Downrigger vs Outrigger: Which Trolling System Works Best for Your Boat? Stop Guessing, Start Catching
You rig up for a day of trolling, drop your lines, and fifteen minutes later—tangles, crossed lines, and zero bites while the boat next to you is doubled over.
TL;DR
Downriggers and outriggers solve two completely different trolling problems. Downriggers send your bait down to a specific depth using a heavy cannonball weight and release clip—perfect for salmon, lake trout, and deep-holding stripers . Outriggers are long poles that spread your lines out to the sides, preventing tangles and covering more water—ideal for surface-feeding pelagics like mahi, sailfish, and tuna . If you need depth control, buy downriggers. If you need spread width, buy outriggers. Serious offshore anglers often run both . Your boat size matters too—outriggers need 18-20 foot poles for offshore work; downriggers fit almost any boat with gunwale space .
Key Takeaways
- Downriggers control DEPTH – Use a weighted cable and release clip to troll at exact depths (10-200+ feet) without heavy sinkers on your line
- Outriggers control SPREAD – Long poles keep multiple lines separated, widen your trolling path, and let you run surface baits without tangles
- Downriggers are slower – Limited to 4-5 mph; faster creates blowback and strain on the boom
- Outriggers are faster – Can troll at 6-9 mph for wahoo and tuna; some run even faster
- Smaller boats (under 20 feet) – Downriggers are easier to mount and use; full-sized outriggers may be overkill
- Both have release clips – When a fish strikes, the line pops free so you fight fish, not weight or poles
What Exactly Does a Downrigger Do?
Here’s the problem. You want to troll deep—say, 60 feet down where the big lake trout are hiding. Without a downrigger, you’d need a 10-ounce sinker on your line. That kills your fight, your rod tip drags, and you can barely tell if a fish is biting or just dragging bottom .
A downrigger solves this beautifully. It’s a device mounted to your gunwale or transom with a 3-6 foot boom that extends over the water. A stainless steel cable or heavy braid runs from the spool through a pulley at the boom tip and hangs down into the water. At the end of that cable? A cannonball weight—3 to 10 pounds of lead shaped like, well, a cannonball .
Here’s the genius part. Your fishing line clips onto the downrigger cable near the cannonball using a release clip. You lower the whole rig to your desired depth—say, 40 feet. Your bait trails behind the cannonball at that exact depth. When a fish strikes, the line pops free from the clip. Now you’re fighting the fish directly, no extra weight, no resistance .
Key downrigger components:
- Base (mounts to boat via bolts or rod holder drop-in)
- Spool (holds 100-300 lb cable or braid)
- Boom (extended arm, usually 3-6 feet)
- Cannonball weight (3-10 lbs)
- Release clips (hold your fishing line until a strike)
Downriggers can reach 100+ feet deep easily. Some electric models are used for kite fishing and deep drifting beyond 600 feet, though that’s not typical trolling .
Here’s a tip I learned from a Great Lakes salmon guide – Use the lightest cannonball you can get away with for the depth and speed you’re trolling. More weight = more blowback and drag on your boat. Start with 6-8 pounds for most situations.
What Exactly Does an Outrigger Do?
Now imagine you’re running four lines behind your boat. Without outriggers, they all drag in a narrow cone behind the transom. One fish runs sideways and suddenly you’ve got a spaghetti mess .
Outriggers are long poles—usually aluminum or fiberglass—that mount to your T-top, hardtop, or gunwale and extend out to the sides of your boat. They range from 12 feet on small center consoles to 24+ feet on big sportfishers .
A halyard (thin line) runs from the base up to a pulley at the tip of the outrigger and back down. You attach release clips to the halyard at specific positions. Your fishing line clips into these release clips, and the outrigger holds your line out to the side, away from the boat’s wake .
Key outrigger components:
- Poles (aluminum, fiberglass, or carbon fiber)
- Bases (mount to T-top, hardtop, or gunwale)
- Halyards (lines that run up and down the pole)
- Release clips (hold your fishing lines until a strike)
When a fish strikes a line on an outrigger, the line pops out of the clip. The fight happens directly on your rod, with no interference from the outrigger .
