Do dodgers dive (sink)?

Making more plans for experimentation, here is the idea. Looking at dodgers, thinking a tiger tube behind it, or possibly a Squirly Dunwright with the weight taken out. This will be the outside board, boat will be on the weedline, open water is typically 18′ – 35′ on the lake I am thinking of trying it on, running the rig off my collapsable planers and the mast. Do I need weight? Like a keel sinker? I would want to run 10′-20′ down.

I can run the rig as short as I need to off the clip, I would like to avoid a lot of weight, so will the dogder “dive” or “sink” based on the amount of line out on its own?

Also, how much of a difference is there between a 9″ and the 5″ dodger action wise?

I do NOT consider them to dive or sink. As for action, there is a ton of difference in the 5″ and 9″. Minimum I would use is a 9″, but I think I would also use the big skateboards, less chance of a ski taking a whack at that instead of the actual bait.

Agreed with whitetail… Probably need some sort of weight to run them 20′ down as they won’t really sink too much on their own (unless you are going 0 mph). Could consider some leadcore, snap-weights, in-lines beadchains, etc…

A lot of times dodgers are run with lighter baits (trolling spoons, flys, etc…) If you use too heavy of a lure, you might not get very good dodger action… Just one more thing to keep in mind…

Sounds like a cool idea… Good luck!

WTA:

I would envision dodgers to flutter behind creating the action on the bait behind. The slower you would run dodgers, would they run deeper from the weight of the dodger itself. I like the idea of the larger board as I was using my ‘eye boards last summer on Mille Lacs and the one pulling the pacemaker got smoked, not the pacemaker behind it.

Mark

I think hitting these depths will be challenging, but snap weights will probably be your best option. I also believe you will have to make your lure as “weight less” as possible so you don’t take all the side to side action out of the dodger. I would also go with the 9″ for anything you would be pulling for ski’s. Tiger tubes look a lot like the big squids we use for salmon. I would remove the weight of course.

I’ve run dodgers several times for muskies with no success…However, I have had the dodger hit on more than one occasion…I run a 00 dodger with the mid size bull dawg about 2 feet back…with a 10 ounce ball on the planer board…Sounds good but only the dodger gets hit.

Do you run the ball on a three-way? I haven’t gone that heavy on the Opti clips I use, are you using a walleye size board, or a collapsable and a mast? If so, what kind of clips do you use?

There are some massive dodgers out there.. Maybe try finding some of the 11-12 inch varieties. Might help to run a bigger bait? Or just take a 6-9″ dodger and add a big treble right to the dodger itself. Instant big fish bait…

Dodgers are cheaper than many musky lures, too.

Worth a shot, anyway.

Dan- dodgers will run pretty much flat. common on superior to see a dipsey diver, 6’leader to the dodger then 6+’ to the lure. dipsy will get you down, you still have the action from the dodger and then the lure. PM me if you want the dive curve for a specific dipsey, i can scan and e-mail to you.

Just so you are aware all you Tiger Tube fans… Lindy has discontinued them. Red October makes large tubes now as well as the Jimmy from Musky Innovations.

Mark