Basics

To spread out your spread of fishing lines, fishing outriggers are used so more poles can be used without getting tangled. Fishing outriggers actually look like gigantic fishing poles attached to either side of a fishing boat. They can swing out to the sides when in use, and swing back inward when not in use. If there are several people fishing, or just a few anglers but with tons of poles, there are going to be too many lines going off the back of the boat. No matter how large your boat, how wide your beam, it will not enough space for multiple fishing lines to effectively do their jobs at the same time. There will be a mess of tangles if a fish is pulled in. Also, if you are bottom fishing while fishing for say yellowtail, you're going to have to bring in all your yellowtail lines if something hits the bottom bait. Whatever it is that bites a huge bottom bait (i.e. giant chunk of meta sitting on the bottom, or live fish swimming around on a hook) will be a big fish. It will fight for a while, and might zip along the surface as you bring it closer to the boat. If you don't bring in the yellowtail lines there will be a horrifying mess. Not so if you have fishing outriggers. The fishing outriggers will take your bottom pole lines and spread them out to either side. That way, when you bring in the big fish from the bottom, your yellowtail poles can stay in.

How to use Fishing outriggers - Video

Guide to Choosing Your Fishing Outriggers

Fishing Outriggers aren't standard issue on boats, not even boats specifically made for fishing. Therefore, you're going to need a guide to choosing your outriggers. There are boats that are outrigger ready...it will be a feature of your T-Top. The pole for a fishing outrigger costs about $400. You will also need clamp on kits, which start at about $1000. Backing plates will be necessary, too. All this should come in any fishing outrigger package. Besides your two side fishing outriggers, you can also get a center outrigger. You just have to make sure your boat is strong enough to support this. The fishing outriggers will spread out the bait in a way the more closely resembles a school of fish. Taco makes telescoping outriggers. These run from around $1400 to $2000. Rupp makes Big Rigg Ruppriggers, which are the strongest and lights outriggers money can buy. These are for larger boats, from 39 feet and up. The big ones cost $12,000. Tigress also makes telescoping outriggers. They are made of aluminum. Smith makes carbon fiber outriggers, which are way lighter and stronger than aluminum outriggers. Sea Choice makes fiberglass telescoping outriggers, which have an epoxy finish and scope into three sections. Theirs come in 15 foot length and you buy them in pairs.