Spooling Line Counters - Cold Water Reels - Braid vs Mono vs Leadcore

[The_owl]

Last summer was the first year i ever spent time learning to pull cranks - its surprising how much there is to learn! I know i did some things right, and most things wrong!! Lol

I picked up two Cabela Depthmaster 3's last year, with the size 30 reels. I put on straight metered braid (20 lbs) as i thought this would help me get it calibrated....no, it didn't. Even with 1,000 feet of line on, its off 28 feet over a 100' benchmark. So...i'm planning on replacing the line completely, of both reels.

Here's my problem/thought process...

I use the Precision Trolling App (love it, need it, couldn't go without it) so i've decided to either go with 10 lbs Berkley XT or 10 lbs Fireline because that's what the app uses for benchmarks.

Question - any recommendations between XT and Fireline? I've used Fireline Metered for 3 years now, and i flat out LIKE it. Its simple. Foolproof. Tough. If i went with braid, i'd only want 100 yards on the spool ($$). So, how much of the XT would i put on for backing?? I would still want to use a 10 - 30' leader of mono or flouro, right?

Another Question - if i went to using just straight XT, do i still need to use a leader?? Would i not want one to prevent the line from breaking in the middle vs on the leader, in the event of a snag?? Say put a 8 lbs leader on the first 30' or something?

Moving on to Leadcore - i went cheap with the leadcore line i bought last year (i picked up a couple Scheels shorty rods) and the line has a pile of kinks in it. I'm resolved to replacing it with Sufix 832, in the 18 lbs range. So, my questions are do i need to using XT or some other mono for backing on the reel? How much line (approximate)? How much leadcore should i actually put on the reel? 100 yards? And for the leader, should i use a braid or mono?

Sorry for the large # of questions, i'm just trying to learn from others experience! Thanks!!

The Owl

 

[Migrator Man]

Trial and error. Unspool off one reel onto the other if you didn’t put enough backing on the first try

 

[BGH]

I will try to answer to my best knowledge!1. Stick with fireline over mono. Dives deeper than mono (thinner, cuts through water better).I’d say tie directly to crank bait....but if you want, a 10-12lb mono/floro leader would be fine.2. I’d say no leader in that instance.3. You want a little backing, only like 10-20 yards is good(mono). Use the whole spool of leadcore, should fit perfect on the larger linecounters like that.I like to use a braid leader actually for leadcore. 10ft is plenty.Help at all??

 

[Ristorapper]

To completely fill a line counter reel as discussed for accuracy, with braid as your main line, spool your main line (100-125 yards or your preference) onto one of your line counter reels. Now spool on your backing (using a uni to uni knot), enough to fill the reel, as discussed for accuracy. You just filled up a line counter reel BACKWARDS. But you just determined how much line of backing and main line you need to fill a reel.

Now you need to unwind that line onto an empty spool or what i use is a 3/4" or 1" dowel about a foot long. Run a square head screw or torx head screw into the end of the dowel. Get your drill out and run the line off your reel onto this empty spool or dowel using your drill to speed up the process. Once that is done you are ready to run it off the spool/dowel into one of your line counter reels. This is actually what could have been put on one linecounter reel but we need to "measure it" first so we can duplicate this process on the final reel.

Run the line from the spool/dowel onto one of your linecounter reels.


Guess what? The line is on your linecounter reel BACKWARDS again. Not to worry, you are ready to run it onto the other linecounter reel for the last time. BUT THIS TIME WE NEED TO MEASURE EVERYTHING!!


Zero out your linecounter reel. MAKE SURE as you do this you have paper and pencil ready to record the numbers 0- XXXX for how much backing you put on this line counter reel. Then record XXXX-YYYY for the amount of main line you put on when the line changes from backing to main line. Then spool up the other reel with 0-XXXX backing and XXXX-YYYY main line. WRITE down these numbers and keep 'em somewhere safe because these are now the amounts of line you need to respool them if it ever comes time to do so in the future. OR duplicate this entire process all over if you are spooling up with different diameter lines. Good luck cranking.

Oh! as far as main line, hard to say. I like braid and many of my friends like mono. You decide. I like to lose less crankbaits than they do so that is why my choice. But mono has its advantages too. Ask, Ask Ask to get other opinions on main line. There are so many pros and cons to both lines.


