Dipsy Setting Question

[Guppy35]

Which setting on the dipsys will get them out away from the sides of the boat farther? I've tried a few different settings and i can't seem to get them out away from the boat at all. I'm not sure if i'm doing something wrong or if they just don't go out away from the boat as far as i thought they would. I have 30 lb 7 strand wire on them too.

Sean

[slapshot716]

Setting # 3 is supposed to get them out further. Don't you have the chart that came with them? It will tell you that you need to set out more line to get to the depth you want to fish at. When you set out, let the line out slowly, or you may end up with mess to straighten out.........

[Guppy35]

Yes i do have the charts that came with them and that was the setting i usually run them at, but even when i let the line out slowly and let it run for a few minutes it doesn't get out away from the boat very far. I had them 180 and 210 ft out yesterday.

[Tim Bromund]

They are further away than you think.. There is a belly in the line due to drag that makes it appear that they are going straight back at the boat, but they are really much further out.

This is a quick sketch I did in AutoCAD a while back sowing how it really looks. Disregard the lack of bend in the rod, I only spent about 3 minutes on this

Tim

[BALLS DEEP]

Nice sketch. I feel like many people use a 2.5 setting. Why do they use this and not a number 3?

[Guppy35]

tbromund -- Thanks for the sketch that makes me feel much better! So as long as i let the line out slowly and make sure it doesn't tangle with the downrigger lines i should be fine.

[stinger]

I generally use the #2 setting and it gets me out plenty far enough. I don't have any tangle issues at that setting.

[Tim Bromund]

tbromund -- Thanks for the sketch that makes me feel much better! So as long as i let the line out slowly and make sure it doesn't tangle with the downrigger lines i should be fine.

I always just get the diver in the water, put the rod in the holder and let it slowly creep out on a light drag. It keeps good tension on the line and actually fishes it's way out to it's planned destination. You'd be amazed how many times it gets whacked as it's creeping out shallower than where I planned to put it, especially first thing in the morning when fish are up high, feeding out of temp.

Tim

[K Gonefishin]

If you slow down to around 1.5mph and put it on a 2.5 setting and let it out 150 back with no rigs on it. Pop the diver and scream the line in you'll see how far off the side it surfaces. I run harnesses shallow (30-50 ft) for walleye and since we are going slow and nothing like faster speed and spin docs aren't dragging it back (and less line out) you get a true idea how far they really do plane. It's decieving salmon fishing

[BALLS DEEP]

Do you guys run snubbers on your dipsys?

[stinger]

Do you guys run snubbers on your dipsys?

That is one of those "Ford vs Chevy" questions.

[BALLS DEEP]

I guess I should just try without and see what happens

[slapshot716]

I agree with what Tim said. I tried dipsys for the first time, just a couple of weeks ago, and at first, I didn't think that they were getting out too far, but when I ended up popping one, (My kid bumped the boat's throttle), that sucker WAS out off the side a lot further than the line showed.

As far as snubbers,.... yes, I've been using them, but this week, I might just try one pole without a snubber, just to experiment a bit.

Lot's of great info & ideas here!

[landingzone]

I'm still struggling a little with numbers for setting 2 dipsys per side.  All say to run the deeper diver (say #1 setting) closest to the boat.  Then most advise letting out 10-100' more out on the outside diver (say setting #3) to maintain separation.  Looking at "Precision Trolling", that would usually put the outside diver at or below the depth of of the inner diver.  I thought, the outside line was supposed to be higher?  Help?

[Jolly II]

Dick,

 

You got it right, outside diver=less line out, and on a higher setting, and inside diver=more line out, on a lower setting.

 

When I fished with Lou last year we were doubling up on the divers.  Good example would be setting the inside diver on a #1 seeting, and letting it out 325 feet, then deploy the outside diver on a #2.5 setting on letting it out 275 feet.  This would run the inside diver deeper than the outside diver. 

 

It's easier to set up, and not as tricky as running copper.  

 

Chris 

[TyeeTanic]

Nice sketch. I feel like many people use a 2.5 setting. Why do they use this and not a number 3?

 

The reason they do this is to maximize the depth of the diver.  The larger the setting, the farther it goes out to the side of the boat, but then it doesn't diver as deeper. The whole point of the diver is to get depth, so it's not just about maximum horizontal seperation. You work with a separation you are comfortable with and no more than that, so you can get the divers as deep as possible - I normally use 4 dipseys and go 2.5 starboard, 1.0 starboard, 1.0 portside, 2.5 portside.  That gives a 1.5 to 2.0 seperation between each diver.  I feel a 3 is unnecessary on the outside divers and all I do is loose depth.

[TyeeTanic]

I'm still struggling a little with numbers for setting 2 dipsys per side.  All say to run the deeper diver (say #1 setting) closest to the boat.  Then most advise letting out 10-100' more out on the outside diver (say setting #3) to maintain separation.  Looking at "Precision Trolling", that would usually put the outside diver at or below the depth of of the inner diver.  I thought, the outside line was supposed to be higher?  Help?

 

You're getting the logic now.  The point is look at the dive charts and then decide (a) what settings you want each of your weights at, and how much line you need to let out to get to the target depth.  I extracted data from the charts and came up with my own table of settings/line lengths for various target depths on my inside and outside divers.  What you want to aim for is your outside diver being around 10 - 20 feet higher than the inside diver, and about 1.5 weight setting difference (say 1.0 on the inside diver and 2.5 on the outside diver).  The next step is to drop a good color combination between both the inside and outside dipseys, as they work as a group (which is why you keep it only 10 - 20 feet higher).

[Sk8man]

If you use the small dipseys and set the setting PAST 3 the dipsey will often keep coming right out of the water and won't stay down...haven't tried doing it with the bigger ones so don't know there.

[BALLS DEEP]

How much success do people have running 4 dipseys and also how likely are tangles when fish hit? I want to try this but at $50 for a spool of wire and all the tackle that can be lost, I am a bit hesitant. Last but not least does anyone run mag dipseys on the inside rods?

[TyeeTanic]

How much success do people have running 4 dipseys and also how likely are tangles when fish hit? I want to try this but at $50 for a spool of wire and all the tackle that can be lost, I am a bit hesitant. Last but not least does anyone run mag dipseys on the inside rods?

I've been running 4 dipsies for the last 2 years. Only had a bad tangle twice. Once was too hard of a turn and the other is a mistake I made deploying the divers.

If you stick to the system it works.

[apb]

Dont use the chart that came with the dipsy for depth if you are using wire.  Those depths are calculated for 20lb mono I believe.  Your wire Dipsy will run deeper than that chart tells you.  Someone correct me if I am wrong but you can figure a ratio of about 2.5 to 3 for line out to depth.  Example...210 ft of wire out should put you about 70 ft or a bit less