Need some advise from the experts, when using lead core line, are swivels used between line and leader, is additional weight used ahead of the leader, what is your normal trolling speed, and how many colors are let out? I am currently using 1oz Road Runners in yellow and white and blue and white with same two color Striper Worms. Any and all advise would be greatly appreciated.
It’s been a loooong time since I have fished with lead core and I haven’t done it much as I never really cared for it. I was with others, so I’ve never really done much set up myself, but I do remember you can tie the lead core directly to the backing and leader. If I remember correctly, you remove a few inches of the lead from inside the covering on the lead core line and somehow tie that directly to your mono. I’m sure you can find something on you tube with a demo of how to do that.
With something like a 1 oz bucktail I believe the depth is roughly 4-5 ft/color.
If you don’t already have any reels spooled up, be aware it takes a reel with quite a bit of capacity to hold backing plus your lead core line, which has a relatively thick diameter compared to mono.
Personally, if you are looking to do much deep water trolling I would look into set of downriggers.
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
About a year ago a presentation was given on using lead core at the Midland’s Striper Club. (You might want to post your question on their message board also.) Though I don’t use it, I took some notes and some may be helpful.
If my notes are accurate, was presented as (1) 27 lb test lead core, 20 color which is 10 yards per color. (2) 17 lb test mono leader 50’. I believe a swivel is fine. (3) at 2 1/2 mph, the line will descend 4 feet per color. (4) Desired depth is 10’ above fish.
I fish with lead core at murray. Send me a PM.
Why a PM. Why not share it with everyone? That is pretty much the purpose of the forum.
Rick K
What would you like to know. The brand of lead core I use is Sufix. It’s thinner than a lot of other brands out there and seems really durable. I use the 27lb usually. I use a penn 320 or 330 reel but anything that is as big as a tidewater or bigger will work. I troll very very slow on murray and as a general rule try not to ever go over 2 mph. Most people make the mistake of troling too fast. With this slow speed I expect my bait (1 to 1 1/2 oz this time of year) to drop about 5 feet per color. Saturaday I caught 2 striper both around 22" and I was fishing 11 colors on one rod and 13 on the other. That’s 50 and 60 feet down where I hooked the fish. The thermocline at murray is usually around 25 to 30 feet except in the heat of summer where its 40 to 70 feet until late september but Usually if you troll 5 to 6 colors you will be around the depth you want to be at.
As far as baits go you will have to experiment but the best by far is to fish an alabama rig with either bucktails and swimbaits with green being by far the best color. I use the yum baits version of the alabama rig called a yumbrella. I will fish one of those on one rod and a single spoon or bucktail on the other.
As far as swivels go use the small spro 50 lb swivels. Good luck finding them around town I order them off of ebay usually. They are small enough to fit throught the eyes of your rod and level wind but strong enough to hold 50 pounds.
I use a blood knot to join the leader to 27 lb Cortland leadcore and remove the lead from the leadcore as Striperskiff suggested…I like Cast Away Bait’s http://www.castawaybaits.com/servlet/StoreFront 1.5 oz chartruse horsehead jigs that I have Jim customize with a different spinner and Capt. Mack’s 6 inch chartruse umbrella rig trailers…http://www.captmacks.com/shop/captain-macks-umbrella-rig-trailers/ I use about 30 ft of World Wide Sportsmans 17 lb camoflage fishing line for my leader… With 8 colors out, I tickle the bottom around 40 ft. and I troll around 2.8 mph… I use trolling to cover ground and find the big schools of fish that I will look for again the next day with live or cut bait. I prefer trolling in daylight and don’t have much confidence with it after dark. Put ever how many colors you think you need out and if you don’t get bit, put out another color…when you catch a fish, remember that color and repeat…If you run in too shallow on a point or maybe you get pinned in by another boat and can’t evade to deeper water, throttle up and raise your baits off the bottom till you get them in deeper water… Always circle back to the spot where you caught a fish and zig-zag maneuvers with the boat can help get strikes… Check your baits after you tickle the bottom and periodically for grass or algae on the jig. Don’t do a lot of pump and winding when reeling the fish, just use slow and steady retrieve. The hook will often tear a hole in the fish’s mouth and they will get off if you do a lot of pump and wind.
It’s not my favorite way to catch fish because of all the line that is out but its definitely effective and saves the time and money you would spend on live bait…
Team Shad Up & Fish
If you’ve had fun catching fish on the transom bait, you are welcome…
I’ve spent about 85% of my life’s wages on fishing, the rest I just wasted…
bomber, Reality Bites
Thanks for the tips! I also am experimenting with downriggers and lead core to move away from live bait and advice like this is truly appreciated.
