Rigger Weight Colors

[jlogger]

I currently run, and have always, black downrigger weights. I was thinking of painting them a different color this year. I have seen numerous different colors and tape jobs. What is the consensus on various colors and tapes or does it even really matter? Thanks.

[Missdemeanor]

I mostly have black weights as well, however when the fish are active, but not chewing, I might dump the crome shark down the chute, run a short lead off that rigger ...sometimes it triggers a reaction strike......

  I might experiment with some different colors this summer if we get that pi$$ green water again....

[Guppy35]

There was a thread on this topic a year or two ago, but i can't seem to find it now.  I think the majority of inidividuals that posted on that thread went with black for their rigger weights.  Not sure how big of a difference it makes though.  My weights are orange (factory color), but i'm going to paint them black before this upcoming season to see if it makes a difference in catch rates for me on my riggers.

[Nautitroller]

If I remember correctly, the post also spoke about how cured the coating was on the rigger balls and how much scent it may give off. Ie: powder coated vs paint and even dipped.. Black was the most popular, and I also prefer black dipsys mostly because an old guy told me to run any color as long as it was black... lol

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[bout time]

i have always used black weights, last year i won a chrome shark and i lightly spray painted half of it blue. i ran this side by side with my black torpedo and it took its share of fish. i cannot say it out-performed the black weight but it also did not under-perform against the black. just my ecperience.....

[baitrigger]

Black is all about the kings. Orange and silver work great for trout. The kings will leave the colors alone. This is also true with dipseys.

[TyeeTanic]

I suggest cutting out a variable and keeping the downrigger weight black.  There's just too many other parameters to get right.

 

But in response to the last post, I have caught lots of kings on non-black dipseys - like frog pattern, hawg wild pattern, and chartreuse

in the spring. 

[baitrigger]

I didnt mean you wont catch any. Fish are stupid. I stole that from dome other post. A neighbor of mine who is a basshole decided to hit lady O last summer. He came over to my house and borrowed a couple Sd/fly set ups. I also gave him a half dozen spoons. He came back that night and had six kings and a couple steelies. One king was a 25lber. I asked what he got it on. He pulls out a 9 inch, army green jointed pike plug. I have not added one to my spread. Most guys are looking for consistacy. Black for kings.

[ReelPower]

I do well on chrome sharks fished in a tight spread, particularly in high sun fished deep. If it ain't working I put out the black stealth even deeper. Problem solved. Have both on hand and experiment with your style.

[Tim Bromund]

regarding divers,  I don't buy that any color as long as it's black theory at all.  Kings have loved a kelly green diver since the 80's and still do to this day.

[baitrigger]

Do you use black divers tim?

[Egoody]

Well, it sounds like I might be in trouble.

Being new to using dipsey d"s I bought silver.

I was trying to get the hang of them last year during brown season but never felt comfortable with them.

I'll give them another go this spring .

Boat Safe

Egoody

[Tim Bromund]

Do you use black divers tim?

 

 

Don't even own any, no need.

Edited January 13, 2015 by Tim Bromund

[Sk8man]

Most of my dipseys are black but I also left a bunch with original colors and I'm not convinced there is a significant difference in their effectiveness whether on kings or trout. As far as the "stealth" argument if you are the fisherman it may make sense but not if you are a fish. Basically the visual systems of most species including fish pick up movement and figure ground or contrast much before color etc. because it makes biological sense (e.g murky water, objects a distance away, early recognition of prey or predator etc.) and black contrasts most distinctly with the light above and the sky so in all probability they can see it or its movement in the water at a greater distance. If you notice fish eyes are located to the front but upward on their heads...this is not accidental placement... it maximizes their ability to see upward so like sharks they see forms, shadows, and shapes better than colors and interpret it more quickly. I suspect the majority of the phenomena associated with color discrimination in dipseys, weights, or lures is actually more about movement in the water, vibrations sent to their lateral line,and the action of things than the color per se. I know this will cause a great deal of tension and turbulence in the fishermen reading this and especially in the marketing folks   out there but I think a lot of what goes on can be explained by "happenstance". This is the fish being in proximity to the lure or attractor, it presenting as a vulnerable object because of its movement or action and the fish being hungry or willing to "buy" the presentation. Boat speed, length of line out, depth of lure and/or attractor may be more important factors. We tend to look at cause and effect situations as something relating to our own "selections" or actions when in fact they may be related to very different aspects of the situation beyond our ability or opportunity to witness firsthand so it becomes something like "superstitious" behavior on our part attributing it to "color selection"......and yes I did have a couple coffees before writing this

