Trolling Leadcore in heavy current on Mississippi River

How does the current affect the depth of your lure using leadcore, is the formula the same in rivers? Each color gets your lure down 5 feet plus however deep your lure dives for this example let’s use a size 5 Berkeley Flicker Shad with a trolling speed of 2.5 mph in moderately heavy current, how much line would you have to let out to get down to 20 feet?

Just remember that the speed chart for lead goes by the speed of your line moving through the water.. If the river is moving at 3 MPH and your trolling 2.5 mph upstream… You are pulling that line 5.5 mph through the water. It makes a huge difference. You will not be able to pull 2.5 mph upstream in heavy current with any efficiency. 3way with heavy weights or handlines are a better option. You will still gain some depth with lead here but it is not ideal in my opinion. I have not spent much time trying this in heavy current either just because I want my bait closer to the boat with better control of where it is at.

I have a lead core chart that goes up to 5mph.

Send me an email [email protected]

I’m send you a copy

Several have already requested the chart. Feel free to email a request.

I do support bushman’s response, mostly.

Bushman how you doing!

I’d run heavy 3-way. Or handline also.
Unless I want my crank pounding bottom, I prefer lead in that case. Or run downstream.

I prefer lead core with 30-175′ of line out. Beyond that there are better alternatives.

Andy, I am doing good. Hope you are as well..

I saw you the other day when I was picking up steaks and beer down in Pcity. I was going to holler down and give you some grief from the liquor store but would have just looked like another crazy cheesehead so voted to let you fish in peace. haha.

You are right with the lead.. The only application I use down there is pounding sand. Specifically the dunes. It is the best way to crash dunes with a #6 or 7 shad but usually target dunes that are 15 foot or shallower. I just run two colors on these reels. 30 ft of braid to 60 ft of lead. If I run all the lead off the spool and into the water I can dig some serious sand in 10-15 ft of fast water!!

I don’t like fishing lead myself.. I would rather long line and fell the bottom. You do loose a lot of feel with lead so don’t spend much time with it on the river to be most honest.. However when needed I have had good success with the deal above here.