Super long dipsey Leads

[darkfisher]

Hey guys.  having some trouble with the netting of fish when the dipsey lead is to long.  mostly when we are running meat behind the flasher.  8' lead to flasher and 6' lead to meat makes for some tough netting.  I'm looking for some tricks of the trade so to speak to get these big fish in easier.  the smaller ones are easy. just grab the line and pull him close but we got a 27# fish a couple of weeks ago and he wasn't so co operative.  I was lucky to have a guy that's 6'6 on the boat because the wing span was very helpful. lol

[Laker Effect]

Reel the dipsy to the rod tip, keep the rod up and start walking back until net guy has em. Then HIGH FIVE!

[Sk8man]

I limit the total length of my dipsey leaders and what is behind it to the length of the rod I'm using just because of that because I often fish solo. You could also use slide divers. Otherwise you're pretty much stuck hand lining them in and with kings it's risky in my view.

Edited September 18, 2014 by Sk8man

[Richard]

Those crazy fish at the back of the boat are the ones you will remember forever. If you are catching keep doing what you are doing and let the fun times and memories add up.

[sabonation]

I limit the total length of my dipsey leaders and what is behind it to the length of the rod I'm using just because of that because I often fish solo. You could also use slide divers. Otherwise you're pretty much stuck hand lining them in and with kings it's risky in my view.

I agree completely. You don't need a mile of line behind the dipsey to catch fish. Often we do well with a 2-4 ft leader from dipsey to spin doctor then a fly. This makes the total length 5-7 ft behind the dipsey- which is plenty manageable at the net w a 9-10 ft rod.

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[zackblain]

if fishing solo try setting the rod in a rod holder towards the front of the boat once your dipsy is reeled to the tip and your drag is set so that if the fish wants to run it can run. then you can handline and net while not trying to hold the rod, or just go up 10# heavier to avoid breakoffs as dipsys aren't a stealth approach 

[Tim Bromund]

I agree completely. You don't need a mile of line behind the dipsey to catch fish. Often we do well with a 2-4 ft leader from dipsey to spin doctor then a fly. This makes the total length 5-7 ft behind the dipsey- which is plenty manageable at the net w a 9-10 ft rod.

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Not sure about that, we've increased our diver bites considerably by extending the length of the leader to the length of the rod.  Mine are around 9 or 10 feet.  Shorter leaders off the diver may work on occasion, but day in and day out, you are much better off with as long a leader as you can handle.

[sabonation]

It is kind of a day to day thing where experimenting may be necessary. But why not try shorter first? Makes for a much easier land.

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[TyeeTanic]

A longer leader is better, but if it results in having trouble netting, you can (and probably should) shorten it up.

 

The leader shouldn't be longer than your rod.  So solution 1 is to get a longer rod! LOL.

 

I think your leader between flasher and meat is a little long. I would reduce it to somewhere between 4 and 5ft.

Purely because I prefer getting some of that action from the flasher moving through the bait. If the lead is too long

it kills the action transfer.

 

After that shorten the lead between the dipsey and flasher.  8' is WAY too long.  I don't think I have one lead between

those components that is over 4 ft long.

[zackblain]

longer leads have without a doubt increased the # of bites I've had. It helps though being able to backpedal all the way to the bow of my 16' open tiller boat

[Paul Czarnecki]

If you are happy with your catch rates using short diver leaders then, by all means, continue to use them.

I have plenty of room to "back up" but still occasionally have to "leader" a fish. It's not that hard---make sure the fish is played out (as it should be) grab your 40 or 50# leader and drag him to the net. Two people are better than one for this but I have done it many times solo. It's fun!

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[Sk8man]

One of the reasons I have gone to the leaders sized to the rods is that nearly all the fish I catch are released and I'm usually fishing solo. When fishing alone and hand lining in a "played out" fish it takes more time and the survival rate of the fish decreases especially rainbows which often seem a bit more fragile (especially in the warmer weather) and I usually try to release without netting. If the fish are being kept for consumption this would not be a factor or concern. It really is a matter of what works for you with those considerations in mind. I have nothing against longer leaders per se. and they certainly may be advantageous in clear shallower water for increasing the catch rate for example.

Edited September 19, 2014 by Sk8man

[on the lam]

I purposely ran one long leader n one short the last month of the season. 5 feet compared to 10. The longer out fished the short 3 to 1.

[on the lam]

In fact it out fished the whole boat.

[Legacy]

Reel the dipsy to the rod tip, keep the rod up and start walking back until net guy has em. Then HIGH FIVE!

 

We are running 12' dipsey leads and this is exactly what we do on the boat. It has its tricky moments some times but the extra length has proven to be worth it.

[skipper19]

We are running 12' dipsey leads and this is exactly what we do on the boat. It has its tricky moments some times but the extra length has proven to be worth it.

One of the reasons I like my 24 ft center console. Run up front and have a real good net man on the back. When solo I put the diver rods away and go with coppers.