[baitrigger]

Maybe tie one on in late august. It might get ya thinking. What harm could that do? Truth be told, I dont use them anymore. I lost a half dozen kings in the fall about five years ago because of dipsey lines. Fish hit on the riggers, took off and broke across the wire. Dont throw those silvers away. Great for steelies and blue bird skies.

[baitrigger]

You drank the whole pot didnt ya.

[Sk8man]

:lol:

[TyeeTanic]

Well, it sounds like I might be in trouble.

Being new to using dipsey d"s I bought silver.

I was trying to get the hang of them last year during brown season but never felt comfortable with them.

I'll give them another go this spring .

Boat Safe

Egoody

 

I took some dipsey divers I have with colors I don't like and painted them black.  My green colored dipseys work really well. Probably catch 50% of my fish on them, but black works too.  White glow is a good one as well.

 

Anyhow, the point is, don't stress, if you want to paint them, get a good plastic paint and go wild.

[Yankee Troller]

I think sometimes you guys just over think these fish. Our A-TOM-MIK Torpedos are lead colored. Some may have a little black paint on top, but the bottom is lead. As for DDs some of the top guys on the lake are running bright colored ones. For the longest time my favorite was Metallic Purple. Now a days you'll usually see a black one, and a colored one rigged up on our ride.

[jlogger]

Thanks for everyone's input. Sounds like I'll just keep em black.

 

Then again, maybe I'll go hot pink with sparkles on one of em just as an experiment. I'll call it the disco ball. Hehe.  

 

Jack

[finsntins]

Well, it sounds like I might be in trouble.

Being new to using dipsey d"s I bought silver.

I was trying to get the hang of them last year during brown season but never felt comfortable with them.

I'll give them another go this spring .

Boat Safe

Egoody

egoody,dont give up on them!!!!!!wehad a tough time with them at first and gave up on them after a few tangles,but went back to them and after getting use to them and then catching fish on them,we dont ever go without having them in my spread and even put out 2 per side when they are hot.ive had days when they are the only thing that catches fish.as far as colors,i think with d.d. it is more important to have them running at the proper depth,then color,as we have caught fish on different colors.after loosing a rigger weight early last year,we ran 1 lead color and 1 black and didnt see a difference in catch rate between the 2.

[Guppy35]

Egoody - I have tried Dipsey Divers for a couple years now on the finger lakes, and for some reason i was just not able to get the hang of them either.  They never seemed to get out away from the boat as far as i thought they should be, and think i only caught 1 fish on that set up after many trips.  I bought leadcore last Spring and set up a 7 color and a 3 color and had a lot better luck with those than i did Dipseys.  With that being said, i will still try to figure out how to use the Dipseys because of the large number of people on this site that swear by them and say that they won't leave the dock without them.

[Tim Bromund]

Egoody - I have tried Dipsey Divers for a couple years now on the finger lakes, and for some reason i was just not able to get the hang of them either.  They never seemed to get out away from the boat as far as i thought they should be, and think i only caught 1 fish on that set up after many trips.  I bought leadcore last Spring and set up a 7 color and a 3 color and had a lot better luck with those than i did Dipseys.  With that being said, i will still try to figure out how to use the Dipseys because of the large number of people on this site that swear by them and say that they won't leave the dock without them.

They are farther out from the boat than they look, there is a belly in the line due to water resistance that makes them appear much closer.  In reality, the dive curve looks something like this:

 

[baitrigger]

Dead on. Thats why divers grab down rigger wire when folks get to close on those combat trolling days. We have been tangled up three times this way. Twice by the same boat. In two different seasons.

[Guppy35]

Thanks for pointing that out Tim!  Now i just need to figure out how to catch fish with them.  I've tried them probably about a dozen times, for several hours each time, with very limited success.