Ok guys, the " skipper" aka wife. is going to let me replace my two manuals with two more electrics. Question is: in your opinion which is the best/better brand ? I plan on placing these on the corner with a swivel to be used as either side or straight back, depending on the size of crew. Am moving the other riggers to the center for limited use/ stress so they will last another couple of years. I now have BJ's but am not in love with them, broke booms, etc. So many toys, so little time !
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If I were going to buy new electric riggers they'd likely be Vectors or Fishlanders. I've heard nothing but positive feedback from the Vector. I'd also take a good look at the Fishlander. I like the adjustable holders and lighted counters on the Fishlander and Mike Steffes seems like customer service and satisfaction is important to him. Big Papa handles the Fishlanders and is also a great guy to do business with. http://www.bigpapasportfishing.com
Jim...I Fish Therefore I Am
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Having just gone through this decision process I ended up with Vectors. We sold a Cannon-rigged boat during mid-summer, and while I can't say anything negative about the performance of the Cannons there were several reason I wouldn't buy them. Cannons are way too expensive, the rod holders are inflexible, and if you every backlash the wire you'll want to slash your wrists while your trying to get all the wire back on the spool. That being said the things that I liked about Cannon were the auto-stop and the speed of retrieve. But we wanted to do a full setup of 5 DRs and that would have broke the bank to get Cannons - depending on which model $600+ each, more likely $800+ each.
So after researching what we could - it came down to a decison between Vector and Fishlander. Either unit I would have been happy with. I have fished both and the main differentiator for me between the two was the speed. After having high-speed cannons it would have been hard to have the slow-retrieve of the Fishlander, but that slow retreive may result in better long-term durability I don't know. I have fished the Fishlanders in the dark and while the light seems like good idea I'm not sure it's all it's crakced up to be. The Fishlanders we ran on Capt. Hook out of Ludington the light really isn't bright enough to do what it should, and we ended up using head mounted hiking lamps anyway. It is not directly lighting the counter, it's a red LED mounted in the rigger body just above the line counter. I don't know id these were older models or current but it seemed liek a great idea that was fully executed. I do like the rod holders on the Fishlanders but I also like the real one-handed operation of the vectors. It makes a big difference to be able to easily adjust the rod holder with a rod in your hand.
The guys at Vector were real good to work with although the initial experience was a little discouraging because we weren't sure we were going to be able to get them in time to finish out the season. But they came through - not only that but they make an extremely clean install - Bill drilled out center holes through the swivel and fixed mounts so the wire goes inside our gunwale and looks very clean - you can see the install in the Gallery.
Best of luck with your decision - it is very difficult one to make atleast for us it was. We burned countless hours of searching, asking questions, calling pros, and finally we came to a decision that I couldn't be happier with.
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I have fished with them all , they all serve the same purpose , controled depth fishing. They are all about the same , all have good points and bad points , you need to decide which ones are right for you. I personally have Walkers , they are older ones and some say slower , how fast does a downrigger have to be? I like the low profile of the Walker booms and the adjustable rod holders , in over 20 years of owning Walkers I have never ever had a problem with one. My favorite part of my Walkers is the Duo-Temp. Sense , temp. sender's on the riggers , I monitor my down temp. at my riggers with out having a probe hanging off the bottom. I like the Fishlanders for their rod holders and Vectors for their rod holders , don't care for the boom on the Big Jon or Fishlander , but its what you get used to that counts. I donot like the Cannons for the angle of the boom or the switch placement , but as I said , its what you get used to that counts as I'm sure their are people that don't like Walkers for the same reasons.
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RedFerrari, When you are ready, Just give me a call and i'll have a deal for the Fishlanders you cant refuse. I've had my Fishlanders 4 yrs now and not one problem the retrieve is'nt that slow as everyone thinks. You wont find a better rigger on the market and as far as the booms i've had 12pd balls pop out of the ball holder in rough sea's my fault of course and it did'nt even affect the booms. Bob Bell- BigPapaSports
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Hey Bob, I thought you were giving me the best deal! Actually in answer to the question, I have used most of the more popular riggers and ended up with Big Jon for the last few years. Unfortunately due to quality issues with Big Jon I am going with Fishlanders this year. I particularly like being able to lift the boom and grab the cannonball in one motion. With a little practice it is easy to do even in heavy seas. I tend to like the slower speeds since it enables me to make the changes/adjustments that caused me to bring up the rigger in the first place while the rigger is coming up. At least with the Big Jons I have the timing down perfect. I really do like the auto stop on the Cannons but unfortunately Mike Steffes of fishlander said that is not going to happen this year for their riggers. Hopefully when it does happen I can retrofit the ones I get this spring. Mike Coe.
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Had a great talk with Big papa, thanks for all your help guys. So now all I have to do is wait for the mail.They're going to be Silver. Tails2spin, he gave a great deal.
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Jim , for you to see Bob at the Birch Run Show means that you will have to actually attend the show this year. Thinking about going to the Novi show next weekend , you up for that one?
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Very funny Rick. If I can be home by 2:15 on Saturday I'd love to go. I might be able to line up a babysitter, otherwise I'll take a rain check til next year.
Jim...I Fish Therefore I Am
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If I can be home by 2:15 on Saturday I'd love to go. I might be able to line up a babysitter, otherwise I'll take a rain check til next year.