Resetting copper line down chute

[Sly Selea]

I'm having a little trouble avoiding tangles when resetting a copper line off the back of the boat. I've watched experienced fisherman from the forum do it when I fished with them, and they made it look easy. I let the copper line out down the chute, for example the 300, attach the board, and let the board free spool back to appropriate distance as soon as I drop it in the water, then pull it over to it's rod holder on the side of the boat.

Off the side of the boat, from back to front, I run a diver, then 2 planer boards with copper. These are set in Berts rod holders, not trees. I do it in that order just because that's the way I've seen it done, no other reason.

If I'm running a 124 diver at say a 2 setting the diver is around 60 feet deep. If I let out a 300 copper I think it's getting the same approximate depth, although I've had the copper/diver tangle with both 240 and 300 copper lengths. I hate to go back to doing it like I did when I was a noob (two whole month ago) and pull the diver before letting out the copper, cause that's a huge pain in the patooty. I just can't figure out how to get the longer copper over the diver line when setting it down the chute.

I'm also afraid if I try setting the longer copper off the side of the boat, if it's my inside board, I'll still have an issue with copper/diver tangles before I can get the board on and pull it out to the side away from the diver. I haven't had this problem until recently when I started going out deeper and running longer copper. Any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong? Thanks

[NBK]

I had the same issue the first couple times out running longer coppers. Here is what I changed and haven't had an issue since: 1. Let it out slower. 2. I lowered the angle of my diver rod holders so the rod tip is closer to the water...it gets the diver line down and out of the way faster. 3. make sure your divers are pulling straight before letting out the copper. 4. when you let out all the leader and first get to the copper, pause for a sec and wait to see your lure skipping along the surface before letting out the copper. This makes sure its back and above your diver. The dive curve for a diver is much steeper than copper so you shouldn't have problems. Hope that helps.

[Hotdog71]

Hey John,

When are you noticing the tangle? If you are poping the dipsy to change plugs or bring in at the end of the day, it might be coming up into your lines then. A 2 setting can really bring your dipsy way off the boat. I know I run mine close to the boat, dipsy at 1.5 and my board out from the boat maybe 50-60ft. Other lines of boards another 20-25ft outside of that. There have been times when I pop the dipsy that it comes up just inside my board.

It could also be the currents are moving the lines together. You can always try a greater distance between those lines.

Just a thought.

[King Slammin']

John, I'm thinking you need to speed the boat up a little while deploying the copper to keep it higher in the water. At slower speeds it will sink fast, and if you free spool it to let the board drop back, I'm thinking it's sinking past it's running depth and catching your diver line as it passes over it once you put tension to the board to get it to the side. If you feel boat speed is o.k. then try deploying the copper with a little more tension on it to keep it higher in the water. Even after you clip the board on, don't let it free spool to let it drop back. You should be able to start it out to the side as soon as you put the board in the water, or soon there after, without getting into the diver.

Hope this helps, Dave.

[Sly Selea]

Thanks for all the good ideas. HD, it's always copper into diver, never happened when I release the diver. I also keep my diver rod low, nearly parallel to the water. It's only happened when I'm letting the copper back out after reeling it in. I think Dave may be on to something when he advises me to keep more tension on the line rather than free spooling. It's probably dropping like a rock, and then when I pull it to one side to set the rod it catches the dipsy line as the copper line comes backs up. I'll have to take more care when I'm letting it out 'cause I run 2 to 4 downriggers, too, so the space gets a little tight. I'll probably try speeding up, too. Thanks again.

[jimbobber]

John, Dave is rite when you are letting the copper out and the board keep tension on it ,let it out slow this will keep the copper "up" and not sinking down . make sure you keep the boat straight also when deploying copper.

[DarkBlue]

John, Dave is rite when you are letting the copper out and the board keep tension on it ,let it out slow this will keep the copper "up" and not sinking down . make sure you keep the boat straight also when deploying copper.

Exactly.

Chris

[1mainiac]

Here is what I do some days it even works remember slow is smooth and smooth is fast. A diver out past 200 runs at nearly the same depth as a section of your 300 copper. So when resetting I like to pull the copper for a min before attaching the board this brings it back up to running depth some times it gets hit when I do it esp in 70 to 80ft as it will hit the bottom then jerk up once it is running then put the board on and let it back 80 to 100ft this once again will drop the copper and the lure. It should clear everything and if you need to reel it in a bit after it passes your diver.

[BlueCollarOutdoors]

1. Drive straight

2. Let it out slow

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2

[Sly Selea]

Just back in from a fruitless search for fish, any fish, off St Joe. I was so desperate I started looking for dead floaters on the way back in. Couldn't even find any of them. On the plus side, I got lots of practice running my long copper down the chute, and everything went smoothly. I definitely wasn't letting it out far enough. Thanks everyone for all the good advice.