Cent frum my notso smart fone

[BAZOOKAJOE]

I did well last year running long meat rigs on big flashers with 8-10 ft leaders. We hand lined the fish to the net. You just don't bring a major in still green! This year I duplicated the same rig and didn't do as well. Went back to flasher/flies with a 6-8 ft lead. It's all what the fish want. Or what you have the most confidence in. Shorter leads have a faster action (just like off your DR's). But i never go less than 6.

Edited September 20, 2014 by BAZOOKAJOE

[IRon]

Don't you Lake O guys use slide divers? My #1 set up this year on Lake Michigan was a slide diver with a 50' lead.

[Iceman]

Don't you Lake O guys use slide divers? My #1 set up this year on Lake Michigan was a slide diver with a 50' lead.

 

Slide divers won't get down to the 100+ feet we fish out here, 50 degree temps routinely are below 100' on Lake Ontario. I use slide divers for the top 50' for Spring S & T fishing, or for walleyes, & they work great here.

 

Have a great day!

 

John

Edited September 20, 2014 by Iceman

[Tim Bromund]

I believe you can now get a slide diver down that far with the new magum kit they came out with last year with the 7oz weight and magnum ring.

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[J.D.]

Tim is correct on the Magnum SD depths. I run a 20ft. leader of 30 lb. test mono ahead of my wire and run Slide Divers. You can change out the standard and magnum weights in less than a minute using the screw on the bottom center of the diver.... no need to remove it from the line.... also lets me reel the diver and flasher right up to the rod tip.

[Egoody]

Is anyone using dipsey's for spring browns in shallow water? I don't have planer set up's for the boat.

Thanks &

Boat Safe

Egoody

[JakeyBaby]

Best bet would be slide divers. You can run as long of a lead a you like before deploying the diver. 2 years ago the lake flipped In July and brought super cold water. I fished 20 fow with a mag diver out 30 ft on a 3 setting and absolutely pounded the Browns with it.

[TyeeTanic]

Not sure about that, we've increased our diver bites considerably by extending the length of the leader to the length of the rod.  Mine are around 9 or 10 feet.  Shorter leaders off the diver may work on occasion, but day in and day out, you are much better off with as long a leader as you can handle.

 

And that is why you want a 10' dipsey rod.

[John E Powell]

No one has mentioned this yet so I'll put this out there for your consideration. 

 

You can rig a Dipsy or Walker to slide on your mainline like a slide diver by using an aftermarket release and a few simple parts you probably already have in your tackle box.

 

This rigging method works equally well on mono, braid, and wire divers. Please note that a braid or wire diver will require a section of mono to be spliced to the end of the braid or wire. Your diver will be rigged to slide on this section of mono so don't make it any longer than the longest you plan to run it in front of your attractor or spoon. Here's a list of what you'll need to duplicate my rig:

 

• one Big Jon Jettison release
• one large split ring
• one clear plastic bead approximately 1/4" diameter
• one medium ball bearing swivel (with a ring on each end, but no snap)
• one small strong snap (without a swivel)
• mono mainline and/or fluorocarbon leader material (whatever you prefer to rig with)
• one appropriately sized snap swivel (for attaching flasher, dodger or spoon)

 

The method I am about to describe, unlike a slide diver, has the additional benefit of allowing you to remove your Dipsy or Walker from the rod for storage. Slide divers stay on the line which makes rod storage (and running in and out with rigged rods) more difficult.

 

As you read through my instructions it might be helpful to think of this rigging method as similar to how you would rig an inline planer. This is how I do it:

 

 

A) Rigging the release on the mainline

1. Purchase a Big Jon Jettison release. 
2. Read the instructions that come with the release to familiarize yourself with it's operation, but DO NOT rig it as shown. It must be rigged differently.
3. Look at the photo of the release here: http://www.lakemichiganangler.com/store/Fishing_Line_Releases.htm In the photo, both parts are assembled together in the correct orientation to each other. The pin should not be reversed and assembled from the other side of the release body. In the photo, the release body is to the left and the release pin is the round part on the right. NOTE however that the entire assembled release can be mounted to the fishing line with the pin facing either the fish or the rod. For this method to work correctly the pin must face the rod, hence #2 above instructing you to ignore the package instruction which shows the pin incorrectly facing the fish.
4. If not already done, separate the straight release pin from the U shaped release body. Feed the end of your main line (or spliced fluorocarbon/mono leader on a wire/braid diver) through the tiny hole in the end of the pin. In the photo, this would be at the lower right corner of the release.
5. Next, feed the end of your line through the small hole in the release body. Note that you can do this backwards. The correct end of the release to feed your line through is the end protruding away from the release body. In the photo, this is at the upper left part of the release. The line should exit at the lower left part of the body in the photo. 
6. Thread a clear bead on your line next. Your diver will slide to this bead and rest against it when tripped. A good size is about 1/4", but it should be a bit bigger than the opening of the snaps your rig with. I use a clear bead that's about 1/4" in diameter.
7. Tie on a high quality ball bearing swivel. Your bead will rest on the line up against, and in front of, this swivel preventing the diver from fouling the swivel or sliding to the fish when released.
8. Decide how close to allow your diver to slide to the attractor or spoon when the diver release trips. Cut and tie the leader to the ball bearing swivel attached to the mainline, then tie the ball bearing snap swivel to the other end of the leader. Your attractor or spoon will attach to the snap swivel so size it appropriately. These distances work well for me, but you can decide what works best for you. Note that the following leader length distances are tied lengths, so plan a little extra leader material for tying knots when you cut your leader:
   1. Lengthy twinkie/meat rigs and any size attractor, 18-24" 
   2. Large paddles and fly but no twinkie rig, 3'
   3. 8-10" Flasher or dodger and Fly, 4'
   4. Clean spoon or plug, minimum of 3' to a maximum length equal to the length of the rod minus 2'

