Slide Divers Tore Off

[lamtec]

Sunday was my first day fishing on Lake Ontario. I was using planer boards and I tried a slide diver for the first time. On two occasions I saw the rod straighten and I thought the diver released. When I reeled my line in, it was torn off at the swivel, and I lost the diver. The line was rough and jagged where it tore. I don't understand what happened. I am sure that I had the diver rigged correctly and I had a bead between the diver and the swivel. The diver was on a 30lb Big Game mono leader. Any suggestions to help a new Lake O fisherman.  Thanks

[dry net]

Did you use the spring and piece of surgical tubing?

[Earl28]

Did you use a slide diver on a planer board? Do you have a picture. 

[whaler1]

When running sliders the first “swivel” is a barrel swivel on the south end of the diver. Your leader is on the other end of that swivel. 
 

Edited April 29, 2022 by whaler1

[lamtec]

I was not using the slide diver with a planer board. I used the yellow surgical tubing to clamp the mono line. There were not any springs included in the accessory kit of the slid divers that I purchased. I emailed slide diver twice and ask why the springs were not included in the pack and if they were needed. I never got a response from them, so I used the diver without the spring. I used the bead and the included barrel swivel, before the final leader to the lure. The lure was a DW SS spoon attached with a dream weaver #2 swivel. The diver was originally attached about 20ft above the bead and swivel, and the tear happened at the end of the leader. I measured the leader and only a small amount was torn off. Could the diver have slid to the end of the leader and started to swivel and chewed up the line. The surgical tubing locks the diver pretty tight, but maybe it moved.

 

Also, is the spring needed on the trip lever wire? Like I said earlier they were not included with the diver (the instruction sheet says they should be). Would they be available to purchase at a hardware store? 

[whaler1]

30lb mono won’t work well on any dipsy. 
Out a couple hundred feet or more the line stretch will kill you. Braid or wire. 

[lamtec]

I am using 65lb braid for the main line. I am using a 30ft leader, to attach the slide diver to.

65lb braid main line - 30ft, 30lb mono leader for the slide diver - bead, barrel swivel, 6ft,15lb leader - spoon.

[Fishmaster 196]

Not sure what happened in your case but another member suggested to use 40lb big game for the diver to slide on due to fraying issues with smaller diameter lines. I have been using 40lb now for two uears and have not had any issues. I think you can find a kit that includes extra springs, beads and rubber tubing online somewhere.

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

[dry net]

The spring in my opinion takes the stress off the line. When I used them the diver "slid" on 65lb braid. good luck!!!

[UNREEL]

10 hours ago, lamtec said:

I am using 65lb braid for the main line. I am using a 30ft leader, to attach the slide diver to.

65lb braid main line - 30ft, 30lb mono leader for the slide diver - bead, barrel swivel, 6ft,15lb leader - spoon.

Not sure how deep you were trolling or the setting on the slide diver but it sounds like you were digging/dragging bottom over some zebra coated rocks which frayed and broke that 30lb Big game. 

[tuffishooker]

Ditto on the zebra coated rocks ?

[zach]

Those damn zebra muscles can mess up a 150lb flouro musky trolling leader in a heartbeat and cuts my 30lb mono for salmon if I simply touch bottom in close.

I'm thinking these guys are right, you drug bottom. Happened to me last time out slowing down for a king with mini divers in shallow. 

Edited April 29, 2022 by zach

[hard knox]

I have had multiple slide divers cut two different brands of braid off very disappointing as they do catch fish but can't justify throwing 25 bucks away every other trip .

[J.D.]

15 minutes ago, UNREEL said:

Not sure how deep you were trolling or the setting on the slide diver but it sounds like you were digging/dragging bottom over some zebra coated rocks which frayed and broke that 30lb Big game. 

First thing that came to mind.  During a boat turn, the rods on the inside of the turn slow down, outside speed up. A diver on the inside will drop like a rock if the turn is too sharp, and it doesn't take much. That's not a big deal in open water, but you don't have a lot of room for error fishing shallow. 

 

 I have performed many  "dry run simulations" with tackle components in the driveway looking for sharp spots, burrs, failures, weak knots, etc. before hitting the water. It's amazing what you can find.  I once found a bit of "flash" on the edge of a plastic molded bead hole that was bad enough to fray the line...

[lamtec]

We were mostly in 12 to 16 FOW and trying to troll at 8ft where we were marking fish. It is possible that I was dragging bottom sometimes with depth changes or while making turns. I don't know how accurate the dive charts are, I may have been trolling deeper than I thought. This would make sense, because the line was rough and jagged where it tore. This was my first-time trolling, so I have a lot to learn.

Next time out I will upgrade my slide diver leader to 40 or 50lb Big Game and also try to find some springs. I will need to use a Fish Hawk TD to check my actual trolling depth. Each trip will be a learning experience. But it will be fun.

 

I appreciate all the suggestions and the willingness to try and help with my question. Thanks again to everyone who responded with this post.

[UNREEL]

Those dive charts are a general guideline with lots of variables. Speed and line size,etc. Be aware of the diver setting also. At that depth I would have mine on 3 or higher. Good luck

[Reelguy]

I run slide divers exclusively. Make sure you don’t let them out fast. I always let them out on the drags. Otherwise they can flip and will chew up the line. Also the leader after the swivel only needs to be 24”. 

[AnglingAddict]

On 4/29/2022 at 9:05 AM, lamtec said:

We were mostly in 12 to 16 FOW and trying to troll at 8ft where we were marking fish. It is possible that I was dragging bottom sometimes with depth changes or while making turns. I don't know how accurate the dive charts are, I may have been trolling deeper than I thought. This would make sense, because the line was rough and jagged where it tore. This was my first-time trolling, so I have a lot to learn.

Next time out I will upgrade my slide diver leader to 40 or 50lb Big Game and also try to find some springs. I will need to use a Fish Hawk TD to check my actual trolling depth. Each trip will be a learning experience. But it will be fun.

 

I appreciate all the suggestions and the willingness to try and help with my question. Thanks again to everyone who responded with this post.

You don't need to use a fish hawk TD trolling in 12-15 feet of water nor would I recommend it.  If you are set 5 feet down fish on the bottom will move vertically that distance to hit an offering - no need to complicate it.

[mr 580]

In 12 to 16 FOW a couple colors of leadcore or small snap weight on a board are a couple better choices than trying to run a diver that shallow.  Divers including SD’s are effective tools - that being said fishing them close to the bottom can be costly.