Diving Dredge..Huh..Well I built one

[Big Jay]

While I like the concept of getting the dredge down a bit, if it's out of sight and too deep, you won't be able to capitalize on all potential billfish bites. It's often a challenge to pull a fish off the dredge in the first place, but if it's out of sight you are not likely to see any fish that are behind it unless they happen to eventually break away from the dredge and come up on the surface. You have to be able to have a visual on your dredge to maximize all your potential bites. Just my .02

Until you run one it's hard to grasp the concept. It's nice because it gets it like 5' down JUST in the clean water. You can definitely see it. I usually run a guac rigged bally right behind it.

[TheBigI]

I have one from tournament cable. I would not try to run it off a rod, because it pulls like hell. I only used it a couple times because it is kind of a pain. I cleated it off with light rope. It does provide more action to the dredge.

[Shortfin]

I bought one from Capt Harry's a year or two ago and figured out quick you need a lot of drag to pull it from a rod tip, ended upusing a 130 and even that was diffucult to clear quickly ,what this rig really needs is a trip line like a sea anchor...................

Better yet get your self a coated dredge weight from Offshore Innovations the rubber is bullet proof and will not come at ya when it release from the water and no more transom Pings ...

[Anthony of the ARK]

I cant get my head around why you would want to put that much strain on what ever your pulling it with be it an electric reel with a rod, off the rigger, or a down rigger. your pretty much adding drag to and already an heavy teaser, plus you will pretty much have to take the boat out of gear to pull up to pull out the dredge, so there for every time you get a weed on the dredge its a 3 or 4 minute process to clear and reset it. Plus you guys are talking about using 800# cable for pulling this, somebody in this thread said it will cut trough you hand.

Ive been on a boat that tried this, it was a pain in the ass. And we were using electric reels to pull our dreges that day.

[Fishypantsmagoo]

I tried the Mann Stretch/cable set-up as well and have the same sentiments as others. I found it to be a PITA.

The Offshore Innovations coated dredge weights are awesome! 4.5 pounds and rubber coated. Ive got 2 in the bluewhite pattern and love them.

Sticking with the weights...if it aint broke why fix it.

[MarlinHunter03]

To answer a few of the concerns. The dredge setup I pull from tournament cable works great. No matter how hard you try you will not get the dredge down 40 ft even with added weights. It will sit someplace between 5 and 10 ft. below the surface. It pulls no where near as hard as the dredges I used to run with weights. When running an artificial dredge or ballyhoo dredge these things are perfect and can be pulled up by hand even while underway (not super quickly though). I doubt mine could saw my hand off but while letting it out I wouldn't want to get it wrapped around my wrist. Our dredge rods have absolutely no problem handling them.

[jbonvetti]

I have used the Mann 50 which has a piece of metel in the head made for pulling a dredge and a stretch 40....it is worthless...pulls harder than it needs to, good luck clearing it on the outside of a turn, way more expensvie than the plain and simply weight....and #800 cable are u pullin these things at 20 knots?...400# is more than enough to hold these things with a double mullet dredge behind it but u still need gloves or a winch to clear it...

[Capt Lindsay]

This issue is not so simple. The diving lure hooked up in front of the dredge to pull it down has stability problems if you are not careful.

Tournament Cable offers a Stretch Mann that is weighted to oversome those instability issues.

Tournament Cable does not offer any product that is not researched to make sure it dos the job desired. I recommend them highly.

[Deep C]

I can't be sure but Tim builds custom to order and I would guess he built it cause a customer wanted it that way...

Tim you will not drag that thing at Chub... They got critters there that will eat the whole damn thing and I kinda like the idea of keeping my transom tacked to the boat...

[canyongear]

"Hello Tim, you see that link in your email"

yup..

"Can you build that exactly as it is in the picture?",

Yup..what color Mann 40 do you want?

"Blue",

Ok if I make it better than the picture?

"Yes", "How much?"

Somewhere between 75 and a hundie depending on the cost of the parts..

"Okay, do it, Thanks"

That about sums up my experience with a Diving Dredge.. So have fun with the opines'.