Downrigger
When many boats are trolling in a small area this often results in crossed lines and tangles which are a detriment to the fishing experience.Downriggers are used to troll and maintain the lure's depth in accordance with the thermocline at which the fish species being sought normally feeds.Recently discovery of an Edward vom Hofe late 1860s-1870s downrigger found local to Niagara Falls and the Salmon River area point to the reelmaker Edward Vom Hofe Brooklyn New York as the father of the modern downrigger.However it was intended for the deep water basin fish listed above and most likely prior to the Hydroelectric plant being built on the Niagara River late 1870s.Somehow the device was lost in time due to the construction of the electric plant most likely causing a disruption in the Salmon fishing.It is possible that the modern downrigger introduced in the 1950s was copied from another Vom Hofe made device but for now that can not be proven due to the great time span in between the two designs.An electric downrigger utilizes an input screen and has automatic functions controlled by the user with the press of a button.