Downrigger

A downrigger comprising:

• a support assembly adapted to be secured to a water craft, said support assembly including a base supported for pivotal movement about a generally vertical axis,
• an elongated support rod connect to said base,
• an elongated downrigger line guided along said rod,
• a downrigger weight supported by said downrigger line,
• a motor powered reel mounted on said base for winding and unwinding said downrigger line to vary the position of the downrigger weight in a body of water,
• a fishing rod and fishing line supported adjacent said base with the fishing line extending downwardly to a position adjacent said downrigger weight, said fishing line including a lure on a terminal end thereof,
• a releasable clip connecting a portion of the fishing line adjacent the terminal end thereof to said downrigger line and weight to maintain the lure on the fishing line at substantially the same depth as the downrigger weight, said releasable clip releasing the fishing line from the downrigger weight when the lure has a force exerted thereon by a caught fish thereby enabling a fisherman to manipulate the fishing rod and fishing line to play and land the caught fish,
• said support assembly including a pair of overlying plates connected together in a manner to enable a lower of the plates to be rigidly secured to a water craft and the upper of said plates being pivotal about a generally vertical axis, said plates including locational detents to secure the base and support rod guiding said downrigger line in various angular positions about a vertical axis with one of such positions being a fishing position in which an end of the base remote from the reel extends outboard of the hull of a water craft and another of such positions orienting the base and rod guidingly supporting said downrigger line in overlying relation to a portion of a water craft hull,
• said plates including electrical contacts with the contacts on the lower plate being connectable to an electrical supply system of a water craft and the contacts in the upper of said plates being connected to said motor powered reel through a switch, said contacts on said plates being arranged in arcuately spaced relation to each other when the base, rod and downrigger line guided by the rod are in overlying relation to a portion of a hull of a water craft and being in contact only when the base, rod and downrigger line guided by the rod are oriented in the fishing position with the end of the base remote from the reel and vertical axis of the plates being outboard of the hull of the water craft.