Looking to get my pops a couple of the Scotty 3133 rigger/swivel base lock sets for Christmas. Any thoughts on these? Any good/bad experiences anyone can share?

I have them for my Scotty's. I like them.

One downside is that each lock has its own key so you have to keep track of them. I wish that each set could be keyed the same.

If someone wants to take your Scotty's, they'll probably figure out a way if they have time. The locks might slow them down or make them decide to try somewhere else.

The rubber caps do come off. Make sure you keep them clean/oiled if you leave the DRs on the boat through the season(s).

Bushbear hit it on the nose.....I give them a thumbs up also.

Because the mounting screws for the #1023 tilt up base can be accessed with the downrigger mounted, consider replacing those with some keyed ones (aka security fasteners). You get the locks on, but it doesn't stop someone from simply backing the four screws out with a hand held screw driver and walking off with the 1023 base and consequently the downrigger.

I fished Port Alberni this summer on a friends boat. The second morning we got to the boat that was moored at the China Creek Marina before light. Our plan to get an early start were dashed when we noticed that both electric Scotty downriggers were missing. They were held down with the Scotty locks and a cable. The boat next to ours was missing his downriggers also. A quick look around reveiled that a bunch of boats were missing downriggers and the day before the big salmon derby there. The manual downriggers were passed over. Seventeen downriggers in all were taken and about 25 % had the Scotty locks. The surprising ending to this story is that all the downriggers were recovered that morning. A boat (stolen also) was reported drifting out in the inlet with no one on it but a bunch of downriggers sticking up from the stern and a few on the bow. It turned out that the person stealing the boat and downriggers was using the kicker motor and the bow line drift back and got caught in the prop. He abandoned the whole operation and left it drifting. I have not heard if anyone had been arrested for the attempted theft. After reterminating the electrical wires which were cut we finally got out fishing by noon. Within 10 minutes of fishing we had a pair of 20 pound kings on the line. The day ended surprisingly well after the initial grim prospects.
The bottom line, the Scotty locks are only going to slow someone down, not necessarily prevent your gear from being stolen.

Deepwater

JayDee

Thanks for the valuable info. on the mounting screws. I'm going to look into getting some replacements and swapping out the old ones. That said, do you have any sources for said screws and are they stainless steel?

I use (3) different screw heads (Socket/Hex/std ) just to complicate the situation
I made a longer S/S Bolt with the star handle(that holds it on the swivel mount) and drilled a hole in the end and have a lock that fits thru the protruding end
This makes it harder for the theft, but its not bullet proof

Personally I dont have locks. At remote fishing locations where I leave the boat in the marina, I remove my downriggers and electronics for the night. The couple of times I didn't, I couldn't sleep. By taking all of my gear off I find I can sleep at night.

I have had a few friends robbed while they were sleeping on the boat.

Bushbear,
Tacoma Screw or Fastenal. Either one will have what you're looking for.

I've used the locks for one season and you have to be careful to keep the actual keyhole lubricated and free of saltwater intrusion
The best way to prevent theft is to simply remove the riggers every night

Takes huge cahonies to do this!

I have Penns that are locked on but any lock is just a deterrent.

I am a little surprised to hear about a problem in the China Creek area, the locals are usually very strict about those types of things. I have never had a problem up in Canada. Even while rafting boats off of one another at Cougar Creek. No body puts anything away.


Fishy

Charr

Thanks.

I use this type of locking system -- http://www.marinelock.com/Kayak-Lock-fits-9-to-13-_p_43.html It is basically a cable and brass lock. I loop it through both of my Merc trolling motor clamps, then looped through one of my Cannon Mini Mag downrigger, then looped through how ever many reels are in the rod holders and the rod holders themselves, and finally looped through the other Cannon Mini Mag downrigger. It's a bit of a Pain in the Azz to secure or unlock, but it seems to have worked out OK at the PA Boat Harbor moorage for a couple of years. I know it is ot foolproof, nothing really is, the strategy is to make it more difficult to steal mine than other boats. And if you get multiple locks, you can have them all keyed the same.