Slide diver help WAY OFF!

[wicked walleye]

I'm quite familiar with dipsys but I picked up 4 slide divers and gave them a try this weekend for lakers on lake Erie.  The charts are WAY OFF!  I ended up switching back to magnums because according to the chart with no ring (they don't come with one) is 35'.  We were fishing 60'-70' so I switched out 3 to Magnum regular divers and kept one on a setting 3 back 140 with 20# powerpro.  We work over a hump at 55' and hit bottom.  I understand current, speed and lure can effect the depth but we were running 2.2-2.4 mph and a magnum spoon (nothing out of the ordinary that would have a huge impact).  Chart was over 20' off.  Does anyone have some real depth figures for a 1 and 3 setting?  I'd love to use these for walleye if I can get some accurate depths.  I have the full version of the precision trolling app but they are not on there yet.

[Sk8man]

Since multiple factors may be involved you may want to get a Fishhawk TD and check things out with your own boat and equipment etc. for a better idea.

[Fishmaster 196]

I bought some at the end of summer last year to try out primarily for the lite bite function since i fish for walleye most of the time.   Near the end of the year when the eyes were deep my buddies were catching them with 200ft of line out on regular dipseys and i had to let out 250 ft with the Slide Divers to get bit.  I ended up buying a Fishhawk TD because like you, i did not think they were diving as deep as the chart said. The Fishawk TD confirmed my suspitions.  I would not bother running them without the large ring on them.  I found that with the large ring they ran closer to similar depths as the walker deeper divers that i am used to running.  I tested the running depths on the slide divers on multiple days, in different directions conditions to come up with a chart that i feel reasonbly comfortable in. 

I found that on some days i didn't matter how much line you let out they would not dive deeper than a certain depth.  Also, there will be times that divers on opposite sides of the boat will be running at  5-8 feet different depths with the same amount of line out.  A fishhawk TD will really open your eyes to what is really going on down there.

[mr 580]

I use a dive rate of between 2 to 2.5 to 1 for SD’s.  The charts aren’t accurate at all.  Another thing you can do is to convert your SD numerical numbers to match the dipsey numbers for weight movement then use similar numbers you would for a dipsey.  SD’s tend to run shallower for me.  Hope this helps.

[J.D.]

I use the Dipsy charts with my Slide Divers.  Add "1/2" to the SD setting.

Example: Dipsy settings: 1,2,3.  Set the Slide Divers at 1.5, 2.5, 3.5.

 

[wicked walleye]

13 minutes ago, J.D. said:

I use the Dipsy charts with my Slide Divers.  Add "1/2" to the SD setting.

Example: Dipsy settings: 1,2,3.  Set the Slide Divers at 1.5, 2.5, 3.5.

 

So you're saying a slide diver on setting 1.5 with no ring is approximately 50' down with 123' of line out?  178' of line out to get to 50' on a setting 3.5?

[wicked walleye]

I would think if they tend to run a bit shallower than a normal #1 dipsy (because they are the same size but the "drag/lure" is attacted to a higher point pulling down on the back of the slide diver) then I would want to go to subtract 1/2 a setting instead of add since subtracting 1/2 a setting would make it dive deeper.    Also it seems to me the fish hawk would effect the dive chart on a dipsy just by being attached to the line.  Apparently not enough to make a difference?

Edited April 28, 2021 by wicked walleye

[scobar]

In line Smart Troll tells me exactly where they are at wile running the dipsies.

[wicked walleye]

19 minutes ago, scobar said:

In line Smart Troll tells me exactly where they are at wile running the dipsies.

 Care to share some numbers on 1 and 3 settings with no ring?

 

[wicked walleye]

Just ordered the Fish Hawk TD and the ring/weight kits for the slide divers.  

[Sk8man]

It may involve a little time but I think you'll be happy you did. The TD may add a small amount of weight but it is not real significant. You're basically talking feet approximations  so inches aren't all that critical Boat speed is by far more important.

Edited April 28, 2021 by Sk8man

[mr 580]

For walleyes I always run rings on my SD’s as I like how the rod loads.  In August when temp is below 50feet, I will use the heavy weight kit with big ring on my inside divers for more depth.  Keep my outsides with std weight and ring, but I usually dial in a 1/2 number on the settings.  The light bite SD’s do a good job of releasing with “trash fish” on Erie.

[J.D.]

4 hours ago, wicked walleye said:

I would think if they tend to run a bit shallower than a normal #1 dipsy (because they are the same size but the "drag/lure" is attacted to a higher point pulling down on the back of the slide diver) then I would want to go to subtract 1/2 a setting instead of add since subtracting 1/2 a setting would make it dive deeper.   

Dipsys have settings 1-2-3. Slide Divers have settings 1 thru 6.  Look at the pic below. Dipsy on the left, S/D on the right. Set both weights to "0", hold them weight to weight as shown. With a marker, transfer the dipsy 1-2-3 settings to the S/D.  The new marks on the S/D should match up approx. to 1 1/2, 2 1/2. and 3 1/2. You now have dipsy settings marked on the S/D.  Use the Precision Trolling Guide Dipsy charts for the S/D with the new marks.  Diver depth has many variables, but this gets me pretty close.

 

 

[scobar]

4 hours ago, wicked walleye said:

 Care to share some numbers on 1 and 3 settings with no ring?

 

Because its a actual read I never had a need to document it, just look at my Android screen and there they are, sorry I wasn't able to answer your question. 

