DIY Downrigger?

[gleeeza]

Hi team

I am wondering if any one has gone about setting up their own downrigger. I have gone out and picked up a bomb and clip after using a mates very basic rig, I mean measure out depth of venetian blind cord and tie her off basic, worked though!! A bit on the tricky side when it came to doing it all on you own. Pretty handy myself I am a fitter by trade so I don't mind elaborate ideas if any body has had a go themselves.

Then again, is a basic off the shelf set up good enough, is it worth the trouble?

I was wondering how deep you can use these things, I am looking at 1.2mm SS wire to set up with and was wondering what length I need to buy.

Thanks Glenn

[Fishin_Dan]

You could just sew some coloured thread around the cord every metre or so... (Maybe thick red band for every metre, and thin black band for half metre).

Thats actually an interesting idea though... Had never thought about that. Would be a really neat way to do one up for a kayak!

[charleville]

When I looked at making a downrigger, I looked at doing a proper job and then costed it out and decided to look at importing one instead - which I did.

The problem with spending any serious money on making one is that it probably won't have the features that you can get on a manufactured product, especially the safety features and when you are done with it, no one will buy it from you anyway so whatever you spend is dead cash.

By contrast, import one from Cabelas in the USA and it will cost you about 40% of what the things are to buy in Australia, the quality of product is terrific and much better than what you will make yourself, it is resaleable so you have not done all your dough on the exercise, and when I did my sums, the cost was not much more than what I was going to spend making a really good one.

I would not buy one locally though - the mark-up in Australia is obscene. I paid about $190 for a downrigger with bomb landed to my door - the same product sells for $499 in Australia without bomb. I kid you not!

[gleeeza]

Thanks Charlie

I was not sold one way or the other but now that you put it that way I can see your reasoning. Have you got a link or more details about what model you have and where to have a look at them?

The gear I have won't go to waste I can still use it to run a second shallow rig when I am fishing 2 out. Thanks

Glenn

[jez and suze]

i took charlies advice a year ago as i was going to build one and had writtern up a post similar to yours...........
the one i got was a scotty 5010 or 1050? i think they are $130 us so all up with postage it cost me about $200 au wich included an 8lb ball......where as here that setup would cost $600.....i got mine from cabelas (just google them) also basspro are the same price,just check their postage costs as im not sure of them.......jez

[jez and suze]

ps......bcf sell the exact one without the ball for about $500 so go and have a look at them.....but dont buy one there! 5010 scotty or maby its called 1050, you will work it out.

[jez and suze]

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...dexId=cat20985

[charleville]

As per Jez's link above to Cabelas, their current price is USD$134.99. They charge another 20% for packing and postage to Australia which brings it to USD$162.

At the current exchange rate, they will bill your credit card $190.76 in Australian dollars. Your credit card institution will add another 50 cents or so because it is an international transaction.

So for about $191, you will get the same product that is still selling for $499 in BCF plus you would have to buy the lead bomb if you bought it from BCF.


Just to prove the point once more with readily available evidence, here is the price (without weight and release clip!!!) from a Aussie online retailer ...






This an very simple way to get a damn fine downrigger!

[Lovey80]

Thanks Charlie thats a great bit of info. I would have paid the 500 as i thought that was the going rate. This is one of the reasons we all love Ausfish.

Cheers Chris

[charleville]

Thanks Charlie thats a great bit of info. I would have paid the 500 as i thought that was the going rate. This is one of the reasons we all love Ausfish.

No probs, Chris. You will see me tell this story many times in these pages as the question arises every three months or so.

I rush to tell the story every time because I think that the mark-up for the Aussie consumer on these products is obscene. This is especially so as when you buy the product from Cabelas, you are still buying it retail so they must obviously be making a reasonable profit margin on the transaction. The Aussie supply chain for these does not add any extra value on this North American manufactured product (other than GST) than the American retailer so why should we pay something like 300% more to buy the same product?!!!

You do have to wait a few weeks for delivery via surface mail but the wait is worthwhile. Cabela package the goods very well and include information about warranties and how to return the product if something is not right.

I have been very happy with mine, BTW. It certainly seems to be robust enough. Also, I don't think that I would have been able to emulate the brake/clutch nearly as well on a home-made one. That is important as that is a safety consideration - you don't want the downrigger catching on something when you are trolling and dragging the rear of the boat under water

[Feral]

You can also get these contraptions you tow that plane down deep (variable depth by mount point) that work well also.

I have to say, for $500 you could by an awful lot of Halco Crazy deep lures!

[gleeeza]

Thanks Charlie and others, I followed up on your info and they are indeed absurdly cheaper from this supplier. They are saying I can only have it sent airmail due to anew size consideration? don't know what that is about but I get it a whole lot quicker for another 20%. Haven,t committed yet I want ed to hear if any others have struck this first.

Cheers Glenn

[charleville]

Gleeeza;

There are other USA retailers who were actually a bit cheaper when I bought mine but I went with Cabelas as it was a first time thing to me, buying from overseas, and Cabelas had a good reputation.

It might be worthwhile Googling for other online fishing retailers to see what their total cost to you would be.

[Steve Jassid]

Thanks Gleeza... for asking the question... looking for the same info myself

Thanks Charlville ... and Jez and Suz ..... intend on following your advice .. no doubt have the skills to DIY ....... but who can match the import price and features................. Googled here and googled there.. looks like Cabela wins.

Charlie... when did you purchase yours... does the price qouted in forum stand at this date..................... thanks

[charleville]

Charlie... when did you purchase yours... does the price qouted in forum stand at this date..................... thanks

I purchased mine two or three years ago BUT the prices that I quoted here are what I obtained from Cabellas' site this week when I wrote the post and I assumed that their post and pack was still 20% but according to Gleeexa, that may have changed on something as weighty as this product - which does not make sense to me but I shall leave you guys to explore that issue.

The exchange rates are easily available online at sites such as http://www.xe.com/ucc/

So the prices that I quoted and calculated should be current now. In fact I paid a little less in USD$ for mine but the exchange rate is better now than then so the overall price in Aussie $ is still the same.

What gets me is that the retail price in Australia was $499 when I bought mine and it is still the same in the tackle shops now. I just cannot believe the mark-up on this stuff for no value-add to the product other than distribution in Australia.