Rigging? Trolling lead core for trout

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I'm going up to Montana in a couple weeks. We'll be fishing the Clark Canyon Reservoir for trout. From what I've been told we would have best success trolling for trout that are holding around 60' deep.

Can someone point me to a tutorial on how to rig for using lead core for deep trolling. I've never fished this way and don't know the first thing about it.

Thanks in advance.

[One_Leg]

You can do all right using the LC for those fish, but I think you'd be better off using a downrigger at that depth.

A wire frame rudder, or adding a weight on the rudder of a lake troll flasher rig would be my second and third choices. LC line drops about 5 feet per color depending on what type of lure you are using. After a certain amount of line is let out the drag of the line through the water prevents it from dropping any more and it will remain at the same depth. You will have a huge bow in your line that requires a certain hook setting technique to prevent the fish from shaking the hook as the bow tightens up. You might need a huge reel and 2 spools. LC can usually be purchased all over the place in 10 color (30 feet per color) spools.

The rudder weights increase the drag on your line but you only need have as much line out.

I fish the lead pretty often, but I mainly prefer to use a downrigger or the weighted rudders to avoid having to let out over 150 feet of line or more. Do you really want to be fishing a 7 foot, or even longer rod with a huge reel holding 2 spools of LC line and cranking in 300' of line every time you catch a fish?

[DOGG1976]

I troll with 15#mono and a set of LurJohnson beer can flashers with a 8ft floro leader. Then again I am fishing Big Bear lake.

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Originally Posted by One_Leg

You can do all right using the LC for those fish, but I think you'd be better off using a downrigger at that depth.

A wire frame rudder, or adding a weight on the rudder of a lake troll flasher rig would be my second and third choices. LC line drops about 5 feet per color depending on what type of lure you are using. After a certain amount of line is let out the drag of the line through the water prevents it from dropping any more and it will remain at the same depth. You will have a huge bow in your line that requires a certain hook setting technique to prevent the fish from shaking the hook as the bow tightens up. You might need a huge reel and 2 spools. LC can usually be purchased all over the place in 10 color (30 feet per color) spools.

The rudder weights increase the drag on your line but you only need have as much line out.

I fish the lead pretty often, but I mainly prefer to use a downrigger or the weighted rudders to avoid having to let out over 150 feet of line or more. Do you really want to be fishing a 7 foot, or even longer rod with a huge reel holding 2 spools of LC line and cranking in 300' of line every time you catch a fish?

Unfortunatly we don't have a downrigger. I like the idea of using the wire frame rudder as opposed to LC. I'll go search aound for more info.

[SeeKracker]

On Lake Michigan, we use lead core year round. Your set may differ, this is mine and it works for me.

1- large reel w/ good drag; 9.5 ft rod

Backing line tied to reel- length varies, depending on what I use it for; off the boat or planer boards- 70 lb braided then tied to lead core w/ albright knot; don't remove the lead- turn the running windings of the knot w/ the braided- loop the lead core

Lead core- 36 lb 10-color w/ drop rate of 5 ft per color
100- yards w/ 10 colors equals drolling depth of + / - 50 ft

You may get a greater drop rate w/ 42 lb core; don't know

Some guys here tie straight to the swivel snap; I believe in leaders and because our water clarity is great here on Lake Michigan, I believe in long heavy fluorocarbon leaders.

Leader- 40 lb fluoro tied to lead core w/ albright knot; remove lead; overbend lead core w/ enough line to tie a knot, overbending will break the lead, then just work it out of the outer jacket by twisting, turning, bending, etc.; keep working til a small piece of lead shows out of the jacket, then pull w/ pliers- turn the running windings of the knot w/ lead core jacket- loop the fluoro

leader- tied to a good quality snap swivel

My set up- 100 + yards of backing, 100 yards of 36 lb lead core, 40 ft fluoro leader, 40 lb snap swivel and a Lake Michigan King Salmon will zing it all off.

Put it out and set your drag, there is alot of weight there and you don't want to rip it out the fish's mouth.

To get further down w/ out riggers or dipseys, try copper line; you just need alot of it- Good Luck.

[fishnazzi]

Scotty makes a "lake" size manual DR and I have seen them as cheap as $60 here in WA. I have one that I occasionally use on my 15' alum boat. Works great and it is not big and taking up a bunch of room. Spool will only hold about 125' of salmon wire but if you re-spool it with spectra could hold a lot more. Hope this helps. I have fished LC and weights and all that crap in the past......................Can't beat a line release and whamo just fight the fish...........not the flasher and weights etc.

[Wideflange]

I would just go wire line to get 60' w/o downriggers. An old jigmaster Penn works the best.