Conference wahoo::fishing

    Hi Chet,  Sometimes I follow the logging roads from my place near South
    Arm on Lower Richardson and find my way up to Mooselookmaguntic.  I've
    used lead line for many years and I'm no expert, but I'll pass along
    what I've learned.  
    
    The three feet down for every ten yards out sounds about right, maybe
    just a bit deeper.  Depends on speed too.  For a rod and real I just
    use a medium weight deep sea rod and real.  (Don't know the models,
    although the reel is a Penn.)  I find that I can get all 100 yards of
    lead line (18#) on there along with a lot of backing.  I like a rod
    that's about 6' to about 6 1/2' long as opposed to a shorter one.  The
    longer rod has a better "feel" to it, but the shorter ones are easier
    to manage.  
    
    I like to use Davis spinners and will typically use a 4 or 5 blade
    copper colored set up with about 4 to 5 feet of leader behind it.  Then
    it's the old standbys; mooselook wobblers, rappalas, streamers, and I
    had good luck this year with a Sutton spoon.  If I'm feeling energetic
    I randomly draw the rod back and forth to put some extra motion in the
    lures.  If I'm less energetic I just stick the rod in the holder.  I
    try to fish points, holes, trenches, off stream mouths, anywhere where
    it isn't just dull and flat on the bottom.
    
    You say you've got a downrigger.  After about 20 years of fishing with
    lead line, I finally bought a downrigger this year (an electric to
    boot), and I can say that the lead line will be getting a whole lot
    less use in the future.  Nothing like getting a nice fish on light
    tackle like the downrigger allows.  Even a nice salmon is not much more
    than an extra drag on the lead line set up (at least the way I fish
    it).
    
    One other thing to possibly consider.  A couple of my friends use old,
    big fly reels on a medium action rod and instead of using lead line,
    theuse monel steel line.  You get down deeper quicker and there's a lot
    less drag and work with it.
    
    Hope some of this helps.
    
    Pete  (who'll be back on Lower Richardson this weekend.)
    

Chet,

    I use lead core through the summer months on some of the ponds
in my area (Goose and Littleville to be specific).

    I would advise that you get the heaviest test lead core you can
as it will be the most durable. You should/will tie on an 8 to 10 foot
mono leader and this is where the sporting test should be selected.
It's easy to snag bottom and you want to be able to break-off your
leader not your lead core.

    Depth to color ratio is pretty much a 'wild assed guess' due to
the variable of trolling speed; slower speed = deeper. I've seen
the line dropped out until there's contact with the bottom then taken
in a couple o' colors. Me; I guestimate 5' per color at the speed I
troll (brisk walk).

    There is, in my opinion, little merrit in 'working' the rod as the
lead core will absorbe all your efforts due to the belly in the line.
This same belly makes a hook set hard if not impossable so you're
pretty much dependent on the fish hooking itself - SHARPEN YOUR HOOKS
EVERY TIME!!!! For lures I prefer a Mooselook wobbler or a Cleo. For
bait a 'sewn shiner' is a good choice. I have not trolled streamers 
using lead core. For the bait (and streamers I suspect) an attractor
tied in line is a good idea - Dave Davis or Dodger - you can also get
smaller stacks of in line spinner blades. If you do want to impart
action on your lure/bait sweep the rod forward then backward in a
horizontal plain to run your lure/bait forward and drop it back. Drop
back slow enough so that you do not kill the action of the lure/bait.

    I use a modified fly rod - 8.5' fly rod blank with spinning grip and
guides - and a levelwind reel. To load the reel (regardless of the type
of reel you chose to use) take the time and do it right; loop the lead
core around the reel so that it holds itself on (DO NOT TIE IT ON) then
reel it onto the reel. When you've got all the lead reeled up tie on
some 50#+ cod line (braided dacron) for backing (use a blood knot or a
nail knot) and fill out the reel with backing. Now strip all tha line
back off the reel - BE CAREFULL : Lead core will tangle up real bad
if you're not carefull (I do this outdoors where I can lay out the line
in a 'zig-zag' patturn without having it cross over itself) - tie the
backing onto the reel and spool the line back up. This method takes some
time and care but it will enable you to fill the spool to the proper
level without having to guess at the amount of backing needed. If you
use a fly reel with an extra spool you load the first spool 'backwards',
remove it from the reel, and load directly to the other spool - much
easier but with fly reels you have to level the line yourself as you reel
in - a bit of a distraction when you're playing a fish.

