Trolling

I have not made the leadcore setup investment yet and am wondering the best way to get deep with my cranks. I use 10 fireline on a 6’6” med heavy baitcaster setup. Three way, bottom bouncer, inline trolling sinkers? How heavy? I know I’m being pretty general, but I’m just looking for ideas and opinions. Thanks for any help!

What kind of depths are you trying to reach?

I’m thinking of 15 to 30 foot range.

Well, you can touch a lot of that range with some deep divers, line counter reels and a copy of precision trolling.

To fish near the bottom, you can always use a 3-way set up with a few oz of lead on the dropper. Let out enough line to feel the bottom, reel up a few cranks, and away you go.

Snap weight kits are inexpensive and will get you in the zone you are wanting. If you can budget a lead core set up, you won’t be disappointed.

Snap on weights?

Do you ever loose those snap weights ?? or do they hold onto the line that well with that much weight.

Any tips on using the snap weights?

Your depth achieved will be very speed dependent. Stop the boat and they drop like….well….like a few ounces of lead. Most guys use the “50/50” method. Let out 50 feet of line (line counter), attach snap weight, and let out 50 more.

Lots, and I mean LOTS, of information on how this works, how deep your baits will be running with a particular weight and at a particular speed can be found in Precision Trolling. If you’re really considering becoming a troller, rather than a guy pulling baits willy-nilly behind the boat, then you need to make the investment in this book. Oddly enough, it costs right about the same amount as a snap weight kit.

Jason is right on about the Precision Trolling book. It has a ton of information in it about all the different methods for trolling up walleyes. It’s deffinately a purchase you wouldn’t be dissappointed in.

The Offshore kit is a great Snap Weight kit to buy. The red clips have a stud in the middle of the clip that keeps your line from slipping out in the event you get it hung up. Some of the other kits out there don’t have the best clips to keep the weight attached to your line.

Jason and Ben are spot on in regard to snap weights – they work but they are very speed dependendent. I would only use them on crankbaits that are designed to troll less than 15 feet.

There are many deep diving crankbaits out there that you can achieve depths of 15-30 feet without the use of snap weights.

Here are a few that you may want to try:

#11 Rapala Deep Tail Dancers
Reef Runners
Storm Deep Thundersticks
Smithwick Super Rogues
Bandits

And one trick that I have learned to prevent the loss of a snap weight is to thread on a snap swivel on to the ring attached to the red plastic snap. Attach the red plastic snap to the line as instructed and open the snap swivel and attach to your line. The other trick that may not be evident is after hooking a fish, reel up to the snap, remove it while keeping tension on the fish. This will prevent the weight from smacking the fish in the head and reduce the number of lost fish.

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And one trick that I have learned to prevent the loss of a snap weight is to thread on a snap swivel on to the ring attached to the red plastic snap. Attach the red plastic snap to the line as instructed and open the snap swivel and attach to your line. The other trick that may not be evident is after hooking a fish, reel up to the snap, remove it while keeping tension on the fish. This will prevent the weight from smacking the fish in the head and reduce the number of lost fish.

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You can also put a barrel swivel on your main line a few feet above your lure/bait, so the snap weight will stop there should it come free during the fight. This way it won’t slide down and hit your fish.

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I use 10 fireline on a 6’6” med heavy baitcaster setup. Thanks for any help!

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Do yourself a favor and buy some OR-18 releases to use instead of those red ones. They work about a hundred times better than the OR-14’s or OR-16’s with superlines.

The OR-18’s also allow you to adjust the tension or amount of pressure on the line.
When you snap the OR-18’s forward, the pin at the front will prevent the line from ever coming out even if the release allows the line to slip. Another words, you won’t need a crosslock snap or other snap to keep you release on the line if it decides to let go.
There a bit pricey, but well worth it.

Boog