Trolling Cranks Deeper (Leadcore vs Other)

[NCLaker]

I'm newer to rolling cranks but have had some success. I'm looking for advice on more effective way to troll cranks deeper. There seem to be so many options and it is not clear to me the pro's/con's of each. I'm looking for more flexibility to use various cranks at deeper than than their normal driving range w/ plain fireline/mono. This would be for depths of ~15-30ft, to use on various Minnesota lakes & rivers.

I currently troll with a rod rigged with a sealine 17lc w/ only 10# fireline.

The options I am aware of include the following - please help list crank trolling situation that these are most appropriate for and any other helpful advice on pro's/con's for each technique:

(1) Lead core (would need a new reel - what size?)

(2) Snap weights

(3) Bottom Bouncer

(4) Three-way rig

(5) add some split shot weights a few feet ahead of your lure

Thanks for your help!

Note: I posted this same question on another site, but figure the more input the better.

[WyoChris]

The amount of line you let out is key....... if that crank is 200 ft behind your boat it is going to get a lot deeper than if it was 50 ft

[NCLaker]

I picked up that trolling book and that helps a lot as for as how much line to let out. But I am look for advise on these options to get them deeper with less line out and/or getting certain cranks deeper than their natural max dive depth.

Thanks

[MuskieJunkie]

Check out the 2 sections in the book about snap weights and leadcore. They have a system where you use a long section of leadcore, and they have calculations for snap weights.

Sorry I can’t offer any real world experience about either of those techniques as I haven’t tried them yet. Like you I just bought the book and am going to try more of it this year (unitl muskies open that is). If you search IDO’s HSOforum there is a good article on there about leadcore.

[Northlander]

The snap weights size/weight can be adjusted and you can go bigger or smaller as needed. Of course the bigger the less line you need to let out to get deeper. This can be a benefit when contour trolling. They will also go up and down a bit with speed like leadcore. (smaller sizes)

The new FLW mag has a good article on heavy snap weight trolling when using super lines.

Leadcore just gets baits deeper quicker. Very speed dependent. Speed up and the lead comes up, slow down and it goes down. Good for slight contours and straight trolling. Sealine 47 or larger works best.

3 ways and bottom bouncers will do the same as a snap weight but are fixed on the line of course and a shorter leader is used.

Let me know if you want more info.

[NCLaker]

Thanks for the info Northlander.

For lead core I will likely typically target 15-30+ FOW. For this depth range, how many colors of lead core do you think I should have on my reel, and based on this amount how many colors can I fit on a 27 vs 47 sized reel? Assuming I would be using 15-18# lead core.

Thanks

[tunrevir]

You can also get baits down deep with jet divers and dypsie divers which are great options when you have longer trolling passes with consistently deep water. For the 15-30' range you are looking at 3 to 6 colors of lead. Rule of thumb is 5'of depth for each color in the water.

Tunrevir~

[solbes]

I've tried a jet diver knock off and had limited success. Also used downriggers which really do work well for open water trolling where you have no chance of contacting bottom.

As for the 25 foot trolling I want to do this year, I am trying the snap weight method with 1 oz of weight added. Already calculated the additional depth it should give me for each lure, and have it all printed out in an easy to read table which I have placed in the boat. Can't wait to try it out this year.

[tacklejunkie]

You can also get baits down deep with jet divers and dypsie divers which are great options when you have longer trolling passes with consistently deep water. For the 15-30' range you are looking at 3 to 6 colors of lead. Rule of thumb is 5'of depth for each color in the water.

Tunrevir~

Be careful with trolling deep diving cranks with dipseys as the diving action of both the dipsey and the crank will be affected.

Might be alright with the large dipseys but there are probably few situations in walleye fishing were a larger dipsey is neeeded

[NCLaker]

Thanks all for the feedback.

My plan is to make the lead core plunge - way too many good things being said about this technique to ignore

As for the other techniques, I think this is my current plan:

Reserve three ways for getting cranks out on areas with little room to work the structure, or lots of turns. Bottom bouncers I'll continue to use for pulling live bait rigs/spinners (in areas with a lot of snags) and possibly floating stick baits.

