Dive Curves

For those of us that troll, dive curves are unbelievably important! They give us a pretty good idea of how deep we're running the lures. I know I've shared some info on dive curves, as well as a few others on here and other sites. We all like to help each other out, right?

I gather my dive curve info from a few different sources. But clearly the #1 source is the Precision Trolling App. Almost everyone has a smart phone nowadays, and app is free, and each dive curve is cheap. Just like the local bait shops, which are also an incredible source of information, if we don't support them, they won't keep doing what they're doing to support us.

Wherever you choose to get your info, keep in mind that it is merely a STARING POINT! If you're marking fish at 15', don't go out there and set every Deep Husky Jerk at 100' back. Set a few higher, maybe one lower. There are a ton of other variables to take into account..... speed, current, line diameter, height of tow-line or rod tip (unless pulling inline boards)... All of these things will have some effect on the depth achieved. Set a few different leads, and see what's catching, then duplicate it.

Thanks for listening....

Thanks Capt Eric.I have a notebook with several pages of dive curves for lures and divers I use.You are on this website a lot.Noted a custom Bandit color used often in the spring in threads I read and wanted to add to my collection.Color is "Huff Daddy" would bays edge have this custom color.Could you provide a picture if possible.Thanks

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Originally Posted by itsbob

Thanks Capt Eric.I have a notebook with several pages of dive curves for lures and divers I use.You are on this website a lot.Noted a custom Bandit color used often in the spring in threads I read and wanted to add to my collection.Color is "Huff Daddy" would bays edge have this custom color.Could you provide a picture if possible.Thanks

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I think Huff Daddy is a Domka bait, they don't have those at Bay's Edge....

Thanks captain Eric,I did call bays edge and they don't have it.Yes,I found it on Domka website and plan to order.

In terms of dive depths.... Do the tru-trip divers dive to the stats on the dive charts when pulled slowly such as 1.0-1.5 mph?

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Originally Posted by Meat Wagon

In terms of dive depths.... Do the tru-trip divers dive to the stats on the dive charts when pulled slowly such as 1.0-1.5 mph?

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At 1.0, they are probably NOT reaching the depths listed... I"m guessing about 10% less on the dive curve if you're going that slow. 1.5 to 2.5 I haven't noticed much difference.

That is also another good reason to vary your leads when starting out. Setting a few different leads, then zeroing in on the ones that are catching.

No dive curves are 100% iron-clad bulletproof dead on the money. But they give us our starting point. If only we could recreate those perfect conditions when the curves were tested and created! Do we even want to start to consider water temp/density vs. bouyancy of the lure? We'd pull our hair out driving ourselves crazy! No matter what we do out there, don't let science take the fun out of it! Set a few leads and have fun! Just pay attention to the lures/leads that are getting the job done.

Good luck!

I pull big boards should the distance from the release on the tow line to where the line actually enters the water be added to total line out. Lets say you want 100' of line but the relase to the line in water is 8' should add 8' and make it 108' of line out?

this is one of those cases where it sounds like ppl are thinking too much. A bandit at 100 ft back is basically about 19ft down by trolling app. To be at 20 it's 117......so your 8 extra ft for this example might make 1/2 ft in depth.

Assuming you have all the rods on one side at the same depth, you would get 's slight gain in depth as the lines slide down. Now if you notice fish are only coming on the outer 2 lines I might say go a little deeper but a half ft over 20 ft of depth is getting awful picky. I'm sure the lures gain and lose than on their own during corners or current directions. I would concentrate more on making sure you reels are calibrated so your sure that 100ft on the real it's 100ft of actual measurement is more important.

God I hope the walleye never get to point where we have to be concerned on getting a lure within 6 inches of them to trigger a bite.

What we willing never probably know is how far away do these come to get our lure. Example when fishing out in huron this fall.....all marks were 30ish ft down. But the fish we were getting were coming from 65 to 100 back. The stuff we set up with weight to get close to 30 ft never got touched. Were the fish coming up 10 to 15 ft to get our lures or weread we getting fish not showing up on my finder?????? Will never know, but if fish aren't biting even if your presenting a lure in what is generally thought to be the acceptable range to trigger a bite, don't be afraid to go off the chart and try something. Have seen fish pulled by putting a bandit at just 10ft back in the middle of the day sometimes. Try, try, try, cover the column. It can be a lot of work some days swapping stuff in and out, but if what your doing isn't working, no since in motoring around wasting gas not pulling fish unless your just wanting to be out on the water.

Thanks I do tend to overthink things

You'll hear us say that occasionally.... "caught at 35' back, high on the inside"... if i see a couple of those, and i don't have any shorter leads out yet, you know i'm gonna be setting a few higher.

But, yes.... don't overthink things. The height of the tow line is a variable, you just need to seek the mid point... I love it when the little board guys tell us that we can't troll as precise as they can. But i challenge them to show me a school of walleye that will only feed at 15.7ft deep.....not 15ft, not 16.2ft, but only 15.7ft. I try to zero in on the 2 ton3 foot depth range that catches the most. Usually by the time i figure it out, we've got 36 and are heading in!

I fish small boards on my own personal boat and all summer with big boards on charters.....I don't personal feel little boards on Lake Erie are better at keeping an accurate depth. Maybe on glass smooth lake.....but with an average 2 ft wave, plus the boards speeding up and slowing down over the waves and being pulled from the spring in the rods, I just don't see that bait staying at one depth.

I love how on a big board set up, especially with bandit's or baits with a lot of action, even after being hooked to main tow line, that action can be seen on the rod tip. Allows real easy to tell if something is going on or not. You don't get that in little board.

When I take the information from how we fished on big boards I do tend to have to run a few feet shallower on my little boards to get the same results.

Each systems has it strengtha and weeknesses, and ever boat you fish on will fish slightly different.....it's just learn what they are and how to adjust. This has been a good thread with a lot of great information shared thanks to all who have chimed in

Trying to upload some dive curves for some of you guys. But having trouble getting them uploaded? Anyone else having problems?