Question Regarding Copper

[bigted]

Hoping someone here can help with a problem we're having with our coppers:

 

This never used to be an issue, and we cannot figure out why it is now.  When we launch our 300 and 400 coppers out the back of the boat, then send them out on the planer lines over our wire dipsies (one each side), the dipsies are getting into the coppers sporadically, and I'm sure you can imagine or have seen the mess it causes.

 

I've been on other boats where this never happens - in fact, I've never seen it until this year, and we just dealt with another mess today.  Our first thought was that we were running spoons on the coppers, and they don't produce enough drag, causing the coppers to sink too quickly and find the dipsies.  Well, today we ran flasher-flies on them and had it happen again.  Even worse actually because spin doctors spin LOL.  We try to make sure to run the copper out with some drag, but that's not the fix either.  We've also began running the dipsies on a 2 setting instead of the usual 3, but that doesn't fix the problem.

 

Any insight as to why this is happening and/or advice to prevent it ?

 

As of now, our fix is to pull the dipsy, launch the copper, and then re-launch the dipsy.  It's a royal pain.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated !

[Sk8man]

Not sure what size or type of dipsies as that could be a factor but I'm not sure why the coppers aren't sent out first then the dipsies in the first place as it avoids going over the top of stuff. Dipsies can run a long way behind the boat and not exactly where you might think they are especially when you have a lot of wire out, (speed matters too) and when they are on higher settings further out sideways than you might think depending on what you have on them. If my dipsies are out and I decide to send out a copper with a spoon for example I usually let the copper and some backing out the center of the transom till it is all the way out and then attach the board (inline) to it and cast it over my dipsy and let out more backing to the desired spot. I have never had it tangle in this scenario. My hunch is that the dipsy is possibly getting into the copper rather than the reverse although that is possible too Try running the dipsies  set to zero or 1 to get them closer to the boat, or doing it the way I described. if running riggers also I usually swivel mine away a bit (as far as is practical) from the dipsy regardless of setting.

Edited July 14, 2020 by Sk8man

[Hachimo]

Sounds odd to me. I always put my dipseys out first then riggers then send a copper or two off each side on inline boards.  Never had an issue.  Is it possible maybe u were turning a little when letting out the copper?   Definitely sounds like a mess. Especially with a FF 

[FishingFool34]

9 hours ago, Hachimo said:

Sounds odd to me. I always put my dipseys out first then riggers then send a copper or two off each side on inline boards.  Never had an issue.  Is it possible maybe u were turning a little when letting out the copper?   Definitely sounds like a mess. Especially with a FF 

When I initially start I do boards then dipsey then riggers, always seemed to work well. But if I get a fish on a board I've never had issues getting the boards out over my dipsey lines. I use inline boards as well, when deploying them I will free line them way down the center before I engage the drag and swing them over to their respective sides. Only thing I can think of for the OP issue is if the dipsey and copper are both running at a similar depth you could have issues while deploying. My board lines are usually my highest lines so I don't have issues going over deeper setups like dipseys.

[bigted]

Thanks for the input so far.

 

We're running big boards (not inline) so letting them running further back the chute before sending them outside the dipsies is not an option.  It could well be an issue of having them get into each other while turning, as we never realize they are tangled until we retrieve one or the other. (board line or dipsy)  As I said, it's not happening all the time so there has to be some other X-factor at play.  Maybe current  ?

 

If we run the copper out without the dipsy deployed, they do NOT tangle.  We run our boards out far enough to keep them outside the dipsies IMHO. We thought changing to a "2" setting as opposed to a "3" on dipsies would fix things, as the dipsies run straighter down (and closer to the boat), but as I said it happened again anyway.

Edited July 14, 2020 by bigted

[FishingFool34]

1 hour ago, bigted said:

Thanks for the input so far.

 

We're running big boards (not inline) so letting them running further back the chute before sending them outside the dipsies is not an option.  It could well be an issue of having them get into each other while turning, as we never realize they are tangled until we retrieve one or the other. (board line or dipsy)  As I said, it's not happening all the time so there has to be some other X-factor at play.  Maybe current  ?

 

If we run the copper out without the dipsy deployed, they do NOT tangle.  We run our boards out far enough to keep them outside the dipsies IMHO. We thought changing to a "2" setting as opposed to a "3" on dipsies would fix things, as the dipsies run straighter down (and closer to the boat), but as I said it happened again anyway.

