In hopes of another shot at hatchery chinook this summer I am looking at picking up a couple Scotty's for my Lund. I am curious as to what models work best for smaller boats. I would like to have 2/1 crank and around 200 feet of cable. Any Suggestions? -TBJ

for hand cranks dont even mess around with scottys, get penn fathmaster 600, 1handed operation, best hand cranks around, if electric get scotty

I've got the same Penn Electrics on my 16' Lund that my friends have on their 22+ boats. The Penn manuals will work great with an extension boom and swivle bases just as long as they have a solid mount. In the smaller boat the spread is actually more important plus it allows you to mount them further forward and away from gas tanks and battaries.

Penn manuals are bulletproof and smooooooth!

Thanks for the info.

Why no love for the Cannons??

My buddy has Cannons that are like 20yrs old and he loves them. I think if all you've ever fished with are Cannnons then they're great. Drive me nuts though and it always takes me a few drops to get back in the Cannon groove. Work great and are very realible!

I have no experiance with Scotty's although I've only heard great things even though their spool seems to facing the wrong way.

The thing I love about Penn's the most is their drag is smooth and very simple. I can drop very fast and when bouncing that drag has saved me lots of gear!

with the extensions you have to reach out 4ft to put or take off ball and grab clip, with 2 ft its all right there to grab, I have 2 penns on my 14ft aluminum and regurly fish on the bottom and have never had a tangle, maybe I just hate 4ft booms, I had cannons on my 14 ft until I got the penns, they were good but I ;\like the penns better

Thats probally why I have cannons then they were used cheap and seem to work good. (I paid 180.00 for 2 with swivel bases and balls, extendo boom models)

I have only used them once. Seem to work fine, my question was more out of curoisity than anything else.

That's why swivle bases are critical. No swivle bases no extension booms. My back just can't take it! We used the 2' booms on my buddie's 16' Lund a couple of weeks ago in the San Juans. They worked fine!

I think downriggers and how they are set up are sort of like the driftboat discussions. They all work great and personal preference really comes down to which one your most familiar with! When DR fishing a hot king bite there is a certian groove that one gets in, especally when aggresively bouncing, and that groove is much easier to obtain when fishing gear that is familar!

ya hear that, theres one thing about those swivel bases, both of mine broke internally, could not believe it. sold them on ebay as broken and someone paid as much as they cost new for broken ones

Love my Penn 600's, but I'll sell them when I move up to the bigger boat and get electric Scotty's.

If you run extensions or even if you don't and you run your release off the ball, make up an extended release clip to run off the ball. Just reach out with the boat hook and bring the release in-board to attach your line. You don't have to swivel the boom to get the release. Safe and easy.

If you can do it, put electric Scotty's on. If not, I liked the Penn manual I had on my previous vessel.

Have electric scotty's but penn 600's are damn good manuals.

Agree with what has been said. I've got the manual Penn 600's but would like to upgrade to electric Scottys.

hand cranks are worthless, i've seen scotty electrics on a 16 and 17 ft lund

I had hand crank Cannons initially, and after fishing Port McNeil in 1996, my Admiral said she was worn out with all the hand cranking and I had better get some electrics -- What could I say other than . . . . . .

Aye Aye Ma'am and quickly went out and bought 2 Cannon Mini Mags with swivel bases and Cannon Pedestals. I have modified the "Cannon Plug" by replacing it with an old style Scotty plug. And where I mounted the recepticle is out of any serious splash, plus it fits my Little Brutus Pot Puller. Went one step further and also put Old Style Scotty Plugs on my Butt Set ups with the Elec-Tra-Mates. One size fits all.

I got electric scottys on my 17 ft glasply on 1 good thing I noticed that they dont wear down the battery, my buddy bought a new super vee and it came with cannon electrics and we have had to pull start his motor twice in not that many trips with him as to wear Ive never had to do it, but where he bought it did send it out with one battery and the biggest downriggers they make, could not understand that

I have the scotty elec. with 60" booms. This last year I tried the scotty weight retrievers, they are great!!. They are simply a sleeve around the DR cable, and a cord attached to the sleve. The cord is pulled through a small clench chock, and the ball is held close to the boat  within easy reach. I mounted the clench chock on the side of the scotty swivel mount, a very convienient location. I have noticed a significant increase in tending speed. IMO  swivel mounts are not for tending, only for transport.