Dipsy Diver Rigging for Lake Erie Walleye

1. Attach main line from rod to the hook eye on the trip mechanism via snap swivel.

2. Attach 8" snubber to back side of the diver.

3. Attach 3-5' 20# leader between snubber and lure. You can purchase pre-tied leaders from us if you'd like. Tie the leader up with a snap on one side and snap swivel on the other side. Try not to make your leader longer than your rod, which helps with storage while not in use. ( Leader here in orange and short for instruction purpose only. ) You can also use ball bearing snap swivels on your leaders to help even more with line twist. We typically don't since there are multiple swivels in use on the Dipsy Diver itself and the snubber. 

4. Attach snap swivel to lure, which in this picture is a Michigan Stinger Scorpion Spoon that we stock here on our website.

5. Push trip mechanism into place.

6. Flip Diver over and loosen the screw to select your settings. 0 will run straight back. 3 is the setting to plane furthest from the boat. L or R will determine what direction it planes from the boat.

7. Tighten screw back down. ( Occasionally have to tighten this over time. )

8. Set rig into water and make sure it's straightened out.

9. Confirm spoon is not fouled and it should be dancing in the water showing it's action.

10. Thumb the spool or use clicker and let back to desired lead length.

11. Follow dive chart that's included with the dipsy. These are configured using 20# mono. Bottom right of the dive triangle is for the diver depth with the ring in place. Top left is without the ring in place. Divers come standard with a ring, removes by hand.

12. Place rod in holder and keep the tip as close to the water as possible.

13. Watch the rod bend to get an idea of what it looks like with just the pull of the dipsy. You will normally see the strike and the rod bouncing, but not always. If the rod looks more loaded than normal, you will want to check it.

14. When reeling in, you will get the feel for knowing if the diver tripped or not. If not, do a short pop of the rod to trip the release. Now you fight the fish and not the diver.

15. Catch lots of fish once the water reaches mid 50s or higher using this method. Aim for speeds above 2mph with this method. Troll up to 3.5mph in the summer months with this method.

Dipsy Diver Explanation and how we use them on Lake Erie for walleye! Click HERE to see the video. 

Fishing Dipsy Divers on Lake Erie in Glass Calm Conditions - Click HERE

Dipsy Divers, Snubbers and Spoons - Click HERE