Dive Bombs

[Salmon Assassin]

I am sure this has been discussed in the past but I have some questions about dive bombs... They never caught on, on the west coast of the lake. I dont know any guys that run them. I know in Michigan they seem to be popular. I have them in 1oz, 2oz, 3oz, and 4oz.

I RARELY run straight mono lines with weights. My normal spread consists of riggers, dipsys, and leadcore with some copper mixed in come the summer months when everything goes deep. Are these things benefical? Last year they sat on the boat and didnt see the water.

How can I use these in my spread to catch more fish, or are they junk. For leadcore I run the following color set ups 2-3-5-5-7-10 (two 5 colors on board).

I am a believer that after 35 Feet or 210' of leadcore, copper, dipsys, or riggers are the best options to get lines down deep. Can these dive bombs help me get deeper, how much deeper, and is it worth the hassle of trying to unclip a dive bomb and a board all while fighting a fish.

I have them, dont use them, you MI guys seem to know best, what do you think.

[hornets nest]

I use the rule of 4-5' per ounce if you have enough line out, put the db in the middle of your cores, ie if u are running your 5 color let out 2 1/2 colors put your 4 oz db on and finish letting the rest out as u normal would, now instead of 20-25' down your 38- 45' range depending on speed. Make sure u put them with the wide part of end facing forward.

[Priority1]

I think with the Dive Bombs it's a Love Hate thing. If the fish are deep and you need to get some core or copper a bit deeper this tool will work. The only objections I have heard are having to remove them while fighting a fish. Sometimes without them you wouldn't have the fish to fight. It's a good way for guys with limited core or copper rods to get some extra depth.

[Paulywood]

I use them and they have really come in handy. I had success when the water warmed up putting them on a fullcore to get deeper before I had copper. I have also used them to shorten up lines, ie getting a 5 or 7 color to run as deep as a full core. They aren't hard to get off the line, easier than an inline board. I also put them about halfway down the core. If you use them and get comfortable with them I think they can be very valuable but that's JMO.

[Killin' It]

4-5 oz dive bomb on a 350 copper... = KILLER!!

[allout280]

with 4 to 5 0z bomb 350 copper 32 or 45 what would be the guess on the depth .

[mattmishler]

We take alot of fish on dive bombs, when we fish them we run them half way down the line, 5 colors run them 2.5 colors 10 color run them 5 colors down ect. We figure that will get you 5-7 feet per oz of lead. If you want them to fish deeper like 7-10ft fish them closer to that bait like 30-50 ft of the bait on lead cores. The best thing that i like about them is i can fish lead cores on the bank, fish are 60 ft down and its loaded with boats run a 7 color with a 6oz dive with be in that 60 ft range.

[fishsniffer]

when ive fished them i could only put them on my inside (deepest) rod..i kept getting them tangled in my other rods if i put them on the outside when changing rods..perhaps i was putting them in the wrong spot on the line? are there any corrective measures i need to make to get this to work on the outside?

[Killin' It]

Don, I have used 2 to a side before.

I have tanged them and I have done well on them. What I did...

350 copper let it out 150 feet put on the first dive bomb of 5 oz. send it out on the board

2nd rod 250 copper let it out 150 feet put on a 2 oz dive bomb put it in the shoot holder and let it plane out. Clip it to the board and send it way back and swing it around.

3rd rod I was a chicken and ran a 5 color. over the top

I would then adjust the spacing between the rods.

The only time I ran into problems with this is turn with a heavy current.

[mattmishler]

I run them all the same spots and have fished 3 per side without tangles, just make sure its the same spot on all three lines

[Just Hook'n]

Matt is dead on here.

I actually ran them on another boat this way, just to see if it worked and it did.

I will say that you have to be very careful letting out line. Yout have to keep more tension on the line (like a dipsey) so it doesn't fall to fast and get into your inside lines.

Personally, I would rather run more core or more copper and dive bombs. BUT they are a great tool if you have limited setups.

[jballer]

These things have worked great for me. I had one copper setup that was taking fish deep. it broke off sometime that day. I had no extra cash to replace it so I bought two 6oz bombs and ran them on my 10 color leads. The next morning I was very happy I had bought them. I'm not sure on the depth, but they were putting fish in the boat. I have picked up some 4 oz ones over the winter . I'm not sure if I'm going to even replace my copper if these keep producing good results.

