# Affordable setup for leadcore??



## johndeere506 (Oct 26, 2009)

Now that everyone has convinced me that one of these leadcore setups is worth having, Im looking for a reasonbly affordable setup. I want something thats not a total PITA, but not too expensive. I will be running 1-2 downriggers, 1-2 dipsys and wanted to add 1-2 of the leadcore setups. Im closest to Bass Pro and Gander, but some people said try Walmart, never really shop there so dont know what they have...no normal fishing shops nearby. Thanks, Sean


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## geofraz61 (May 12, 2012)

I seen the lead core prespooled in a package at Gander for about $40. Think it was only ten color. Had the backing and leader already done up. I'm still thinking about it too.

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## GrizzlyAdams237 (Jan 29, 2010)

Northwoods wholesale in pinconning has setups for$ 40. 

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## Sixshooter (Mar 16, 2003)

Check out Brett's place on the bay and clear h20 tackle. 

Brett or Darrin will set you up and ship it to your door. 

Jim


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## aquanator (Dec 1, 2005)

I just bought a new 100 yard roll at Meijer for $13.99. It, with a mono leader on each end, fits well on my standard reels.


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## deadduck365 (Nov 5, 2010)

The cheapest way is to grab and old reel and spool it up with the amount you want to run. If you want to get a good setup cheap that will last, you can't beat Okuma classic reel with Okuma GLT leadcore/copper rod. total under $80. You can run this combo for many years. How much lead are you wanting to run? Leadcore is the easiest to tie. You can segment however you want. The premaid packages most have a dacron backer which brings the price up. better off buying it by the color at the local baitshop and rigging it how you want. I run all varieties of leadcore on a variety of reels. Cheap reels get blown up fast because leadcore has very little if any stretch(depending on the leaders). Leadcore will also eat your guides on the rod if they are not designed for braided line. 

It is cheaper to buy it once than to replace it twice.

Penn 320 309 209 any 20 30 or 45 series will work depending on the amount of color you run. There is a chart posted on here for rigging.


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## johndeere506 (Oct 26, 2009)

I chose to buy once-cry once, and bought a Daiwa Sealine I think a 47LCA. I went on a couple guys recommendations, so hopefully its a decent reel. I had the shop string it up with 10 color since I can take some off later if I want. I thinking that will get about 50 ft? and cant think salmon will be more shallow than that this time of year. Bought a Cabelas dipsy rod to put it on. They ran 30 yards of mono, then 100 yards of braid, 10 colors then mu leader. Whats the 100 yards of braid for if the 10 color was already all in the water? I pictured letting the braid all out and maybe not getting any deeper, so didnt know the point of all the braid. Maybe not the best rod/reel, but Im thinking more than good enough. Now I have a couple clamp on rigger with rods, dipsy rods and good selection of dipsys, and the leadcore. Im thinking my first time out better catch at least one fish, or Ill be embarrased. BTW, my F-I-L booked us all on a charter out of Michigan City this week so I might actually get to apply my new knowledge before thaking my boat out this coming weekend.


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## Ozzman (Apr 12, 2007)

... not going to be real good IMO as the most we ever found comfrotable to run is a 7 color on a 47/320/209 series size reel, normally all we carry is a half core. That is unless you only want to run the board about 15 ft outside the boat track and in-line with your dipsey setup (tangles, tangles) and run the lead right behind the board, which some people do but then that doesnt allow the lead core to reach its full depth potential.

We run the boards out quite a bit farther, especially as we run high diver low diver dipsey set ups and zig zag frequently in our troll so not unusual to take up over 100 ft from boat to lead length behind the board to allow the lead core to work its maximum depth, which changes if you add snap weight to the lead core also. If you are comfortable with only 200ft of backing on your reel at that point, when you can tangle with a big King, then you are braver than I.

Besides, snap weights or 8 oz weights w OR-16 clips on the front of a half core get to the same depth as a full core and not as far back from the boat, lol, full cores are a pain to reel in, lol1 

Then that is not counting using a SWR on the rigger (2 or 3 color lead core) also a very effective method and fyi 5 colors work also, just make sure either choice is the deep rigger and outside rigger if you choose to run 2 SWR at same time:lol:

Good luck whatever you choose.


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## Ozzman (Apr 12, 2007)

... full core at 2.5 mph over water will get to approx 50 ft down or approx 5 ft for every color.