    Watch your rod tip as you troll - it should pulse with the action
of your lure/bait. There's a lot of weight between your rod and your
lure/bait and it's easy to miss a strike - even one that has produced
a hookup.

    I use the fly rod as the rod has the backbone to handle the job yet
a sencitive enough tip to show the pulse of the lure. Boat rods tend to
be to stout in the tip for my liking.

Good Luck!

                           Joe Whittemore - From where the Westfield
                                                 Meets the Westfield
                                                    By the Westfield
                                                       In Huntington (MA)



Mooselookmeguntic in Rangeley ME eh - I'd be happy to spend a week 'down
there' giving you lessons!

    I use lead core down at Quabbin. I can't add anything else to what
    already has been said other than, the best price for it, that I have
    found is at Spags in Worcester.
    
    jim 

    Thanks to all for your advice and counsel.  
    
    Yep.  I found Spags, fought the crowds, muscled my way to the counter
    and bought 100 yds. of lead core.  I'm going to use an old fly rod
    along with a level-wind reel that belonged to my grandfather.
    
    I'm headed up to Mooselook this afternoon and won't be back until
    Thursday.  Hopefully (if the wind doesn't blow a gale and create
    small-craft warnings on the lake like it sometimes does) I'll have
    a chance to try out the rig.
    
    Hope you all have a great 4th.
    Chet

    off the topic just a bit:
    
    	Why use an old (or new, or any) fly rod in this application ?  Is
    it because of the rod's action or some other reason ?  

    Lead core is good if you don't have a downrigger,If you do...
    why bother. with a downrigger you don't guess at the depth.
    Like previously mentioned, you just can't beat pulling a fish 
    from the depths on light tackle. I myself feel good about using
    my ultra light w/ 2 lb test. The week before the Winni Derby
    I pulled a nice laker out from a depth of 45 feet on a #44
    Sutton spoon. Try to get down to that depth with lead core.
    Good Luck!

    re:-1
    I agree, a down rigger is better than lead core. However, without
    a depth finder you risk hanging yourself up on the bottom. Tell
    us the cost of cutting the cable when that happens. 

    BTW, I get down to 100 ft plus with lead core when fishing at Quabbin.
    You just need strong manly arms to bring it in. -8:)

    Seems to me that a fly rod would be impractical with lead core..

    I have to use a deep sea rod and reel.
    Jim

      The words out on lead core...any of the prior responce work well for
    lakers and salmond. I'm also used to banging lakes over 100ft. at
    Quabbin, it's no easy chore.( DITO on the arms comment)
    
      Hey, with all this talk about lead core has anyone ever tried copper or
    my favorite "steel" line. I just came back from Sebago and steel may
    impress some of you. It goes down faster that 27# lead and weighs much
    less. Strength is equal to the diameter line you buy. I use .032" dia.
    which is about equal to 30lbs test mono.
      Last week it worked really well at Sebago L., Me. 
    
      hope this helps,  Ken
      
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
      
      With a speed of 1mph the line sinks about 1ft for three foot of
    length. The action of the line surpassed lead core.
     
      I like using steel in conjuction with a light 3.5 oz graphite rod and 
    a small fly reel with proven braking action. 
      The results at Sebago Lake, Me.  were five salmond over 3 lbs with the
     largest 4.8 lbs @ 24 inches. "I'm hooked on Steel"
    
    steel made my vacation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
     
    
    combination with 3.5 oz. Sage Graphit
      
      Down riggers are great but I haven't mastered any landlocks on one.
    Now about  

    
    
    
        Well I have been reading over the replies and I figured I would add
    a responce.
           I use lead core and downriggers for lake trout and salmon, I
    have had alot better luck if you run about a 50-100 foot lead off
    the cannonball for downriggers. as far as leadcore I have 7 ft. light
    action rods with penn 9m levelwind and they both have 5 colors of 27#
    lead core with a mono backing of 10# approx 75 yrds.
         I have caught more fish with the leadcore rods than the
    downriggers, I am a firm beleiver in a wide variance in trolling 
    devices and variety, I would even go as far as to say try dipsy divers
    they get your lure out from the side of the boat and widen your
    trolling path also troll in a long S pattern and if you pick up a fish
    while your turning pay attention to which rod went off, if your turning
    starboard and the port rod goes off then that should indicate that
    maybe when the lure picked up speed on the turn that attracted the fish 
    to strike.
    
        But as far as leadcore line in NH. I always run 2 rods with
    leadcore and I usually run about 4-5 colors out. 
    
    
    
                                             LEE