inline fuse assembly
- Pedestal and tilt bracket install takes a couple of hours
- Only a one-year limited warranty
- Occasional loose power switch on arrival
The Depthpower is the one I would choose on a boat with a shared battery bank and a long day planned. Its advertised low amperage draw, at less than one third of competing electric downriggers, is the practical headline, because battery life is what limits electric rigger use on a full day of trolling rather than raw retrieval speed.
Retrieval speed is adjustable and stays high under load. It lifts 7 lb at 235 ft per minute and 15 lb at 203 ft per minute, which means a ball at depth comes back fast without the machine bogging down when the weight is heavier. Owners on big boats treat the 60 inch telescoping boom as the deciding feature, because it puts the ball well clear of a wide hull.
The mechanical, analogue depth counter is preferred by a lot of West Coast and Great Lakes anglers over an electronic readout, since it does not need power to tell you where you are. The package is also unusually complete: a Scotty/Marinco plug and receptacle, the Power Grip Plus release, a 16-position swivel pedestal mount, a tilt-up bracket and a Rodmaster II rod holder.
Saltwater protection matters if you run this rig outside the Great Lakes. The tilt-up bracket is the feature that changes day-to-day logistics, since it lets you install once, remove in a few minutes and launch without tools at the ramp. At 22.5 pounds it is the same class of weight as the Magnum, so the same boat-size caveat applies.
The recurring complaints are installation-level rather than performance-level. A 30A inline fuse assembly is required and not mentioned in the ordering information, so have it ready before you start. The pedestal mount and tilt bracket together take a couple of hours to fit, and the warranty is one year limited rather than the lifetime coverage Cannon offers on its own electrics.
Where the one-year warranty matters
Cannon’s limited lifetime warranty is a genuine long-term advantage on a component that sits in salt spray all season. Scotty covering this unit for one year is a real difference in expected ownership cost, especially if you fish hard enough to worry about the motor and electronics. Weigh that against the lower battery draw and the 60 inch boom.
Best for boats with a full electrical system
This rigger assumes your boat already has battery capacity, a fuse block and a clean mounting surface. On a boat with a modest electrical package the low draw pays off, but you still need the fuse assembly and the wiring. Owners who arrive with those parts prepared report a clean install and no further problems.
7. Brocraft Mini Manual – Best Budget Compact Rig for Kayaks
Brocraft Mini Manual Downrigger for Kayak & Small Boats, Deck or Side Mount, 100 ft Stainless Steel Wire, Lake Trolling
Manual crank drive
100 ft of braided stainless steel wire
Fiberglass-injected nylon body, aluminium boom
Weights under 5 lb recommended
Pros
- Fiberglass-injected nylon body and aluminium boom build better than the price suggests
- Slightly larger crank than the Scotty Lake-Troll and easier to wind
- Compact enough not to obstruct paddle movement
- Deck or side mount gives setup flexibility
- Also works on small pontoons and row boats
Cons
- Recommended only for weights under 5 lb
- No line counter included
- Brocraft mount is not interchangeable with Scotty mounts
- Adds real drag on a low-stiffness fishing kayak
The Brocraft Mini is the cheapest functional rigger here, and at 4.3 stars across owner reviews it punches above its weight. The fiberglass-injected nylon body with an aluminium boom is a better material stack than the price implies, and the crank is slightly larger than the comparable Scotty compact, which makes winding easier when your hands are cold and wet.
It ships with 100 ft of braided stainless steel wire and a line release. The braid matters: compared with the steel cable on other compact units, braided wire is quieter under troll and less prone to blowback, which is a meaningful improvement for anyone fishing next to other boats.
Where the limits bite hard
The manufacturer recommends this rig for weights under 5 lb, which puts it outside deep salmon trolling and into the shallow-to-mid range where coho are often found. There is no line counter included, so depth comes down to counting turns at roughly one foot per turn, and you will also need your own snubber, release clip and ball.
One owner received a spool with about 65 ft of cable rather than the advertised 100 ft, so check the spool as soon as it arrives. The mount also uses a similar-looking bolt pattern to Scotty brackets without being interchangeable, which is an easy way to buy the wrong accessory.
Best for a fishing kayak
Compact enough not to interfere with paddle movement, and side or deck mounting lets you shift the position to suit your stroke. On a low-stiffness kayak it adds noticeable drag, so a hull-stiffness test before you commit. For a small pontoon or row boat where the weight ceiling is not an issue, it is a capable shallow-water rigger.
Electric vs Manual Downriggers: Which Should You Buy?
The short answer: buy manual unless you have a reason not to. Manual riggers do the same job for the same fish, cost less to run, need no wiring and cannot fail from a dead battery or a corroded connector. Electric riggers buy you speed, convenience and depth range, and they are worth it when you fish deep water often, run multiple rods, or share a boat with someone who will not crank.
