|
|
Q. LETTER TO WALLEYE IN-SIDER
A. In-Fisherman
Two In-Fisherman Drive
Brainerd, MN 56425
Attention: Doug, Dave, Matt and the rest of the In-Fish staff
We recently read Dave Scroppoıs feature ³Troll Your Own² in the Walleye In-Sider with great interest. The credit he provides us for the depth research and creation of the ³Dive Curve² concept in trolling is flattering and we do appreciate the recognition, but we feel compelled to comment.
Itıs true that the depth guide Precision Trolling has not even scratched the surface when it comes to documenting the depths of all the common trolling lures, hardware and combinations available to anglers. Itıs
important to note that no comprehensive lure depth guide will ever exist, because anglers are constantly rewriting the book on trolling and new gear is released faster than it can be tested.
Tom Backerıs effort to create his own depth data (and share his findings with others) is honorable, but his methodology goes against the philosophy of Precision Trolling and the efforts Precision Angling Specialists, LLC has put into creating accurate and reproducible trolling data for serious anglers. Allow us to explain:
Simply dragging lures behind the boat at various lead lengths until they contact bottom is a crude and inaccurate means of determining the depth of any lure. There are several reasons why this means of testing lure depth is inaccurate and none are outlined or explained in the feature.
First off, the importance of the details of the methodology cannot be overstated and yet they are entirely ignored in the article. Collecting and presenting reproducible data requires control over all of the important
variables that affect the results, while only one variable ( line out) is manipulated. Attention to detail is critical in research and the data is meaningless without this element. As best as we can tell, Mr. Backer has
presented only the data which was crudely measured for his trolling method and equipment. It may be very useful indeed for an individual troller to study his specific situation and gain confidence in his set up. However, it is likely to be neither accurate nor reproducible in someone else's hands.
The essence of Precision Angling Specialists, LLC, is to present data from tightly controlled study protocols with specific standardizations and calibrations which allow for reproducibility in someone else's hands...so
long as they standardize as we explain. To suggest that Backer's methodology is "taking it to the next level" is simply not true and potentially misleading.
Using a sonar unit to determine water and lure depth has some obvious and some less obvious limitations. The transducer on most boats is mounted beneath the surface of the water. This distance varies and can be as
much as 18 inches. On a percentage basis, this alone introduces substantial error into a key determinant in Backer's measurements....the water depth at the time of lure contact.
Furthermore, this technique also assumes that the bottom depth is consistent and uniform. In reality this rarely happens and even minor fluctuations in water depth seriously flaw any hopes of creating accurate
and or useful dive curves. Most importantly, when a lure does contact the bottom, there is no way of knowing whether or not it had reached its steady state and was not still diving at the time of contact. In order to reach a steady state and still use the contact method, one has to troll from deeper to shallower water, and at that point, the boat is no longer at the same depth as the lure when the lure contacts bottom. Again, substantial error is introduced and is then compounded by the indirect measurement of depth from a sonar unit. For all of these reasons, Precision Angling discarded this methodology at its inception 10 years ago as a completely unreliable and inaccurate means of studying lure depths.
Thirdly, creating accurate dive curves requires a collection of a composite set of data that allows the examiner to plot the data on an XY graph. In doing so, one can easily spot erroneous data points that are not
following what should be a smooth curve. This allows those points to be re-examined and corrected for study error or factors that are otherwise difficult to see such as water currents, wave interference, and equipment glitches.
Finally, it is critical to emphasize the importance of calibration. While Backer may have done this, it is mentioned nowhere in the article and is simply to critical to ignore. Different brands and models of line counter
reels yield different lead length estimates. Also the amount and diameter of the line on each reel influences the readings. Since mechanical line counters cannot account for the changing spool diameter as line spools off,
there are inherent inaccuracies unless the data is presented with a specific knowledge as to how the reel was calibrated. Without this information, there is a huge margin of error introduced in the single most important variable being studied...line out! This error renders the depth reading, even when precisely measured, almost meaningless!
The readers of Walleye In-Sider might be interested in knowing that we at Precision Angling Specialists have created (but not released to the public yet) a number of ³Dive Curves² produced on 10/4 Fireline and lead
core line that will be presented in upcoming editions and a new book targeted at open water trollers. Unlike the data presented in Walleye In-Sider, our data is collected under strictly standardized and calibrated
protocols, and is ALWAYS measured by direct underwater observation. There is simply no substitute or shortcut to seeing it with your own eyes!
Again, we are flattered at the kind statements regarding us and our products and we admire Mr. Backer's ambition and diligence in making his own observations. We know he is an excellent walleye fisherman and we applaud him for his success. For the rest of the world, we hope they will recognize that creating dive curves demands an In-Depth understanding of the multiple dynamics which influence the reliability and, more importantly, the reproducibility of dive curve data and lure performance. We also hope for and invite the In-Fisherman staff or freelancers working for In-Fisherman to contact us on any questions they may have about trolling or lure depth related issues. Chances are weıve been there and would welcome the opportunity to share what we know with others. After all, the reason we produced Precision Trolling and Precision Casting is because we are avid anglers ourselves and we want to help others catch more fish. We maintain a toll free number to help answer technical questions for our customers and the media. Please feel free to contact us at your convenience.
Best fishes,
Mark Romanack and Dr. Steven Holt,
Precision Angling Specialists, LLC
800-353-6958 technical assistance |
| Q. How Often Should I Change Crankbaits? |
| Q. Order in Canada |
| Q. Luhr Jensen - Dipsy Diver |
| Q. Precision Trolling, Big Water Edition |
| Q. Might I have some pages missing? |
| Q. Line diameter vs lb Test |
| Q. Measuring line length |
|
