# Dipsy depth question



## scotthey

So I'm new to trolling and just bought a couple #0 dipsy divers and am running them on 30# copper with a 6'-8' - 20b mono lead. Yesterday, we were marking fish at 30-35 ft. in 117 fow and couldn't get a bite. I was running them on setting 3 approx. 200ft back. I thought that would get me to the 30' depth but researching now I think I was wrong. I've downloaded the precision trolling app but it doesn't cover the #0 dips. Does anyone have any info that would get me close to the 30ft range? I'm getting conflicting info online and there are way to many variables for me to make any real sense of it.

Thanks!


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## kroppe

The dive chart can be googled. Are you using cooper line and the diver? Doesn't this mean the diver depth needs to be added to the sink depth of the copper line? Hope I understand your setup correctly. 

Last time I fished Frankfort I ran my lures multiple times straight through the biggest pile of sonar marks I have seen, without a bite. Reading the posts on this site you'll find guys catching fish when nothing is on the sonar, and not catching fish when the screen looks like a demo animation at Cabela's.


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## wannabapro

Guessing you were way too deep. Used to run 0 dipseys on mono about 100 back on a 0 setting to get 30-35 feet. Perhaps 120 on a 3 setting. Remember you want to be above the fish so if they look like 30 down I'd want my stuff no deeper than 20 or 22.


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## scotthey

Thanks guys. 

Yes I'm running copper to the dipsy and then mono for the leader. That's what's confusing me, how much to add to the dipsy chart when using copper line.


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## aprils fool

I'm not sure why you're trying to run the diver off of copper??
The copper is a sinking line like lead core not to say you can't do it but dont see any gain in depth by doing so the dipsy is gets it's depth from the resistance being towed making it plane down/out. Any depth the copper would achieve would be lost when the diver is pulling against it. It would most likely dive deeper than off mono as there would be no stretch but with the diameter of the copper I'm not sure it would be any better depth than a super braid as the drag of the line would probably create some lift. 

Here's a dive curve I found for a size 0 diver


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## wannabapro

Run cooper off boards with spoons or plugs. Braid or mono for dipseys tied to dodger and fly / meat rig. Spoons too off dipseys.


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## danielwebster

I would think at that depth mono dipseys would work best. If I mark fish but can't get a bite I try different trolling directions and change lures often in hopes that I can find what they want.


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## tbarden11

We run wire with our dipseys, then mono leader, spin doctor, meat rig. We use #3 dipseys, use a depth chart. I add in a little depth due to using wire. Like stated, cooper should be used with planers. Check the sink rate of your cooper. 200 should get you where you want to be.


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## Chase-N-Dreams

wannabapro said:


> Run cooper off boards with spoons or plugs. Braid or mono for dipseys tied to dodger and fly / meat rig. Spoons too off dipseys.




running wire off dipsys are deadly! the wire creates a signatures in the water just like copper.


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## aroflinger

tbarden11 said:


> We run wire with our dipseys, then mono leader, spin doctor, meat rig. We use #3 dipseys, use a depth chart. I add in a little depth due to using wire. Like stated, cooper should be used with planers. Check the sink rate of your cooper. 200 should get you where you want to be.


I think he might be deeper than 30 to 35ft with a 200 copper set up. I think that will get him down to 50ft ish. He would need a 125 copper set up. But running copper to dippsys is a little out of the ordinary.


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## tgafish

aroflinger said:


> I think he might be deeper than 30 to 35ft with a 200 copper set up. I think that will get him down to 50ft ish. He would need a 125 copper set up. But running copper to dippsys is a little out of the ordinary.


Both of you might be right depending on the speed he's running.


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## Corey K

scotthey said:


> So I'm new to trolling and just bought a couple #0 dipsy divers and am running them on 30# copper with a 6'-8' - 20b mono lead. Yesterday, we were marking fish at 30-35 ft. in 117 fow and couldn't get a bite. I was running them on setting 3 approx. 200ft back. I thought that would get me to the 30' depth but researching now I think I was wrong. I've downloaded the precision trolling app but it doesn't cover the #0 dips. Does anyone have any info that would get me close to the 30ft range? I'm getting conflicting info online and there are way to many variables for me to make any real sense of it.
> 
> Thanks!



