Divers

Check out this great video from Tangled Tackle Fishing on how to deploy and manage high and low Dispy Divers tangle free.

Quick Notes:

  • Deploy your high diver first.
    • Make sure you zero out the counter!
    • Once dipsy and lure are in the water, place rod in rod holder before you close the bail on the reel so you’re not fighting the drag from the dipsy getting the rod into the holder.
    • After closing the bail, loosen drag until line starts slowly spooling out on its own.
      • Do not let line spool out too quickly!
  • At 4:55 in the video, if you pay attention, you will catch a neat little trick for how Chris stores his spin doctor/fly combos “tangle free” using a small piece of pool noodle.
  • Notice his rod holder arrangement. I didn’t pick up on this at first but I think this arrangement will eliminate a lot of the hassles you get if you have your rod holders pointed upwards more. I am always fighting with trying to get my rods around each other because they are always pointed up and in the way.
    • Notice he doesn’t use the rod holder on his downrigger for his down rigger rod. Also notice that the placement of the rod holder is parallel to the water surface at a 30 degree angle to the back of the boat.
    • Instead he places down rigger rod in 2nd rod holder which is also parallel to the water and at a 30 degree angle to the back of the boat.
    • Next he has the low diver rod in the 3rd rod holder which is pointed slightly downward and at a 90 degree angle to the boat. The tip of the rod actually drags in the water.
    • His high diver rod is in the 4th rod holder which is pointed slightly upward and at a 90 degree angle to the boat.
    • While Chris doesn’t mention it, I believe the arrangement of the rod holders also helps in managing his lines. By keeping the rods low, they are out of the way when you hook a fish or have to bring a line in.
  • When resetting the high diver, Chris moves his low diver to the open downrigger rod holder on the opposite side of the boat. This gets the rod out of the way so he can work quickly and not risk getting tangled.
    • When redeploying the high diver, he deploys from the back of the boat.
    • Wait to put the low diver back in its original rod holder until you have the high diver far enough back and away from the boat. If you move it too early you risk tangling.

If you find this video helpful, be sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe to Tangled Tackle Fishing’s YouTube channel.   This is one of the better channels I’ve found on fishing for salmon on the Great Lakes.