View Full Version : Lead core question in river fishing
I fish the Illinois river for walleye/sauger and would like to try new things in fishing. I would like to add lead core to my techniques. Any advice on how to use or what to do when fishing the illinois. Do you use it all in line or do you just use periodic strips. Any advice will be much appreciated.
Thanks
learning from mr. leadcore himself, ron seelhoff, i can suggest you use straight leadcore. i would put on at least eight colors of 18lb. test. as ron says, "however long your rods is determines how long the leader is." lol "that way you hook the lure tight to the reel when storing the rod easiest." (all science lol) i tie the mono, usually ten or twelve pound test, to a barrel swivel connected to the leadcore. stop reeling when you reach the swivel at the end eye. so...that's the seelhoff rig.
current speed/boat speed/depth will determine how many colors you fish with. this stuff is very easy to precisely control the distance off the bottem the lure runs. a crank or two of the reel either way really effects things nicely.
good luck!
#49
Yes, what Steve said. Also, on the Illinois River try pulling #5 Shad Raps or SR5 Wally Divers. "Pulling" (Illinois River lingo for trolling up river) is a very effective technique, but...so far tournament results show that historically the jiggers do better on the Illinois. I always go down there with the best intention of pulling but usually end up jigging :-). Learn it though, because there are times when pulling is outstanding.
Best Regards,
FJH
Prchjerker
02-12-2002, 07:16 AM
Mike
The one key I can give you for the ll. river is precise depth and speed control.Youve got about two or three seconds once the cranks start digging to reel up or speed up, other wise its salad.Theres alot of debris on the bottom that can really mess with you.Weve been pulling it for the last four years over there.I think we got it perfected.Although there are alot of jiggers, it treated us really well last year,one more good fish on Sunday might have left us in first.We'll see this year.Good luck.
ILL guy
02-12-2002, 08:14 AM
were you using leadcore last year in the tourney or were you using mono.or fireline?
Prchjerker
02-12-2002, 11:43 AM
All we pull is lead.
Peter H
02-12-2002, 12:07 PM
I have used it in the Menonomie River many times and at times when I want to be just off the bottom and skipping the bottom. Full spool of lead core on a Penn 209 with a good stiff rod. 4 - 8 ft of Florocarbon tied with a barrel swivel (10?). I pull of the front treble from a SR7. Make sure your lure is properly tuned. You can feel the vibration from the lure - make a note of how that feels. Let out enough lead core until you hit the bottom. Reel in a bit to just get if off the bottom or tick once in a while on the bottom. Pump the rod back once in a while to get the lure to bump bottom. With the front treble gone you will be able to get over many many snags with the lure just ticking the bottom. I have yet to lose any fish with this bottom technique (front treb gone). If you get any weed or debris on the back treble, you will feel a vibration difference. Reel in and pull debris off. Some times pumping the rod quickly can free the lure of debris.