Dipsy Experts – I have questions on Dive Curves

Well i’m never satisfied with marginal precision so I’ve decided to attempt a trolling depth chart for some Dipsy Divers i recently acquired.
Luhr Jensens

I’ve done a little research, but lack real experience so i figure i’ll ask a few questions before i start fine tuning my charts on the water.

1) Dipsy dive curve are based on 20# mono.
I’ve read that going to a thinner line, like lets say 20# braid will gain approximately 10% Increase of depth. Agree/Disagree?

2) Dispy dive curves are based on 2.5 to 3.0 mph. It is said that for each MPH faster you increase dive by 10% and visa versa.

Based on the information above, i created these dive charts:
Size 0,78g
Size 1,146g

I’ll attach my charts if anyone has some insight i’d love to hear it. If there’s some concrete dive numbers you use, please share if willing.

BTW the way the chart reads there are 4 columns for each speed zone. Within each speed zone there are 4 Dipsy settings (0,1,2,3).
These two charts , are with the “o” Ring Removed.
I don’t fish great lakes so i capped the depth at 40′.

3) Is there a dive chart out there for the smallest 3/0 size?

4) Is is not-recommended to use big diving lipped baits (Baits that pull hard) behind a dipsy?

Attachments:

1. Dipsy-0-Rev-1.pdf
2. Dipsy-1-Rev-1.pdf

1. True

2. Sort of

3. Not sure, but possibly

4. True until you get up into bigger dipsys

What’s your target species?

I run dipsys a lot on the Great Lakes. Tried them inland for walleye and didn’t do well. I greatly prefer leadcore over dipsys for walleyes

I personally wouldn’t trust the dive charts within 3-5′. There are just far to many variables. The fact that these dive much deeper per foot of line than anything else just means the precision is that much much less than say lead line or unweighted deep diving cranks. You’d really have to perform your own tests with your setup to have any sort of precision.

I will say though that line diameter and speed are very influential. The fact that these things weigh a lot and that the dive really hard makes them very susceptible to these factors.

If I were you, I would graph out all those numbers on the dive charts to see if they actually produce a true curve. I’ve done this with another brand and they don’t even create a smooth curve. In some cases the numbers don’t even make sense so I graphed and estimated my own numbers.

The speed issue also seems fuzzy. Pulling a dipsy at 2mph will probably be deeper and less wide than pulling a dipsy at 3. But it will act different with a different baits (for example dodger/fly will pull back farther but out less than a spoon). Remember it is 3 dimensional so you have deep, wide and back to consider.

Line and depth is certainly not a linear relationship, which makes sense in the same ways crankbaits aren’t either.

If you really want to know where your dipsy’s are running you can invest in a fish hawk td. This will not only allow you to find out what depth your dipsy is running it will also tell you where the thermocline is. It has increased my catch rate drastically.

supercat wrote:

If you really want to know where your dipsy’s are running you can invest in a fish hawk td. This will not only allow you to find out what depth your dipsy is running it will also tell you where the thermocline is. It has increased my catch rate drastically.

Im glad I posted..I already have a fish hawk! Glad i can put it to good use now!!!!

My humminbirds show the thermocline obviously, but I was curious at one time regarding temps around the thermo.

Thanks for the brilliant idea!

martyb wrote:

The speed issue also seems fuzzy. Pulling a dipsy at 2mph will probably be deeper and less wide than pulling a dipsy at 3. But it will act different with a different baits (for example dodger/fly will pull back farther but out less than a spoon). Remember it is 3 dimensional so you have deep, wide and back to consider.

Makes sense with the additional pull of the Dodger.

Figure I’ll start with understanding the dipsy before applying the effects of the lure as that can be theoretically infinite.

Thanks for your comments. The speed increasing depth came right from the package but it sounds like you experience otherwise?

I would agree with less speed = more dive, usually. These things are heavily weighted so that would make sense, specially when they are set at 2 or 3.

I would highly recommend that you either use dipsys where the depth is extremely constant or you are targeting suspended fish. Trying to reel these in to decrease depth to avoid bottom contact is a battle.

Yes target is open basin fish.

Though I did run one in main channel sippi this weekend and quickly hung, however luckily easily retrieved.