How to Wire a Scotty Downrigger

Scotty Electric downriggers lower and hold your fishing bait at a specific depth using a heavy ball attached to a heavy cable. Correctly wiring the downrigger ensures its proper operation and keeps it from shorting out. Shorting out occurs when the electrical current power supply spikes and causes delicate internal circuitry of the downrigger to burst. This causes a malfunction in the operation of the downrigger and the results can be unpredictable. If the downrigger shorts and continues to run, the ball located on the end of the downrigger cable will grab bottom and could pull the downrigger from the boat hull, causing severe damage.

Things You'll Need

  • Wire combination tool
  • 30-amp fuse holder
  • Marine wire connectors
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Instructions

    • 1

      Strip 1/2 inch of insulation from the No. 1 wire coming from the back of the Scotty downrigger receptacle with the stripping jaws of the wire combination tool.

    • 2

      Connect the stripped end of the No. 1 wire to the ground terminal of the boat's fuse box by pushing the bare end of the wire into an open self-locking port.

    • 3

      Remove 1/2 inch of insulation from the end of the No. 2 wire coming from the back of the receptacle. Remove 1/2 inch of insulation from one end of a 30-amp fuse holder wire. Slide the stripped end of the No. 2 wire into one end of a marine wire connector and the stripped end of the fuse holder wire into the other end of the connector. Crimp both ends of the marine connector with the crimping jaws of the wire combination tool.

    • 4

      Strip 1/2 inch of insulation from the unconnected end of the fuse holder wire. Push the bare end of the wire into an open positive fuse box port to complete the wiring.