Scotty Downriggers By Alistair McGlashan

Getting to the bottom to catch fish, means using products from the top – Scotty downriggers are well worth a look.

Downrigging is a highly effective fishing technique that allows anglers to really probe the inky depths. It is an extremely versatile way of presenting live and dead baits as well as lures in a horizontal rather than vertical plane, appealing to a wide spectrum of species from high speed pelagics to bottom dwellers.

Although downrigging is huge elsewhere in the world, it has been a little slow to take off in Australia. Part of the reason behind this is that many of the importers have brought in only small parts of downrigger ranges, which has made it harder for anglers to find the right unit for their particular style of angling. Basser Millyard, however, has gone against the trend and has committed itself by importing pretty much the entire range of Scotty downriggers and associated products.

The name Scotty is synonymous with downrigging. A world leader in the industry, this Canadian company has been building downriggers for more than 30 years. Initially developed for lake trolling, especially for those huge lake trout and salmon in the Great Lakes of the USA, Scotty has since expanded its range to include a series of downriggers to cover a broad spectrum of saltwater fishing pursuits as well.

With a huge range of accessories, Scotty Downriggers have a system to suit all your fishing needs. Here, a Scotty is being used to get baits down deep to estuary jewfish holding in a strong tidal run.

Constantly improving its designs, Scotty now builds a full arsenal of downriggers — from heavy-duty electric units for bluewater fishing, through to lightweight compact models that clamp straight onto the gunwale of a tinnie.

“Here in Australia, the two most popular models are the Lake Troller, which is ideal for small boats fishing places like Lake Eucumbene, while the 1050 Heavy Duty model is popular with serious bluewater fishos,” says Australian agent, John Millyard.

The company motto is ‘fight the fish and not the fishing gear’, which is reflected in the quality of its equipment. Made from a durable, hard-wearing plastic and stainless steel componentry, Scotty downriggers come with a limited lifetime warranty. However, what really makes them stand out from the crowd is the wide range of available accessories to make your fishing so much easier. The company has a variety of release clips, detachable rod holders, bombs (even bomb holders!) extendable booms, as well as various mounting systems to suit any boat or style of fishing. In other words, Scotty has a downrigger system to suit your style of fishing, irrespective of whether you are chasing billfish offshore or trout in the alpine lakes.

One of the many great features of Scotty Downriggers is that everything is interchangeable. As your fishing interests change, it’s possible to modify your downrigger system to suit. What’s more, they also make a range of rod holders to accommodate everything from fly outfits to spin rods. So if you are looking to set up a serious downrigger system that works, contact Scotty’s Australian distributor, Basser Millyard, on (02) 9695 7799 or check out the range at your local fishing tackle dealer.