Okuma has cheap cost, durable, but designed for lead core rods in the 7 ft range, much easier to handle than a full size dipsey rod, other brands are similar. We only use larger 9ft to 10 ft rods for full Lead Core 10 color/or similar length copper rigs

If you are concerned about running the lead core not fully in the water and it rubs against your rod tip guide, you will soon be minus a planer board and what was attached.:yikes: Some do this, but they will have a twili tip ($5.99 last I bought one) to replace the rod tip guide to eliminate the friction and wear on the lead core line if you choose to run your rig this way.

Why have a mono backing for another knot connection to fail??? We run braid only for the backing for 1/2 cores (5 colour) on up and use a small piece of duct tape to secure the braid to the spool so it doesnt slip, let your drag be the cushion.

Also might consider changing the drags out to something Tuna Tom recommends as a smooth drag is priceless. See previous posts on reel repair & tune up, he is in Ludington and a Salmon fishing institution for many, he has a shop on the backside of Capt Chucks bait shop there.

http://www.tunasreeltroubles.com/contact.html

On 2 to 3 color, we use mono backing only.

Good luck and let us know how ya did!


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## jatc (Oct 24, 2008)

johndeere506 said:


> I chose to buy once-cry once, and bought a Daiwa Sealine I think a 47LCA. I went on a couple guys recommendations, so hopefully its a decent reel. I had the shop string it up with 10 color since I can take some off later if I want. I thinking that will get about 50 ft? and cant think salmon will be more shallow than that this time of year. Bought a Cabelas dipsy rod to put it on. They ran 30 yards of mono, then 100 yards of braid, 10 colors then mu leader. Whats the 100 yards of braid for if the 10 color was already all in the water? I pictured letting the braid all out and maybe not getting any deeper, so didnt know the point of all the braid. Maybe not the best rod/reel, but Im thinking more than good enough. Now I have a couple clamp on rigger with rods, dipsy rods and good selection of dipsys, and the leadcore. Im thinking my first time out better catch at least one fish, or Ill be embarrased. BTW, my F-I-L booked us all on a charter out of Michigan City this week so I might actually get to apply my new knowledge before thaking my boat out this coming weekend.


Smart move on the charter before rigging up your boat up. It sucks to spend time and money only to realize later that you need to change it. Hopefully you'll get into a few mid-teen kings and then you will understand the reason for the braided backing behind the lead core.

I agree with Ozzman here. The 47 is a great reel (I have about 20 of them), but there is no way I'd try to run a full core with that reel. Once a nice king figures out the snack he just ate pulls back, hundreds of feet of backing will disappear off of your reel in less than a minute. I swear this is about the most helpless feeling you will ever have when you realize that you are about to be spooled and there is not a thing you can do but tighten the drag and wait for the "pop". Hopefully your leader will break and you'll only be out your spoon and a swivel, but more than likely you will watch the $40 investment you just made in braid and leadcore headed for Wisconsin.


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## johndeere506 (Oct 26, 2009)

Thanks for the tips guys, but Im not quite sure I follow 100%. I was already thinging that I should go down to 4,5 or 6 colors, since some people mentioned its easier to manage. I remember now that he said it has 150 yards of braid, so Im assuming I add more braid if I take colors off? I get that a huge salmon will peel the reel dry if I dont have enough. If you have to run the colors all in the water/ not on the rod since it will break, what about when you are pulling through the leadcore while reeling in the fish? Also, whats the point of running leadcore at all if you have to run snap weights? How is one snap weight and 5 colors different/better than jusy say, 2 snap weights?

Im just trying to get the basics and get in the water, not going to be adding leadcore to my downriggers yet. Plan on just running 1 downrigger, with a spoon or fly, 1 dipsy (size 1 I think?, spoon or fly) and the leadcore setup not sure sppon or fly(which I originally planned on throwing all 10 colors in since I thought I needed at least 50ft deep. Please help straighten me out...I appreciate all of your tips so far.

I think I get it that when you run 10 colors that you are putting more valueble line in the water that you could have had left in your reel for when the big ones start yanking it all out. Is that right?

You guys rock, and JATC, thanks for all the deer hunting tips last fall.


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## jatc (Oct 24, 2008)

johndeere506 said:


> Thanks for the tips guys, but Im not quite sure I follow 100%. I was already thinging that I should go down to 4,5 or 6 colors, since some people mentioned its easier to manage. I remember now that he said it has 150 yards of braid, so Im assuming I add more braid if I take colors off? I get that a huge salmon will peel the reel dry if I dont have enough. If you have to run the colors all in the water/ not on the rod since it will break, what about when you are pulling through the leadcore while reeling in the fish? Also, whats the point of running leadcore at all if you have to run snap weights? How is one snap weight and 5 colors different/better than jusy say, 2 snap weights?
> 
> Im just trying to get the basics and get in the water, not going to be adding leadcore to my downriggers yet. Plan on just running 1 downrigger, with a spoon or fly, 1 dipsy (size 1 I think?, spoon or fly) and the leadcore setup not sure sppon or fly(which I originally planned on throwing all 10 colors in since I thought I needed at least 50ft deep. Please help straighten me out...I appreciate all of your tips so far.
> 
> ...