[salmon hunter]

when you put them inthe middle of your core do you worry about it braking the core?

[mattmishler]

Nope not at all, i worry about the sunlight more then dive bombs tarring up core

[Phishy]

good thread!!

I think one of the biggest challenge we face as fiherman is getting a lot of lines into that deep zone when the fish are deep. These dive bombe sound like another tool to dial into a specific bite

so to recap mainly for my purpose and perhaps others, what i gleemed form this

i'll gain 5-7 feet extra depth per ounce so a 4oz will add 20'-28' of depth, a 3oz = 15'-21' and a a 5 oz = 25'-35' , etc

if you are goping to run multiple db , place them in the same spot on the line i.e if you addding a db to a 5 color and attach the weight at 2.5 color, on the next inside rod let out 2.5 colors, add the weight and pay out the reaminder of the line, and repeat for a third line.

would it also make sense then to user lighter wieghts on the oustide and heavier inside to gain a greater seperation?? which is still defeating the purpose of dialing into a single zone with the boards

but to run on the same side from out to in:

6 clr w/ 6 oz at 3 clr,

8 clr w/ 5 oz at 4 clr

10 clr w/ 4 oz. at 5 clr

I would end up w/a ball of lead core/copper? I'd be in the same zone all across

now i gt all sorts of numbers running through my head, but i can see how one could really dial in mulitble boards as long as you keep them apart, as in other side of the boat or the same high outside and deep inside as naked copper

[GLF]

but to run on the same side from out to in:

6 clr w/ 6 oz at 3 clr,

8 clr w/ 5 oz at 4 clr

10 clr w/ 4 oz. at 5 clr

I would end up w/a ball of lead core/copper? I'd be in the same zone all across

now i gt all sorts of numbers running through my head, but i can see how one could really dial in mulitble boards as long as you keep them apart, as in other side of the boat or the same high outside and deep inside as naked copper

You would end up with a ball of lead if you tried to run them this way. The heavier dive bombs will tangle with your inner lines if you have to reset your outside boards. You want your heavier dive bombs closest to the boat.

I did lots of testing with them and ran them for years. Running multiple dive bombs on the same side was not an issue as long as they were the same distance from the board. So......If you are running a 5 color, 7 color, and a 10 color, and you attach the dive bomb at 2.5 colors on each core, you also have to let out enough backing on the 5 color and 7 color cores to equal the distance of the full cor before you attach the board.

Sometimes I would run 1/2 cores with 4oz dive bombs and full cores on the same sides. Then....I would put the 1/2 cores with the dive bomb on the inside board, and run the full core the next board out. Yes, I know you are suppose to have the longest lines closest to the boat, but I always ended up with tangles unless I put the 1/2 core with the dive bomb on the inside. The 1/2 core with the dive bomb has a faster sink rate than the full core.

IMO.....anything more than a 4-6oz dive bomb attached to a core is too big to be pulled with a planer board.

[mriversinco]

Great way to put it.

[Phishy]

got it!!

now in the bigger picture with dipsies and riggers, i now see how db will help get a couple more lines dialed into the hot zone particularly if that zone is deep

Mom was right, i will be using the science of mathematics all my life, that’s all this is, geometry on the fly

[jimcr]

Now take a 300 ft copper and add a 4oz dive bomb and you should be close to 100 feet down.

[Killin' It]

300 foot of 32 pound copper hits 90-100 feet depending on the location 350 105 to 110.

I am going to add a 300 this year and run a 4 oz DB on it and then run another 300 on the second spot on the tree.

[mriversinco]

Dave, your arms must look like Popeye's.

[Salmon Assassin]

Guys thank you for all the input and suggestions. Really changes my perspective on dive bombs. I really think that when summer hits the dive bombs are really going to get some play on my boat.

[jimcr]

Guys thank you for all the input and suggestions. Really changes my perspective on dive bombs. I really think that when summer hits the dive bombs are really going to get some play on my boat.

I have four I carry on my boat , I have used them just not taken any fish with them. You can bet that if the bite goes deep again this year I will have them out .

[Phishy]

dont tell the wife i just ordered four 4 oz....

[Long Lines]

Don't have one myself but has anyone experimented with clipping a Fishhawk TD onto a core or copper with DB attached to get actual depths...especially when experimenting with where the DB gets clipped on?