How to Use a Downrigger: Setup & Fishing Guide

A downrigger lets you troll a bait or lure at a controlled depth instead of hoping fish come up to something running near the surface. The basic setup is simple: a weight runs from the downrigger, your fishing line attaches to that system through a release clip or rubber band, and the weight takes the bait down to the depth you choose. When a fish strikes, the fishing line releases and you fight the fish on the rod as normal.

This guide is based on Andrew Hestelow's practical downrigging experience in Australian salt water, including targeting kingfish, Spanish mackerel and other predators. It covers the current manual Downrigger Shop setup as well as the principles that apply to most downrigger fishing.

What a Downrigger Does

A downrigger separates the job of getting a bait deep from the job of fighting the fish. The heavy downrigger weight is not attached to the fish once the line releases. That means you can place a relatively light live bait or lure at a repeatable depth without having to fish a sinker of the same size on your rod.

Used with a sounder, this becomes particularly useful. If fish are marking at 12 metres in 25 metres of water, you can run the bait close to that depth instead of trolling blindly at the surface.

If you're completely new to the concept, read What Is a Downrigger? How Downrigger Fishing Works first. The rest of this page is the practical setup and fishing guide.

Downrigger Setup: What You Need

The current Downrigger Shop manual downrigger is supplied ready to use with a 4 lb weight, release clip and detachable depth counter, and is pre-spooled with 65 metres of 200 lb braid.

How to Set Up and Use a Downrigger

1. Mount the downrigger where you can reach it easily

Accessibility matters. You will adjust depth, check bait and retrieve the weight during the session, so the downrigger should be secure and easy to operate without reaching awkwardly over the side.

On many Australian trailer boats, the long boom is useful for keeping the downrigger line away from an outboard and the propeller. Always check clearance through the full range of steering before fishing.

The Downrigger Shop unit can be used with a solid gimbal mount in a suitable metal rod holder or with the detachable sliding-base system. The gimbal arrangement is handy when deck space is tight because the downrigger can be removed and stored in a rod rack when it is not being used.

2. Attach the downrigger weight and prepare the release

Attach the weight securely to the end of the downrigger braid. The release system then provides the temporary connection between your fishing line and the downrigger weight.

Keep the release connection somewhere you can reach before lowering the weight. You should not have to lean out over the water to attach the fishing line.

3. Put the boat in gear and check the bait or lure

For live bait, start with the boat moving slowly ahead and make sure the bait is swimming properly before you send it down. Andrew's practical advice is that small live baits can start to spin as trolling speed rises, so bait condition should dictate the speed rather than treating one number as universal.

4. Set the bait or lure behind the weight

There is no single correct setback for every species and situation. In the old Vector guide Andrew suggested roughly six metres as a general starting point. With his current manual setup, however, he often fishes a live bait much closer to the weight when targeting kingfish in shallow water, around two metres behind it.

The shorter setback can make boat turns easier and gives a hooked kingfish less line with which to reach structure. In clear water, with cautious fish or when trolling a particular lure, a longer setback may still make sense. Treat the distance as something to tune rather than a fixed rule.

5. Attach the fishing line to the release

Feed the bait or lure back, place the rod securely in its holder and take hold of the line beyond the rod tip. The fishing line can then be connected to the release clip. Another proven method is to twist a correctly sized rubber band around the fishing line and put the band loops into the release.

Whichever release method you use, test it with your actual line, lure or bait and drag setting. It needs to hold securely while trolling but release cleanly when a fish strikes.

6. Reset the counter and lower the weight

Reset the depth counter to zero. Back off the reel drag enough for fishing line to leave the spool smoothly as the weight descends, without allowing an uncontrolled overrun.

On the current manual Downrigger Shop model, palm the downrigger spool to control it, then ease the spool tensioner anti-clockwise so the weight can descend. Watch the depth counter. When you reach the depth you want, stop the spool and retighten the tensioner.

7. Match the running depth to the fish and bottom

The sounder is what turns controlled-depth trolling into a repeatable technique. If bait or predators are marking at a particular depth, run the bait close to them and adjust as the marks move.

