[Treebeard63]

I've used various diving plugs for years, and I've caught countless Stripers on them.. as well as almost every other species from Bluefish to Blue Cats and Walleyes.. As some of the other responses indicate, properly tuning a diving plug can make all the difference when it comes to catching or not.. I 've learned that very few plugs come out of the box running dead true. If a diving a plug is running just a few inches off center at boatside, as you let line out, it planes further and further to the side.. (sacrificing depth with every foot sideways) ..once it gets far enough out, and the attitude of the lure is laying on it side enough, it can actually flip and begin to "dive" UP, and out of the water..
To tune a diving plug, I get the boat to trolling speed, and let the plug out just far enough along side ( NOT in the wake as turbulence will screw up results) to be fully submerged, but in view.. Holding the rod tip low, I'll sweep the rod forward, to accelerate the lure, which should then show its directional inclination... I then brace 1 jaw of a needle nose plier against the bill of the plug, and SLIGHTLY bend the eye ring in the direction I need the plug to run.. So, when looking at the front of the lure, if it is running off to the left, bend the eye to the right.. NEVER twist the eye, as that will loosen it, and ALWAYS make very slight adjustments.. If you see the eye bend, you probably went way to far.. It may take a few back and forth tweaks to get it right, but when you do, you'll feel the difference as the plug pulls harder , and stays behind the tip as you pull the rod.. Also, as soon as it comes out of the box, I always cut off the split ring and attach to the lure with an appropriate size Duo-Loc snap (no swivel). I've found that thru vibration, the split ring can turn in the eye, with the split notch getting jammed in the eye at an odd angle, making the plug suddenly run bonkers..
And don't be afraid to try other brands of plug.. The Manns are ok, but the wider bill profile, (which produces a wider wobble) tends to make them more unstable at higher speeds .. others like the Bomber CD's and 26a, Tsunami's, etc, with narrower bills, produce a tighter wobble, and run better at higher speeds..different plugs will give a different vibe that the fish can prefer on a given day.. One more point.. braid excels in this application.. The thin diameters allow for maximum depth penetration, and the no-stretch feature allows you see the plug vibrating thru the rod tip.. insuring you are not pulling around fouled gear , and affords good hooksets no matter how far back..
One last tip.. To get a feel for how deep they run, go to an area with a soft, gradually sloping bottom.. let line out and run shallower until the plug makes contact.. and when fishing, don't be afraid to let the plug dig in the bottom once in a while.. just like a largemouth smacking a crankbait as it careens off a stump, Stripers will often react aggressively to a lure erratically hitting the bottom, and kicking up a little mud.. Good Luck!