Trolling Cranks Deeper (Leadcore vs Other)

I’m newer to rolling cranks but have had some success. I’m looking for advice on more effective way to troll cranks deeper. There seem to be so many options and it is not clear to me the pro’s/con’s of each. I’m looking for more flexibility to use various cranks at deeper than than their normal driving range w/ plain fireline/mono. This would be for depths of ~15-30ft, to use on various Minnesota lakes & rivers.

Note: I currently troll with a rod rigged with a sealine 17lc w/ only 10# fireline.

The options I am aware of include the following – please help list crank trolling situation that these are most appropriate for and any other helpful advice on pro’s/con’s for each technique:

(1) Lead core (would need a new reel – what size?)

(2) Snap weights

(3) Bottom Bouncer

(4) Three-way rig

(5) add some split shot weights a few feet ahead of your lure

Thanks for your help!

Sealine 47 for the lead. Snap weights from 1/2 to 2 oz.
Also 3 ways and drop weights.

I’d say leadcore is the most versatile. If I could only have one it would be leadcore. I run leadcore pretty much year round. They all have their times and places, but I feel leadcore will offer you the most applications.

That being said, you can use all of them with minimal equipment purches. Snap weights are an add on to what you’ve allready got, as are three ways and bottom bouncers. For leadcore you will likely need another reel.

I’d recommend the following.

A bigger line counter (at least a 27 series if you stick with the Diawas)

About 100 yards of mono or braid backing

18lb test leadcore (the big thing here is finding leadcore with good bright colors so you can tell the difference).

I always prefer a line counter, but it’s not 100% necessary.

A rod with a pretty soft tip (there’s no stretch to the lead)

A leader (I prefer Mono, but you can use braid, just remember no stretch so go light on the rod if you’re using braid)

Here’s what I figure I get for depth with my leadcore on the Mississippi in normal current. These numbers are feet per color of leadcore.

1mph = 7-8′
1.5mph = 5-6′
2 mph = 4′
2.5mph = 3′

To me the biggest advantage leadcore has over the others is that you can troll it without a big sinker banging bottom right in front of the crank. I’ll put leadcore on planer boards to get it away from the boat as well. I also feel that I can feel my crank running better on leadcore than with a three way rig or bottom bouncer.

I’d say leadcore is the most versatile. If I could only have one it would be leadcore. I run leadcore pretty much year round. They all have their times and places, but I feel leadcore will offer you the most applications.

That being said, you can use all of them with minimal equipment purches. Snap weights are an add on to what you’ve allready got, as are three ways and bottom bouncers. For leadcore you will likely need another reel.

I’d recommend the following.

A bigger line counter (at least a 27 series if you stick with the Diawas)

About 100 yards of mono or braid backing

18lb test leadcore (the big thing here is finding leadcore with good bright colors so you can tell the difference).

I always prefer a line counter, but it’s not 100% necessary.

A rod with a pretty soft tip (there’s no stretch to the lead)

A leader (I prefer Mono, but you can use braid, just remember no stretch so go light on the rod if you’re using braid)

Here’s what I figure I get for depth with my leadcore on the Mississippi in normal current. These numbers are feet per color of leadcore.

1mph = 7-8′
1.5mph = 5-6′
2 mph = 4′
2.5mph = 3′

To me the biggest advantage leadcore has over the others is that you can troll it without a big sinker banging bottom right in front of the crank. I’ll put leadcore on planer boards to get it away from the boat as well. I also feel that I can feel my crank running better on leadcore than with a three way rig or bottom bouncer.

I know some guys will get a good laugh from this but I’ve had solid outings using Dipsy Divers. You can dial in the depth (you need a line counter) and you can run them two on one side, with one pulling the lure away from the boat, like a planer board.

The way they work, you can run all no-stretch line since the dipsy disengages when a fish strikes the lure. A softer action rod (but a strong backbone) is still a good idea. I run 30-lbs powerpro to the dipsy then 8-lbs fluoro to the crank…

Just my two pennies…

I can easliy get to +20′ using a 3 way with a 5/8oz jig as the dropper and Power pro 15# with the same reel your using. Just last weekend it took about 120′ of line running 1.5 mph. I like using the jig weight whenever I can because you catch fish on it too. If I need to get down to deeper I just add a snap on bell weight to the 3 way and keep the jig and crank as is.

King – what size dipsys are you running????

