Leadcore Question

[No Limit]

Two questions for everyone,

1. Does anyone attach their boards directly to their leadcore or do you attach it to the backer? We have and the sheathing has broke and made out leadcore useless. I don't know if it's from the clip or if it's just ordinary wear and tear.

2. When someone says they are fishing "full core" or "half core" does that mean a "full core" is 10 colors and a "half core" is 5 colors?

We fish lake Huron and seven colors is our hottest setup for leadcore for both walleye and steelhead. Ultimately I what I need to know is, do I cut three colors off my leadcore and that way I fish seven colors and attach the board to the backer?

Thanks

[ekbelt]

1. Never attach it to the leadcore sheathing, its pretty brittle and doesnt hold up to abraision well--always attach to the backing.

2. Yes

[BlueCollarOutdoors]

You got it. Let out the 7 colors and 25 to 50 feet of backer, put on the board and swing it into place.

[In The Net]

always attach it to your backer and yes you can cut off 3 colors and it would get you to 7 color

[ALLEYES]

A 3 color core is good early spring salmon or Saginaw Bay/Lake Erie walleye.

[Mushy's Dad]

Keep in mind every color adds approx 5 feet of depth. But that rule can go out the window when there is a thermocline (according to the package).

I run a 2 / 5 on one side and a 3 / 7 color on the other. Run the 2 and the 3 colors on the outside planner boards. That way the 2 and 3 color will sweep over the top of the 5 or 7 color with out having to pull the inner line. So far only two fish got into the other lines by diving.

[pikeman8]

Always put the board on the backer. You are drastically shortening the life of the lead by putting a board on it.

[SUPERTRAMP]

1. Never never attach a board to the core sheath, let about 30- to 50 feet of backer out after all the core is in the water.

2. Yes a full core is 10 colors a half core is 5 colors. I have everything from 12 colors to 1 color on the boat and most get used regularly. I also have 300' of 45# copper and 200' of 45# copper. I usually only take the 300 coppers out because the cores cover all the depths that the 200 copper would cover,

[Fine Line]

I am fairly new to running lead core and i see all of you are saying let 25 or so feet of backer, what is the reasoning for this? i have been attaching the board maybe a foot behind the leadcore .... want to make sure im not doing something wrong?

[BlueCollarOutdoors]

I let out some backer for a few reasons

1. I want all the leadcore in the water to get the most depth I can

2. If the board slides down the line a bit over time, I dont really want it pounding right on the knot to connect my core to the backer

50 feet might be overkill but go more than 10. If you put it 2 feet from the knot, it can creep back to the knot, and I dont want those knots getting anymore wear and tear than necessary.

Most of my setups just have very small swivels from the leadcore to backer and thats been working for years, although I should retie them one of these outings now that I said that.

Edited August 26, 2011 by BlueCollarOutdoors
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[KJ pluggin]

You can either clip your board right after the lead or let out some extra line and then clip it on. Letting out extra line will allow the lead to achieve a little more depth than clipping on right after the lead. I prefer to clip on right after the lead though because it is easier to check you line for damage since you always know where your board was attached and when you do have to retie you just have to clip off a few feet at a time.

[KJ pluggin]

I let out some backer for a few reasons

1. I want all the leadcore in the water to get the most depth I can

2. If the board slides down the line a bit over time, I dont really want it pounding right on the knot to connect my core to the backer

50 feet might be overkill but go more than 10. If you put it 2 feet from the knot, it can creep back to the knot, and I dont want those knots getting anymore wear and tear than necessary.

Most of my setups just have very small swivels from the leadcore to backer and thats been working for years, although I should retie them one of these outings now that I said that.

What are you using for backing on your long lines. Since I started putting mono splices between my core and braid backing I have much less slipping from the boards.

[Adam Bomb]

I agree, never hook onto the core itself.

For best results you need to dedicate each rod to x amount of colors.

No matter what length core or copper i have, i always back it with Power Pro and put on a 30' section of mono between the braid and copper/core simply for attaching to the board as mono is more forgiving on the releases and the releass flat out grip better to mono. This allows me to have flexibility when setting my lines. I can hook on just after the core/copper, 10' past, 20' past 30' past the core/copper to fine tune depth some. Ive seen days where that subtle difference makes the difference too.

Lastly, if your lead core gets damaged say, in the middle, all is not lost. You do not have to scrap the core and use it as two new segments. You can simply splice in a piece of 30# power pro and your back in action. Use a double Willis knot and your good to go. I have a ten color with a splice in it cause a king screwed it up. Never had an issue with it fishing this way.

[BlueCollarOutdoors]

Kyle my backer for leadcore is usually just more mono because I have old penn reels with plenty of room for alot of backer.

I like your train of thought on checking for wear and tear and cutting back. I probaly let out 30 feet every time and put it on. I dont experience much for slippage but I guess for than just 2 or 3 feet will prevent the little slippage that occures.

I do have a 2 color braid setup that I use for a torpedo diver and that gets some slippage, I usually have to wrap it around the pad once to prevent that.

That lines is pulling hard as well with 2 color and a 8 oz torpedo so thats not helping the pull on those pads. I run offshores and church boards. Church typically for the heavier inside boards, and offshore for the short cores.