Today's outrigger systems are more effective and user-friendly than ever before.

Few fishing moments can match the heartbeat of an outrigger—the click of the release clip, the recoil of the rigging rod, the rope on the reel.

For decades, facts have proven that outriggers can provide the largest and most attractive bait or bait when trolling for species such as dolphins, goldfish, marlins, sailfish, and Oahu.

Today, thanks to advances in brackets, poles, and hardware, outrigger systems are lighter, more effective, and easier to use than ever before. Whether you are fishing from 20 feet or 50 feet, there is a set of rigging for you.

According to Jose Chao, Strategic Product Category Manager at Taco Miami, although manufacturers provide outriggers installed on the gunwale or side of the nacelle, most center console fishing boats are bolted to the bottom frame of the hardtop or fabric T-top. The leader of the leg system.

"Some of the most important advancements occur on the mount, which allows you to deploy and retract the pole from below the top instead of standing on the gunwale to adjust the outriggers," Chao said.

For example, the popular Taco Marine Grand Slam 280 mount (approximately US$1,000 per pair) allows you to rotate the leg bar by pulling down the handle mechanism under the top and rotating the base. Once the outrigger reaches the position you want, release the handle to lock it in place.

Lee's Tackle Sidewinder (approximately US$900 per pair), Rupp Marine Revolution Top Gun (approximately US$1,100 per pair) and Tigress TigerFish II (approximately US$1,200 per pair) are installed in similar ways. However, none of these allow you to adjust the vertical angle of the rigging rod from below the top. For this, you need a stand, such as Taco Grand Slam 380 (approximately USD 1,800 per pair) or Tigress TigerShark LineRigger (USD 2,000 to 2,100 per pair). The Taco 380 has an elevation crank under the swing handle, and TigerShark synchronizes the elevation adjustment with the pivoting action when you turn the crank. The Tigress TigerShark I LineRigger (approximately US$2,700 per pair) goes one step further by providing an electric system that fully deploys the outriggers at the push of a button.

The most popular outrigger bar on the center console today is a telescopic model made of lightweight anodized aluminum, each pair priced from 350 to 750 US dollars, depending on the brand and length.

The length of the fishing rod you choose depends largely on the size of the boat and the number of ropes you plan to fish. Chao said that as a rule, a 15 to 16-foot fishing rod is approximately suitable for boats in the range of 21 to 26 feet, while a 18 to 20-foot fishing rod is suitable for boats longer than 26 feet.

"If you plan to catch one or two ropeways from each leg, a shorter fishing rod works well, but if you catch three lines, you need a longer fishing rod," Chao added.

The telescopic function allows you to retract the rod to about one-third of its extended length for storage, trailers, bridge clearance or docking. For example, a four-section Taco Tele-Outrigger 15 feet, folded to approximately 5.5 feet. When extended, the spring-loaded tag locks the rod part in place.

Many companies now offer rods made of carbon fiber, which are lighter and harder than aluminum. “Rigidity is important because it minimizes whiplash movements on rough seas, which tend to yank bait and bait and disrupt their movement when trolling,” Chao explained.

Taco equipped its three-section carbon fiber Tele-Outriggers (approximately $1,400 to $1,700 per pair) with roller guides instead of traditional ring holes as standard equipment.

"In our research, we found that anglers replaced the eyelets with rollers modified from sailing hardware to make their movements more fluid when scoring up and down," Chao said. "So we decided to use rollers as standard equipment on our carbon fiber rods." The patent-pending design allows the roller guides to rotate when the boat turns to follow the trolling bait.

Rupp provides fixed roller guides, called pulley blocks, as an upgrade to its outriggers. The starting price of a single roller guide is $85.

Although you can run multiple halyards through the circular eyelet, the roller guide requires multiple pulleys. For example, on a three-segment fishing rod designed for fishing with three ropeways, you usually need to place three rollers on the first rail, two rollers on the middle rail, and one roller on the top.

The cost of carbon fiber rods is more than twice that of the same aluminum model, and the composite material is susceptible to UV damage, so it is important to remove the carbon fiber legs from the boat during travel to protect them from sunlight and potential thieves. Almost all The legs (aluminum or carbon fiber) all have a quick release mechanism that allows you to easily remove the pole.

Although many outriggers come with rigging kits, anglers often use upgraded components. One of the most common customization methods is to use 400 pounds of test monofilament instead of rope when fishing multiple halyards. For example, for three halyards, you can use red, blue, and yellow tones to quickly identify each halyard.

The luxurious locking pulley at the end of the rope tensioning shock rope is another common upgrade. Hal-Lock's HL3 ($60) and Rupp's triple sling lock ($69) can hold three slings. Once you set up the trolling spread, the locking mechanism prevents sliding.

Some anglers turn to upgraded release clips with rollers (instead of line holders) to minimize line friction and tension adjustments to fine-tune the release point. Two of the most famous include AFTCO Roller-Troller (approximately US$45 per pair) and Rupp Nok-Out (approximately US$50 per pair).

Although anglers have traditionally fixed shock ropes to the ship's side, more and more center console anglers choose to clamp them on hardtops or T-tops. Although this makes setting up the line a bit difficult, it also prevents the sling from interfering with the ability to fight fish on the side of the boat.

To promote this trend, Taco has introduced an adjustable wire roller cart, which adds two sets of rollers to the bottom of the carbon fiber remote legs. When the outriggers are retracted, this clamping device also allows you to roll up the lifting rope and minimize entanglement.

With the increase in the number of effective and convenient functions, the use of outriggers has never been easier. If you don't have a set, now is the time to get them. You will not regret it, especially after you experience the thrill of the outrigger hitting on the boat.

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