Deps Tuning Question...

[TommyGun316]

When people post about a deps being tuned by Butch, what exactly does that mean? What does he do to it? Pardon my ignorance, but I was curious. Thanks.

 

BG

[brushhawg1]

I believe Butch Brown has his own weights to add to the bait to give the bait a faster fall and help keep it down in the water column a bit. You can also "tune" by changing hooks, split rings or tungsten putty.

[brushhawg1]

P.S. I think you can buy the tuning weights if you can find them.

[Top Ramen]

There are several aspects to correctly tuning an SS50. The internal weights are the most obvious and are usually where I start. This will set the rate of fall and the attitude (level, nose-up, nose-down) of the bait when it sits in the water. You can also fine-tune the rate of fall by swapping out the hardware.

For minor adjustments to the weight, led golf tape is perfect. It sits flat under the skin and the glue will last many years. You can also put a small piece in the bill slot if you just need the nose to sit a bit lower.

The way the skin sits on the front segment will have an impact on how much room the bait has to turn at the joint. With the skin as far forward as it goes, they rear segment can turn farther out before hitting the protrusions on the side. Sliding it back, gives it less room. Generally, I leave it so the front sits in the depression at the front of the bait.

The geometry of the joint is also important. Make sure the bait hangs completely straight when you hold it vertically. The pins can get bent and that will affect how it swims. Also, the eyes on the pins need to be the right distance from the body. As you can imagine, it is very easy to have them a turn or half a turn off from the proper length and not notice it. I have a set of gauges (made of cut toothpicks) that I use to make sure the eyes are the right distance out from the body. They are two different lengths. If you have an OG that swims particularly well, use it's joint to make a set of gauges and you can use them to check all the rest of your baits.

my .02

Edited January 18, 2018 by Top Ramen

[chevro1et]

I'm going to shamelessly hijack here, but I also have a question regarding tuning a Deps 175.  On the new injected models, I see that many anglers add tungsten putty under the skin near the front to keep the nose down... what is a good ballpark estimate of the weight of tungsten putty used for this?

[TommyGun316]

Way cool info. Thanks guys. 

[Low&Slow]

I believe Geoffrey and Manny Chee just did like 3 videos regarding the Deps 250 and I think it's the 2nd or 3rd video that covers the tuning aspect check it out on YouTube. Everything you need to know about the Deps 250 I think is the title.

[David R]

What size split ring should I use for Deps 250. I have a new OG and a used OG the used one seems to be tuned better and it has larger split rings. What size split ring do you usually switch it out with?

[chevro1et]

What size split ring should I use for Deps 250. I have a new OG and a used OG the used one seems to be tuned better and it has larger split rings. What size split ring do you usually switch it out with?

I think hyper wire #5 is pretty common.