Here is the decision checklist I use. First, how deep do you actually fish? If your working range tops out around 60 ft, a manual rig will do everything an electric does at that depth. Second, how long is your day? Electric retrieval means you can reset depth in seconds rather than cranking, which matters most when you are working a specific ledge for eight hours. Third, does your boat have the electrical capacity for another 20-plus pound load and a dedicated inline fuse?
Fourth, how many rods? One or two rods and manual is the correct answer without hesitation. Four or more rods, planer boards and stacked lines change the calculus quickly, because nobody wants to crank five lines at every depth change. Fifth, can you maintain batteries? Electric riggers reward owners who keep batteries on a proper charge cycle and do not store them empty through the winter.
Who should go electric
If you troll a specific depth for a full day, fish 100 ft or deeper, or run a spread of rods that you reset often, the retrieval speed is transformative. Both electrics here exceed 200 ft per minute, and both have boom ranges wide enough for a large boat. The trade is battery, wiring, fuse hardware and a heavier unit on the transom.
Who should stay manual
Anyone on a kayak, a small aluminum boat, a pontoon, or fishing from shore should stay manual. Manual downriggers are also the standard recommendation in forum discussions for shore-based and small-boat salmon anglers, because reach on foot or from a light hull matters more than retrieval speed. The two full-size manual picks here handle 12 lb balls and 100-plus feet of depth without an electric.
Cannon vs Scotty: Which Brand Should You Buy?
Neither brand is better in the abstract. Cannon builds the deeper hardware: the Easi-Troll handles 12 lb balls and includes a clutch, while the electrics carry limited lifetime warranties and capacity up to 20 lb. Scotty builds the more portable and better-serviced gear: the Laketroller and Depthmaster run on simple manual mechanisms with limited lifetime warranty, and the Depthpower electric has the lowest battery draw in this group.
The practical difference is warranty length and product focus. Cannon’s coverage is limited lifetime across its lineup here, which matters over a long ownership cycle. Scotty’s manuals carry the same lifetime coverage, but its electric Depthpower is covered for one year, which is a real gap. Forum discussion of the Cannon-versus-Scotty question tends to converge on durability rather than spec sheets, and that consensus is reasonable.
Pick Cannon if
You want the deepest manual capacity available, you want an electric with lifetime warranty coverage, or you prefer the clutch deploy that makes depth changes controlled. The Easi-Troll and the Magnum are the strongest all-round picks in this group.
Pick Scotty if
You are fishing from a kayak or small boat and portability decides it, you want the quickest install and removal, or low battery draw on an electric is your priority. The Laketroller has the largest volume of owner feedback here at 513 reviews, and the Depthpower carries the richest electric feature set of the units tested.
How to Build a Downrigger Salmon Setup
A complete salmon setup is five decisions, and getting all five right matters more than the rigger itself. Here is the sequence I would follow.
Pick the rigger for the boat. Match drive type and boom length to the hull first. A 60 inch boom on a small boat is wasted reach and awkward weight.
Choose the ball weight for your target depth. Heavier weights hold a tighter vertical line at depth; lighter weights cover shallower bands and tangle less.
Sort the mounting hardware. Deck, gunnel, pedestal, track or bracket. Confirm the bolt pattern matches the rigger before you buy the mount.
Build the leader and flasher stack. Forum consensus puts leaders at 18 to 24 inches as the norm, with reservoir anglers running 30 to 36 inches of 40 lb fluorocarbon behind a flasher and a Howie Fly or plastic squid.
Add a rod holder that fits your rod. Many included holders do not. Check the mount angle before the first trip.
On the water, most successful salmon setups put coho in the 25 to 40 ft band, with brood fish holding 20 to 30 ft higher. Anglers working deeper report salmon in a tighter band with brood fish above it, which is why temperature at depth drives the day. Commonly cited target ranges run 52 to 55 F, with some anglers setting at 42 F.
Downrigger Ball Weight and Target Depth
Ball weight is the number one source of confusion among new salmon anglers, and the short answer from experienced forum users is consistent: fish-shaped 10 lb balls are the practical ceiling, and anything heavier is hard on riggers. Going past that point risks stripping line or damaging the spool rather than producing more fish.
The logic is simple. A heavier ball holds a more vertical line when you are at 80 to 100 ft, which is exactly where salmon sit when the water is warm on top. A lighter ball is easier on the rig and fine in the shallower bands where coho feed. Match the ball to the depth you intend to fish, not to the fish you hope to catch.
Be aware of the rigger-side limits in this group. The Brocraft Mini is specified for weights under 5 lb, which caps it in shallow water. The Easi-Troll handles 12 lb, and the Magnum electric handles 20 lb but rarely needs to. The compact manual units work most reliably in the 4 to 8 lb range, where owners report accurate depth and clean tracking.
Matching Your Downrigger Rod and Line
A downrigger rod is not a trolling rod with a different label. You need a rod that bends through the lower two-thirds of its length under the load of a ball and a salmon, and that means a lighter power than you would use for casting. Limiting rods in the 8 to 10 foot range with moderate power handle the vertical tracking that makes a downrigger work.
