Hi guys…in regards to river fishing such as pool 2…was wondering if you guys always run 3 ways when trolling cranks or do you only use them when your at a depth deeper than say 18,20ft….I’ve had quite a bit of luck trolling cranks as this spring without using any weights…but I’m wondering if I’m missing out on a lot of fish due to not being on bottom….
I run leadcore on the rods in the back of the boat, and 3 ways on the front rods. Yesterday 3 ways were better than lead. Normally for me lead usually is better.
Ended up buying a new okuma Walleye trolling rod with a counter reel…spooled with the suffix lead core…I tried it out last night out on pool 4…lead core with flicker shads put 4 eyes in the boat,got 2 trolling a 3way……I do have a few more questions regarding lead core….How long of a mono liter do you use?????and is there any rule of thumb or ratio for line length out to how deep you are running?????I’ve heard 5-7ft per 10yards….
On Pool 2, I am rarely fishing deeper than 7′ of water, so no need for and lead core or weights.
The biggest fish always seem to come very shallow.
Lead core is figured to get 5 feet of depth for every 10 yards (one color) of lead core in the water at 2 mph. Your suffix leadcore is actually supposed to do a little better (I run the same stuff). Keep in mind with leadcore, the faster you go the higher it actually pulls the line up. For instance, 4 colors will get you close to 20 feet at 2 mph but maybe only 15 feet at 2.5-2.7. Also, in the river I run a pretty short leader of superline, the fish don’t seem to be skittish and I like the extra abrasion resistance of a superline. Say something like 20 feet of 14 pound suffix. In clear water I have actually ran leaders as long as 50 feet of mono.
Ended up buying a new okuma Walleye trolling rod with a counter reel…spooled with the suffix lead core…I tried it out last night out on pool 4…lead core with flicker shads put 4 eyes in the boat,got 2 trolling a 3way……I do have a few more questions regarding lead core….How long of a mono liter do you use?????and is there any rule of thumb or ratio for line length out to how deep you are running?????I’ve heard 5-7ft per 10yards….
Depending on the water clarity generally running between 6-30 feet of 15-20lb fluoro for a leader. Fishing on the river you would be able to get away with a 6-8 foot leader. If you’re using the 832 leadcore it’s smart to put a swivel above the bait a few feet because when it gets twisted, it’s not a pretty sight.
With the Sufix Advanced 832 leadcore you’re going to get about 7ft per color. If you have the regular Sufix leadcore, you’re looking at about 5ft per color.
when you fish in 7ft of water do you use planar boards? how far back about? Ive never trolled P2, nor trolled much at all but I would think the motor noise scares them out to the sides of the boat at least?
For trolling on the river, I don’t need lead or weights under 13′, at that point I start to question how close to bottom I can get with shad raps anyway.
I run short mono or floro leaders, 6 ft max, just enough to keep the swivel from having to run into the rod guides.
Most of my trolling is done on the Croix, P2, P3, or P4.
I don’t use planer boards in shallow water and yes I do run a line straight out the back, in the prop wash.
ET
I use a roughly 6-10′ leader of fireline attached with a super small swivel. The fireline lets you know if you are fouled much easier and the swivel keep the line twist down.
No need to run a super long leader when you are fishing the river. I actually keep that same type of leader even when fishing deep clear lakes and have never seen it make a huge difference.
5′ per color at 2mph is a standard reference with standard leadcore. Speed current, waves, etc can all play a role though, its best to dial it in each time you’re fishing.
The Suffix stuff claims to be able to get a touch deeper. I haven’t used it, maybe others can chime in about it.
When you talk standard leadcore, are you referring to 17 lb? I saw some at FF today that was 17 and some that was 27 lb. I know they are referring to pound test, but is there a difference on weight between the two buy color?
when you fish in 7ft of water do you use planar boards? how far back about? Ive never trolled P2, nor trolled much at all but I would think the motor noise scares them out to the sides of the boat at least?
Let out at least 100′ of line, no planner board. You will be bouncing off rocks and getting snagged fairly often, board would be a nightmare.
It is a busy river and I think the fish are used to motors. But lower traffic nights have typically been better for me. Barges can impact things as well.
Standard leadcore is not the newer 832 suffix leadcore. The 832 drops more than the orginal leadcore. 17 lbs and 27 lbs test drop at the same rate.
When you talk standard leadcore, are you referring to 17 lb? I saw some at FF today that was 17 and some that was 27 lb. I know they are referring to pound test, but is there a difference on weight between the two buy color?
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