Over rough reef, do not assume the weight needs to hug the bottom. Andrew often starts around halfway down when downrigging for aggressive kingfish over uneven ground. A bait above the fish is easier for them to see and gives you more margin if the bottom suddenly rises. Over clean sand or open water you can run deeper with less snag risk.

8. When a fish strikes

On a proper release, the fishing line separates from the downrigger system and the rod is once again connected only to the fish. Take the rod, set the working drag and fight the fish normally. At the same time, manage the downrigger weight as conditions allow so the fish, other lines and the downrigger braid cannot tangle.

Why Downrigging Works So Well for Kingfish

Andrew's interest in downrigging grew from a simple observation: predators are not always feeding at the surface. After the dawn bite, fish such as Spanish mackerel and yellowtail kingfish can hold deeper around structure or bait. They are still predators; the trick is putting something appealing close enough to trigger the response.

This is particularly useful around busy waterways and pressured reefs. Instead of trolling repeatedly over fish with a bait many metres above them, the downrigger lets you change the presentation depth to match the sounder.

Choosing a Downrigger for Australian Boats

Downriggers became particularly popular in North America for salmon and trout fishing in the Great Lakes, but Australian salt-water trailer boats present different problems. Boats are often smaller, outboards occupy the transom, salt-water corrosion matters and sea conditions can be rougher.

Useful features on a smaller salt-water boat include a boom long enough to clear the motor, corrosion-resistant construction, a mounting system that does not permanently consume scarce deck space, a depth counter, and a drag or clutch arrangement that can give if the weight snags.

Manual vs Electric Downriggers

Both work on the same fishing principle. An electric downrigger retrieves its weight with a motor; a manual model uses a hand-operated spool or handle. Electric retrieval is convenient when fishing deep or checking baits frequently, while a manual downrigger avoids the electrical installation and can be simpler on a small boat.

Downrigger Shop previously sold the Vector electric downrigger, which is why some older pages and photos on this site show switches and electric operation. That model is not the same as the current manual downrigger. If you own one of the older units, we have retained the legacy Vector downrigger setup guide.

Common Downrigger Setup Mistakes

• Running the weight too close to rough bottom: leave margin for sudden depth changes and reef peaks.
• Ignoring bait condition: a live bait that is spinning or exhausted is not being improved by perfect depth control.
• Setting and forgetting the depth: the reason to use a counter and sounder is so you can adjust when the fish move.
• Too much setback on tight turns: a bait well behind the weight can cut across the turn and create tangles or move toward the prop.
• Mounting the unit out of reach: you should be able to adjust and retrieve it without unsafe stretching.
• Using old electric instructions on a manual unit: the current Downrigger Shop model lowers the weight by controlling the spool and tensioner; it does not use the Vector's electric switch.

Downrigger Fishing FAQs

How do you use a downrigger?

Mount it securely, attach the downrigger weight, troll the bait or lure behind the boat, connect the fishing line to the release system and lower the weight to the chosen depth. When a fish strikes, the fishing line releases from the downrigger and you fight the fish on the rod.

How far behind the downrigger weight should the bait be?

There is no universal distance. For shallow-water kingfish, Andrew often runs live bait about two metres behind the weight because it turns cleanly and gives a hooked fish less line to reach structure. A longer setback can suit other species, lures or conditions.

How deep should I set a downrigger?

Start with what your sounder tells you. If fish are holding at a known depth, put the bait close to that level. Over rough bottom, leaving the weight well above the seabed reduces snag risk; aggressive fish such as kingfish will often rise to attack a bait above them. If you want to estimate how much line to let out for a particular running depth, use our free Downrigger Depth Calculator.

What weight should I use on a downrigger?

Use enough weight to reach and hold the depth you need at your trolling speed without creating unnecessary drag. Required weight changes with depth, current, speed and the downrigger line itself. The current Downrigger Shop unit includes a 4 lb weight, and heavier lead weights are available for situations that need them.

Do I need a release clip?

You need a release system so the fishing line separates cleanly from the downrigger when a fish strikes. A conventional downrigger release clip can hold the fishing line directly, or a rubber-band method can be used with the clip.

Can I use a downrigger without a depth counter?

You can, but repeatable depth control is one of the main advantages of downrigging. A detachable line counter makes it much easier to return a bait to the depth where you have marked fish or already had a strike.