Years ago I had the benefit of having a few seasoned vets take the time to help me understand the ins and outs of rigging lines. Sometimes I forget the frustration I had when guys assumed I "knew" the basics already.......

I am only going to explain how to rig and run lead, but the same principles apply for running copper and eventually YOU WILL start to run that as well.

From the top, and it would be good for some others to chime in here as well please as there are all sorts of "tricks" that I might miss.

First off lead core (typically 27# test) runs approximately 4-5' of depth per "color" (each color is 30' long) depending on speed of travel, currents, and what lure you run. A spoon has little drag and doesn't affect depth much at all. A J-plug actually dives due to its shape so you actually gain a little depth. A flasher/fly (FF) has a lot of drag and will not run nearly as deep as a plug.

To target different depths, most guys have dedicated rods set up with different lengths of lead core. A "three color" is for fishing the upper 15' of the water column. A "five color" will get down to that 25' zone. A "full" will get you 45' or so. Three complete setups to target those zones is what you will end up with. I also have a "seven" color that I like to run.

Snap weights are hooked to the line between the rod tip and lead core. The purpose is to gain more depth without having as much line in the water. Remember the entire section of lead must be in the water to get the proper depth. So, with a snap weight I can use a "five" color with a snap weight to get the same depth as a "full" core (10 colors). This means I have 150' less line in the water to start with. The benefit is less line trailing behind your boat and less line to reel in.

You really SHOULD NOT ever just let out "some" of the lead because lead core line is a sheath around a really thin lead wire. The wire could break inside the sheath if it is kinked or coming off of the rod tip at a sharp angle. A broken "lead" can and probably will cut through the sheath and the line will break. As long as the sheath is not cut, the line has a 27# rating. All the "strength" is in the outer sheath.

Now, here's how the line is rigged. Starting from the lure end. You will have a swivel for the lure connection tied to a leader. Use what you want for the leader. Some guys swear by flourocarbon others run a mono like Berkeley Big Game. I run 20# test for my leader. I normally start with about 35' and as I retie the swivel due to line wear, I'll just cut it and use it until it's 15' or so. Sometimes a shorter leader is good because the lead core will rise and fall with the currents and will impart an action to the lure that the fish really seem to like.

You will attach the leader to your lead core with a knot known as a "willis knot" or with a very small barrel swivel. If you look up "willis knot" on-line you will find directions and videos on how to tie it. It is very simple. On the opposite end of your section of lead core, I like to tie on a 10' section of 50# Mono with another "willis knot". I do this because I like the mono for attaching my planer board to rather than directly to the braided backing. Many guys skip the mono and do just fine, but my in-line boards hold better on the mono and I can tell quickly by running my fingers over it if it needs to be changed before I have a break-off.

The opposite end of the 50# mono is tied to the braid with either back to back uni-knots or again, another small swivel. I put as much braided backing, normally 30# test, on the reel as I can and still get all the core and leader on the spool. You use braid simply because it has a very small diameter allowing you to get about three times as much line on the reel than if you tried to use 30# mono for backing. I want at minimum 150 YARDS of backing on my reel when fishing for Kings, but more is better. This requires a large capacity reel, like an Okuma 55 series, to get all the line on the rig if you are using anything more than 5 colors of lead. 

Put a spoon, or whatever, on the swivel and let the line out slowly keeping your thumb on the spool to prevent "overruns, or backlash, until ALL of the lead is in the water. Once you have all the lead in the water, attach your in-line board, or off-shore release if using big boards with tow lines, to the 50# mono. I "peg" the back of the board to the line so it can't come off or slide down the line using a rubber band on my in-lines. You don't want the board to slide down onto you lead core with a fish on because it could break the lead wire and cut your line.

After the board is attached, I let more line out and allow the board to plane off to the side of the boat. Shorter sections of core go to the outside of longer sections, otherwise you will get the mother of all tangles and spend the rest of the day totally pissed off trying to untangle everything.

