Small Boat Outriggers - Avoiding Lure Trolling

You've probably guessed the subject of this article as Outriggers - Lure Trolling which is a pretty good hint, but perhaps you should read Why Your Boat Might Be Set Up Wrong If You Have a Sport fisher 25 Feet or Smaller.

There has been endless debate over which engines will get you more fish, 2 stroke, 4 stroke, outboards, inboards, diesels and so on. Usually, the result is that larger boats with diesel engines will catch more fish, but perhaps they have nothing to do with the size of the boat and engines, perhaps it's all about the outriggers!

Let's do the Comparison

Larger boats have very long outriggers, check the length and how high the outrigger tips are above the surface of the water, and as we look at the boat, notice how high the outriggers are that control how high the rod tips go when fishing Rods that are run from the rod tips and not in the outriggers.

Here's a medium-sized sport fisher in Australia. It is completely different from a big boat. The rigs are much shorter and have very low limbs in relation to the water, plus the gunwales are much lower than larger boats.

Here's the problem, at the same trolling speed, the prop wash is longer on a small boat than it is on larger boats, not just in proportion, but actually longer. In percentage terms, the width of the prop wash to the width of the boat is wider on a smaller boat. So, of the two boats, which one needs longer and higher gear to get the same performance from the same set of lures? It may be easier now to understand that the bait and gear used by a larger boat will not perform as well on a smaller boat.

There are no terms that I know of to describe the difference in post washers and the difference in length or height of posts. The terminology is the same for all rigged boats as shown: i.e. Short Corner, Long Corner, Short Rigger, Long Rigger, and Shotgun.

Unfortunately, there is no common terminology at all for bait positions on outrigger boats.

They don't have outriggers, so they don't have outrigger sites. Attempting to describe situations is not easy.

The reason all of this is important is that the factors that govern a lure's performance are speed, the position of the lure on the face of the pressure waves, and the angle of the leader relative to the water.

However, the truth is that these angles are difficult to achieve as there is slack or belly in the line so that the bait is pulled rather than caught.

The higher bar and outrigger tips on larger boats as previously described largely compensate for achieving a much higher entry angle. Unfortunately, smaller boats have many more leaders running in front of the bait.

There are several reasons why a high angle of entry is important:

1-The lure is more stable, meaning it spins less, so the hooks are in a better position to get results.

2-There is less leader in the water, so there is less leader impact, and the bait is more active and has a more consistent action.

So, pretty much right now, if you're fishing from a big boat with long jigs, you're pretty happy. If you're fishing from a small boat with short tackle, you're probably thinking that maybe it's time to ditch the bait and try something else. Never be afraid as there are some things you can do to improve the performance of the lure on your boat.

Getting longer equipment is definitely the easiest solution. There are a number of outrigger companies that offer carbon fiber and aluminum outriggers (Affordable prices at CKW Store) that are both lightweight and incredibly tough. There are a number of easy-to-use bases that provide easy adjustment of height and distance.

Related Articles:

Outriggers for Small Boats Self-leveling Tabs vs. Electric Trim Tabs: A Comprehensive Comparison Trim Tabs vs. Interceptors: What's the Difference for My Boat? How Trim Tabs Work!