Boat out riggers. Who uses them? & is it worth it?

[Nude up]

I run outriggers on my boat and a shotgun rigger. I use tag lines on my riggers I swear by them some people do not. The outriggers are great when trolling lures keeps them well spread. The shotgun rigger for me is a must being only 5'9" I can only just get the rods in the rocket launcher this allows me to put the rod at the transom. 2 years ago a marlin hit the shotgun lure the rod was overhead I had no chance of getting it out lucky my mate is well over 6ft and got it out with ease.
We use the riggers with release clips and rubber bands half way when trolling livebaits again keeps them spread and allows us to turn.
My first outriggers were pacific brand and were fibreglass but I felt they were a bit soft so I replaced them with carbon fibre ones very light and easy to raise and lower mine use relax bases just splined lift and turn. I would like the relax fold out type I have it on my list of upgrades.
I would suggest if any of your rod holders are plastic they get replaced marlin tuna will hit your lure like freight trains and just snap the plastic

[skye]

Tuna - Personal preference, better hookups without but less spread which some prefer.
Marlin - Yes without a doubt, with baits.

Shotgun pole - No thanks, have enough stuff to worry about.

[ncr1]

I think some of the advice Peter Pakula offers is pretty well thought out:

http://www.pakula.com.au/index.php/2014 ... outriggers

I don't think I can contribute much more than Pete except to say that I preferred the wider spread to minimise crossovers and tangles, particularly when making hard turns to chase a visible school of fish. We ran outriggers most of the time and it seemed like the wide riggers got strikes more often than the insider runners. But I also agree with Skye, I felt like they did contribute to a lower hookup rate.

[smile0784]

Where did you guys buy outriggers from?

[Nude up]

I bought mine from a guy in Sydney who sold his business due to ill health. Since I have put the carbon fibre poles on which are pretty stiff using tag lines our hook up rate has been pretty good. When there is not much happening having 5 lures out you can cover a fair bit of ground. My favourite thing to go with this is a witchdoctor not one of the new moulded crap things but a genuine wooden one.

[barra mick]

I bought mine from a guy in Sydney who sold his business due to ill health. Since I have put the carbon fibre poles on which are pretty stiff using tag lines our hook up rate has been pretty good. When there is not much happening having 5 lures out you can cover a fair bit of ground. My favourite thing to go with this is a witchdoctor not one of the new moulded crap things but a genuine wooden one.

the wooden witchdoctor is fantastic

ive used it for kingies at the heads and all the pelagic fish I the nt....just love it.

bm

[frozenpod]

For lures they are essential IMO.

For baits, livies ect I don't use them.

[Nude up]

For lures they are essential IMO.

For baits, livies ect I don't use them.

Normally not going quick enough when trolling livies. When we switch bait we pull 9 inch squid in a chain of 6 with a cup faced lure no hook on one side and a bird and squid on the other using some old tld30's attached to the rocket launcher and going through the release clip half way out the rigger. Two rigged live baits in the slimey tubes on the transom when the marlin appear behind the teasers we wind them in using the tld's then chuck the livies at them when close