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Build your lake trolling setup
Six parts, from the downrigger to the rod. Prices and stock are live.
Small boats and tinnies
Scotty Laketroller 1073
Manual · 1ft per turn · weights under 4lb
Scotty's compact manual downrigger for light trolling and smaller boats, with a 241 side deck mount included and 360-degree rotation.
No drilling, clamps on
Laketroller Clamp 1071
Clamps a gunnel or transom up to 2in
The Laketroller with a portable clamp, 100ft of 150lb stainless cable and a Mini Power Grip release. Made for aluminium boats and canoes.
Getting the lure down
3lb keeled ball
Matches the Laketroller's under-4lb rating
A keeled lead ball tracks straight and stable on the cable. Heavier balls suit bigger manual downriggers.
Letting go on the strike
Mini Power Grip release
Scotty · 18in or 30in leader
Your line sits in the release at the ball and pops free when a trout takes, so you fight it on the rod alone.
The lure
Halco Sorcerer 35
Halco · 35mm
A compact hardbody that Halco says trolls cleanly at very low speeds.
The rod and reel
Legalis LT3000D-C + Flickz Medium
Daiwa · Atomic · ready-made combo
A 6'10" spin rod and 3000 spinning reel that also softbaits. Soft enough to bend down into the release.
Why a downrigger
Why use a downrigger for trout
Three reasons it out-fishes a flatline in summer.
The exact depth
The counter shows how much cable is out, so the lure runs at the depth the trout are holding and you can return to it every time.
Light line, no lead
The ball does the work, so your own line can be light mono or braid. Nothing heavy is on the line when you fight the fish.
A clean fight
The release lets go on the strike. The ball stays on the cable and the trout is on the rod alone.
01 · The downrigger
Scotty manual downriggers
Laketroller to DepthmasterFor lake trolling a manual downrigger is all you need. The Laketroller 1073 and Clamp 1071 suit small boats and weights under 4lb. The Depthmaster 1050 and Compact 1060 add a 23in boom, a depth counter and a rod holder for bigger boats and deeper lakes. The Scotty guide compares every model.
- The mission
- Put the lure at the depth the trout are holding
- Best for
- Small boatsLakesManual
The setup
The setup, part by part
What each part does and the sizes for lake trolling.
Mount it where you can reach it
The Laketroller 1073 comes with a side deck mount; the 1071 clamps on. Bigger units take a quick-slide bracket, gimbal or swivel base.
Ball size for lakes
Match the ball to the downrigger's rating. The Laketroller is rated for weights under 4lb, so a 3lb keeled ball is the match.
The line release
Clip the release to the ball or cable. Set it firm enough to hold the lure, light enough to let go on a small trout.
Stainless cable
Standard on most units and hard-wearing. It can hum in the water and kinks if mistreated.
Braided downrigger line
Quiet, doesn't kink and has less blowback. It won't carry electricity, so it doesn't suit electronic voltage systems.
Beads and terminal kit
Stopper beads and a terminal kit protect the cable end and the ball snap.
Watch
Watch how it's done
Scotty's animated guide to how the cable, ball and release work together.
Video by Scotty Fishing & Outdoor Products, on their YouTube channelGeoff Thomas walks through rigging and using a Scotty manual downrigger on the lake.
Video by Geoff Thomas, on the Monster Distribution YouTube channelFinding depth
Find the depth first
Common practice on the Rotorua lakes and Taupō. Your sounder is the final word.
The lake layers up
In summer a warm layer sits on top of cold water. Trout hold where the water is cool and has enough oxygen, often around the layer between, called the thermocline.
Read the sounder
Many sounders show the thermocline as a faint band. Look for trout and smelt marks near it, then set the counter a little above the fish.
Spring and autumn
When the water is cooler trout are shallower, and harling or a short lead line works. As the lake warms, they move down.
Winter mixing
In winter the lake mixes top to bottom, so trout spread out and are often shallower. Some lakes close to boats in winter areas: check the rules.
Run above the fish
Trout look up to feed. Set the lure a metre or two above the marks rather than below them.
Write down what works
Note the depth on the counter, the speed and the lure when you get a strike, and go back to it.
Speed and set-back
Trolling speed and set-back
Common practice, not hard rules. Adjust until the lure swims right.
Troll slowly
Around walking pace. DOC's Taupō trolling page says no faster than a walking pace. Watch the lure beside the boat before you send it down.