Check over your work. From the lure to rod you should have snap swivel, short leader, swivel, and the following free sliding parts: clear bead, Jettison body, and Jettison Pin. A general note here: the section of mono mainline (or leader on a wire/braid rig) where the free sliding parts are is where you will fix your diver when setting and deploying it - it can be any length you want. 

 

B) Modifying your Dipsy or Walker style diver:

1. Tighten the screw that holds the metal release pin of your diver about 1/4 to 1/2 half turn. It should be pretty tight. The diver's metal release arm will now become a fixed tow point that should not release while fishing. The Jettison release will replace the diver's original release.
2. Snap the Diver's metal release arm into the fishing position. It should be really tight so it won't trip.
3. Attach a small but strong snap to the existing swivel on the rear of the diver. When setting and deploying while fishing, your main line will go through this snap. The snap (and diver) will slide on the main line and rest against the clear bead (described in section A-6 above). The snap must be small enough that it won't slide over the bead.
4. Install a large split ring to the release's metal tow/release loop. The size of the split ring needs to be pretty big. When installed on the metal arm, there needs to be enough room to easily slide the Jettison's release pin through the split ring and still have a bit of free room. A good rule of thumb is to use a split ring with an inside diameter about twice the size of the Jettison Release pin diameter.

C) Rigging the diver to slide:

1. Attach your bait to your leader and hold onto both parts of the Jettison release in one hand. Let out however much line you want allowing the line to pass through the two parts of the release. Note that there's no need to hold onto the free sliding bead, it can go out with the rest of the rigging.
2. This next part sounds complicated, but it's actually pretty easy to do. To rig the diver to the mainline in the fishing position, hold the body of the release in one hand so the two arms of the release, that hold the release pin, are pointing upwards. Bring the split ring (and diver) up and over the lower arm (refer to the photo, it's the lower arm of the release in the photo) and hang the split ring (and diver) between the two parallel arms of the release. This frees your second hand; using that hand, bring the tip of the release pin up to the release body. 
3. This part is really important - you want the split ring (and the pull of your diver on the release pin) to hang and rest on the plastic release pin when fishing, NOT on your fishing line - I can't stress this enough. Make sure to rotate the pin so your fishing line passes through the pin in a horizontal (left-right) manner and then push the pin through both release body holes and the split ring. 
4. How far you push the pin into the final hole determines how much pressure it takes to release the diver. You will have to experiment with this to find what works best for you - this can take a few attempts to get right, but once you set it a few times, you'll be able to set it for a fairly consistent release tension.
5. Important - don't forget to do this step - if you do you'll lose a diver! Open the snap that is attached to the rear of the diver and hook it over the fishing line going to the lure, and close the snap.

D) Final rigging check before deploying the diver over the side:

1. With the diver's split ring fixed and hanging on the release pin, grab ahold of your main line in each hand so the diver hangs naturally between your hands. VERY IMPORTANT - confirm that the split ring is resting on the plastic pin and NOT the fishing line. If you inserted the pin incorrectly the split ring may be resting on your fishing line and it can be pinched and cut. If the split ring is not hanging on the plastic pin, pull the pin and re-insert it so the line goes along the side of the pin away from the split ring.
2. Confirm the diver's new rear snap is around the mainline and closed.
3. Deploy the diver under tension, do not let it free spool out as it can spin.

Some final thoughts: This release was originally designed for dropping a weight when a fish hits a trolled lure. It's pretty good at not accidentally dropping the weight when you pull on the rod to reel in the line. This means the release is directional with respect to the pressure needed to cause it to trip. By following my instructions in part A, I've set the release up so it WILL trip when pulled from the boat. This means the tighter side is oriented towards the fish giving a really strong hook set, somewhat stronger than the diver's original release. This means it can tow a large fish shaped attractor or paddle and long meat rig and bait without tripping from the pull of the terminal tackle. It also means that small fish will have difficulty tripping the release. You may have to give the rod a swift but light-handed pop to trip the release when you catch a small fish.

 

This rigging requires a bit more attention on your part to rig compared to the standard method, but in my mind the little bit of finessing and extra attention to rig and run this FAR outweighs the struggle needed to deal with extra-long, “unnettable†leader lengths and large fish. Once you get the hang of rigging, it's really no more difficult than rigging a slide diver. Also, unlike a slide diver, this rigging method allows you to remove the diver for storage. Slide divers must be stored with the rod as there's no way to remove them from the line (unless, of course, you cut the line and remove them).

Edited January 28, 2015 by John E Powell