Humminbird and Cannon Digi Troll Frustration

[Jbarker482]

Maybe it is just me?
I am new to this trolling experience and I have no immediate friends that are into this type of fishing. I live in Utah near Flaming Gorge that is well known in this area for Lake Trout and Kokanee salmon. I have grown up playing on this lake but I have never trolled.
This year I decided to go all out I recently purchased a 2016 Lund 1875 Crossover with a Minnekota Terrova with I Pilot, a Humminbird 999CI HD SI, I have a 9.9 Merc Kicker and a 150 Mercury OB. Next step was getting the Downriggers, I searched the internet and spoke with the local fish store, they convinced me to go with one Cannon Digitroll 5 for the captains side and 1 Mag 10 STX for the other, They stated the digitroll 5 because I already have a Humminbird. I installed them using the Lund Sport track and a Phischon Technology mount. The gunnel on my boat is rather weak so I built some added support to the gunnel that is clean and was screwless not leaving any holes at all in the boat when mounting.

Now the tough part. I am trying to link the Humminbird 999CI HD SI with the Digi troll, The Cannon website is all but useless, I then went to Humminbird and found no help there either, you would think that with the size of Johnson Controls and being made in the USA they would make it much easier to understand their products. I have surfed YouTube and scoured the internet with very little help. From what I understand, a Cannonlink is required to communicate between the Humminbird and the Digitroll , the cannonlink is discontinued, and the new Humminbird 999 is incompatible with Cannonlink. So I think Im left up a creek without a downrigger. I am hoping I am incorrect but if there is anyone out there that can shed some light on my issue I would owe you big! Maybe even a fishing trip if you want

[Nelly]

Howdy J,
I'm hoping you saw my response on your first post but in case you didn't, allow me to attempt to explain. If you purchased a 'bird after Johnson Outdoors discontinued the CannonLink relay module then it probably would not have any remote downrigger functionality.
You've still got a decent sounder and a good downrigger, you just don't have Bottom Tracking and Depth Cycling functions.
If you feel "stuck" with a DT5 and want a DT 10, please PM me and allow us to help you to get where you wish to go on the equipment front.
Thanks!

[Jbarker482]

Thank you so much for the follow up. I did see your reply right after I posted this, I have decided to return the digitroll 5 and just go with two mag 10 stx. I wish cannon would make the information more readily available for us novice fisherman. I was getting really excited about the whole link up scenario. Oh well, it seems cannon and humminbird are moving backward instead of forward.

I really appreciate you following up, you are the only person that has responded to multiple questions. I would hope that Johnson Outdoors will bring their systems upto date where we can sync all of our systems together, it seems so easy at least looking from the outside in.

Happy fishing
Jeremy