JRammit Posted September 2, 2019 Report Share Posted September 2, 2019 Just took our new boat out for the 2nd time today.. Still getting use to having the entire lake within my reach, and targeting new species... sand bass (aka white bass) and hybrids (white bass + striped bass), these fish are no strangers to deep water and are right at home in open water, where i am not Trolling is something I've done verry little of in the past, but will be doing alot more of going forward.... So im gonna take on an interesting project, one i havnt seen here before... trolling divers For anyone not farmiliar, a diver is basically a crank bait that doesnt swim, its only job is to get your bait, which trails behind it, down to a specified depth.... the most popular commercial diver is probably the 'Jet Diver', which ill attatch a picture of... but there are a few other types on the market.... and via internet search, ive found vague descriptions of a homebrew type of diver made from PVC pipe I suppose i could just try to copy the jet diver, or pittle around with pipe until i get it right.. but first i thought id tap into the vast knowlege and ambition this site is known for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted September 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2019 This looks like a fairly easy design to emulate... i like how it has a built in trip capability, in that the tow point slides down the sloped wire when weight from a fish on the trailing end levels out the diving surface... then you're fighting the fish, not the diver I think this is where I'll start... with a sheet of lexan, a clothes hanger and a barrel wight, i should be able to get close Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted September 3, 2019 Report Share Posted September 3, 2019 (edited) I like the tube idea, I think it would work without adding weight. Very easy to make too. There would be optimum dimensions for maximum dive, so trial and error would be required. Dave Edited September 3, 2019 by Vodkaman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted September 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2019 I was hoping to get your opinion Dave So this is the only illustration i could find in my searching... i had imagined something longer and of smaller diameter One down side to the tube may be lack of a "trip" device (explained above).. although it may be possible to incorporate in the tube design Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted September 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2019 Maybe the looping line at the tow point works as a trip mechanism.. unsure, wasn't alot in the way of the description Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted September 3, 2019 Report Share Posted September 3, 2019 (edited) This is what I had in my mind for the PVC tube. Of course I must add a disclaimer as this is pure theory. The idea is to scoop up water and drive it upwards, providing a jet effect to drive the tube downwards. There will still be vortex shedding, so a low pressure will exist underneath the tube, drawing the tube down. The lip(s) trimmed half way around the pipe should soften the vortex effect and subsequent movement. The top/rear lip protects the jet from the vortices formed around the pipe. Also, balances the pressure on the front lip and thus controls the dive angle. Adjustments - this is basically eyeballed, so the geometry; body length, front lip length, rear lip length, eye positions may have to be moved around for optimum. Ballast eye - I don't think a ballast leader will be necessary, but I have included it in case of unforeseen stability problems. The pipe I have in my hand is 21.5mm OD with 2mm wall thickness. I have designed the length 75mm with lips 25mm. Any thoughts? Dave Edited September 3, 2019 by Vodkaman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted September 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2019 I like that.. 21.5 mm is less than 1", might could be upsized to 1".... then for an experiment, i could run one with only the front end cut against one with both ends like yours Only thing missing is a trip device.. maybe i could just mimic the towing wire from the other design above and mount it to the pipe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted September 3, 2019 Report Share Posted September 3, 2019 I don't know about the trip thing, but the tow point will be a critical factor in the dive function. I will model something up in 25mm (1") and see how it looks. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted September 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2019 I also wonder if the tow point will need to be farther down the cut part, similar to a deep diving crankbait having tow point on the lip instead of the body.... good thing about PVC, its cheap, so expiriments will not be costly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted September 3, 2019 Report Share Posted September 3, 2019 I would say not, but like you say, the materials are cheap and this is a very simple part to make. I would certainly go to the water's edge with several configs, including your idea. Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted September 3, 2019 Report Share Posted September 3, 2019 (edited) I would say make at least two more with lip lengths 25mm and 20mm plus what ever you want to try, and give me some feedback. Try with and without a ballast weight. We all have a 'feel' for the power of the lip on a crank, but there is no 'feel' precedence for something like this. Dave Edited September 3, 2019 by Vodkaman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted September 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2019 Definitely be making several designs... i also want to try a lexan oval shape in the design i posted above... tomorrow is my friday, then ill have a couple days in the shop for building, but testing unfortunately will have to wait a week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted October 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2019 Heres my first go at it 2 1/4" long x 2" wide, 1/8" thick lexan, 3/4 oz sinker Pool test went well.... tried 4 different tow points and ended up using the hole 1" from the front edge, any further back and the contraption wiggles like a crankbait, i figure thats wasted energy that would take away from the max diving depth.... only have a few feet of water in the pool since we're getting it ready for winter, so to test the diver i cast it across the pool, let it sink to the bottom, and then see if i can lift it off the bottom by lifting the rod instead of reeling..... no dice... the thing hugs the bottom and comes back to me no matter how hard i tug at it The real test will be my next trip to the lake... not sure when that'll be, sooner than later if i can help it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted October 25, 2019 Report Share Posted October 25, 2019 I have trolled for whites a few times. We used deep diving cranks typically on about 125 to 150 ft of line tied to a three way swivel with a drop line with a small ball head jig/grub or spoon. I think cranks dominated the trolling for whites. Not something I enjoyed doing. We really targeted them only a few times during the year. They make spring runs up creeks and rivers so we would find a bridge over creek and climb down onto the log jams and limit out with chunky females. July may fly hatches fish at night with floating lights and drop lines with up to half dozen flee flies, summer months follow the jumps, and then winter below the dam. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted October 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2019 I think white bass fishing for most of the country begins and ends with the spring creek spawn run, then theyre forgotten for the rest of the year... i caught the verry end of it this year on Denton creek, got a few wading with maribou jigs... they cant compete with crappie in the frying pan, but theyre exceptionally good cooked whole on the grill!! For those that continue to target sandies thru the year, a popular rig is the "Hell Pet".... similar to what youre describing, minus the three way... its a clasic Hellbender crankbait used as a downrigger with a spoon (usually a pet spoon) trailing behind it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted November 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2019 Finally got to the real world test.... good thing i took the time to make a second diver modeled off the first one, because i lost the first one right off the bat... pretty sure i trolled over a barbed wire fence, i didnt think it ran out that far from shore, but i snagged the hell out of somthin If it was the fence, it would have been about 4' tall, water was 27' deep and i had 100' of line out, so thats roughly 20' deep which correlates with almost losing the second one in 21' of water Kinda frustrating that the only way to test the depth is to run it until it drags bottom, especially since this thing seems to dig into the bottom.... so thats another design aspect to think about, something that can drag bottom without getting stuck So... it worked... but its not ideal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrydorm81422 Posted August 5, 2022 Report Share Posted August 5, 2022 is there any space for improvement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryF2858 Posted August 9, 2022 Report Share Posted August 9, 2022 Have you looked at the dipsy divers. Thats what a bunch of the boats use for salmon on lake Michigan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
