Leadcore set ups

[TileMan Dan]

Looking to add lead core to my arsenal for spring. Need advice on everything and anything for this

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[zackblain]

how deep do you want to get and what will you be targeting?

[TileMan Dan]

Im focusing on spring browns to start. Need advice on reel sizes, # of colors, rods. This is tottally new to me that I want to try out.

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[finsntins]

this past spring was our first time for browns,so im no expert,but will share what we did.we ran otter boats,so we had 2,1 color core and 2,2 color cores,so you have one for each side.we ran them on diawa 17 series line counters,but i think any 20 series reel would be fine, with 25 lb mono for backing and 30 ft of 12 lb mono for a leader.i will be dropping down to 12 lb backing for next year,as there wasnt enough backing with the 25 lb.i know some guys run as light as 8 lb,but i wasnt comfortable with going that light,as there are some kings and steelies in the mix.any light action rod will do,its best to have them all the same length,as it makes it easier to stack them in the trees.we ran spoons on one side and sticks on the other and also split the riggers one spoon and one stick.as the fish start to tell you what they want you can adjust your pattern accordingly.this was good for early spring when you will be fishing in less then 15 fow.once they start sliding out,you can go with 3,4,5 color cores or start running big jon mini discs to get down.have a good variety of spoon colors,as it seemed to change from day to day.

[TileMan Dan]

Fins, when you say the number of colors is that how many you have on reel or is that how many you are letting out?

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[finsntins]

that is how many are on the reel.so what we do is we will let out 1 color 100 ft,so if you run a 30 ft leader and 1 color is 30 ft then you would have about 40 ft of backing out.then we send out the 2 color 100 ft.do the same thing on the other side.depending on how many rods we can run,we will also run a mono rod with a split shot or two.

[TileMan Dan]

Great. Do you have any suggestions on reels and do they need to be line counters?

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[finsntins]

they should be line counters,so you know how far back you are.as far as reels we use daiwa 17's for the short cores,but you can go with 20 series reels.the okuma magdas 20 are fairly cheap and will be fine for browns.you have plenty of time till spring,keep an eye on the classifieds or maybe post in the classifieds that you are looking for reels.

[BAZOOKAJOE]

I do the same thing with the short cores. But I use the same reels I used the previous summer for kings off the down riggers. I pull off about 1/3-1/4 of the mono spooled and tie on a swivel and tie the core then swivel then leader. I try to have everything do double duty as much as possible. Those smaller reels take forever to reel a 100 ft of line in on. I run 3 color cores with spoons for most of the spring with a couple split-shotted. Then i added 5 and 10 colors as the fish were over 40+. For those I bought a couple new high speed reels and backed them with power pro.

[finsntins]

good point bazooka,we do that for our split shot rigs,use our mono rigger setups and just leader down.and yes,the 17's do take a few cranks to get them in,but not to terrible.

[TileMan Dan]

Jason, thank you sharing your knowledge with me regarding lead core setups. Going to set 1,2,5,&7 colors. Ordered up new rods and reels. Will definitely call if I run into any dilemmas. Hope to see you on the water this spring. If you see a 24' Grady docked at Salmon Country with jersey regs that'll be me. Again thankyou and tight lines

Dan

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[finsntins]

anytime dan,we are on the water every weekend,give me a shout on the radio,im always willing to share info.

[Iceman]

TMD;

 

Get familiar with the Willis Knot to join backer & leaders to the core. Once you get the hang of it, it is a great knot.

 

John

[TyeeTanic]

I basically am doing the same thing adding lead core to the arsenal. I set up a 7 color and 3 color. I also set up a 2 color on a rigger rod as a another rod for a SWR, but I could also use it off the planer boards for an additional shallow rod.

[FleetTracker]

Jason, thank you sharing your knowledge with me regarding lead core setups. Going to set 1,2,5,&7 colors. Ordered up new rods and reels. Will definitely call if I run into any dilemmas. Hope to see you on the water this spring. If you see a 24' Grady docked at Salmon Country with jersey regs that'll be me. Again thankyou and tight lines

Dan

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3 and 4 color rigs are deadly... Consider doing these instead of a 1 or even 2 color. You can obtain 1 or 2 colors of depth with splitshots.