Outriggers are designed for surface or near-surface trolling—baits skipping on top, swimming just below the surface. They’re the standard for offshore pelagics like mahi-mahi, sailfish, marlin, and tuna .
Downrigger vs Outrigger: The Head-to-Head
| Feature | Downrigger | Outrigger |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Sends bait to precise depth | Spreads lines out to sides |
| Where it goes | Down into the water | Out to the sides, above water |
| Target species | Salmon, lake trout, stripers, walleye, snapper | Mahi, sailfish, tuna, marlin, kingfish |
| Depth range | 10-200+ feet | Surface to maybe 10 feet (with planers) |
| Trolling speed | 2-5 mph (slower; blowback limits speed) | 5-9 mph (faster; wahoo/tuna speeds) |
| Boat size minimum | Almost any boat with gunwale | Usually 18+ feet, often 20+ |
| Number of lines | 1-2 per downrigger (usually) | 2-3 per outrigger (via multiple halyards) |
| Learning curve | Moderate (depth management, blowback) | Moderate (tension settings, deployment) |
| Cost range | $150-1,000+ per rigger | $500-4,000+ per pair |
| Saltwater standard? | Underutilized but effective | Mandatory on most offshore boats |
When to Choose Downriggers (Depth is Your Priority)
You Should Buy Downriggers If:
You target deep-water species. Salmon, lake trout, walleye, stripers in summer, and bottom-oriented snapper all hold at specific depths. A downrigger puts your bait right in their face without dragging a heavy sinker .
You fish freshwater lakes or reservoirs. Downriggers originated in the Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest for salmon trolling. They’re still the gold standard there .
Your boat is smaller (under 20 feet). Outriggers need significant mounting hardware and pole length to be effective. Downriggers bolt to your gunwale or drop into rod holders—much simpler .
You want to fish slower. Downriggers are happy at 2-4 mph. Perfect for cold-water species and sluggish baits.
You’re okay with some hassle. Let’s be honest—downriggers can be a “pain in the ARSE” according to one angler. They need careful setup, blowback management, and retrieval between spots . But for depth control, nothing beats them.
Here’s a tip from a Lake Michigan charter captain – If you’re running multiple downriggers, stagger your cannonball weights. Run a 10-pounder on the deepest line, 8-pound on the next, 6-pound on the shallowest. The different blowback profiles keep your lines from tangling when you turn.
When to Choose Outriggers (Spread is Your Priority)
You Should Buy Outriggers If:
You chase surface-oriented pelagics. Mahi-mahi, sailfish, marlin, tuna, king mackerel—these fish feed near the surface. Outriggers let you run multiple baits that skip and splash like a fleeing school of baitfish .
You fish offshore in saltwater. Outriggers are “de rigueur equipment on almost every blue-water boat” . Even 21-foot center consoles run them.
You want to cover more water. A pair of 20-foot outriggers spreads your baits across 40+ feet of width. You’re fishing more water with every pass .
You fish faster. Outriggers handle 6-9 mph trolling speeds easily. Some wahoo fishermen push past that .
You want the “offshore look.” Let’s be honest—outriggers make a boat look like a serious fishing machine. Some anglers keep them just for the aesthetic and flying flags .
Outrigger Considerations
Boat size matters. For effective offshore use, you need 18-20 foot outriggers as a minimum. Smaller boats may use 12-15 foot telescoping models, but they lack the backbone for heavy loads .
They need adjustment. Poorly rigged outriggers cause more problems than they solve. Halyard tension, release clip placement, and shock cords all need dialing in .
Learning curve exists. Running multiple lines per outrigger requires practice. Heavier baits can pull tension off lighter baits, causing premature releases or tangles .
Can You Run Both? Absolutely (And Many Do)
Serious offshore anglers don’t choose. They run both downriggers AND outriggers on the same boat .
The hybrid spread works like this:
- Outriggers hold surface lines and “flat lines” close to the boat
- Downriggers send baits down to the thermocline or bottom
- You cover the full water column—surface, mid-depth, and deep
One Gulf angler explains: “I have had great success with Downriggers especially later in the season when the ‘comfort zone’ is further down than the Outriggers and flatlines can bring up” .
