DIY brass dodger

I've had good luck with dodgers that I made out of 3/4 inch copper pipe. But, I'm in need of a new dodger, and the only scrap 3/4 copper pipe that I've got was sprayed by a skunk, and we all know that "skunk" and "fishing" don't go together.

So, I went to the metal store today looking for some copper scraps. The only copper sheet scraps that they had were too thin, so I decided to try brass. I'm not sure how well this brass will work, since the brass sheet that I got is slightly thicker than the wall of the copper pipe ("type L", I believe) that I use, and as a result, the brass feels much heavier. I'll test it out, and report back. In any case, this post is just about making the dodger...

First, I got these scraps for about $14, and I can probably make 8 to 10 dodgers from this amount.

Here, you can see that it's about 1/16=0.0625 inch thick, whereas type L copper pipe has a wall thickness of 0.045 inch. Brass is supposedly slightly less dense than copper, but it still feels much heavier, even when making a smaller dodger than I would with copper.

Cut it and drilled holes...

Bent the edges and added anti-twisted-line mechanisms...

Added some flashiness...

Finally, it wouldn't be a DIY project without some blood...

That looks great Mark.

The secret spot won’t know what hit it. Cool project and I look forward to hearing about field testing results.

Looks good.
My DIY projects typically end with me spending more money than if I just bought the item new. And some don’t work right.  But I’m a man of principles, apparently, and so I keep trying. I’d be ecstatic if a project turned out as good as that dodger

Finally, it wouldn't be a DIY project without some blood...

 

Looks good!  Are you going to add any kind of protectant coating? Brass will likely tarnish faster than copper, especially in saltwater.

Also, what are those snaps you added? I've never seen any quite like those. Thanks!

really interested in the follow up as to how it fishes!

I have several pieces of scrap brass plate sitting around from previous projects

Looks good!  Are you going to add any kind of protectant coating? Brass will likely tarnish faster than copper, especially in saltwater.

Also, what are those snaps you added? I've never seen any quite like those. Thanks!

No coating, but the flashy parts should be protected. I'll have to see how they hold up wrt tarnishing, but copper seems to last indefinitely, so I'm optimistic that it won't be a problem.

Here are the clips--very useful for other things too...

https://www.amazon.com/AIRKOUL-Stainless-Fishing-Saltwater-Resistant/dp/B0CTZWJXH5

I tested this last weekend, and meant to take some underwater video, but forgot to do so. In any case, it was a successful test, as the dodger has a really pronounced "dodging" action, which I like. It does seem to require a minimum speed of almost 1.5 mph, which is usually not a problem. Also, because it's heavier, it seems to sink more than other lighter-weight dodgers, especially below about 2 mph. That could be good in some situations (halibut fishing over a sandy bottom), but might result in more snags in certain terrain. Some additional testing and fine-tuning may be needed...

I might make the next one an inch or so longer, as this size is difficult to bend in the middle to adjust the dodging for slower speeds. Of course, that will add more weight, and it might sink too much--if it gets below the level of the sinker, it would be difficult to feel the bottom and still avoid snags.

Nice! I wonder if a larger unit might create more drag, thus mitigating the concern about it sinking more?  Probably only relevant at certain speeds though.

Also, thanks for the link for those clips, I didn't notice that the other day.