Jets vs Dipsies

[RickyP]

Got a question for you guys. I fish Erie's shallow end out of Monroe. the deepest water I get into is 32-33 ft out around West Sister. The last couple of years I have had ok results with a dipsie/spoon program, running the medium and mini dipsies straight off the rodholders. I'm thinking of investing in some big boards to get the baits farther from the boat. Many times the fish I'm targeting are only down 12-14 ft, so I think the big boards would really help. I have tried inline boards and just do not care for them. Should I invest in jet divers to run the spoons behind the big boards, or can I run the mini dipsies ok? Advantages/disadvantages to each? Thanks.

[FreeByrd]

Ricky,
I've run the Big Jon minidisks off boards in the western basin like you are thinking of doing with the smallest dipseys size 3/0 and they work good and pull a lot less than size 20 jets. Differences between the mini disks and jets are primarily that the minidisks being a weighted device will sink at slower speeds where jets will float. You will get a bit more vertical swim in the water column with the minidisks which can be a good thing, but the fact that a jet will float when setting it out can be a good thing when short leads are involved to avoid tangles with dipsey rods. You might try one side with the minidisks and the other with size 10 jets and compare results.
Good Luck,
Steve

[perchjerker]

I fish the same area as you and concour with Steves post.

Just add, another thing that nice about the jets being able to float is if you stall the board, they wont sink to the bottom like the discs will in that shallow of water so they will tend to foul on the bottom less.

I run both, and like both.

[j9f]

I fish out of brest bay. I run the big jon mini's off large boards. Usually 4 to 5 rods per side. You can bounce bottom in 26' of water with a big jon mini running off 14# silver thread which runs on the skinny side.

That said, if I were starting over, I may try a jet 30 or 3/0 dipsy. I have no idea how hard they pull compared to a jet, but it sounds like Steve is saying they pull harder and he should know.

There are a few advantages I see with the jets. One being they float. I think it would be nice to have the jet float as you are letting it out. The other is that you would require less line out. The third I can think of is that there is no adjustment. You usually need to make sure that your diver disc is set straight, not off to one side. You just need to lock the adjustment screw down tight on the big jon.

I would also consider rigging with all 3/0 dipsys. They appear to me to be better made than a big jon disc. If you pull the big jon long enough, you the swivel at the front will start to wear through the plastic. I have never lost one, but I retire a couple now and then out of concern.

I do run the 3/0 dipsys set to the side off downriggers for Salmon.

Take a look at what the charters run out of Monroe. It is all mini discs in Brest Bay and I know discs are very popular out of Toledo Beach.

[FreeByrd]

>I fish out of brest bay. I run the big jon mini's off large
>boards. Usually 4 to 5 rods per side. You can bounce bottom in
>26' of water with a big jon mini running off 14# silver thread
>which runs on the skinny side.
>
>That said, if I were starting over, I may try a jet 30 or 3/0
>dipsy. I have no idea how hard they pull compared to a jet,
>but it sounds like Steve is saying they pull harder and he
>should know.
>
>There are a few advantages I see with the jets. One being they
>float. I think it would be nice to have the jet float as you
>are letting it out. The other is that you would require less
>line out. The third I can think of is that there is no
>adjustment. You usually need to make sure that your diver disc
>is set straight, not off to one side. You just need to lock
>the adjustment screw down tight on the big jon.
>
>I would also consider rigging with all 3/0 dipsys. They appear
>to me to be better made than a big jon disc. If you pull the
>big jon long enough, you the swivel at the front will start to
>wear through the plastic. I have never lost one, but I retire
>a couple now and then out of concern.
>
>I do run the 3/0 dipsys set to the side off downriggers for
>Salmon.
>
>Take a look at what the charters run out of Monroe. It is all
>mini discs in Brest Bay and I know discs are very popular out
>of Toledo Beach.

J9F,

To clarify - I'm saying the size 20 jets pull harder than the minidisks. The size 20 jets are GREAT fish catchers - BUT they are notorious for NOT flipping over with small fish because of the short pivot point compared to the larger size 30s and 40s. Also the 20s don't have the big buckshot sized roller in them that helps the turnover process.

Both tools have their place. You can get more precise depth control with the jets, but precision isn't always a great thing - meaning that one reason the disks and the larger dispeys might be so effective is the rise and fall or vertical swim in the water column with speed changes / board surge, etc.

The fact that jets float can make it easier to set lines if you are also running dispeys at the same time.

Steve

[j9f]

That's what I meant. I can see how it didn't read that way though. I kind of talked in cirles with that comment.

Thanks for the addition thoughts on the jet 20 vs. 30.

[Stormsearch]

From my experience, the jets seem to always track straighter than the disks.

What I have been told but haven't experienced yet, if the walleyes are bottom hugging go with the disks. If the walleyes are suspended, pull out the jets. This plays with the logic about the disk sinking and the jet floating.

[j9f]

Steve, finally ordered six jet 20's. I was torn between the 20's and 30's but I figured I really didn't need the depth of the 30's so I opted for less drag of the 20's. I only bought enough for one side of the boat so I plan to run jets on one side and mini divers on the other for a while. I may try some 30's later, who knows. If I don't like them at all I'll go with the 3/0 dipsys.... I definately won't spend any more $$ on the big jons.

The only rigging question I have is do you recommend tying direct to the barrel swivel on the top or just hook to it with a snap? The later would allow me to interchange them much easier.

I am getting way to fed up with the big jons, they are faling apart on me left and right. I have e-mailed them about the problems and I'm still waiting for there response.

[FreeByrd]

I have mine rigged with a large round snap at the end of my line that I attach to the Jet. Hope the 20s work for you, but you won't like how much they pull with a small fish on since it takes a bigger fish to turn them over. I haven't used the big jon discs enough to have any problems with them yet.
Steve

[J4Gash]

I love to fish with the Jet Divers but they pull so hard that alot of people don't like to use them. When using a 30 or 40 and in-line board, it feels like you have a cement block tied to your line. Has anyone tried to figure out a way to release the jet like a dipsy so there's less drag when fighting a fish? I use dipsy's alot when fishing with my son so he can reel in the fish. When we get one on a Jet he always lets me reel the fish in.

[ezmarc]

Drill a second hole to clip your line to at the nose of the jet or other type diver. Use a lerge round clip to attach a red offshore or Church clip to the original hole. Now put the clip on the line leaving some slack between the clip and diver. Walla! Works great but self releases once in a while, especially with braid.