Hi Guys;
I have not posted in a while. I was near selling my boat this year and moving up but in uncertain times I decided to just upgrade instead. This year I added a Mercury 9.9 Kicker motor starboard of my Verado 250 and a Pair of Taco Outriggers model 270.
Outrigger installation is complete and was a bugger because Wes at Westlake with help from Ivan from Phil Dill had to unbolt and lift the hardtop to mount the outrigger mounts.
But here is the reason for my post.
I have rigged my poles correctly and am unsure how to tune my rigging, where to secure my shock cord, whether or not to use a tagline with return, etc. I am using Rupp NOK OUTS and double Hal-Locks on each rigger.
I AM ASKING FOR SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE TO HELP ME TUNE MY OUTRIGGERS. I AM WILLING TO PAY A NICE GRATUITY IF NECESSARY FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS ON THE LAKE (Lewisville) WITH AN EXPERIENCED OUTRIGGER FISHERMAN TO SHOW ME SOME OF THE ROPES. PLEASE PM ME OR GIVE ME A CALL AT 940-206-2642. I AM THINKING SOMEONE LIKE ZEKE OR ANOTHER EXPERIENCED OFFSHORE GUY.
THANKS PLEASE REPLY!
jEFF

CaliforniaJeff,

This is by no means the only way to do it. but heres what i have the best success with. You want your out rigger lines to be taunt, but not so tight that they wont run. On the boat helped out on this summer, we had small eye holes screwed onto the gunwhale for the bungee clips. but for my boat (28 ProKat, very similar to your setup) we just loop the bungee cord somewhere around the tower and hook it on itself so that keeps the like tight. Any time I can do something without screwing into fiberglass I try and do it. We run tag lines with tag returns that are attached at the clips but are secured down so they wont open up. with it set up like that we dont have to run the rigger lines in and out every time, whenever the line pops out, the tag return just brings it right back. also, we attach our lines to the tag line by wrapping a rubberband around the fishing line several times and back through itsselft to make the loop. when a fish hits and brakes the rubber band, it will stay on the line and we jsut rell it in with the line, so that the next time we know exactly how far out to put the lures. on the boat i fished on this summer, during tourneys, once we had our spread set up, three of us could put out all 8 lines perfectly in just two or three mintues max. hope thats not to confusing and helps. msgme if you have any questions and i might be able to find a picture/diagram for you

Just set your out riggers out where you want to run them. Then place your eye on the gunwhale so that it keeps the lines in line. That way you don't have to worry about the line jumping a pulley or binding.
If you weren't so far north I'd give you a hand. Heck if you want to go to the coast, we can set them up in an hour the night before...

put your pad eyes right behind where the bow rail comes down to the gunwale....... it's the ideal place and you really don't have any other options that wouldn't create a problem of one sort or another

forget taglines too...... you don't need'em