Getting your downrigger mounted securely on your boat in a convenient
working position is important.If it's easy to set up and operate, it will
add a great deal to your fishing enjoyment. I 
like
to mount downriggers on the sides of the boat near the stern or directly
over the stern. On my current twenty five foot Crestliner I use three 48
inch downriggers, one on each side, about two feet from the transom and
one straight over the stern over the outdrive.
When you are deciding where to mount the downrigger, one important consideration
is the relative position of your downrigger wire line and your boat propeller.
You should avoid positions forward on the boat where a sharp turn of the
boat could put your line in the prop. Many fishermen successfully mount
downriggers on the bow, but be careful; a downrigger on the bow without
enough weight on it can end up in your prop.
It's also important that your downrigger be mounted where it's easy to
turn with either hand without bumping into things. I suggest holding it
on the boat where you think it will fit and checking the handle and arm
clearance before you drill.
Some downriggers come with a rod holder that can be mounted directly on
the downrigger. In some instances space may dictate this, but my preference
is to mount the rod holder on the boat 12 to 18 inches from the downrigger.
With a little practice you can then wind up both the downrigger and fishing
rod at the same time. This adds to the convenience and reduces tangles.
Most downriggers come with a mounting plate that is permanently mounted
on the boat. The 
downrigger
can then be slipped in and out of this plate when it's needed. Mounting
techniques vary considerably depending on the size and type of boat. For
larger boats constructed of fiberglass or wood there are three basic systems
I recommend: the horizontal mount, the vertical mount and the deck supported
rail mount. If the boat has a flat area at the desired downrigger location,
the base plate can normally be mounted directly by using screws or bolts
drilled through the fiberglass with lock washers and nuts on the other
side. Be sure you have a solid mount as you are going to put heavy weights
on your downrigger and you don't want the baseplate to be bending or cracking
your fiberglass or aluminum. I usually prefer to drill all the way through
the gunnel and then use another soft wood backing plate from below. You
can then either use long screws or bolts and not have to worry.
One of the most popular universal horizontal mounts is the swivel. It allows
the downrigger to be turned for servicing. A swivel mounted on the rear
corner of a boat also allows it to be fished 
over
the side or over the stern. This is my favorite setup. I fish my downriggers
out the side but when I want to land a fish I swivel the downrigger to
the rear where it is out of the way. The Scotty swivels have sixteen locking
positions.
Some boats don't have a horizontal location suitable for mounting but have
an 
ideal
vertical surface. For this application, Scotty makes a right angle bracket
that converts the vertical surface to horizontal. A permanent plate is
mounted on the vertical surface and the right angle bracket is fastened
into this bracket. The same rigid mounting guidelines apply to this case.
Many larger boats have wooden or metal rails down the side or across the
stern in the desirable downrigger locations. In a few instances a downrigger
can be mounted under a rail, but this is not recommended. Invariably the
rail gets in the way and operation of the downrigger becomes difficult.
A much preferred system is to get the downrigger supported up on top of
the rail where it is convenient and easy to operate. Scotty now makes a
universal rail mounting bracket. One advantage is that the entire bracket
can be removed from 
the
boat when it's not needed. The same mounting principle can be used with
wooden rails. Mounting on top of a rail without some extra support is not
recommended. A downrigger places a great deal of torque on the rail and
sooner or later you will pull out your rail mounts.
Another mounting system which is popular in some areas is the gimbal mount.
The downrigger is mounted on a gimbal which slides into the built in tube
rod holder in the boat. This makes the setup very portable because the
entire downrigger and mount can easily be removed when not in 
use.
A gimbal mount should only be used straight over the stern of the boat.
When used over the side, frequently there is too much twisting action particularly
if the downrigger hangs up on the bottom. Most built in tube rod holders
are not made to take the twisting strain of a downrigger. Be careful if
you use this system. Gimbal mounts come in 9 inch and twelve inch lengths.
The twelve inch models are much stronger.
Aluminum boats present a different mounting problem since care must be
taken on where holes are drilled. With some boats you can mount the downrigger
at the corner of the transom where the flat reinforcing plate is sometimes
large enough to mount the downrigger bracket. If this won't work you can
try a wooden platform that bolts to the seat and is raised high enough
to allow the downrigger to extend over the side. Some aluminum boat manufacturers
are now making an add on horizontal plate which bolts on the boat. A couple
of downrigger manufacturers including 
Scotty
make a portable clamp mount that will fit on the edge gunnel of an aluminum
boat. Another system that works on aluminum boats is to mount the downrigger
on the side gunnel using a vertical mount adaptor. Scotty makes a right-angle
bracket which mounts vertically on the side of the boat and a removable
right-angle bracket then locks into this plate to provide the downrigger
mount.
Some boats do not lend themselves to convenient downrigger mounting. Sometimes
a mounting board which spans the width of the boat near the stern works
well. Scotty makes a mounting 
board
which mounts on two small versaball plates, one on each side of the boat.
Downriggers and rod holders can then be mounted on the board. A board across
the transom also works well on inflatables. The board is lashed down on
each side of the inflatable.
All of the mounts discussed here can be seen in the Downrigger Fishing Secrets book or the Scotty catalog.
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