Longlining Crankbaits

[chrispetey]

Is there any advantage to longlining cranks or does it just make sense to always use leadcore?

I haven't used leadcore, and plan on loading it up on a line counter reel, but is there any advantages to not using it and longlining?

[zeebee]

Leadcore is great if you like winding in a heavy wet boot. Takes the fun out of catching. Suppose you can make a case for it if your sole purpose in fishing is to put "meat" on the table. Once you tweak longlining with mono or braid I dont believe leadcore provides any real advantage. In other words, whatever you can do with leadcore, you can also achieve by modifying your mono line presentation be it weights, downrigger or some method of depth control.

[crappie cowboy]

We long line Bandit 300 & 200's for crappie all the time, using 10-12lb. mono.
It works great. We use a snap lock or loop knot, and no swivel. This way of fishing in warm weather will wack em and stack em for crappie, don't know about walleye.
Good Luck

[7 Mag]

I don't use leadcore I use braid with a leader, sometimes I add weight it just depends on where the fish are and how deep the water is.

[Chad]

Originally Posted by chrispetey

Is there any advantage to longlining cranks or does it just make sense to always use leadcore?

I haven't used leadcore, and plan on loading it up on a line counter reel, but is there any advantages to not using it and longlining?

I dont do much if any great lakes open water trolling. My background is countour trolling reservoirs and lakes.

Why I use leadcore...I use leadcore if I want to get a small crank deeper than its normal dive curve. Benefits of leadcore: it has a snaking tendency-meaning it sill follow the path of the boat which is advantageous when contour trolling. Fireline on the othe hand will pull more direct and keep the same angle to the boat which causes it to cut the corners instead of going around the curves the boat went around. Leadcore is more difficult to see the cadence of the lure in the rod tip. If there is lots of debris fouling the lures I try not to use it.

However, leadcore takes forever to let out of the reel, it is heavy, not a ton of fun to reel in.

We try to use fireline if we can. Especially if our runs are straight. Lures will hit bottom without help. If there is lots of debris in the water it makes it easier to tell.

[chrispetey]

I've been long lining all summer and thought that leadcore would be a replacement due to the depth and ease of boat maneuverability.

Can't say I'll be going that route just yet, appreciate the responses.

[whitey88]

Originally Posted by Chad

I dont do much if any great lakes open water trolling. My background is countour trolling reservoirs and lakes.

Why I use leadcore...I use leadcore if I want to get a small crank deeper than its normal dive curve. Benefits of leadcore: it has a snaking tendency-meaning it sill follow the path of the boat which is advantageous when contour trolling. Fireline on the othe hand will pull more direct and keep the same angle to the boat which causes it to cut the corners instead of going around the curves the boat went around. Leadcore is more difficult to see the cadence of the lure in the rod tip. If there is lots of debris fouling the lures I try not to use it.

However, leadcore takes forever to let out of the reel, it is heavy, not a ton of fun to reel in.

We try to use fireline if we can. Especially if our runs are straight. Lures will hit bottom without help. If there is lots of debris in the water it makes it easier to tell.

^^
Important tool to have when its needed, when the leadcore bite is on, its really on! Tis the season

[fiveeyes]

[QUOTE is there any advantages to not using it and longlining?[/QUOTE]

Of course there is..how would you fish a floater in the top five feet of water..or fish over weeds

[TomP.]

Spring time on lower Pepin if you are not running lead core you AIN`T going to catch squat. It is one of those bites happens every spring. I use lead core a lot for smaller cranks and shallow divers to get them deeper.