I am making the transition from long-lining to lead core as I have been told it is more effective when fishing the river. I primarily fish Pool 4 (Lake Pepin area). I have a Diawa 27LC reel, and I was only able to get 4 colors on the reel. Is this going to work? There was not room for backing either which seems like a problem to me. Any help or insight in regards to lead core would be very helpful. I was about pulling my hair out last night 
I only uses 27’s for long lining or 2 colors segmented core. I use 47’s for 5 or more colors of lead.
If you use the Suffix 832 Advanced lead core you should have no problems using a 27 series linecounter… 832 Advanced has a smaller diameter which means you can get probably a full additional color on the reel and it also provides 7′ of depth per color (whereas traditional leadcore will only get you 5′ per color) meaning you can achieve close to 30′ of depth with just 4 colors 
Another alternative to Lead Core would be snap weights. Just use your long lining rod setups and put a snap weight 10-20′ ahead of the crankbait. Works as good as lead core but it is a little more speed sensitive. A 2oz weight will work approximately the same as lead core in 10-20 FOW at around 2mph. To go deeper than 20′ or speeds above 2mph I would recommend going to a 3 or 4oz weight. Four Seasons Sports Shop in Red Wing carries the Off Shore Tackle OR16 snaps.
You can get by without backing but I would recommend putting a layer of electrical tape on before spooling the lead core on to make sure it does not slip on the spool.
Thanks for the help. The Suffix 832 LC sounds the way to go. I found Brad Juaire’s review which was very helpful. Do I need back on on my reel prior to spooling the 832 LC? Also I was having a heck of a time tying my leader on last night any knot suggestions? How long of leader do you recommend?
I love the conversation… and have questions as well, hopefully others will chime in, but I read in a great recent thread about removing a piece of lead, and tying on the outer fabric layer to a small, but good swivel, then a leader. Think that was what everyone was stressing.
Just my opion. You probably don’t need the 832 for Pepin. The regular stuff will work just fine. Get the 18lb and call it good.
-J.
I use 27 LC and am able to put 20lb mono on for backing with 5 colors of 832 and a 50ft braid leader. You may want to use a shorter leader for the river. I am going to start using a swivel about 5ft from the end of the leader and use a fluorocarbon to the bait.
You want your spool full so when your counter says 140 it measures 140ft. The counter does not read in feet, it reads the revolutions of the spool (1 count / 1 rev).
Have fun with it because it’s a gas! 
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I use 27 LC and am able to put 20lb mono on for backing with 5 colors of 832 and a 50ft braid leader. You may want to use a shorter leader for the river. I am going to start using a swivel about 5ft from the end of the leader and use a fluorocarbon to the bait.
You want your spool full so when your counter says 140 it measures 140ft. The counter does not read in feet, it reads the revolutions of the spool (1 count / 1 rev).Have fun with it because it’s a gas!
Two excellent points. Attaching a swivel will help extend the life of your leadcore. I personally have started using the smallest size of SPRO swivel and use it to attach leader to my leadcore.
About the linecounter accuracy you are partly right… Linecounters do read in feet; however they are calibrated using a full spool which has a larger diameter than an empty spool so as you start to get low on line each revolution lets out less line than the counter shows. Which means that the less full your spool becomes the less accurate your LC will be. For that reason it is best to count the colors of lead as you let out and then look at your counter
No matter which leadcore you choose… for the river.. just use a leader the length of your rod and definitely use a swivel between the leadcore and mono/fluorocarbon leader..
Remember the guide to depth is for 2 mph troll speed and 10 pound dia line… This will not be exact when trolling in the current.. I have found that in current I need to add a bit more lead out to reach my specific depth as the current will lift the lead in the water just like when your speed up on the lake,,, it will lift your leadcore..
My choice is still the Suffix 832 Lead Core for the smaller diameter..
Have Fun !!
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Thanks for the help. The Suffix 832 LC sounds the way to go. I found Brad Juaire’s review which was very helpful. Do I need back on on my reel prior to spooling the 832 LC? Also I was having a heck of a time tying my leader on last night any knot suggestions? How long of leader do you recommend?
You will most likely still want to put on a little bit of mono as backing to help keep your Lead from slipping. As far as attachment knots go a great option is the blood knot… It is what I had used for years but last year after losing 200 yds of lead in one weekend on lake michigan (Long story) and being stuck trying to retie leaders in 4-6′ waves I frustrated with the time that I was losing during primetime fishing and ended up tying on a very small SPRO swivel… I’m sure there are guys who might disagree, but I haven’t had any issues doing this. The only thing you will need to be very careful about is keeping your thumb on the spool when letting line out as your swivel (or even a blood knot for that matter) easily can catch on your rod guide and backlashed leadcore is not pretty 
As for length I would reccomend 30′ or longer leader when fishing clear water lakes like Mille Lacs but for stained or dirty water like the river or LOTW you should have no problem with a length with a 10′ leader.
My eyes are getting old and I was really struggling getting the leader inside the sheath after stripping out the lead core for the Willis Knot.
I saw this knot recommended (probably on here) and it has really simplified my lead core to leader tying!
Surgeons Knot
barc
I use a mono backing and mono leader with a swivel between the two. Snap weights are effective but can be a pain and get in the way at times. My preferred method for pulling cranks on the river is Handlining. Check it out.
The advantage of backing on the smaller reels with 5 colors is in case you get snagged it gives a cushion trying to stop the boat to retrieve the lure. At up to $10.00 a pop I find myself more inclined to try and retrieve snagged lures.
longlining has put more eyes in my boat than lead, but you do need both to be consistent.
If you want to get as much lead on the reel as possible, just put some athletic tape on the spool. That will stop the slip, and you won’t have to take up space on the spool with mono backing.
On the river, you’ll probably be fishing under 30 ft, so the 5 colors should work just fine for you, but the 832 lead is a good option.
The key with trolling set ups is consistency, so be sure you use the same line on each set up, and even if the counter isn’t 100% accurate – they’ll both read the same. Thats the key. Its not that you have exactly 100ft out vs 106 or 94, its that you have a way to repeat.
I also like to use the small spro swivel. You wont get the line twist if your plug fouls, and its easy to tie the leadcore and then the leader to it without any fancy knots.
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