 

They are too close together depth-wise or you're trying to run a deeper copper over top of a shallower dipsey. Your deepest setups should be closest to the boat with the shallowest the furthest away. Set your dipseys deeper or run shorter coppers. Or there is something wrong with your dipseys and they aren't diving to where you think they are (loose/broken ring, loose weight?).  

[GAMBLER]

If there is a wind and the boat is slipping slightly sideways and you deploy a copper on the wrong side of the boat, you will drop the copper right into the dipsy on deployment.   Another issue is letting them out too fast and then sending them out to the board without letting them settle back.  

[Gill-T]

A couple of things. 
 

1). Use mag dipsys to sharpen the dive curve with less line out. 
 

2).  Let copper out SLOW and let it hang out the back a few minutes to allow it to rise before sending out on board line. 
 

3). Run the copper way out on boards

 

4).  Increasing speed will rise copper more so than dipsys so before sending, bump you speed up 

 

5). Bring in your inside copper before starting a turn ( or both)

[bigted]

More excellent suggestions.  Thanks Gentlemen.

[TyeeTanic]

Perplexed ... what boat speed are you at when you deploy?

 

Obviously it's sinking fast, or the dipsey lines are way too high.  You sure the dipsey isn't popping prematurely?

 

 

[bigted]

33 minutes ago, TyeeTanic said:

Perplexed ... what boat speed are you at when you deploy?

 

Obviously it's sinking fast, or the dipsey lines are way too high.  You sure the dipsey isn't popping prematurely?

 

 

Dipsies aren't popping prematurely.  Mine was out 250 on a 2 setting yesterday when it happened.

 

We were running 2.6 over ground (2.8 at the ball) when it happened yesterday.

 

I think it makes great sense that we haven't been keeping the copper behind the boat until it drags for a while, letting it come up in the water column a bit before sending it out. We were hitting a lot of fish yesterday and when it's like that we are anxious to get the coppers out on the boards and out of the way...

[Sk8man]

At that speed range just about anything could be going on as well as a combination of them if you are running attractors behind the dipsies. A combination of strong current (very (common out there these days) the relatively high speed forcing the dipsies a little sideways (which attrators can do at that speed)  further than you may think and even slight turning while this was happening could explain it.

Edited July 14, 2020 by Sk8man

[jimski2]

When setting dipseys all ways use the clicker on the reel to let them out slow enough to keep the dipsey from spinning over your lure line.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[TyeeTanic]

Man, at that boat speed I'm surprised it's happening. Anyhow, all I can say is that underwater currents may have played a game with you, or even a good wind that was pushing the boat sideways, so when you think those dipsey lines are off to the side, they aren't, only resolution is to keep that copper dead center of stern until it's all out, and then hook up your planer board ... I wouldn't prematurely move the copper line to the side while it is still deploying ... you now know why.

[Zinger11]

I've fished when the current was so bad we could only run dipsys on one side at a time depending on what direction we were trolling

Man, at that boat speed I'm surprised it's happening. Anyhow, all I can say is that underwater currents may have played a game with you, or even a good wind that was pushing the boat sideways, so when you think those dipsey lines are off to the side, they aren't, only resolution is to keep that copper dead center of stern until it's all out, and then hook up your planer board ... I wouldn't prematurely move the copper line to the side while it is still deploying ... you now know why.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[TyeeTanic]

2 hours ago, Zinger11 said:

I've fished when the current was so bad we could only run dipsys on one side at a time depending on what direction we were trolling

 

Sent from my SM-G970U using Lake Ontario United mobile app
 

 

 

Yeah it can get bad sometimes, especially if you also have a cross wind pushing your boat sideways. A mate of mine had his rigger cable go into a prop, and he was using 16 lb torpedo weights ... it was insane.

[bigted]

On 7/14/2020 at 1:03 PM, TyeeTanic said:

Perplexed ... what boat speed are you at when you deploy?

 

Obviously it's sinking fast, or the dipsey lines are way too high.  You sure the dipsey isn't popping prematurely?

 

 

Dipsies aren't popping prematurely.  Mine was out 250 on a 2 setting yesterday when it happened.

 

We were running 2.6 over ground (2.8 at the ball) when it happened yesterday.

 

I think it makes great sense that we haven't been keeping the copper behind the boat until it drags for a while, letting it come up in the water column a bit before sending it out. We were hitting a lot of fish yesterday and when it's like that we are anxious to get the coppers out on the boards and out of the way...