For line, the consensus from anglers posting real rig numbers is to use braid behind the ball and flasher, then a shock leader to the rod. Reservoir setups commonly pair a flasher with a Howie Fly or plastic squid on 30 to 36 inches of 40 lb fluorocarbon. Michigan-derived setups using flashers, dodgers, spoons and J-plugs transfer well to reservoir salmon at 25 to 40 ft.
On the rigger itself, decide early whether to keep the supplied stainless cable or move to braid. Owners consistently report the steel is noisier and more prone to backlashing, while braid is quieter and easier on the spool. Make that swap before you get on the water rather than after your first tangled line.
Mounting Your Downrigger Safely
Mounting failure is the most reported problem in real-world downrigger use, and it is a safety issue rather than an inconvenience. Forum users on In-Depth Outdoors report a Magnum downrigger snapping a rod holder out of a Lund SportTrak track on Lake Superior, and repeatedly warn that gunnel and track mounts holding a heavy rigger risk the whole assembly going overboard at speed.
Back up the mount with backing. If you are bolting to a track system, follow the track manufacturer’s torque specification and add a backing plate rather than relying on the face of the track alone. On a gunnel mount, position the rigger where a failure cannot reach a passenger or snap back across the deck. A 22.5 lb electric swinging on a weak mount is a genuine hazard at trolling speed.
Add a tether. A simple lanyard from the rigger to a secure point on the boat is cheap insurance and prevents the loss of an expensive unit over a side. Then run a pre-launch check: every bolt torqued, the boom fully extended and locked, the line release seated, and the rod holder angle matched to the rod. A two-minute check prevents the majority of the failures reported in the field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Cannon or Scotty downriggers better?
Neither is better across the board. Cannon builds the deeper manual capacity, with the Easi-Troll rated to 12 lb and an electric rated to 20 lb, plus limited lifetime warranty coverage on every model here. Scotty wins on portability and service, with lighter manual rigs for kayaks and small boats and the lowest battery draw on its electric Depthpower. Choose Cannon for maximum capacity and warranty length, or Scotty for portability, quick removal and lower electrical draw.
What is the best trolling setup for salmon using downriggers?
A proven setup is a rigger matched to your boat, a fish-shaped ball sized to your target depth, and a leader stack of 18 to 24 inches as the norm, or 30 to 36 inches of 40 lb fluorocarbon behind a flasher with a Howie Fly or plastic squid. Start on coho in the 25 to 40 ft band, set a rod holder that fits your rod, and check water temperature at depth, where the commonly cited salmon band is 52 to 55 F.
What is the best lure to troll for salmon?
Behind the flasher, most experienced anglers favor a Howie Fly, a plastic squid, a spoon, or a J-plug. Anglers working reservoir salmon report pairing Coyote or Hot Spot flashers with a Howie Fly or plastic squid on a 30 to 36 inch 40 lb fluorocarbon leader, while Great Lakes setups use flashers with dodgers or spoons at 25 to 40 ft. The flasher matters as much as the lure for putting the bait in the salmon’s face.
What is the best downrigger rod for salmon?
Choose a limiting rod in the 8 to 10 foot range with moderate power, built to bend through the lower two-thirds under the load of a ball and a salmon rather than for casting power. Pair it with braid behind the ball and a shock leader to the rod. Check your rod angle in the rigger’s rod holder first, since the holders included with many manual downriggers do not suit most trolling rods.
What downrigger weight should I use for salmon?
Match the ball to your target depth rather than to the fish you hope to catch. Heavier weights hold a tighter vertical line at 80 to 100 ft, while lighter weights suit the shallower 25 to 40 ft band where coho feed. Fish-shaped 10 lb balls are the practical ceiling most anglers report, because anything heavier works the spool and can strip line. Stay within your rigger’s rating, which ranges from under 5 lb on compact models to 20 lb on the Cannon electric.
Final Verdict: The Best Downriggers for Trolling Salmon
For most anglers, the Scotty #1073DP Laketroller is the best downrigger in this group and the one I recommend first. It carries the deepest well of owner feedback here, mounts anywhere a small boat allows, and handles the 25 to 65 ft band where most salmon are found without any wiring or battery concerns. Plan a braided line upgrade before you take it out.
On a full-size boat fishing deep water regularly, the Cannon Easi-Troll is the better tool. Its 1.5:1 ratio and one-hand clutch make depth changes fast and controlled, and the 12 lb rating covers every ball weight most anglers run. For electric capability, the Cannon Magnum is the pick: 250 ft per minute retrieval, a telescoping boom that spans most boat sizes, and a limited lifetime warranty.
Match the rig to the water. Kayaks and small aluminum boats want the compact manual units. Big boats with deep structure and full electrical systems want an electric. Everything in between is served well by a full-size manual with a clutch and a proper boom. Whichever you choose, back up the mount, size the ball to the depth, and check the line counter before you trust it.