F
ishing boats just look naked without a decent
set of outriggers. In fact, from trailerboats to
long-range sportfishers, many would say that
outriggers distinguish a true fishing boat from a
chunk of wasted fibreglass. And it’s not just because they
look cool; a set of ’riggers also enable you to troll a wide
variety of baits or lures from many different positions,
and helps you tune your spread for more appeal.
However, that’s just the tiniest tip of the iceberg when
you consider all the benefits these remarkable fishing
tools bring to your game.WHY YOU NEED THEM
Darin Asher started working for Rupp Marine (www.
ruppmarine.com) back in 1987, and for the past 32
years he’s been the go-to man at one of the largest and
most respected outrigger manufacturers in the US. He
says there are many advantages that outriggers bring
over pulling baits from the rod tips. For example, if you
tow your lures from the rod tips in gunnel-mounted
rodholders, you have to troll them way back to get them
out of the white water generated by your wake and
motors. In contrast, with outriggers you can present
your baits or lures outside the wash where the fish can
see them, but still keep them close to the boat, where
the commotion has focused the fish’s attention.
Of course, outriggers also allow you to run more
lines over a wide area and keep them from
tangling. Dave Snure, a freelance outrigger guru
in the US game fishing port of Fort Lauderdale,
has been installing outrigger setups for the last
18 years ([email protected]). He says
the whole idea behind outriggers is to get a
good spread. When you troll from the rod
tips off your transom, your spread is only
covering the width of the boat, which
is just 4m if you are lucky. However,By moving the outrigger halyard
up or down, you can alter the
towing angle on your bait or lure,
adjusting its action to suit the
situation and sea conditions.
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