mike rousseau Posted February 26, 2014 Report Posted February 26, 2014 Just wondering if anyone pulls Leadcore in rivers or areas with significant current... More specifically for walleye.... I've set up a rod to play with this year... I want to try downsizing my cranks on the slower days and in the spring without dragging 3-5 oz weights ahead of them... And also wanna try flatlining deeper water then I normally do with regular cranks on the Leadcore... I know this isn't great for small runs due to the amount of line you have to let out.... but I have some longer trolls in mind for this.... Just looking for any tips or success stories... I'm getting cabin fever and need to talk some open water... Also if you feel like sharing details like depth/# of colors and good small cranks you like... I'd be all ears... I honestly don't think this technique will work very well in the heavy current I fish... But I think it's worth checking out... And does anyone troll harnesses on Leadcore in 15-25 feet of water... I was gunna try that out too... I figure 5 colors would get me 15-20 feet down in some current with a harness...
Steve Posted February 26, 2014 Report Posted February 26, 2014 (edited) i use leadcore a lot. i'm not sure i'd be using it in a river where there is any decent current. likely wouldn't get much depth due to the diameter of the leadcore in the current. (going against the current of course). I also wouldn't be trolling down current with leadcore...i could just imagine that mess. in fact, the more i think about it, the more I realize it isn't going to be easy to run core in any current. maybe look into that new(er) micro leadcore...the one with the substantially reduced diameter. the current may not affect it as much. Edited February 26, 2014 by Steve
mike rousseau Posted February 26, 2014 Author Report Posted February 26, 2014 maybe look into that new(er) micro leadcore...the one with the substantially reduced diameter. the current may not affect it as much. That's what I got... Micro core... The applications I have in mind were on slower spots... 1-2 mph current... And I fish at say 2mph GPS... So 3-4 mph water speed... I assume It won't work well anywhere there is inconsistent current... But I figure 5 colors would add minimum 10 feet of dive depth to 20 feet at best.... Depending on current speed... So if I use cranks with 5 foot dive if get 15-25 feet....
Gnote Posted February 26, 2014 Report Posted February 26, 2014 Have you thought about trying a small dipsey diver with a long lead? It would help you get to the desired depth with a little more control. Plus they come with a chart to help with your depths.
mike rousseau Posted February 26, 2014 Author Report Posted February 26, 2014 (edited) Have you thought about trying a small dipsey diver with a long lead? It would help you get to the desired depth with a little more control. Plus they come with a chart to help with your depths.The goal for me is to eliminate "gear" on my line... I agree it would give me a lot more control... Maybe a really small one would be alright... I currently troll a 3 way set up in the situation described... If the Leadcore doesn't work I'll be sticking to the 3 way... I'm only looking to add 10-15 feet of dive depth... Edited February 26, 2014 by Mike Rousseau
BillM Posted February 26, 2014 Report Posted February 26, 2014 I still think a big walker is the easiest way to get small baits down.... If you want to be stealthy just run a longer lead.
Headhunter Posted February 26, 2014 Report Posted February 26, 2014 To help keep the leadcore down in higher current areas, you could try putting a snap on weight, 1 oz etc on your line where your leader and core are joined. As far as baits are concerned, small Hot n Tot in Jimmie Hendrix, would be my bait of choice in the spring. Experiment with different size snap weights to determin which works best, based on current conditions. HH
Musky or Specks Posted February 26, 2014 Report Posted February 26, 2014 Not leadcore per say but I use various grain full sinking shooting heads for getting my fly down in rivers that are large and flowing like the Nipigon. Not for walleye though.
