Used a little laker dowrigger for years and it was only $40. Used a 6lb weight and I caught fish from both my canoe and little powerboat. Moved up to an 18 footer and a Penn 600 downrigger three years ago. If you have a little boat, 10-14 foot rowboat, the little laker works okay. You could pick up a used boat for about $200, add a trolling motor for another hundred, then the downrigger with all associated rigging for about $75 and you have a poor mans rig that can catch all sorts of fish from. Maybe this is a bit overboard, but that's how I started fishin' deep with consistency. I got all of my gear used, except for the Little downrigger. A