Seasons are Changing
 

The last few weeks have been fun fishing Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior. It's just about time to try a new body of water, the Gulf of Mexico, for some fall fishing action.

Using Dipsy Divers and Dodgers to troll spoons has been unusual, but a productive way to fish out of the yak in the great lakes. Using these techniques has me wondering about trying them for YT and other ocean species some day.

Has anyone ever tried trolling a Dipsy Diver and a Flasher/Dodger with a surface iron or spoon in the ocean? You can troll really deep with Dipsy Divers without a down rigger. It's a pretty simple and effective way to get a lure down deep fishing off the yak.

Here's a little vid of Salmon and Lake Trout action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAMSD5QVVEk

I'm using a Dipsy Diver to troll for salmon and steelhead on the Columbia River, usually with a spoon or spinner, sometimes with a flasher at depths of 30-70'. I'm sure you could use them in the ocean as well. Most of the guys around here would rather drag a 3 lb "cannonball" weight across the bottom. You have to know how to use the Dipsy correctly to get it at the depth required.
Dipsys are standard issue on the Great Lakes for walleye and steelhead if you are not using a downrigger.

Cool video of the salmon. Lots of so cal halibut anglers are using a cannon ball and dodger to target flatties but I haven't heard of a dipsy diver being used here. I imagine it would work. The diver might be a decent way to get a live bait down a ways with out dealing with a down rigger on a kayak. Mike

looks nice Justin! Great video:D

I used to fish Salmon with them up North with Krocks behind them. They work but I prefer a downrigger. More control, more strikes, better fight with a downrigger.

The real problem with a Dipsy Diver is they are not designed for really huge fish and you will end up hooking threshers with them.

Better are drone planers, which are pretty indestructible.

http://www.stripersonline.com/conten...525/height/394
I've got a full set of those but have not used one in over a decade.

In the Gulf you need to rig the whole thing with wire or your just going to get it cut off by Kings or Sharks. They will also chew it up a DD in short order. Once again you'd be better off using drones. You have to rig those with wire in the Gulf as well, but at least toothy critters won't destroy them. You want a minimum of a foot of wire in front of the drone and 3 to 6 feet of nylon coated stainless braided between it and the spoon. I like single strand wire in front braided in the rear because the single strand cuts through the water better, but braided gives the spoon more action.

Jim