Another art worth your learning
Modern Leadcoring Techniques
By Karl Fedke
(See Karl's regular fishing report here)

Gone are the days when anglers were single dimensional, when whiting and snapper fisherman only fished for whiting and snapper. Any other fish caught was a by-catch and not spoken about in dispatches over a beer or two. The thought of venturing on to the freshwater was high treason and punishable by excommunication from the fold.

As for the freshwater boffins, who only used a single technique of a float, mudeyes for bait, some light line and a crouch reel. Now days, the 21st century angler is more versatile, better equipped, more open minded and better informed than our fishing forebears. We have a plethora of magazines, videos, subject books; TV shows and websites to feast upon and to motivate us in to trying something new.

When it comes to fishing techniques, it's fair to say that the modern angler is a true "Jack of all trades and a master of one or two." I'm quite sure each of us still has one particular technique that we really love doing and return to time and time again. It's these techniques that we've honed and developed our skills on over many years, we've even stamped our own particular variation to it and called it our own, we guard it ruthlessly, showing no one except those we feel and deem worthy of such knowledge.

"It's akin to playing a computer game, but in reel life"
When it comes to trolling for trout, an old pommy mate of mine truly fits that bill to a T. Alan Latham is his name and over many years he has spoon fed me just enough information on trolling and in particular trolling with leadcore, not only did this keep me interested but to make sure I developed a broad knowledge and my own style. Die hard trollers like Alan and others like him made sure you earn your stripes before you were afforded any type of information so you could progress onto the next level of proficiency. It's akin to playing a computer game, but in real life. The only thing is this game never really ends.

Over the years there has been a few articles written on trolling with leadcore and the techniques you use, but few ever really went into what's needed to make it successful.

There is an art to using leadcore and it's the finer points which make it all the more worthwhile. It's like learning to fly fish - the more you do, the better you become. But every now and then you need some help from those who have been there before you, to show you the right way. With a bit of luck, I'll take some of the wrinkles out for you. By the way, like fly-fishing, leadcore fishing is an "art worth your learning" and it's another string in your bow. It is my intention to give you enough information so you can learn a new technique as I did with some of the wrinkles already ironed out for you. Or if you already use leadcore you might pick up a few tips to enhance what you know and to integrate that information to make it your very own.

So what is leadcore?
Leadcore is a continuous single strand of 99% pure lead wire running through a braided sheath of Dacron. Leadcore comes in spools of both 100 and 30 yards lengths, depending on what brand you buy and where from. Modern Leadcore is divided into 10-yard color variations, that is every 10 yards the color on the dacron changes, from blue to yellow to red, etc. The purpose of this color change is for easy identification for the angler, so he or she knows how much line they have let it out behind the boat.

Leadcore is available in various breaking strains (Bs) from the .024 diameter (Dm)/12lb Bs to the heavy .035 Dm/45lb Bs.

The chart below (fig: 1) shows the various breaking strains and their diameter.

From the above, chart it's fairly clear that there is not a lot of difference between the 36lb and the 18lb Bs lines.

"So from a sporting point of view alone, the lighter the better"
Most tackle shops only carry the 27 or 36lb leadcore, but a few are now stocking the lower 12, 15 and 18lb Bs types. It's worth noting that the lower the Bs the greater the sink rate, achieved due to less drag and resistance in the water. Since we're talking about sink rates, from my tests and experience, there is roughly the same weight of lead in each 100-yard spool. Each spool contains around 285gms in weight regardless of their manufacturer and regardless of the different Bs capacity.

The strength in leadcore comes from the Dacron sheath not the lead wire. The heavier or greater the diameter of the Dacron, the greater the breaking strain. There are a few things you need to be aware of when using heavier Bs: firstly, they create a greater drag resistance through the water and, secondly, they achieve less depth due to that resistance. Another point to remember is the heavier Bs also take the fight out of fish a lot quicker than lighter Bs, so from a sporting point of view alone, the lighter the better.