Gnote Posted February 27, 2014 Report Posted February 27, 2014 The goal for me is to eliminate "gear" on my line... I agree it would give me a lot more control... Maybe a really small one would be alright... I currently troll a 3 way set up in the situation described... If the Leadcore doesn't work I'll be sticking to the 3 way... I'm only looking to add 10-15 feet of dive depth... I feel ya, when those little wee dipseys pop though you will feel more pull from your crankbait than the dipsey. Either way i hope your setup works
Old Ironmaker Posted February 27, 2014 Report Posted February 27, 2014 I think it's going to be tough controlling depth on leadcore. Looked at the specs of lead core and the 5 feet per colour thing is greatly effected by current speed. Could be 7 feet or more or 5 feet or less. Not as big a deal fishing in 80 feet of water but I would expect unexpected hang ups in shallow water. I would have to go with a lower test straight leader so I could break off my lure heaven forbid. I would stay with the 3 way Wolf River rig versus a dipsy. Dipsy's and I tend to not get along. Like mentioned try a snap weight. Snap weights never release or want to stay set when I want to release it like my Dipsy's. Easy to change when experimenting with depth unlike a dipsy. Snap on, snap off. I have a box of Dipsy's with leaders all tangled together. Next year 3 for a dollar Tupperware for me. How about Jet Divers? Lightest of all terminal depth rigs.
c10 Posted March 31, 2014 Report Posted March 31, 2014 I wouldn't bother with leadcore in rivers, it is too much of a guessing game and you will need to run way to much line out to get your lures in the strike zones, its not very practical even with line counters unless you are in a large open body of water without much treacherous structure (like Lake O Salmon trolling). Leadcore does work well for flat lining , but you will need 140 ft of line out to get down 30 feet with a diving tail dancer and closer to 300 to get down to 50. It can be great if you are passing over underwater structure in the 30 ft and deeper range with fish stacked at various depths, but for river fishing I would just stay with your three-way rigs and drop-shot's - more control and feel this way I don't like harness's on Leadcore because it just doesn't bring you into the strike-zone like three ways do.Also its sucks having to reel in 300 ft of line to take of a half dead 14 inch walleye that has been dragged across the surface for half a mile. After all is said and done, Leadcore is Great for Great Lakes Flat lining for Salmon, Trout and BOQ Walleye; however for river fishing, I think it may just make you angry lol
bushart Posted March 31, 2014 Report Posted March 31, 2014 I took a page out of the steelheaders book 3 way swivel----drop down "Pencil weight"---whatever lead behind---use a floating crank if ya want Caught lots of willys in current doing this
bare foot wader Posted March 31, 2014 Report Posted March 31, 2014 instead of leadcore, how about copper line? would need a dedicated rod and reel but gets down faster I believe hand lining originated on the st clair, no? they used that stuff back in the day, my grandpa always told us about his buddy who lost a finger when he hooked a sturgeon hand lining, I heard that story about a 1000 times growing up lol
bushart Posted March 31, 2014 Report Posted March 31, 2014 oh yeah---if ya want to know how to finesse fish em in that heavy current I can tell ya that also But this is about crankin
mike rousseau Posted March 31, 2014 Author Report Posted March 31, 2014 I wouldn't bother with leadcore in rivers, it is too much of a guessing game and you will need to run way to much line out to get your lures in the strike zones, its not very practical even with line counters unless you are in a large open body of water without much treacherous structure (like Lake O Salmon trolling). Leadcore does work well for flat lining , but you will need 140 ft of line out to get down 30 feet with a diving tail dancer and closer to 300 to get down to 50. It can be great if you are passing over underwater structure in the 30 ft and deeper range with fish stacked at various depths, but for river fishing I would just stay with your three-way rigs and drop-shot's - more control and feel this way I don't like harness's on Leadcore because it just doesn't bring you into the strike-zone like three ways do. Also its sucks having to reel in 300 ft of line to take of a half dead 14 inch walleye that has been dragged across the surface for half a mile. After all is said and done, Leadcore is Great for Great Lakes Flat lining for Salmon, Trout and BOQ Walleye; however for river fishing, I think it may just make you angry lol I'm trolling crystal clear water so I always have 100-150 feet out currently.... And with a bait that gets 15 feet dive on its own should gain at least 10 feet with 4-5 colors (same distance back I fish now) of core out... And what surprised me is that I found an article stating that Leadcore was designed for river fishing... Look it up... Lots of articles about how great it works... I understand there will be frustrations but I think there are applications where it will work well...