[tunrevir]

I think you'll find you will really like the leadcore. There are variations with it as well. You can run a 20' lead and three or four colors to powerpro backing and achieve the 25' depths you are looking for without the longer line lengths and the big reels needed to accomodate a full 10 colors. Spinners run with a couple segments will pretty much run at the desired depth with shorter amounts of line out and can make for some super trolling along convoluted weedlines due to the track the line will take versus normal mono. Good luck!

Tunrevir~

[PerchJerker]

I used to use snap weights but not very much any more, now I pretty much just use leadcore if I need to get my baits deeper. With the water I'm fishing and the bait's I'm pulling and the speeds I'm running I really don't need to go with more than 5 or 6 colors, if even that.

[AuggieDawg11]

How many feet of a mono backing do you put on the reel before putting on the lead core.

[tunrevir]

It depends on the size of your reel and how much leadcore you plan on spooling. If your using this setup for walleyes you won't need much backing, say 100-150'. Chances are you won't ever get into the backing if you are running a full ten colors of leadcore. Segments of leadcore then you can put on more backing.

Tunrevir~

[tacklejunkie]

With a the praises heaped on it I think I'll try leadcore

[NCLaker]

Picked up my Leadcore setup yesterday ... can't wait to give it a try. Thanks again to everyone for your input.

Went with an 8'3" Shimano Compre telescoping trolling rod (Med power), and a Diawa Sealine 27LCW. Spooled up 15# leadcore (wanted 18#, but the store did not have it in stock). Was able to squeeze on 9 colors (very little backing) with room for 20' leader. Spool is very full - with 18# I think it should comfortably fit a full 8 colors, which should be plenty for the depths I will be targeting.

I hope to hit the river in the next couple weeks - probably start out running some new Berkley Flicker Shads & Lindy Shadlings that I just picked up.

[Esox_Magnum]

We fish mainlake basins here, miles of nothing but 20' of water no structure just roaming fish, lead will outcatch any other method hands down day in day out. I even run it dock bouncing this time of year up shallow, 6-12' but only running 30-50' back then. With 2 on us in the boat fishing the basins we can run 4 rods, each get a different depth till a pattern shows up then set them all the same depth to narrow down color or brand preference for the day. Now when I fish walleyes in the boat 99% of the time I'm pulling cranks.

[fishinfey8]

Is it the the way the lead tracks behind the boat that makes it so effective?

[PerchJerker]

Is it the the way the lead tracks behind the boat that makes it so effective?

Yes, that is the theory. Leadcore tends to snake through the water, following the boat, so you get more of that action and direction change on your baits vs. no-stretch braid or even mono.

Also, as the boat slows down and speeds up, even from turns in addition to throttle adjustment, leadcore will sink and rise which gives the bait more of a pause and burst action than you get with no-stretch braid or mono.

[island guy]

I've been pulling deep diving plugs for years. With a quality plug, 10 lb mono line and a decent trolling speed, I have no problem getting them down to that 20-30 foot range.

[tunrevir]

Great presentation, trolling plugs on mono but you won't get the contours as much because the plugs are digging so hard, whereas when you pull out the LC you can follow a breakline, and use floater type plugs rather then the deep divers. Sometimes the fish will hit a long thin shallow running bait run deep rather then a hard wobbling deepdiver. Just another tool for the arsenal and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

Tunrevir~

[PerchJerker]

Great presentation, trolling plugs on mono but you won't get the contours as much because the plugs are digging so hard, whereas when you pull out the LC you can follow a breakline, and use floater type plugs rather then the deep divers. Sometimes the fish will hit a long thin shallow running bait run deep rather then a hard wobbling deepdiver. Just another tool for the arsenal and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

Tunrevir~

Exactly! You can also run smaller deep diving baits on lead and get the depth you want --- ie. small glass shad raps and small jointed shad raps are a couple of my favorites on leadcore.

[fishinfey8]

That's what I figured-thanks perch. Do people ever have problems running flahsers and flies for kings on leadcore? I guess it seems like too much snaking might tangle lines...

So I just bought a line counter from the big C store, how do I known if it will hold ten colors? Also, since one color = 10yds (correct??), how necessary is a line counter reel when using leadcore.

[fishinfey8]

haha...my bad I meant 4 colors

[harvey lee]

One does not need a linecounter reel for the lead core. So much depth for each color plus your running depth of the crank you are using.