The chart below (fig: 2) shows the diameter and achievable depths when using the same lure, in this case we'll use a 13gm Lofty's lure, when trolled at the correct speed, that's around 1.5 to 2.5km/h behind your boat and using 12lb Bs/024 Dm leadcore.

It's worth noting at this point that the faster you troll the less depth you'll achieve and the slower you troll the more depth you'll get. But extra depth at low speed comes at the expense of your lure's action.

So how many colors can you put on my reel?
I've actually seen anglers with a full 10 color spool on small game reels, not only does this look awkward, ungamely and funny, it actually serves no use at all.

Some anglers I've spoken to about their fishing techniques really believe the more leadcore they have in the water the deeper it goes. This is just not true! From my experience and by talking to others, leadcore is really only effective for up to 4 colours in one continuous length, after that and you start to loose achievable depth. This is due to a whole range of outside factors starting to come into play like water pressure, line belly, boat speeds, lure action, etc. So up to 4 colours should be ample and if you need to get deeper I suggest you look at other means like a downrigger.

So to use leadcore is really a simple equation of mathematics. Firstly find out what depth the fish are holding in the water column and then target that depth. You'll need to keep in mind that 99.9% of all fish will rise to a potential meal or well-presented lure. Therefore it's important to have your lure above the fish, not at the same level or below it. If your fish are holding along an average depth of 4.5 metres (15ft) your lure needs to be presented above that depth. To attract their attention and initiate a possible strike.

"When something works for you, stick to it"
When you use the fig: 2 chart to work out the equation, it goes something like this, for example. Two (2) colours (that's 2.4mt) + lure (that's 1.2mt) = an achievable depth is 3.6mts (12ft). This places our lure in a near perfect position for a rise and strike from the fish holding at 15ft.

So how do you use the stuff?
Using leadcore is fairly simple, once you have the basic gear and knowledge. So let's have a look at the basic gear you'll need to make it work.

Which reel do I use?
As far as reels go (and this is from personal experience) you can't go past a basic drum or a centre pin reel like an Abu Garcia 6000 or 6500. These reels have plenty of spool space to put 3 or 4 colors of leadcore on, plus backing, leader or tippet material.

If you have spinning style reels leave them at home; leadcore is absolutely no good on a spinning reel. Leadcore places too much pressure on the bail arm, spool and general workings of these reels. Also the way spinning type reels overlay the leadcore back onto the spool during retrieval, tends to twist and break the leadcore, thus weakening the dacron. Whilst drum reels, lay the leadcore flat over the drum and cause virtually no line twist or breakages in the leadcore. Drum reels are also a lot easier to retrieve and let line out, compared to spinning style reels.

Backing, leaders and tippets
When it comes to the backing material, you should use this rule of thumb. If your leadcore Bs is 12lb, then your backing line should be a minimum of 3 or 4kgs heavier than the leadcore or if you use a Superbraid line, 10 or 15kg diameter will do. As for the leader and tippet lines, these should be lighter than the leadcore Bs by at least 1/4. In this case, this would make your leader or tippet around 8lb, the reason for the rig to decrease in Bs all the way to the lure is simple! It's far easier to reattach the 1.5mt (5ft) tippet or 4.5mt (15ft) leader than to replace a length of leadcore, if you get snagged. Also it's a lot cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

Figure 3
Leadcore rig

Since we're on the subject of leaders and tippets, an overall length of 6mt (20ft) is ample. As above, your leader can be either 4.5mt (15ft) or the full 6mt to the lure. I use a leader of 4.5mt then attach a tippet of 1.5mt for quick changeovers. The quick change over set up was shown to me by fellow anglers and friends Neil Slater and Roger Dark, I will show you later on how to construct it and it's a treat. See fig: 4.