Yes you will break your copper more than likely, like everyone said run mono, wire, or braid for dipsy's! You can also run your divers out further to the side than setting 3, a Slide diver goes to setting 6 the marks go off the weight onto the diver and a regular diver will do the same. You get more line out with less depth. A 150' copper always to seems to be money for fish in the 40' for me.


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## TA-DAH

I found out the hard way, catching no fish.. Then read an article on dipsey setups somewhere, from your dipsey to the lure setup you should be 20'-30' on leader length. You can go longer with slide divers. I was using short leaders like you mentioned, as soon as I put on a longer lead, I was putting fish in the boat, not just washing lines. I use 2 on each side, a high and low set 1-1/2 and 3-1/2.


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## Chase-N-Dreams

TA-DAH said:


> I found out the hard way, catching no fish.. Then read an article on dipsey setups somewhere, from your dipsey to the lure setup you should be 20'-30' on leader length. You can go longer with slide divers. I was using short leaders like you mentioned, as soon as I put on a longer lead, I was putting fish in the boat, not just washing lines. I use 2 on each side, a high and low set 1-1/2 and 3-1/2.



I dipsy with a 20-30ft leader?? How do you manage to net fish? slide divers i get , but with a dipsy you'd have to hand line the 20-30ft


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## tgafish

Chase-N-Dreams said:


> I dipsy with a 20-30ft leader?? How do you manage to net fish? slide divers i get , but with a dipsy you'd have to hand line the 20-30ft


That's exactly what they do. They handline the long leader to the net


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## GuppyII

Chase-N-Dreams said:


> I dipsy with a 20-30ft leader?? How do you manage to net fish? slide divers i get , but with a dipsy you'd have to hand line the 20-30ft


Exactly! I actually prefer to run longer leads with clients on the boat, I can control the fish as its in between the riggers better than most clients.


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## Chase-N-Dreams

GuppyII said:


> Exactly! I actually prefer to run longer leads with clients on the boat, I can control the fish as its in between the riggers better than most clients.



well tha\n i may have to give that a try! longer lead makes sense when fish are spooky


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## Chase-N-Dreams

GuppyII said:


> Exactly! I actually prefer to run longer leads with clients on the boat, I can control the fish as its in between the riggers better than most clients.



well than i may have to give that a try! longer lead makes sense when fish are spooky


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## Far Beyond Driven

I've found the additional hits compared to the amount of fish / gear lost by hand lining shennanigans behind the boat to be a negative outcome.


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## Corey K

Far Beyond Driven said:


> I've found the additional hits compared to the amount of fish / gear lost by hand lining shennanigans behind the boat to be a negative outcome.



Yeah some boats create a weird eddy behind the boat. I have noticed especially on my boat I have handlined to quickly or too hard and trapped fish between kicker and big motor...interesting when that happens...good thing for a prop ring.

Stretchy 50lb Mono works well for me on leaders that I'm going to run a flasher or paddle on, might be a touch heavy for plugs/spoons though.

I still think you have more control handlining though, when someone reels a mag dipsy to the rod tip there isn't much that guy can do to steer the fish IMO. I use slide divers but, not for the ease of netting because there is nothing worse than that thing swinging around at head level so my leaders end up a rod length long so I can handline if need be.

We have worked it out a couple times with 2 of us on the boat, the guy reeling in the fish ends up netting after he the other handlines, while he is putting the rod in a vertical holder and the net is ready nearby.


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## TA-DAH

Yup, hand line, I have the person with pole walk to the helm raising up the pole, then grab the line if needed. Also my boat has a rocket launcher on the stern for 6 Poles, so I have to net on the side of the boat. I net on the side the dipsey pole was. My riggers can spin, so if I have too, I can make the hole for netting bigger. It's pretty easy once you get used to it. The fish is usually all Tuckered out when he reaches the boat.


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