[chowder]

9 hours ago, mr 580 said:

I use a dive rate of between 2 to 2.5 to 1 for SD’s.  The charts aren’t accurate at all.  Another thing you can do is to convert your SD numerical numbers to match the dipsey numbers for weight movement then use similar numbers you would for a dipsey.  SD’s tend to run shallower for me.  Hope this helps.

Yep, what he said..., 

[Fishmaster 196]

The standard weight in the slide divers is around 3 oz. They sell an accessory weight kit that includes a 2oz and 4 oz weight set. When I swapped out the standard weight for the heavier 4 oz weight I was able to achieve 3:1 dive rate that compared to the walker deeper divers I have used in the past. The standard weight did not have the same dive rate and was less. Again, this is on my boat with both wire and braid divers confirmed with a TD. Your results may vary.

Sent from my LM-G820 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[mr 580]

I believe that Slide Diver discontinued the original heavy weight kit with the 2oz and 4 oz several years ago.  They now offer what they call the “Ultimate Weight “ Kit which is a 7 oz weight with a new disc bottom for the larger weight and a big ring.  This dives pretty close to 2 to 1.

 I used to like that 4 oz weight and tried to find more of them but couldn’t - even spoke to SD rep.  Been using the Ultimate Kit now late season for a few years.

[chowder]

Way back I used to put a dipsy bottom on slidedivers and fastened with a small screw, then they dived exactly like a dipsy but were cumbersome to adjust 

[Sk8man]

A couple things that enter my mind when talking slide divers: a) the issues concerning use for walleyes are a little different in some respects than for trout and salmon in that in general the presentation doesn't usually need to be as deep as for say Chinooks during the summer. b) So maybe the deeper divers have a larger role in the salmon/trout arena, and when fishing deep the stealth approach of slide divers may not be as necessary, or perhaps even as desirable as other setups as it is for walleyes. I look at the slide divers as something added to the mix to supplement the deeper divers for a more stealthy approach in the upper parts of the water column while the deeper divers excel at the lower levels and therefore the slide divers function well either with or without rings in the upper areas depending on conditions without changing around the weight structure. I know this view flies in the face of  many folks personal preference for the slide divers but I also believe in the principle of "using the right tool for the job" at hand. The longer the lead the less action with many lures or flies, and maybe the shorter leads down deep with more action for deeper fish can be a better solution in that is it easier to tell where they are operating at. Just my take on it....

Edited April 29, 2021 by Sk8man

[Fishmaster 196]

I believe that Slide Diver discontinued the original heavy weight kit with the 2oz and 4 oz several years ago.  They now offer what they call the “Ultimate Weight “ Kit which is a 7 oz weight with a new disc bottom for the larger weight and a big ring.  This dives pretty close to 2 to 1.

 I used to like that 4 oz weight and tried to find more of them but couldn’t - even spoke to SD rep.  Been using the Ultimate Kit now late season for a few years.

You are correct. I found a few of the 4oz weights at a local shop and then made a mold so I can make more whenever I buy new divers. I went to the trouble of doing that so I could get them to dive like my previous divers. If I didnt fish for walleye so much I would not have done so. The lite bite feature works great for eyes.

 

Sent from my LM-G820 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

 

 

 

[Off The Hook]

Any chart is just a snapshot in time. Currents, line diameter, and speed will greatly alter the depth of any lure being dragged in the water. Smart Troll is the only device that will give the the answer you are looking for all day, everyday! Fish Hawks’s TD is a decent starting point but then again so are all the charts out there. 

[wicked walleye]

Understood Off the Hook,  I started this thread because I've never had a "chart" on anything else be this far off.  If only there was a small something rather that we could attach and have is show up on our fish finders like our downriggers do.

 

But not for $2000 BTW.  lol.

Edited April 29, 2021 by wicked walleye

[mr 580]

When I started using dipseys over 30 years ago, the charts provided by Luhr Jensen were about as accurate as the ones from Slide Diver. Back in those days we were using mono so it was a real trial and error mess.  For me I figure out what works for me and how I fish without paying much attention to printed dive curves.  A lot of that stuff is just a starting point to apply to your own situation based on all the variables.  I also agree with Les that there is a place in the “tool box” for different types/brands of divers based on application without saying one is better than the others.  I try to help people with Slide Divers as the learning curve seems steeper with them. I’ve seen quite a few guys give up on them without giving them a chance.  

[wicked walleye]

So I tried out the Fishhawk TD last weekend.  Put out a slider and attached the TD.  After 20 minutes or so we bring it back in and hit "view" like it said to do and keep hitting "view, view, view, view," etc.  It reads "5' x temp, 10' x temp, 15' x temp" etc. clear to 100'.  (I don't remember the temps but its not important.) The problem is we were in 60' of water.  Isn't it supposed to stop reading at the total depth?  Like 5', 10', 15'........and stop taking readings at say 55' because that is as deep as it went?

[Doug N]

50 minutes ago, wicked walleye said:

So I tried out the Fishhawk TD last weekend.  Put out a slider and attached the TD.  After 20 minutes or so we bring it back in and hit "view" like it said to do and keep hitting "view, view, view, view," etc.  It reads "5' x temp, 10' x temp, 15' x temp" etc. clear to 100'.  (I don't remember the temps but its not important.) The problem is we were in 60' of water.  Isn't it supposed to stop reading at the total depth?  Like 5', 10', 15'........and stop taking readings at say 55' because that is as deep as it went?

I just bought a used TD and haven't tried it yet but will later today. I'll let you know how mine works, Does seem odd that at 60 it reads 100.