Creative cross-use: Some anglers have turned long downrigger booms into makeshift outriggers. A forum member notes: “I cheat… made a pair of extra long downriggers to act as outriggers for tuna – 36′ tip to tip” . Others use outriggers to run deep-diving plugs with a planer, though the intense pull can unlatch the clip .
Quick Decision Guide
Buy Downriggers If:
- You regularly fish deeper than 20 feet (salmon, lakers, walleye, stripers)
- Your boat is under 20 feet or you have limited mounting options
- You troll slowly (2-4 mph)
- You fish freshwater more than saltwater
- You don’t want to drill holes for large outrigger bases
Buy Outriggers If:
- You chase surface pelagics (mahi, sailfish, tuna, marlin, kings)
- You fish offshore saltwater regularly
- Your boat is 20+ feet with a T-top or hardtop
- You want to run 4-6 lines without tangles
- You troll faster (5-9 mph)
Buy Both If:
- You fish where fish are spread throughout the water column
- You’re serious about offshore tournaments
- You have the budget and deck space (over 22 feet)
- You want maximum versatility
Species-Specific Recommendations
| Species | Go With | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon (Great Lakes/NW) | Downriggers | They hold deep; precision depth control is essential |
| Lake Trout | Downriggers | Even deeper than salmon; need 80-120 feet |
| Striped Bass (summer) | Downriggers | They go deep in hot weather |
| Walleye (Great Lakes) | Downriggers or lead-core | Downriggers give you precise depth control |
| Mahi-Mahi | Outriggers | Surface-oriented; spread matters |
| Sailfish/Marlin | Outriggers | Surface baits; the strike is visual |
| Tuna | Both | Some species surface, some deep; run outriggers + downriggers |
| King Mackerel | Both | Surface running, but deep divers catch big ones |
| Wahoo | Outriggers (fast) | They hit fast-moving surface baits; 7-9 mph |
| Red Snapper (deep) | Downriggers | Bump-trolling structure; precision depth |
FAQ: Downrigger vs Outrigger Questions
1. Can I use downriggers for salmon and outriggers for tuna on the same boat?
Yes. Many Great Lakes boats run downriggers; coastal boats run outriggers. If your boat fishes multiple regions, you can install both. Just be aware of deck space and mounting points .
2. Are outriggers worth it on a small boat (under 20 feet)?
Maybe. Some anglers run 12-15 foot telescoping outriggers on center consoles. But they lack the backbone for heavy dredges or multiple lines. One forum user with a 22-foot boat considered 8-10 foot outriggers—possible, but less effective .
3. Do downriggers work in saltwater?
Yes. Gulf anglers use downriggers for snapper, grouper, and even slow-trolling for kingfish. Some tournament kingfish pros “bump troll” very slow with downriggers . They’re underutilized in saltwater but effective.
4. What trolling speed works for downriggers?
2-4 mph typically. Above 5 mph, the cannonball creates significant “blowback” (the cable angles back, reducing your actual depth). This also strains the downrigger boom .
5. Can I troll with outriggers in freshwater?
Some anglers do, especially on the Great Lakes for salmon and trout. But most freshwater trollers use downriggers, planer boards, or lead-core line instead. Outriggers are less common in freshwater .
6. How many lines can I run with outriggers?
Professional outriggers can run 2-3 lines per pole (via multiple halyards) plus a dredge on larger boats. Smaller outriggers handle 1-2 lines per side .
7. What’s the biggest downside of downriggers?
They’re slower (2-4 mph), require managing 6-10 pound cannonballs, and can be a “pain” to retrieve and redeploy between spots. Also, they snag on submerged trees and structure .
8. What’s the biggest downside of outriggers?
Installation complexity, cost, and boat size requirements. Poorly rigged outriggers cause more tangles than they prevent. They also add wind resistance when trailering (though many collapse) .
What’s on your boat – downriggers, outriggers, both, or neither? Drop a comment below with your boat size and target species, and let’s figure out what you actually need (not just what looks cool at the dock).