[Sk8man]

TMD - Fleet Tracker may have a point here...a one or two rig setup is not really necessary especially in shallow water situations and may even cause you to hang up on things there ("belly" of the core) too....as Mark mentioned a SWR (Secret Weapon Rig) using a 2 color rod off a downrigger can be worthwhile to have but a 4 7 and 10 color setup might be more effective to cover the bases for conventional leadcore use.  As mentioned I'd use split shot to get down if only needing just a few feet...it is probably a stealthier approach too.

Edited December 14, 2014 by Sk8man

[TileMan Dan]

Wow got a lot of fodder here to chew on and digest. Its great to get everyones points of view based on your hands on experience. Fortunately , I have time to ponder it all with respects to the type of fishing do. Will definitely keep you all informed with my final set ups and their performance for me. Thank you all for the advice you have shared

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[Legacy]

1,3,5 colors is all the lead core you will ever need for spring or even fall in shallow water. I have dedicated 3&5 colors on okuma convector 45s. In 12 fow or less you won't use all that lead core but it can be nice in 20-25 fow.

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[Custom Deluxe]

We have 2 10 colors, a 8, 7, 5, 4 and two 3's that we run at varying times throughout the season. Devin was spot on, the 3 and 4 colors have been a great producer for browns and steelies early on, and we start to work the longer segments as the fish bump out. You dont really need line counters, as you can just let out all the lead and attach the backing to the planer board and send it out

[Thun]

I like the idea of getting multiple lines out, traffic permitting, in 15-20' of water. If you keep everything the same, leadcore line and leader wise on each side, the angle of the tow rope will put the line closest to the planer board, farther back than the line inside it and so on, allowing them to fall back behind the boat tangle free. Then slide everything down and rotate the lines when reeled in. I got a late start last year but that's my game plan for this spring.

[Tunaman1]

Bear in mind LC gets about 4' of depth per color under 2 MPH , like mentioned 3/4 colors good for spring. If u need little more depth I would just install a rubber core sinker of weight required .

Lighter leaders require less length .

One method of attaching lead core to leader is using a tiny barell swivel of hi quality , also mail knots r suitable . U modify UR nail knot by after a series of wraps lift up core wrap under then contuine to finish . Another good knot with micro lead is the slim beauty or huffnagel !

[power dive]

How deep are you guys fishing first part of spring? And do you move out as the day goes on or do they mostly hang in closer?

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[RD9]

We start fishing mid may off Brocton Shoal and troll from 20 to 40 ft of water this year we do good on three colors with husky jerks. This is the same time of year they catch them at night on the reefs. We target these fish directly off these reefs deeper during the early morning and late afternoon. Early June and into early July we catch fish suspended in the top 40 ft, occasionally in the top 15ft sometimes over a 100 ft, just depends on water tempature and were the bait is. When we first started using segmented cores it was 3 colors, 5 colors and full cores. We still catch alot of fish on full cores directly off the back of the boat. Sometimes only letting 7 colors out, one on each side. If you are just starting out I would get two 3 colors and two ten colors. You can run the three colors off the inlines and if the fish are 25 ft down add two ounces off wieght after deploying the three cores with a snap wieght. We still do this, I run three inline boards per side, say three five colors on one side and three three color on the other if the fives are out producing the threes we simply add 2 ounces on the three colors therefore essentially running six baits at roughly 25 ft. If you get a fish on the outer board you just need to let him drift back a little before cranking in just taking your time.

[BrokeOff]

the water was so cold in mid-end of june last year we were still getting lots of fish on 5 color cores. 50-200 FOW.  looking like its gonna be another cold water spring

[finsntins]

first part of spring,less than 15 fow,fish usually wont slide out unless the wind pushes the warm water and or bait out.once the water starts getting into the 50's,they start to move out,but still suspended,then once the lake sets up,look for 55 degree water where it meets the bottom.