downrigger mounting options on a 1875 Pro V?

[moose-hunter]

Many thanks for the pics, fishboat!!! Good looking set up!! For a Plan "B" it worked out rather well, I think. I may just have to "borrow" a few ideas for my own boat.

Thanks again!!!

[moose-hunter]

Bringing this back around since I have yet to decide how to get these dern D/R's mounted.

I've been seriously considering using (3) sets of Traxstech "T-Bolt" brackets mounted to 12" to 18" rails. Then milling up some new rail mounts for the Cannons and mounting them directly to the Sport Trak mounted rails.

My concern here is gunnel flex. Will the weight of the riggers and my 10lb cannon balls be too much for the Sport Trak system?

Another option would be to go the same route as above, but fab or buy a full width bar/board that basically spans the entire boat, and mounting the riggers to that. Twice the weight, but more than twice the support depending on where the bar/board was mounted.

Anyway I go, these mounts and D/R's will need to be 100% removable. Leaving little or no trace they were ever there. I'm thinking a 100% custom install may be in my future with a HUGE pile of aluminum chips at my feet.

[REW]

Moose,
It is really tough to beat a full width rigger board if you can put up with the loss of access behind the board.
Everything mounts to the board. The board mounts with a bolt or two.
Remove the board, and everything is off the boat.

Since it is full width, you never have to worry about any gunnel flexing or twisting, since there is virtually no side force on either gunnel.

One way to mount the rigger board is to do what Johnnie Candle did with his board. He just extended a member back or forward - depending on where the board is with respect to the rear cleats. He then ran a u bolt through the cleat and through the clamping member.
A wing nut on the top of the U bolt and the board was mounted with no drilled holes in the boat.

If you use 5/4 cedar, you can make a full width mounting board for about $10. Also, Cedar requires no finish and refinishing over the years.

Good luck
REW

[moose-hunter]

Good ideas, but I'm staying away from using wood at the moment. If I have to go with a full with board/bar, I'm going for the gusto and ordering one from Bert's or TraxsTech.

I'm mulling over a couple ideas or removable mounts that are located inside the gunnels. Possibly seat or hatch mounted risers with the aluminum trolling bar mounted on top.

Or maybe my own design using the outer rail and inner rail like the Lund bracket uses. This would take a big chunk or 6061 or better and the pile of chips would be steep and deep!

I have a nice drop of 3 x 3 x .25 angle I'm playing with at the moment. I have a good design for a "inner" bracket, but the outer bracket is giving me fits since it would probably take a bead or two to complete. I'm just not that good with a torch.

You know anyone who can run a nice row of dimes with aluminium? LOL!!

[fishboat]

How many rigger boards or DR setups have to done on boats over the years?

If this is the first, you may want to make the 10-20 dollar investment in a wood board (2 x 8 cedar) and use it to work through/devise an optimal setup before you jump into a high$ chunk of aluminum and then live with a less than optimal setup..or make multiple adjustments until you have something that works really well while leaving you with a aluminum bar that looks like swiss cheese.

I've done DR setups on 5-6 boats and each had multiple changes until I settled in on "this works". Despite the practice, even my most recent iteration (two months ago) I had one reasonably major revision that punched a new set of 8-12 holes in my board.

[T Mac]

Originally Posted by moose-hunter

Okay... How about this...

Has anyone ever mounted their downriggers inboard of the gunwales, on the rear deck using rather tall pedestals?

Yes. However, nowadays, personally, I'd use the brackets from Lund now that there are such things.

[Burr]

Took a few pictures thinking about this post, then realized one of them is really blurry...

This is with the Lund Dowrigger bracket - I just set it in place without installing the attachment to the outside of the rail. Setting them in place is 5 seconds, attaching them to the outside rail is another 5 minutes total for both sides. I leave the riggers attached to the bracket, and just take it off when not using them. No holes drilled in the boat.

I understand why the Lund GL owners, and maybe even the narrow gunnel boats have some hesitation on using the Lund DR brackets. But when you've got the Pro V gunnels, the brackets are really a clean and effective approach.

As I've said before, I don't use them a great deal, but I have used them, and will again this year. I drop a 12 lb ball, and I really like the clean approach with the Lund brackets.

[moose-hunter]

Originally Posted by fishboat

How many rigger boards or DR setups have to done on boats over the years?

If this is the first, you may want to make the 10-20 dollar investment in a wood board (2 x 8 cedar) and use it to work through/devise an optimal setup before you jump into a high$ chunk of aluminum and then live with a less than optimal setup..or make multiple adjustments until you have something that works really well while leaving you with a aluminum bar that looks like swiss cheese.

I've done DR setups on 5-6 boats and each had multiple changes until I settled in on "this works". Despite the practice, even my most recent iteration (two months ago) I had one reasonably major revision that punched a new set of 8-12 holes in my board.

Good advice!!

I've had riggers on my boats since the old Lund s-14 days. And set up quite a few boats since then. However... You think like I do and get a working system first, them drop the cash or drill the holes.

The ultimate goal of this thread is to gather ideas to apply to my own situation. Then rigging a prototype and hammering out the bugs. If I end up with store bought bits... so be it. If it's 100% custom... I'm goiod with that too. As long as my chosen system works.

[moose-hunter]

Originally Posted by Burr

Took a few pictures thinking about this post, then realized one of them is really blurry...

This is with the Lund Dowrigger bracket - I just set it in place without installing the attachment to the outside of the rail. Setting them in place is 5 seconds, attaching them to the outside rail is another 5 minutes total for both sides. I leave the riggers attached to the bracket, and just take it off when not using them. No holes drilled in the boat.

I understand why the Lund GL owners, and maybe even the narrow gunnel boats have some hesitation on using the Lund DR brackets. But when you've got the Pro V gunnels, the brackets are really a clean and effective approach.

As I've said before, I don't use them a great deal, but I have used them, and will again this year. I drop a 12 lb ball, and I really like the clean approach with the Lund brackets.

Thanks again, sir!! Those pictures are worth their weight in.... fish?

[moose-hunter]

Does anyone have any first hand knowledge of these little V-Lock gizmos?