Set the lure back
Let out about 5 to 15 metres of line behind the ball before you clip it in. Go longer in clear, shallow water where trout are spooky.
Clip in and lower
Put the line in the release, lower the ball to depth on the counter, then wind the rod tight so it bends.
Watch the rod tip
A trout pulls the line free and the rod springs up. Wind fast to come tight, then play the fish.
Wind up the ball
Bring the ball up while the fish is played so the line can't tangle in the cable.
Lures
Lures to start with
Small, slow-swimming lures that suit lake trolling. On Taupō, swap trebles for one single hook: see the rules below.
A minnow that holds its line
Jackson Trout Tune
Jackson · 55mm · floating, sinking, super sinking
A well-balanced minnow with a crisp, controlled action and a stable swimming posture.
A slow-sinking hardbody
Halco Laser Pro 45
Halco · 45mm · 6g
A compact, slow-sinking hardbody that stays in the strike zone, with trout colours in the range.
Trolling dead slow
Halco Sorcerer 35
Halco · 35mm
A compact hardbody that Halco says trolls cleanly at very low speeds.
Flash and wobble
Halco Twisty
Halco · chrome or gold
A metal lure with curved ends that wobble and flash at any speed. Halco lists trout among its targets.
A slow-troll spinner
Mepps Black Fury
Mepps · #1 to #4
A classic spinner whose black blade spins tight to the body for shallow to mid depths.
A spinner selection
Mepps Trout Kit
Mepps · 7 spinners
Aglia, Comet and Black Fury spinners in one kit, to find what the trout want on the day.
Compare
Lead line or downrigger?
Both put a lure deep. Each suits a different day.
Simple and cheap
A lead-core line sinks as you let it out, so there's nothing to mount. Depth depends on how much line is out and how fast you go, so it is only approximate, and you fight the fish on heavy line.
Exact and light
Exact depth on the counter, light line and a clean fight once the release lets go. It needs a mount, and works best when the fish are holding at one depth in summer.
When lead line makes sense
Spring and autumn fish in the top few metres, a boat with nowhere to mount a downrigger, or covering water at changing depths.
When the downrigger wins
Mid-summer trout sitting deep on the thermocline, light-line fishing, and going back to the exact depth that caught the last fish.
Rods and reels
Rods and reels for downrigger trolling
A soft, light spin rod with a 3000 reel and light line - it bends into the release and springs up on the take.
Ready to fish
Legalis LT3000D-C + Flickz Medium
Daiwa · Atomic · 6'10" combo
A ready-made spin combo that also softbaits on the weekends you're not trolling.
A lighter rod
Atomic Flickz Medium Light
Atomic · 6'9" · 6 to 16lb
A lighter Flickz for the light mono and braid trout trolling uses.
The reel
Daiwa 23 Legalis LT3000D-C
Daiwa · 3000 spin
A light 3000 spinning reel with a smooth drag for light line.
Travel or a spare
Atomic Arrowz Travel Spin 7'
Atomic · 4 piece · 6 to 12lb
A 4-piece 6 to 12lb rod that packs down for the drive to the lake.
The rules
Licence and lake rules: Rotorua lakes and Taupō
Rules change each season. Check the current rules before you go; these are from the 2026/27 Eastern Fish & Game notice and DOC's Taupō rules.
Two different licences
A Fish & Game licence covers the Rotorua lakes and the rest of NZ, except Taupō. Lake Taupō needs a Taupō fishing licence from DOC.
One rod each
Both notices allow one rod and line per angler, with up to 3 lures on it. Set rods are allowed from a boat on the Rotorua lakes.
Single hooks on Taupō
On Taupō each lure may carry only one hook, and it must be single-pointed. Swap trebles for a single hook. You can't troll within 200m of the stream-mouth landmark posts.
Rotorua lakes
Minimum size 350mm and 8 trout a day, no more than 2 of them brown. No fishing between midnight and 5am. No fishing from an unanchored boat within 200m of a landmark pole.
Open seasons and winter areas
Lake Rotorua and Okareka are open all year. Tarawera, Rotoiti and Okataina open 1 October to 30 June, and boats are barred from their winter shoreline areas 1 July to 1 October.
Where downriggers are banned
Downriggers, paravanes and metal-cored or wire lines are banned on Lakes Waikaremoana and Waikareiti. Check each lake's notice before you go.
