Big Planer Boards & Jet Divers Questions

**LazyDays** · Yesterday, 05:35 PM

I was trolling last week a few miles East of Kelley's in 38-42 FOW and using big amish planer boards & size 40 jet divers to get my spoons down to 30 feet into the water column. I noticed that several times the jet diver would barrel roll and swim erratically and eventually surface because it flipped upside down (it happened with more than one of them so I don't think it was just a defective one). It seemed most prevalent when I was using the dreamweaver Trip-Z divers but still occasionally happened with the Big Fish Tuff Tru-Trips 40s. A google search said this can happen at speeds in excess of 2.5mph and if pulling heavy tackle but I was trying to keep speeds 2.2-2.5mph and was just pulling stinger spoons. Is it possible that there was strong current to blame? Winds were only 8-10mph and 1-2 foot of chop so it wasn't anything crazy. And if so, is there anyway to combat this and keep jet divers running properly?

For those who run big boards, what is your preferred diver to get spoons down to at least a depth of 30 feet? I do have size 3 tadpoles but I imagine that jets do a better job with bait presentation with their back and forth swimming.

Does anyone have any luck running size 40 jet divers at speeds > 2.5mph? If so, what is your secret to keeping them diving properly without surfacing? On the day I was fishing, I heard reports of people catching at 2.6-2.7mph so there will be times I will need to troll faster.

Is one jet diver better than the rest for it's ability to dive properly? Dreamweaver vs. Big Fish Tuff vs. Luhrs Jensen.

It was frustrating to say the least having to keep resetting my lines and I was getting a lot of tangles from the jet divers swimming so erratically...Thanks in advance for any insight

**itsbob** · Yesterday, 09:06 PM

Most the charters troll tru trip 40s behind their big boards.Not sure of their top speed but I figure they get up to 2.5 mph.We have been trying those TT40 on our inline boards with some initial success.It could have been some current causing those jets to spin out.Seamed like we had a lot of current when we fished last.The dipsey rods were bending pretty good.I do know that the turbulence dipsys,tru trips and jet divers produce attract the fish to your spoons.They will usually outfish those tadpoles with spoons.Those tadpoles seam to work better with harnesses,when they are catching. I've had tadpoles out on boards with harnesses for hours that didn't get touched and the dipsey still getting a lot of action.

**LazyDays** · Today, 09:46 AM

Thanks for the reply! Really appreciate it. Yeah I went out on charter years ago and they were running size 40tru trips and spoons off their big boards so I assumed that was ?best practice? and wanted to copy their setup. I run 50tru trips off my corners (usually) without any problems so I was surprise to find the 40tru trips spinning out so much. And I agree, Im sure the tadpole divers get the job done in terms of getting spoons down to desired distance, but noticed those rods running the tadpoles didn?t catch hardly any fish. Next time out I will pay closer attention to my speed to see if I notice a correlation between speed > 2.5mph and the jets surfacing.

**captainshotgun** · Today, 09:46 AM

I have pulled 40 & 50 LJ jets at over 3 mph off of Avon Pt plenty of times with very few problems. I was usually targeting steelhead & using full size or magnum spoons. Are u using braid? Mono may be floating & making a bow in the line??? Are u maybe getting short strikes or small fish that are coming off? I would try adding an inline weight or a snap weight 6-10? ahead of the jet if your problem continues. I have run a bead chain weight up to 2 ozs directly hooked between the jet & main line when fishing 73? of water & the fish were deep. I have now added a 1 oz weight directly to the fin of the 50, (jumbo), jet, but have not tried them yet. Do they only turn over on turns? In sharp turns you may be hitting 5 mph? Jets will naturally rise on a turn. If you are turning sharp & have short leads, but far out on a board, your jet may naturally be rising to the surface. Are you running a swivel ahead of the jet? If so, I would take the swivel off & only run a snap. Pls let everyone know if u get it figured out.