Expeienced anglers know that downrigging the most accurate way to assure the bait is at the right depth-short of dropping anchor of coarse.Preferably you want to try to keep your bait at the same depth that you fish finder shows the fish are located.  It will take a little trial and error, patience, and a bit of record keeping, but you can become adept at doing this.

I like to use the the best.  I've tried some other brands but have never really been satisfied with them.Most of them fell apart tto soon or rusted out prematurally, so I didn't think that I received fair value for the dollars spent.

However, some really great downrigging system are made by Cannon.  They have more complex systems, but I like to work with something a little simpler, like the Mag 10TS, for example.  Experienced boaters and fishermen trust the Magnum because it has been proven to be extremely durable and dependable.  It offers a speedy retrieval rate of 250 feet per minute, includes a short-stop feature to protect their boat so that a swinging weight won't put a hole in the side, and it is really tough and can handle a lot.  In particular, the Mag 10TS has a spool constructed of stainless steel that can deal with the "super lines" popular these days or monofilament.It has a stylish appearance with a nice white finish and includes Positive Ion Control which creates an electronic field around the ball making your boat a fish finding machine.

To start, you need to determine how deep you want to be and how fast you plan to troll.When trolling faster or going deeper, more weight will be needed.The reason is that you have to compensate for the extra drag produced by the water as you speed increases.  As an example, many Great Lakes fishermen who are trying to catch salmon troll at 1.5 up to 3 miles per hour and shoot for a depth of 15 to 30 feet down, there they don't have a lot of drag and can use a 5lb ball.However deep sea anglers fishing for grouper-which often are at 60 feet deep or even deeper-troll at around 5 knots.  With that kind of depth and speed, they get quite a bit of drag.So they likely will need a 20lb ball weight.

After you have determined the weight ball you need you will still need to experiment some to be sure you're on track.Go out on the water to the same depth range that you plan to fish.Set the boat speed to the desired trolling speed based on the fish you are trying to land.Now lower the ball all the way to the bottom were you will notice the cable becoming slack.  Then quickly stop it and retrieve a bit of cable to tighten it back up.Now check the line counter on your downrigger.  Here's where the record keeping comes in.Record that depth, your speed, ball weight and the depth of the water.

Now try changing a bit.  Adjust your speed and repeat, making note of the new information.Adjust the cable depth at the different speeds and make a note of that.  Essentially you want to determine how much cable is ideal to let out at each particular depth and speed for the fish you are trying to catch.By using some simple math like a percentage of cable needed to reach a certain depth or bottom you will be able to calculate how much cable to let out to be in the depth you desire.

My personal prefference is to stay about 10' above the bottom.For one thing, I'm sure fish will chase the right bait at that distance.They will swim up for it.  But also, I don't like the idea of getting hooked on something lying on the bottom and having to cut my cable.

I also recommend keeping the lead line at ten feet or less-from the ball to the lure or bait you're using-so you can get the advantage of the negative Ion field that surrounds the ball itself.It has to be that close to use it.  If you've got too much lead line in between there, it won't work.

In addition to the Cannon downrigger Mag 10TS, you'll need some basics to get started.  With a nice sturdy 7' rod, a conventional reel and line based on what you're planning to catch, a good line released hooked to your ball, the perfect bait, and a nice boat, you'll soon be in business.Downrigger fishing is a fun and enjoyable method of fihing and one that easy to master.

For more information about Cannon Downriggers and Accessories plus all types of other fishing and boating electroncs visit us at eFishBox.com.com website.

You will find great fishing and boating articles at MyTackleSpace as well as advise from your peers.There are some blogs and discussion forums on fishing and equipment ideas!  Check it out.