South Island
South Island trolling lakes
The main trolling lakes by Fish & Game region, from the 2026/27 regulations. A Fish & Game licence covers them all, and everywhere it's one rod and line each with up to 3 lures.
OtagoWakatipu, Wānaka, Hāwea, Dunstan
| Lake | Season | Daily bag | Size limit | Boats and gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakatipu | All year | 2 trout, 4 salmon | No minimum | Boats allowed; motor boats keep 100m from anglers on the shore. Closed in Queenstown Bay and within 100m of the Walter Peak wharf. |
| Wānaka | All year | 2 trout, 1 salmon | No minimum | Boats allowed; motor boats keep 100m from anglers on the shore. Closed within 150m of the Wānaka wharf, the marina jetty and the shore between. |
| Hāwea | All year | 2 trout, 4 salmon | No minimum | Boats allowed; motor boats keep 100m from anglers on the shore. |
| Dunstan | All year | 2 trout, 1 salmon | No minimum | Boats allowed; motor boats keep 100m from anglers on the shore. |
SouthlandTe Anau, Manapōuri
| Lake | Season | Daily bag | Size limit | Boats and gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Te Anau | All year | 2 trout; region limit 1 salmon and 4 sports fish a day | No minimum or maximum | No boat or downrigger rule listed. Some Fiordland areas need a Clean Gear Certificate: ask Southland Fish & Game. |
| Manapōuri | All year (incl. Waiau Arm) | 2 trout; region limit 1 salmon and 4 sports fish a day | No minimum or maximum | No boat or downrigger rule listed. Some Fiordland areas need a Clean Gear Certificate: ask Southland Fish & Game. |
Central South IslandBenmore, Aviemore, Tekapo
| Lake | Season | Daily bag | Size limit | Boats and gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benmore | All year | 4 sports fish, trout and salmon combined | Trout: none. Salmon: 250mm | No boat or downrigger rule listed. |
| Aviemore | All year | 4 sports fish, trout and salmon combined | Trout: none. Salmon: 250mm | No boat or downrigger rule listed. |
| Tekapo | All year | 6 sports fish, no more than 4 trout or 4 salmon | Trout: none. Salmon: 250mm | No boat or downrigger rule listed. |
North CanterburyColeridge
| Lake | Season | Daily bag | Size limit | Boats and gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coleridge | 1st Saturday in Nov to 30 Sep | 4 sports fish, trout and salmon combined | Trout and salmon: 300mm | Fishing from boats allowed; boat use itself is set by the council. |
Nelson/MarlboroughRotoiti (Nelson Lakes), Rotoroa
| Lake | Season | Daily bag | Size limit | Boats and gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotoiti (Nelson Lakes) | All year | 2 trout | No minimum | Downriggers permitted. No fishing from a motor-powered boat within 100m of the Travers River, Coldwater Stream, Black Valley Stream or Buller River mouths. |
| Rotoroa | All year | 2 trout | No minimum | Downriggers permitted. No fishing from a motor-powered boat within 100m of the Sabine, D'Urville or Gowan river mouths. |
West CoastBrunner, Kaniere
| Lake | Season | Daily bag | Size limit | Boats and gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunner | All year | 2 brown, 2 rainbow, 1 salmon | No minimum | No boat or downrigger rule listed. |
| Kaniere | All year | 2 brown, 2 rainbow, 1 salmon | No minimum | Put-and-take fishery stocked for lake-resident salmon. No boat or downrigger rule listed. |
Source: Fish & Game 2026/27 South Island sports fishing regulations, each region's Schedule 2. Downriggers, paravanes and metal-cored or wire lines are banned on Lake Alexandrina (Central South Island). Rules change each season: check the current notice before you go.
02 · Rigging
Releases, weights and line
Scotty and Monster FishingThe parts that wear out or get lost: release clips, keeled balls, stainless cable, braided downrigger line and the beads and snaps that hold it together.
- The mission
- Finish the rig
- Best for
- ReleasesWeightsCableBraid
Related guides
Keep reading
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Livebaiting kingfish on the downrigger: downriggers, mounts, weights, release clips, livebait hooks, leader, rods and reels, with two Adam Clancey videos.
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The rod, reel, braid, softbaits and jigheads that catch snapper in New Zealand, from a first setup to a technical one, rods and reels by budget, and how to fish them.