What I like about lead core Trolling involve a complex variable in depth; figuring out how deep it’s running all too often mean guessing. Most of us will be on boat in open water wondering whether the lure is sitting on the bottom, suspended, or just hanging there. With lead core line, that turns a guess into something you can measure and understand. This allow you to determine exactly how deep your bait is without breaking the bank with fancy electronics. You’ll see that this color-coded system lets you know exactly how deep you are. So you can literal know how much line is out and how deep you are fishing.
Looking at data, the relationship between depth and speed becomes obvious. Not only does slower speed increase vertical reach but it give the fish longer to observe the lure. For instance, dropping your speed from two miles per hour to one point five will drop bait about twenty percent deeper. That’s enough to make the difference in catching a walleye hovering next to a rock pile versus missing him. There’s no need to swap out weights to compensate for boat handling or current. Just slow down the speed and count color.
Why Lead Core Line Helps You Catch Fish
Many anglers do not appreciate how much weight of the line impacts the line’s performance. Because heavier lines is denser (pushing aside less water based off how much they weigh), they sink quicker. When you’re fishing deep offshore structure, where Chinook salmon and lake trout roam, a lighter line may not get down as quickly different than the heavier 36-pound test. For shallow runs with perch, light line is fine. But for real depth, light line isn’t heavy enough. Remember, it’s not only the size of the fish that decides line weight, but also the depth zone. And even though the diameter changes aren’t significant between line weights, those tiny increments adds up on three dozen yards of line.
Details like setup don’t always come into play until you’re in a crunch and then it’s too late. An Albright knot is most commonly used to connect the lead core to backer. Make sure you check this knot periodicly so you don’t lose your catch due to a poorly tied knot. The added benefit of using fluorocarbon for the leader is it sink better than mono and also goes undetected underwater. Standard lengths are around forty to fifty feet when working deep water. Longer leaders will give you more stealth but will rob you of a few feet of depth, which trips up a lot of anglers. It’s a trade off.
Presentation can be improved with one of your most important controls. Trolling speed. The faster you go the higher your lure will ride; the slower you go the more it rely on gravity. Run at two and a half miles an hour to cover water fast, and the lure will sit higher in the water then it does when you crawl along at one point five. That gives you the ability to fish different vertical planes on the same structure without having to change gear. It’s efficient and cuts down on boat clutter. Adjust the throttle, count off another color or two, and move from chasing mid-water walleyes to hunting lake trout out deep.
Lead core isn’t complicated; it just takes time to master. You don’t have to study charts or reference tables. It is more about developing an understanding of how depth and speed work together, which eventually turns into second-nature math skills. You’ll learn to feel the drag of the line through your fingers and sense when you are near the bottom. There is many things to monitor during this learning process, so it can seem difficult at first. However, the payoff would of being able to stay in the deeper water where larger fish hide. Quit guessing and start counting. It will change a day on the water from chaos to a controlled search for success, and you’ll put yourself right where the fish want you to be.