Fishing Outriggers: A 1972 Bamboo Pole Project for Your Boat
Make your own fishing outriggers from 16 to 20 ft bamboo poles, with glass-eye pulleys and a choice of mounting sockets.
This is not a boat but a clever upgrade for one. These fishing outriggers spread your lines wider than rods alone, using bamboo poles of 16 to 20 ft (4.9 to 6.1 m) fitted with glass-eye pulleys. You can mount them in a flag-pole socket or a hinged pipe-fitting socket, so they fold out of the way when not in use. It is a satisfying, budget-friendly project for anglers who like to tinker.
Fishing Outriggers at a glance
| Detail | Fishing Outriggers |
|---|---|
| Type | Fishing accessory |
| Construction | 16–20 ft bamboo pole with glass-eye pulleys; flag-pole socket or hinged pipe-fitting socket |
| First published | Fall–Winter 1972, p. 93 |
| Plan sheets | 1 |
Spread your lines
Outriggers hold lines out to the sides of the boat, letting you troll more baits without tangles. Bamboo is light, springy and cheap, which makes it a natural material for long poles. Glass-eye pulleys keep the line running smoothly, and the choice of flag-pole or hinged pipe-fitting socket lets you fit the setup to your boat. One sheet covers it all.
The original plan sheets
These are the original sheet from 1972, scanned from the magazine. For building, use the full-size PDF in the download section below.
Before you build
- Choose straight bamboo poles without cracks and seal the ends to stop splitting.
- Mount the sockets on a solid part of the boat and back them up inside if possible.
- Fold or remove the outriggers before running at speed or entering a crowded harbor.
Download the plan
The 1972 outrigger plan on a single sheet, ready to print full size or keep on your phone at the dock.
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