Tad Poles, Dipsy, Inline wts vs TT divers

[wakina]

The depth that is referred to would be from the water line to the diver and not the rod tip to diver, unless the rod tip is positioned at surface level. You must take into consideration how much line it takes from the rod tip to get to the surface level. Height of the rod tip is irrelevant! The only meaningful measurement is the line back from surface level as that is where the divers action and the dive curve originates from.

There is one simple and effective way to determine exactly when you have the desired amount of line out from your rod tip to water line besides just estimating the distance. Get yourslf a package of small rubber bands, small enough to pass thru the rod guides and the level wind device on your trolling rig. Half hitch a small rubber band to the line at the desired amount of line out. In your example you wanted 65' of line out to reach 26'. So just leave out the line from your reel until you get to 65' and then half hitch the small rubber band to your fishing line at the rod tip and leave out your line until the rubber band is just at the surface level +/- an inch or 2 so long as you can see it at the surface. That is the easiest way that I have found to get the desired results you are looking for. Upon retreival just wind it back thru the guides and onto the reel leaving it in place for the next fish So you can double check your total line out. Once you have determined the total distance you can read your line counter numbers and just set lines back that distance. Example would be 65' for dive curve and 24' from rod tip to the water level making the total 89' reading on your linecounter with rod in the rod holder. You can just leave out 89' each time and be reasonably assured that you are about 26ft down.

[Hoytman86]

Great info as always Wakina, I'll remember the river band suggestion in the future as well because I've often quarreled with the difference between the boards off the back of the boat and those off of the inlines. Big trouble, you have the most immigrant part of all already figured out: It's not how much longer is let out on each reel, it's duplicating the depth that's working.

Very informative thread, carry on.