Outriggers have long served a critical role in offshore trolling, but installing and rigging them for the best performance can be confusing for many anglers. Fortunately, modern outriggers are so fine-tuned that their installation and setup has become fairly standardized. Additionally, there are lots of clever new products on the market that make it easier than ever to rig and use outriggers. For example, there are a wide variety of pulleys, eyes and release clips designed for specific uses, as well as multi-purpose generic release clips that work well in a variety of situations. There's also a slew of different halyard materials that can be geared for how a crew wants the outrigger to work for its personal preference.
Basic Installation
Brier Patch 'Rigger Setup
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The author's outrigger setup uses 400-pound-test mono for the halyards and two types of release clips on the upper two lines, including one for standard baits and one for larger baits that create more drag.
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There are several keys to proper outrigger installation. First, the alignment of the 'riggers in relation to the cockpit and bridge is very important. On a center console, access is critical. When properly installed, center-console 'riggers can be installed without having to bring the halyards to the gunwales and sacrificing the 360-degree fish-ability of the center console.
When raised, the tips of the 'riggers should extend past the transom no more than two feet. On a big boat with a bridge, the forward base mount and rear back bar mount should line up parallel with each other so that the 'riggers can be lowered with minimum change in the halyards. Easy, unobstructed access to the 'riggers from the bridge should also be a goal.
Outriggers should not extend more than two feet beyond the plane of the transom when raised.
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Naturally, the 'riggers should look "right," complementing the lines of the boat; however, basing the installation solely on the position of the tower legs or rake of the house can lead to problems. Do not let the installer base the installation primarily on matching the tower legs or lines of the boat. Rather, make him install the 'riggers for proper use.
Preparing for the Halyards
Once the 'riggers are installed, setting up the halyards takes little time. Outriggers come standard with an eye bolt at each spreader and at the tip of the 'rigger for the halyard lines to pass through. My crew and I have found that, over time, a metal eye creates too much resistance during halyard adjustment, and will fray mono or nylon parachute cord over time.
To solve the problem, we run the halyards through glass rings attached to each eyebolt. The glass ring has a larger diameter, creating a large, smooth surface for the halyard to slide over. This is especially important at the tip of the 'rigger, where the halyard angle is sharpest. The glass eyes provide a slick surface for easy adjustment of the clips.
The glass rings are bound tightly to the 'rigger eye bolts with waxed rigging line, so they don't move. Since we run multiple halyards and teaser-line retrievers, we can put two glass rings next to each other and separate how many halyards are running together. Running more than two halyards through the same ring can cause them to bind and tangle. The lines can even cut into each other, creating a weak spot that may break under tension.
An alternate system for adjusting halyard tension involves passing a heavy cord through the covering board and securing it in a jam cleat.
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My crew and I have used both monofilament and parachute cord for our halyard lines, and prefer mono for its simplicity in rigging and trouble-free use. We use 400-pound mono for our halyards because it is easy to handle, will not hold dirt and can be crimped instead of tied.
For trolling natural baits we use Black's outrigger clips. We run the halyard through the holes in the clip and crimp the mono together in the center of the clip. This allows the clip to spin freely, preventing the fishing line from rolling onto the halyard, and also alleviates the need for swivels that can foul the line.
Keep it Simple
Captain Butch Cox of the charter boat Prime Time, a 56 Paul Mann based in Manteo, North Carolina, has some good advice to offer when it comes to setting up an outrigger system. "Keep it simple," he says. "Gear your setup towards how you fish. Keep it clean, trouble-free and ready at all times. If it's too complicated, you'll have problems when you least need them."
Cox and his deckhand, Sean Finucane, also use Black's release clips, but they rig a second Black's clip above the first. Off North Carolina, Cox and Finucane use a variety of tackle and methods in a typical day's fishing. The second clip's release tension is set higher than the first, and comes into play when a larger, heavier bait is called for. Having two clips is more efficient, as Finucane does not have to spend critical time adjusting the release tension when different size baits are used.
After sailfish season ends and the Brier Patch heads to the Bahamas and parts of the East Coast, we add an Aftco Roller Troller clip above our Black's clip to handle lures and larger baits. The Roller Trollers are excellent for lures, especially small jets, as the fishing line can be adjusted through the roller or manipulated to bait a fish. We don't use tag lines when trolling big baits or small lures. Using tag lines with small lures can be especially disastrous.
At the base of each halyard is a double pulley, like the kind typically found on sailboats. We use an over-under pulley with the larger wheel on the bottom. We then crimp a smaller pulley above the double pulley for our third halyard. The bottom wheel is largest, while the top wheel is smallest. This allows the deckie to manipulate them without having to look at each halyard once he's familiar with the setup. When rigging the system, make sure the pulley is lined up with the outside edge of the covering board when in the fishing position. The lead to the pulley will be longer in the travel position.
We secure the pulley to the boat with a section of 400-pound mono that has a loop crimped on each end, and is crimped at the pulley to hold it in position. One loop is for the "travel" position of the 'rigger, while the other is for the fishing position. The loops are attached to small cleats on the boat.
T-top 'Rigger Setup
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Mounting outriggers and halyards on a T-top preserves a center console's 360-degree fishability. (detail) The two snap swivels on different lengths of mono allow for quick and easy switches between travel and fishing modes.
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Butch Cox uses a different method. He runs a section of heavy cord through the covering board, and adjusts the travel and fishing tension with a jam cleat, another piece of hardware commonly found on sailboats.
On my center console T-top, I crimp a loop of 400-pound mono to the pipe. Instead of loops for going over the cleats, I have two snap swivels crimped to different lengths of mono, one for fishing and one for travel, that clip to the loop.
I don't use swivels or bungee cords to maintain tension on the halyards. While easy to use, bungees are too loose and cannot maintain a constant tension on the halyard when a fish strikes. They allow too much play, and tend to deteriorate quickly. If you use bungee cords to tension your halyards, you are losing fish at the strike.
Once the halyards are set up, we use the main line to the bottom pulley to make tension adjustments when it's time to switch between running and fishing modes. There is no reason to adjust each halyard when all adjustments can be made via one line. Make sure that the pulley is close to the T-top in the fishing position, so you won't have to lean over the gunwale when setting the lines.
Here are some basic rules to keep in mind when setting up your outrigger system: Keep your system clean and simple. Maintain even, constant pressure on your halyards and use quality materials and components. Set the halyard tension on the innermost short 'rigger first, followed by the short 'rigger and finally the long 'rigger, each matched to the tension of the first halyard. Make the halyards as tight as possible, as the mono will stretch when warmed by the sun. Select the proper clip for the type of fishing you are doing and make sure your clips are clean, well lubricated and always set at the proper tension for a clean release.
Your outriggers are a great fishing tool, and can help you take advantage of more bites when set up properly. Pay attention to the details of rigging and your outriggers will pay you back in fish.
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