Trolling has been slow this summer. Also if you hook one remember to keep trolling while winding in the fish. If you stop the fish will swim directly at the boat and break off once the line gets slack. I almost never loose a fish that is hooked when trolling using this method. I have lost 1 fish in 3 years where before when I would stop after hooking one I would loose around half of them.
I haven’t trolled in years, but I prefer downriggers over lead core when I do. Depth control is more precise, and you can make much tighter turns with less line behind the boat. However, I’ve seen many times in which lead core has outfished downriggers. Could it be that the fish are associating the bait with the ball, cable, and boat with so little letback? That could be a topic of discussion for trollers.
Xpress HB-22
175 Yammy Jammer
Neither method that I know of is catching fish right now. In previous summers especially 2 summers ago I caught several nice limits using lead core. Every time this summer I have gone out I have trolled some but I usually only catch a couple while all the live bait fisherman are back home with a limit by 10:00am.
Fish are holding tighter to the bottom this yr and deeper in general. That may be throwing off the trolling bite.
“Sea~N~Stripes”
21’ Hewes Craft Custom
115 Evinrude
It figures the year I start trying trolling would be a bad year. 
It’s not going to discourage me though! If I can figure it out in an off year just imagine how good I’ll be in a good year. For what it’s worth, a friend of mine who only trolls Hartwell is having the same slow fishing.
Don’t give up yet. Some years, the trolling can be great at night once the fish move back up to the upper water column…usually right around Labor Day. The nice thing is you can catch them from the surface to 25/30 ft, so no special gear like lead core or down riggers is necessary. They usually will look like snakes by then, but very hungry!
On a side note, has anyone ever tried, or heard of anyone trying, steel line on the lake for trolling? It’s similar to fishing lead core, but sinks faster and you can get deeper with less line out. It’s what most people used trolling for stripers in saltwater when I was growing up…and probably to this day?. I’m not sure how practical it would be since you have to have a rod with guides that wouldn’t get destroyed…and it also doesn’t lay on the reel as well as other lines…just curious if anyone has ever tried it?
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
I was given a LOT of information from a friend of the late great Joe Griswold, Joe was the KING of trolling around the Upstate
Joe did not like a long leader, said it caused too much inconsistency with proper depth which is the KEY to trolling(know EXACTLY where your lure is)
I use a small SPRO swivel that I can wind through the eyes on the rod .
I use 10’ of leader, fluorocarbon works great but not really needed from what I have seen
I will run two rods with leadcore and then 2/4 on my downriggers when I am trolling Hartwell, heck I have even used my outriggers and run 2 more lines of leadcore even though hard to get it deep enough and only when I have somebody else on the boat so if we hit trees I have help
Sea Pro 210cc
Yamaha 200 4 Stroke
Dodge 1500 4x4 HEMI
I do hope it picks up next month. Last year was the opposite the fishing was great till Sept 1st then went downhill.
Here’s another bit of information on leadcore line that I found on another site:
Cortland uses two sizes of lead insert, one size for their 14# test, and a larger diameter for 18# – 60#. This means that except for 14#, the weight of the lead remains the same for all line strengths. The weight of the line (core and case) is measured in grains (gr) per 10 foot section: 14# - 46 gr, 18# - 110 gr, 27# - 114 gr, 36# - 118 gr, 45# - 124 gr, 60# - 131 gr. The minor differences in total weight are attributable solely to the weight of the casing (stronger, thicker, heavier). One (1) ounce equals 437.5 grains. Therefore 10 feet of 36# test line weights approximately 1/4 ounce. For you trivia buffs a grain is an old English standard said to be the average weight of a “grain” of wheat taken from the center of the head.
What does all this mean to you, the leadcore line angler? You should select the minimum strength line you feel comfortable with (generally 18# – 36#), and it won’t have much impact on maximum depth. Keep in mind that stronger line, besides being more expensive, is thicker. Thicker line uses up reel capacity, thus limiting the total amount of the line you can spool.Line thickness also creates more drag. You need at least 100 yards of leadcore, 30 to 40 feet of leader and 50 or more yards of backing.
Also remember the thermocline effects the sink rate due to the increased density of the water…
Team Shad Up & Fish
If you’ve had fun catching fish on the transom bait, you are welcome…
I’ve spent about 85% of my life’s wages on fishing, the rest I just wasted…
Thanks for that info. Cortland makes good lead core. It is used a lot up on lake michigan to fish for salmon and steelhead.
Richard told me a couple of weeks ago he has a new kind of Lead Core that is super thin and can be used on a regular size reel like an abu 6500. Has anyone tried it out yet?
I order mine from a machine shop in Kansas but the Sufix brand is also good and is thinner than most and amazon,com has it usually and so does Barrons in 5 pts.