Figure 4
Quick changeover rig & pull through

So how much line do I let out?
Some people still suggest to you that you let out a heap of line when you troll, so not to frighten the fish away, etc., but how much is a heap? How much is too much and when is it not enough? I personally think consistency is the key to successful trolling, when something works for you, stick to it!

Over the years I've worked out my own near fool proof way of knowing exactly how much line I have in the water at any one given time. It goes something like this.

Leadcore is measured in lengths of 10 yards colours, so if you extend that same theory of 10 yards being the norm or constant in the equation, things work out pretty well. Before I attach my new length of leadcore to any reels, I place a series of line indicator knots or markers on the backing material, so all I have to do is count the number of knots or marks as I release my line into the water. If I'm using mono for my backing material I use an indicator knot, in fact it's true title is a "Stopper Knot" and you'll find how to construct it in Geoff Wilson's "Book of Knots and Rigs". Each knot is spaced every (you guessed it) 10 yards and I place about 5 on each reel.

When I'm making my indicator knots, I make them out of standard dacron line and place them on an old empty ink pen tube as they're easer to store and handle and the mono backing slides up the centre of the pen tube. If I'm using a Superbraid for backing, all I do is get 5 different colored permanent marking pens and color a 10-inch section every 10 yards, it's that simple.

So, regardless of how many colors of leadcore I have out, I'm able to tell how much is in the water and at what distance from the tow point. The "tow point" is a term I use regularly when trolling and it's where the line leaves the rod not the boat. Experience has shown me that my best trolling results are achieved between 120ft and 170ft, from the lure to the tow point. The reason for the variation in distance is due to a number of factors such as lure, depth, weather, water conditions and fish feeding habits, etc.

Here's an example of the above, starting from the lure going back to the tow point. By adding all the distances together, you can see that consistency in lure placement is vital and can be achieved if you follow a routine.

You can increase or decrease the distance from lure to tow point by releasing or retrieving a line indicator or two, your distance, your choice.

Which rods to use?
When it comes to rods, it's what you can afford and what your local tackle shop recommends most of the time. It's really hard to go and select a rod off the rack and hope it will perform well when you troll leadcore. There are some fast tapered rods available that would do the job, but in most cases fast tapered rods don't work well due to the pressure that is applied. As for slow tapered rods, they tend to soak up the action of the lure all the way to the winch seat and if you're like me, I like to see and feel the lure working. It's a visual thing, knowing all is working well.

So what rods should you buy?
After consulting with the following people - Brian Long from Ray Long's Tackle in Geelong and Doug Lucas from Don Nicholson Sports Scene in Colac - both men suggested the following rods. It's fair to say that all these rods mentioned cover the full price spectrum and all are overhead rods and I'm sure there are plenty more.

All these rods work very well when using 1, 2 or 3 colors of leadcore.

• G-Loomis MB844 10-14lb.
• G-Loomis CBR756.
• Ian Millar's, Braid Bass 3-10kg.
• Shimano's, Taipan baitcasters.
• Abu Garcia's, Morrum Braid in 4-6kg and 5-10kg range.
• Abu Garcia's, Classic rods.
• Ugly Stik's, Black Tigers.

Personally I have a couple of different G-Loomis and Morrum Braids rods and they perform very well and being graphite they are super sensitive and responsive, you can feel and see every movement of your working lure and in trolling that's important.

How to connect all the bits.
When it comes to attaching your backing to the leadcore and the leadcore to the leader, all you need to know is two (2) simple knots. The first is the humble Granny knot and the other is the Grinner knot. If you don't know how to construct a Grinner or Granny knot, I suggest you get one of your mates to show you or get your local tackle shop proprietor to show you, then buy Geoff Wilson's Book of "Knots and Rigs". So here is the run down.

Before deciding what length of leadcore you want to place on your reel, thread the backing through the guides of your rod and slide the indicator knots (as previous mentioned) onto the backing - that's if it's mono backing. Go outside and measure a series of 10-yard intervals and mark them so you can see them clearly, fence lines are good for this but your neighbours will think you're nuts.

