Gunnel Mount Outrigger Installation

Outriggers are used on a boat to allow the anglers aboard to have multiple fishing lines in the water at the same time while trolling. These multiple lines, when using live bait, create a "school of fish" effect beneath the water, and can make it easier to catch fish. Although typically attached to the hardtop roof of a boat, outriggers can also be mounted to the upper part of a boat's sides, known as the bulwark, gunwale or gunnel. Mounting outriggers on the gunnel can be done with an outrigger kit, complete with installation hardware, using a drill and a hole saw attachment.

Things You'll Need

  • Outrigger kit
  • Electric or battery-powered drill
  • Hole saw attachment
  • Drill bits
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Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase the amount of outriggers you wish to install on the gunnels of your boat from a marine supply store.

    • 2

      Review your boat's schematics to verify there is no electrical wiring running beneath the gunnel where you wish to install the outrigger. Measure the size of the hole needed, using the specifications that came with the outrigger kit. Attach the correct-size hole saw attachment to an electric or battery-powered drill.

    • 3

      Mark the area where you wish to place the outrigger on the gunnel using a permanent marker.

    • 4

      Cut the hole for the outrigger into the gunnel at the angle the outrigger will be mounted. Allow for at least 7 inches of space between outriggers, if you are attaching more than one to the gunnel, to allow full rotation when fishing.

    • 5

      Place the mounting plate over the hole. Switch to the proper drill bit size for the holes you are going to make. Drill holes into the gunnel and attach the hardware with screws and bolts that came in the outrigger kit.

    • 6

      Insert the outrigger into the mounting bracket and secure with mounting clamps on the underside of the bracket. Check to see that the outrigger can move smoothly in a 360-degree motion.

    • 7

      Repeat Steps 3 through 6 for all additional outriggers you wish to install on either side of the boat.