Leadcore Questions

[mtreno]

ok i started messing around with leadcore last year. spolled up two setups and just started to play around. did pretty well so this year i plan to expand a bit and see where this takes me.

i now have 4 leadcore combos - two 6 footers and a 9 and a 10 footer. i plan on runner the longer rods out the side and the shorts off the back. seems to be the way to do it. why cant i use a planner boards or do some people do that? how long of a leader do you guys use? last year i used mono but thinking braid for a bit more feel. someone told me 10 ft was about 5 ft down at 1 mpr. does that sound about right?

any other tips - thoughts - ideas????

[Kahuner]

All of my experience with leadcore came from fishing on Lk MI.

As far as "depth you fish" was based on how many colors I'd let out. A rough rule of thumb was 10' down for every color. We would spool 10 colors onto a rod/ reel set-up. Theoretically, we could fish down to 100'. Fishing for Steelhead, we would use rods with only 4 colors, fishing the top 40' over deep water. This would be very close to what you would do for Walleyes, assuming the spoons you're using doesn't dive like a bodybait would.

As far as the leader, we used 50'~ 75' and joined the dissimular line materials with a blood knot, This way the leader will cover the leadcore when stored on the reel because leadcore is very sensitive to UV rays.

Your main line can be mono or braided. To clarify, 100 yds main line, then leadcore, say 2 color for another 20 yds, then the second section of main line (50' to 75') and finally the leader. Use only blood knots and you can wind-up all of your line, right to the lure.

The reason for the long section after the leadcore (50 to 75' long) is that when you troll, the leadcore will "whip" your lure up and down and it works good!!! It was referred to as the "SWR" over the ship-to-shore radio. Secret weapon rod.

As far as using boards or side planners, I did! I had to use bigger ones. I think they may have been Gary Roach(?) Orange in color, plastic, bigger than a yellow bird. If my memory is right. I also think they had lead in the bottom to keep upright.

That's all I know! Using boards in conjuction with leadcore is a great idea!

[Jim Hudson]

Are you running your core set-ups in open water situations, structure trolling, or in river environments? Each are a bit different for the use of leadcore..

Open water is what Kahuner is talking about. Where you can use full cores plus segment core as well, as he was talking about (4 colors then you have backing). And is the typical situation you would use core along with boards. You let out your core, then attach the board to your backing (either braid or mono - I used braid 30lb test) and send the board out. For a spread of boards, outside board has the shortest segment and highest line, then you work into your deeper lures and largest amount of core out. Say 2 color, then a 5 color (half core), then a 10 color (full core). This allows you to pull the fish over the other deeper sets while fishing. It is not a good idea to put the board onto the core itself, this can break the sheath and then the lead itself, and then you lose everything. In most situations, your lure will run 3 to 5 feet typically per one color at 2MPH, less if you run faster, more if you go slower. Lead is very speed dependent.

Structure trolling and river trolling is pretty much the same. Here, for the most part, is you are just letting out the correct amount of core to reach bottom or the target depth fishes, while keeping your rods right in a holder, without a board. This is where your longer rods associated with the shorter rods work great. Longer rod to the outside to cover the shallow part of the break, then shorter rod to the inside to cover the next depth, say the base of the break, etc etc. Depth on natural lake structures will be the same as described above, but in river environments it will depend on speed of the boat plus speed of current, but here it is much easier to know how deep your running, as your line is right off your rod tip and most of the time the fish are associated direct with the bottom. So, let line out until you start hitting bottom, then reel up from there into the zone the fish are biting (note the line out from counter plus speed of the boat with the current for repeat purposes).

Leader wise, usually Fireline in river stuff.. Fluorocarbon in open water/clear environments. Usually I only run about 15 to 25 feet of leader.

Hope this helps.

[james_walleye]

Hey guys not to sabotage the thread but along the lines of using boards....if you are using say a deep diving reef runner compared to just a #7 shad rap....does it make a difference in the way the board runs? You know with the extra "pull" from the deeper diving lure?

[Jim Hudson]

James,

The 800 series Reef Runner definately has a big impact on how a board runs, especially up at about 2MPH and more.. If you ran one of these along side a shad rap, the Reef Runner board would sag back out of line from the Shad Rap.. And note, this is just with mono or fireline off the board, not with lead. But, even with lead, you would see more drag..

[james_walleye]

That is what i thought. I'm planning on running some reef runners and such on boards this year, just curious what to expect.

[mtreno]

thanks for the info guys - i will be open water trolling.

thinking of trying 2 with fireline and 2 with fluoro - i have some 14lb crystal laying around so i will use that but what lb fluoro do you use?

[Northlander]

I use 12# Trilene XT or big game. Never found a need for expensive fluoro and if you do just use a 6-8' leader of it. I know guys that run up to 17# mono on their board rods but thats more for trout/salmon on Lake Superior.

For walleyes I found I like the way 12# works for me. Guys use 10# because thats what Precision Trolling uses on their dive charts.

[Lundcranking]

In my experiences running lead core I would offer this. I run two 9 foot 6 inch rods out the side and two 5 footers off the back and run 60 feet of 10 lbs fluorocarbon on the outside rods and typically run number 7 shads. Off the shorter rods I will run 50 feet of fluorocarbon and jointed shads similar in size, which run slightly deeper, in turn having less line out. With that said I try and maintain a boat speed of 2 - 2.3 mph.

I run that much mono due to clear lakes like Mille Lacs. I have created depth charts that are lure and mono length specific due to spending so much time on Mille Lacs, LoW, and St. Croix where one can find miles of a constant depth. Being it has worked I never wanted to try less mono or different lines not saying it wouldn’t be better.

I have tried yellow birds with 18 lb lead core and I didn't have mush luck!

[Northlander]

Re read the post and Ill expand on my earlier post. When running lead in the darker river we have in my area I run a 10-20' leader of clear mono or power pro off the lead. In clear waters I like a clear mono in the 30 - 40' off the lead. My thinking is the fish arent spooking from the line but rather the lead so no nead for a flouro leader. At least I have never found it needed. I just think the baits moving too fast for them to be looking at the line. Maybe the lead though.