I saved a ton of money last summer by building a homemade downrigger instead of dropping $400 on a factory-made unit at the marine supply store. If you've ever looked at the price tags on some of those professional trolling setups, you know exactly what I'm talking about—it's enough to make your wallet cry. But the thing is, a downrigger isn't actually a complex machine. At its core, it's just a glorified spool of wire or heavy line that drops a weight to a specific depth. Once I realized that, I figured I could probably build one in my garage with stuff I already had lying around.
The beauty of going the DIY route isn't just the cost savings, though that's a huge part of it. It's also about the satisfaction of catching a deep-water trout or salmon on gear you assembled yourself. There's a certain pride in seeing that rod tip bounce and knowing your hand-built contraption did exactly what it was supposed to do.
Why skip the store-bought models?
Most of us aren't professional charter captains. We're just folks who want to get our lures down to where the fish are hiding during the heat of the day. When the surface water gets too warm, those big lakers and salmon head deep, and a standard diver disk just won't cut it. You need a heavy weight to keep your line vertical.
Commercial units are great, don't get me wrong. They have digital counters, electric motors, and sleek finishes. But a homemade downrigger can get your lure to 60 feet just as effectively as a $500 Cannon or Scotty. Plus, if it breaks, you actually know how to fix it because you're the one who put it together.
What you're going to need
Before you start drilling holes in things, you need to gather some basic supplies. You might even have most of this in your scrap pile.
- A sturdy base: I used a piece of 2x4 pressure-treated wood, but a thick plastic cutting board or a metal bracket works even better.
- The boom: This is the "arm" that sticks out over the water. A piece of 1-inch PVC pipe works, but if you want something stiffer, an old aluminum crutch or a piece of electrical conduit is perfect.
- The reel: You need a way to store and crank the line. An old, cheap baitcasting reel works in a pinch, but a plastic hose reel or even a large wooden spool with a handle bolted on will do.
- The line: Don't use thin fishing line. You want 100-150lb test braided nylon or even thin stainless steel wire.
- The weight: Usually called a "cannonball." You can buy these, or just use a heavy window weight or a lead-filled pipe.
- A pulley: A small clothesline pulley from the hardware store works wonders at the end of the boom.
Putting the frame together
Start with your boom. If you're using PVC, keep it relatively short—maybe 2 feet. If it's too long, the weight of the cannonball will make it flex like a wet noodle. I found that a 24-inch piece of conduit is the "Goldilocks" length. It's long enough to clear the side of the boat but short enough to remain rigid.
Mount your boom to your base. If you're using wood, you can use U-bolts to secure the pipe. This base needs to be something you can easily clamp to the gunwale of your boat. I ended up using a heavy-duty C-clamp, which makes the whole homemade downrigger portable. I can move it from my boat to my buddy's boat in about thirty seconds.
Adding the "guts" of the system
Once your arm is secure, it's time to mount the reel. This is where people get creative. I've seen guys use the crank handle from an old trailer winch, which is actually brilliant because those things are built to handle a lot of torque. I personally used an old, beat-up Penn Senator reel that had a stripped drag. Since I didn't need the drag to work for the downrigger, it was perfect.
Bolt the reel to the base of the boom. Make sure the line feeds off the spool and runs straight down the length of the arm. At the very tip of your boom, attach your pulley. You can just bolt it through the pipe. This pulley is crucial because it reduces friction and prevents the line from fraying as you're cranking that heavy weight back up from the depths.
The weight and the release clip
You can't have a homemade downrigger without something to sink your line. A 5lb to 8lb weight is usually the sweet spot for most small boats. If you go too light, the "blowback" (the weight swinging back as the boat moves) will be annoying. If you go too heavy, your PVC arm might snap.
The "release clip" is the little gadget that connects your actual fishing line to the downrigger weight. You can buy these for five bucks, or you can make one using a heavy-duty clothespin and some rubber pads. The idea is that when a fish hits your lure, the line pulls out of the clip, and you're left fighting the fish on a free line while the downrigger weight stays down in the water.
Getting the depth right
One downside of a DIY build is the lack of a depth counter. If you want to be precise, you can mark your downrigger line every ten feet with a bit of bright colored string or a permanent marker. It's not as fancy as a digital display, but it works. When I see three red marks go over the pulley, I know I'm at thirty feet. It's simple, reliable, and never runs out of batteries.
Testing it out on the water
The first time I took my homemade downrigger out, I was a little nervous. I was half-expecting the whole thing to fly off the boat the moment I dropped the weight. But it held up great. The key is to start slow. Drop the weight while the boat is moving at a slow trolling speed—maybe 1.5 to 2.5 mph.
Keep an eye on the boom. If it looks like it's straining too much, you might need to shorten the arm or reinforce the base. I actually ended up adding a small safety tether (just a piece of paracord) from the downrigger to a cleat on the boat. That way, if my clamp ever slipped, I wouldn't lose my hard work to the bottom of the lake.
Maintenance and tweaks
Since most of these parts are likely from the hardware store, they aren't all going to be "marine grade." If you're fishing in saltwater, you'll want to rinse everything down with fresh water after every trip. If you used wood for the base, give it a fresh coat of sealant every season so it doesn't rot.
You might find that your first version is a bit clunky. That's okay! My second homemade downrigger was way better than the first because I learned where the stress points were. I eventually swapped out the plastic pulley for a stainless steel one and changed the handle on my reel to something a bit larger and easier to grip with cold fingers.
Final thoughts on the DIY approach
At the end of the day, fishing is supposed to be fun, not a contest of who has the most expensive gear. Building a homemade downrigger is a great weekend project that actually improves your catch rate. It opens up a whole new world of deep-water fishing that you might have skipped because of the entry price.
So, rummage through your garage, find some old pipes and a reel, and give it a shot. You might be surprised at just how well a bit of ingenuity and some PVC can perform when there's a hungry fish on the other end of the line. Just remember to keep an eye on your depth and enjoy the silence of the lake—and the extra cash in your pocket.