I’ve been meaning to try dipsys for walleyes, but haven’t dug that far into my salmon gear (yet)…

Quote:

---

King – what size dipsys are you running????

I’ve been meaning to try dipsys for walleyes, but haven’t dug that far into my salmon gear (yet)…

---

Shut up you guys. I’ve started doing this as well. However it can’t be a “secret” technique if you all keep yacking about it.

“0” Dipsy with and without ring.

Definitely not a secret on Erie. I had my best 3 hour walleye excursion ever pulling dipsey’s on Erie with small slender spoons in tow. 42 fish between 21 and 25 inches in 3 hours. I have never tried it elsewhere though.

Small spoons…. That’s ANOTHER thing I want to try.. Ruger, is that a super secret lure, too???

Seriously, I know lots of guys run small spoons on big (great) lakes. Anyone run those with success inland?

Mike

Thanks all for the feedback. Going to hold off on the Dipsy’s for now (sounds more complicated then I am ready for

My plan is to make the lead core plunge – way too many good things being said about this technique to ignore

As for the other techniques, I think this is my current plan:

Reserve three ways for getting cranks out on areas with little room to work the structure, or lots of turns. Bottom bouncers I’ll continue to use for pulling live bait rigs/spinners (in areas with a lot of snags) and possibly floating stick baits.

The walleye won’t know what hit ’em.

Quote:

---

Small spoons…. That’s ANOTHER thing I want to try.. Ruger, is that a super secret lure, too???

Seriously, I know lots of guys run small spoons on big (great) lakes. Anyone run those with success inland?

Mike

---

Um, yeah! Jeez you guys.

Next I’ll be trying small dodgers to mimic bait balls of shad.

Quote:

---

Um, yeah! Jeez you guys.

Next I’ll be trying small dodgers to mimic bait balls of shad.

---

Now YOU are giving away secrets….

That was my next thought, too… Maybe full sized dodgers off of a downrigger ball with a big musky bait on the other rigger or run off of a fixed slider just above the dodger??

Or maybe just tie up some 15 inch flies for the next rage… Musky dodger/fly combos…

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

King – what size dipsys are you running????

I’ve been meaning to try dipsys for walleyes, but haven’t dug that far into my salmon gear (yet)…

---

Shut up you guys. I’ve started doing this as well. However it can’t be a “secret” technique if you all keep yacking about it.

“0” Dipsy with and without ring.

---

sorry to give away the secret… “0” is the size but I don’t use the ring… great part is that you can pull just about anything behind the dipsy, including surface lures, spoons,crawler harnesses, minnow rigs, leeches… (just be sure to have a quality swivel between the lure and the dipsy…)….

O.K., I gotta ask. Will the dipsy’s work in current? Something I’ve not tried yet!

Forget about the mono backing, like Chris said get a Diawa Sealine 47 series reel and put all 10 colors on.

Here is another option, http://www.offshoretackle.com/resettable_diving_weights.html

I picked some up to try but since I am still boatless I have no on the water results

Quote:

---

O.K., I gotta ask. Will the dipsy’s work in current? Something I’ve not tried yet!

---

I don’t see why they wouldn’t work… current would change how much they ‘pull’ but shouldn’t be a lot different then pulling leadcore…

Picked up my Leadcore setup yesterday … can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks again to everyone for your input.

Went with an 8’3″ Shimano Compre telescoping trolling rod (Med power), and a Diawa Sealine 27LCW. Spooled up 15# leadcore (wanted 18#, but the store did not have it in stock). Was able to squeeze on 9 colors (very little backing) with room for 20′ leader. Spool is very full – with 18# I think it should comfortably fit a full 8 colors, which should be plenty for the depths I will be targeting.

I hope to hit the river in the next couple weeks – probably start out running some new Berkley Flicker Shads & Lindy Shadlings that I just picked up.

I plan on trying divers this year too, but I’ll be using the slide divers. They allow you to run the bait way back behind the diver, instead of 6-8 feet back like a standard Dipsy. I’ve got power pro slide divers already set up for Salmon fishing with 50 feet of flourocarbon leaders. I can slide the diver and attached anywhere along that 50 foot of flouro.

Ummmm no dipseys don’t catch walleyes. But if you just happen to have a 0 size dipsey with an orange ladderback spoon hanging in the water near Pine Creek….. All I can say is: What was that Crappie thinking.
All you Lake Michigan guys know the only way to get walleyes in deep water is with a good pump handle rig wire line and 1# balls. Right??