Once you have the board where you want it, set your drag fairly loose and keep an eye on the board. If it pulls back a little bit, it might be a fish swimming along with the boat. My favorite is when a nice king grabs it and takes off. That screaming drag out of nowhere will get your heart jumping like nothing else on a calm morning. Grab the rod and keep the tip off to the side rather than straight up like a rigger rod though. By keeping the rod to the side it is much easier to keep the board from "diving" which makes life tough. You will need to get the board up to the rod and get somebody to take the board off of the line before you can continue to fight the fish. After you land few on "full" cores, you'll start to learn to pass the rod off. It is a lot of work. Remember when a "full' core is deployed there is already over 400' of line in the water BEFORE the fish even hits the lure. That is why I won't use anything longer than a "full" core. If I need more depth than that, I switch to copper line which only needs about half as much line out to get the same depth.

Hope this helps.


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## johndeere506 (Oct 26, 2009)

Thanks for the detailed explanation! It sounds like many guys run boards with leadcore, I will probably just run it behind the boat, while I figure out my downriggers and other setups. Once I get more comfortable, I will start to run boards. I would think using a board would be more productive, since it sounds like the boat can sometimes spook the shallower fish. Im sure I will learn many lessons once I catch my first few fish, and Im super pumped to go on this charter tomorrow morning before going out by myself this weekend in Traverse City. I will let you guys know what how I do and what I learn my first outing, and maybe it will help some others that are just getting started too. Thanks again for the help!


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## jatc (Oct 24, 2008)

johndeere506 said:


> Thanks for the detailed explanation! It sounds like many guys run boards with leadcore, I will probably just run it behind the boat, while I figure out my downriggers and other setups. Once I get more comfortable, I will start to run boards. I would think using a board would be more productive, since it sounds like the boat can sometimes spook the shallower fish. Im sure I will learn many lessons once I catch my first few fish, and Im super pumped to go on this charter tomorrow morning before going out by myself this weekend in Traverse City. I will let you guys know what how I do and what I learn my first outing, and maybe it will help some others that are just getting started too. Thanks again for the help!


 
One more bit of advice. Running the core directly behind the boat is known as having the line "down the chute". A full core puts your lure back there about the length of a football field, so "spooking" isn't a huge factor. What can be a problem is when you pop a fish on a rigger and the fish gets tangled in the lead. That is another benefit to a board as it gets the line off to the side and away from your other lines and minimizes the chance of a tangle while fighting a fish. I've caught a ton of fish "down the chute" over the years, but we always reel in the lead as quickly as possible when a fish hits a different rod when running like that. Goood luck and have fun on your charter.


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## aquanator (Dec 1, 2005)

Thanks jatc, I'm new to salmon fishing this year and have been using leadcore, and I just learned a ton from your relpy. I now have a bit of re-rigging to do, but with a much better understanding of how to set up a reel with leadcore.

Can't express enough how nice it is for us salmon newbies to get advice from people like yourself, thanks again!


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## Supersport18 (Sep 11, 2009)

Instead of attaching your board and letting it plane out to the side, try letting your leadcore out down the chute. When you get to the mono segment, attach your board and let out more backing with the release off and just the clicker and your thumb for resistance. When the board gets out a suitable distance, engage the release and let the planer bring the line around to the side. Adjust by bringing in or letting out line . When you do hook up, don't try to set the hook. Point the rod tip at the board or even lower and reel like crazy. Lift the rod up only when the board is close enough to the boat to keep the board out of the water.This keeps the board from bouncing up and down and torpedoing under. Remove the planer as smoothly as possible. I have whoever is reeling set the rod tip on my shoulder which brings the board right in front of me for easy removal. Keep the rod as high as possible and have them reel, even if they are not taking any line in. Let the drag do the work. Secret to boating a fish on leadcore is not letting any slack in the line. Hope this helps you.


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## Maizen Blue (Aug 28, 2010)

Just an FYI about those $40 Full Core set-ups, (from Northwoods atleast)

1. The reel is a levelwind without a counter (no need for a counter with lead core, but it limits the reels uses if you re-rig)

2. ONLY 60 feet of braid backer! 60 feet good luck running a board or hoping that king only pulls a little line at first.

3. ONLY 17# leadcore line, most everyone runs 27#, some use 36#, which would be fine if you have a lot of line to fight the fish with a lighter drag setting for the lighter weight line. (see #2). Also consider that 17# leadcore is only 17# if there are no breaks, snags or kinks in the lead...

4. ONLY 2 feet of mono leader, I know some guys get crazy (150' leaders), but at 2 feet, why bother.

Luckily there was room to add another 330 feet of braid backer, so with 390 I have a chance to reel-in most fish before I'm spooled or broke off.

Better bet is to buy the $40 rod/reel combo that comes with a better reel, but you have to rig the leadcore yourself.


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