Help with dipsy and rigger line basics?

[hawkeye625]

I know this is a stupid question, but I haven't had any quality time (other than reading posts here) with experienced trollers. When deploying a dipsy (or a rigger line) do you release the spool and add tension with the small spool tensioning knob, your thumb, or leave the spool run off the drag and just loosen the drag a little.

We've been using our thumb on a free spool for both riggers and dipsy's, but one on the guys seems to let out the dipsy too fast and they tangle. Can't seem to break him of the habit and sometimes we unknowingly end up dragging a fouled dipsy for a while. Also seems kind of cumbersome when sending down a rigger.

With the riggers we use the cannonballs with a curved tail and sometimes they seem to swim back and forth like crazy right at the boat if we don't run a line off the back of the ball. Should I be looking for different type of weight or are we doing something wrong?

Planning on a charter this spring (should've done that long ago) to shorten the learing curve. Also thinking of being an observer for one of the tourneys if anyone is looking let me know.

Would've loved to make to LOTSA seminar but already committed elsewhere.

Thanks in advance.

Jeff

[Shade]

Hawk,

When letting our your wire with a dipsy make sure you have your drag set so as the dipsy goes out nice and slow. You do not want it to free wheel but you want it to drag out easy. Once you have met your distance we wrap a zip tie on the pole with a offshore release. Take the release and attach it to your line so this way you can loosen your drag a bit more.

Also make sure your tension screw on the dipsy is tight enough. Turn the screw very slightly and each time pull to see how much tention you have.

Again, when sending down your riggers let the drag do the work. You want to make sure the release it tight enough and once you hit your depth pull the line with left hand a reel to take out some of the slack so the pole has a nice arch and the rod tip in close to the water.

The problem with the ball is it is facing the wrong way. If you are using the weights I think you are, stand in back of the boat with the head of the ball in your hand facing your body ,the curve should be facing the boat. I believe they are lead weights I would take a hammer and straighten the tails so they are straight and eliminate the problem.

Shade

PS: I sent you a PM

[Billy V]

Jeff,

We typically thumb the spool when putting out both divers and riggers as it allows us the maximum control over how fast or slow we can put lines out. Another alternative that works well with divers is to simply loosen the drag to the point that it allows line to play out at the rate you want it to. Once you get to the desired depth just set the drag where you want it. It sometimes hard to get the drag just right when setting downrigger lines with some of the fast deploy rates that rigger manufacturers offer. If you have it set too tight you'll pop the release and have to start over. Set it too loose and you run the risk of a nasty backlash. Just be sure the spool tension knob is adjusted properly.

As far as running a line off the back of a rigger weight goes, my personal feeling is that doing so causes the weight to perform erratically - meaning it won't track as straight as I'd like it to. We use Black's releases above our rigger weights and have been very pleased with that set-up.

Hope this helps,

Bill

[LongLine]

If you free spool letting the rigger down, you'll be sorry. Thumb works for some guys but if a fish hits it on the way down, most guys will panic & you'll have a real mess. I always let it out with the drag light. (a little bend in the rod & tightening along the way)

ditto Billy on the release above the weight.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[bluewater]

I don't like the weights with the curved tails because they don't track straight, I had a few a couple years ago and had major problems with them, lines tangled, even got the weights tangled once. I now only use the torpedo weights that a-tom-mik sells on his site and they track great, have very little blow back and I have never had any problems since. When letting out line regardless if it is wire, mono or braid I always just loosen the drag just enough to let out the line smoothly and never free spool. I have learned the hard way many times and have had to respool several reels due to birds nests from free spooling. Once I free spooled a dipsy rod with wire on it and it made such a mess that we had to junk all the wire and buy a new spool and it's not too cheap.

And blacks releases or the cheaper dubro are all I use as well they work great and also help the weight track great running off the downrigger cable that way you only use one eye and the currents will make the ball turn instead of your line. Way less problems with those.

[RYE]

I would also suggest straightening out the tails on the weights. Fish weights work alright as long as they track straight. I thumb the spools on a clicker drag as the ball drops. My drags are pre-adjusted on my rigger rods and I don't touch em unless someone gets into by accident. The wire divers, check your tension screw often. We set the drag very light, play out with thumb on spool, clicker drag. When we get to desired distance out we keep drag light and attach a #2 or 3 rubber band to the wire and afix to reel knob. Fish hits, breaks the rubber band, softens shock of initial strike. You can tighten drag as needed once you have control of the rod. Works for us....