bare foot wader Posted March 31, 2014 Report Posted March 31, 2014 this thread sparked my interest as well, found this article on it http://www.walleyecentral.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-159471.html
mike rousseau Posted March 31, 2014 Author Report Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) this thread sparked my interest as well, found this article on it http://www.walleyecentral.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-159471.html Yeah... Those threads/articles... Edited March 31, 2014 by Mike Rousseau
fish_fishburn Posted March 31, 2014 Report Posted March 31, 2014 I tried it a few years ago fishing the Ottawa River. It works okay but you have to be paying close attention all the time to your line. Your reeling in then letting out. Its gets your baits down. Went through a mess of old crankbaits until I figured it out. Lots of snags in the Ottawa. I still do it a bit but I always go back to cranks that are designed for the depths I want to fish. Had a few big fish break me off while using core with 20lb flouro, 7ft long leader.
mike rousseau Posted March 31, 2014 Author Report Posted March 31, 2014 I tried it a few years ago fishing the Ottawa River. It works okay but you have to be paying close attention all the time to your line. Your reeling in then letting out. Its gets your baits down. Went through a mess of old crankbaits until I figured it out. Lots of snags in the Ottawa. I still do it a bit but I always go back to cranks that are designed for the depths I want to fish. Had a few big fish break me off while using core with 20lb flouro, 7ft long leader. I fish rod in hand so paying attention is no problem... Also not much wood in this area... When I'm running cranks I'm usually making contact with the botom regularity.... And I almost never get hung up... Might be different with core tho... I guess I'll find out
Oggie Posted March 31, 2014 Report Posted March 31, 2014 I tried lead core in the Ottawa and I found it difficult to get a good troll going because the bottom is so irregular. I could see it working for suspended fish where you can troll 30 down over 50. It isn't accurate enough IMO to fish at 30' when the overall depth is only 35'. You'll be hung constantly and getting off is a major chore. The other problem is the guys running bouncer don't appreciate the frequent stopping as you try to get off the snag. It took me too long to bring the whole thing back in and then restart the trolling. A small walleye is really hard to detect on that heavy gear so you do troll with a cigar attached. I finally gave up and returned to bouncing. I may try it again for suspended fish. I thin there are more suspended walleye than people realize. Dan O.
captpierre Posted March 31, 2014 Report Posted March 31, 2014 was going to try a dypsy in the Kawarthas for eyes. also takes it away from the boat. can't hug the bottom as well as a weight or bottom bouncer
Freshtrax Posted April 1, 2014 Report Posted April 1, 2014 Why not just use a downrigger with 100 ft leads. Seems like allot less guessing and you could use lighter gear.
outllaw Posted April 1, 2014 Report Posted April 1, 2014 diameter will be a problem . try braids. we use them with a led zeppelin weight/attactor.. lead zepilins come in sizes of 1oz-6oz. the don't twist with the bead chain system,plus there paintedin cool colors. lake erie guys luv em. they eliminate bottom bouncers and don't spook clean water fish.
smitty55 Posted April 1, 2014 Report Posted April 1, 2014 You could always try one of those Gibbs slip sinkers. You can let out as much line as you like then attach the sinker and pinch it in place. When you reel in the sinker hits your rod tip and releases, sliding down your line. Or you could manually remove it and finish reeling in your fish. Cheers http://www.wholesalesports.com/storefront/fresh-saltwater-fishing/terminal-tackle/sinking-slip-sinkers/prod44768.html
doubleheader Posted April 2, 2014 Report Posted April 2, 2014 Leadcore on river systems is generally not a good idea for multiple reasons, all leading to the fact that maintaining a desired depth is next to impossible. If it's not the change in the bottom depth it's the change in current, which affects both boat speed and rate of sink. Add to that the diameter of LC and how river current will be affected by that diameter. leadcore is a highly effective tool, however, it's best suited for lakes with relatively flat bottoms. IMHO one of the best ways to fish river current is small diameter braid (10-12 lb) on a three way rig. On the Mississippi River wing dams they use a 1/2 or sometimes even 3/4 oz jig with something plastic like a ringworm below a 3 way swivel with a hook and crawler or leech off a hook coming off the 3rd leg, Another option is simply an aberdeen hook tied in 2-3' above the jig using a palomer knot. (my preference) Either of those presentations is much easier to control in current. You could even use a small shallow diving stick bait above the jig but that does take some experimenting and again adds complexity as current changes. The goal in using these rigs is to fish as close to vertical as possible.
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