Bucher Depth Raider - Lip Modification
I know from talking to lots of other lure anglers that I am not alone in finding the Bucher Depth Raider a disappointment in the fish catching department. It's well made and tough, and comes in great colours. It is not cheap and it is a shame to leave it in semi-retirement. In my opinion, and that of a few others, the problem is that the "wiggle" is of too high a frequency. It attracts mainly small pike, especially at the sort of retrieve speeds that can be achieved casting.
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A very simple modification is to trim the diving lip. Use a hacksaw to cut the side points then tidy it up with a file, do not trim anything off the length. It is only a ten-minute job. Do not worry too much about precisely copying mine, a few millimetres won't matter. I did this on a Floating Straight Depth Raider and was pleased with the result, it has a much easier wobble now and it will respond nicely to twitching.
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The working depth seemed little affected but I expect it will be a little less than before the modification and at fast trolling speeds it will be less stable than the original so be careful if that's something you plan using it for. I've tried it on a Jointed Depth Raider and the result was less marked, but jointed baits tend to be very busy. I will take a little more from the lip and see how it goes then, but removing too much might make it run too shallow. I've only done this in the last couple of weeks so I haven't had chance to show it to many fish yet. When the river season opens I'll be giving those Severn doubles a chance to show their approval.
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Have a go at this yourself and let me know how it goes.
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