Leadcore lb test and leader lengths

[Kdog]

For those running leadcore i was wondering what weight leadcore your running and how long of a leader do u run from leadcore to the crank,spinner,etc.Thanks for all the input.Kdog

[Steve W.]

I run both 14 and 17lb leadcore. The 14 only has about 1/2 the lead (weight) that the 17lb has, so take this into consideration when comparing depths. I run a 50' mono leader followed by 3 colors of lead and then mono back to the reel.

[Popia]

In generaly use 18lb leadcore.There is no advantage for using heavier lb test leadcore since the drag of the line in the water "pushes" the line up (bow in line) and negates the extra weight of the line. As far as leader lengths I generally use between 35 and 50 ft of 10 lb mono for open water trolling situations. When trolling contours I use a 10 ft leader to keep bait closer to the contour.

[Larry]

Here are the specs for Cortland leadcore. There aren't too many different manufactures of leadcore so most will be in the same ballpark figure.

14# is the oddball in that it runs a different core than all the rest....diameter is .022 and the weight of one "color" is .33 oz.
All the rest use the same leadcore but a slightly higher diameter cover which does increase the weight but only slightly. This is more than offset by the increased diameter vs water resistance.

18# .032 dia .81 oz
27# .035 dia .85 oz
36# .038 dia .87 oz
45# .042 dia .88 oz
60# .048 dia .92 oz

I'm sure you can see why the choice for 18# that most people seem to use.

[Larry]

Popia...e-mail me. I've got a fishing report for you and the address I have on file keeps getting returned.