1. Fasten the start of your backing line to a nail in the fence; hold the indicator knots that you placed on earlier close to the reel and start walking backwards, releasing backing line as you go.

2. Once you get to the furthest point, which should be around 50 yards from the nail, slide off your first indicator knot and pull it up tight against the mono, (you'll need two pairs of pliers to do this well), trim off all the excess dacron and move forward retrieving line as you go, until you reach the next marker and repeat the process. Continue doing this until you have all your line indicators on the mono.

3. If you have Superbraid for backing line now is the time to mark your line indicators with a texta as well.

4. Now that you're back inside either in your cave or kitchen, get your leadcore and carefully push back the dacron exposing the lead wire centre, break off about 100mm of the wire and place it in your tackle box (as it comes in handy when you're bait fishing).

5. Pull the Dacron forward so it limps over the end of the lead wire, thus creating a sock. With the 100mm of Dacron make a Granny knot up close to the end. Get your backing and insert about 30cm of it through the middle of the Granny knot. Grab your pliers and pull the knot closed, but not too tight. With the 30cm leader create a Grinner knot, see Geoff Wilson's "Knots and Rigs" or get you tackle shop person to do it and show you.

If you don't have those resources this is how you tie a Grinner. Place your 30cm backing tag along the leadcore line and create a small loop (about the size of 50 cent piece or a little bigger) if you need more tag just pull some through the granny. Once you have your loop formed, start to wrap the tag over both the leadcore and the start of your tag loop, wind the tag through the loop and then over the leadcore, then through the loop again, continue doing the wraps until you have 6 full wraps. With the remainder of the tag, pull it away from the knot slowly, this will close the knot. Once the knot is closed enough, slide it back towards the granny knot, firming up both knots as you go, until both knots are touching. Now is the time to really tighten up both knots with your pliers, once this is done trim off all the tag ends.

6. To attach your leader to the leadcore, you repeat the process at the other end.

7. If you are using a Superbraid as your backing or your leader, you can use line glue or super glue on your knot to create a super strong knot (but don't wind it back onto your reel until the glue has fully dried, for obvious reasons).

When it comes to attaching a small Norman's Hawaiian quick snap, swivels and hooks, I would suggest you use a double-looped locked blood knot or the standard locked blood knot. But you can use whatever knot you know or feel comfortable doing well.

When it comes to the quick change over rigs I use a Hawaiian snap and connect them to my leader. On most occasion's the size of the quick snap will pass right through the guides upon retrieval, but caution should still be taken, so not to damage the guides, but as the quick snap is rounded this is not a problem and the snap passes through quite easily.

At this stage we can make up several quick change rigs and the make up of these rigs will follow, I find by making up half a dozen or so and rapping them on some cork or PVC, they are at hand for those change overs from a single hook to a double hook rig or if you want to change over that Lofty's or minnow lure, you can rig up your change over rig while your still trolling thus saving time in the process.

To construct these quick change over rigs (see Figure 4 above) you'll need the following hardware. Size 14 barrel swivels, 1mt of tippet line, bead (optional), hook (treble, single hook or double hook rig) and a .9mm S/S wire pull through.

Now, tie all the components together starting with the swivel, bead, and hook with good quality knots and your ready for business. The wire pull through is used to pull the swivel through the middle of the Lofty's, this is done by placing the wire pull through, through the middle of the lure, connecting the swivel to the pull through and then pulling the rig through, then connecting the swivel to the quick snap and your ready to go trolling. It's worth pointing out that if the swivel is too big it won't pass through the middle of the lure, so check the size of your swivels before you construct your rigs.

Conclusion
By using leadcore I'm sure you will not set the world on fire, but it will increase your catch rate. Used in the right way, with the right gear, you will get more from your next fishing trip. As experience shows, leadcore has its place in the tackle box and a place in your fishing knowledge. Give it a go... you won't be disappointed.

Karl Fedke
2002