Another thought!! If you spool up your linecounters with strictly mono main line you don't have to do these first five paragraphs above. Fill the linecounter with mono to capacity....done!!

- - - Updated - - -

no leader if using mono for your main line.



General consensus when pulling leadcore is to keep the entire line braid (some use mono however). So after spooling on a bit of backing (mono) and the leadcore on, use about 10 to 15 feet of fireline or power pro or other braid of your choice. Connect that to your leadcore and tie a snap onto your leader (where the crank will be connected).

The knot from leadcore to braid (or mono) leader was discussed here just recently. Remove 6-9" of lead out of the leadcore line by peeling back the dacron from the lead line. Insert 6-9" of leader material (either braid or mono) into the dacron sheath of the leadcore line where the lead was removed. Tie a simple overhand knot where the two lines come together. Pull the two lines tight. I like to tie another overhand knot again to make sure. Check to see if you can pull the leader material out of the leadcore line.

Another thing i will do for safety sake is tie a simple overhand knot in the very end of the leader material before putting it into the dacron of the leadcore line. Feed that into where the lead was and do your two overhand knots. Has a better chance of staying put i think. done!!

 

[The_owl]

Thanks for the replies - gives me some ideas of what I can and need to do.

 

[shorthairsrus]

simple - just go out buy some 18lb lead core -- load up your line counter and then put a 50 foot leader of power pro on every one of them. Throw away the precision trolling book (makes a good burn in the fire pit). Let out your line on the counter until you see your rod tip act like it has a bite (lure hitting bottom) then reel in a a couple cranks --- End of story - that will put you on about 99% of the waldos. Waldos and cats they are from the same family(not really) - they are lazy and like to eat at the bottom -- however they can look up to see your lure.

You can run lead core in shallow water dont listen to the nay sayers ---- lead core is so versitile you can do a million things with it. Tie up the old lady if you want too;:;boozer

 

[Ristorapper]

'
''Tie up the old lady if you want too'';:;boozer



Will that make her sink to the bottom too?? and at what speed do you pull her?? and what size hooks?? how much line out? oh till she ticks bottom!!

 

[RustyTackleBox]

I run just enough mono to cover my spool, then 10 colors of suffix leadcore then a 30' power pro 15lb leader... reason for the long leader is for shallow water i don't have much lc out and at 30' i consider it about 1 color... mono vs braid i feel i can't spot a fouled up crank with mono as easily as I can with braid, usually 1 little blade of grass and i can spot it on braid. The rod being very flexible is key for no stretch line though

 

[defiant1]

I run just enough mono to cover my spool, then 10 colors of suffix leadcore then a 30' power pro 15lb leader... reason for the long leader is for shallow water i don't have much lc out and at 30' i consider it about 1 color... mono vs braid i feel i can't spot a fouled up crank with mono as easily as I can with braid, usually 1 little blade of grass and i can spot it on braid. The rod being very flexible is key for no stretch line though

Have you tried using a shorter braid leader (12' vs. 30')? If so, have you notice any difference? I have been using mono leaders on the leadcore forever, but over the last two seasons the catch rate has not been that great compared to the shorty rods I use that are straight braid. I presume maybe the cranks have better action with the braid vs. the mono leader. I figured I would try a braid leader this time around, but would not use the 30' length you have been using. Thoughts?

 

[RustyTackleBox]

Have you tried using a shorter braid leader (12' vs. 30')? If so, have you notice any difference? I have been using mono leaders on the leadcore forever, but over the last two seasons the catch rate has not been that great compared to the shorty rods I use that are straight braid. I presume maybe the cranks have better action with the braid vs. the mono leader. I figured I would try a braid leader this time around, but would not use the 30' length you have been using. Thoughts?

I end up with a shorter braid leader as the 30' one breaks off usually once they get to 10-15' i cut them off and retie. I have not put mono leader on LC, I just struggled to see the lure action on the mono and the fact that braid is less likely to break and lose my lures kept me leaning toward braid

 

[gone_fishing]

I have always used 10lb Fireline on my linecounters (with a mono backing to fill the spool). I also use about a 6' (arms length) florocarbon leader. I think that helps add a little give to the setup since Fireline has no stretch.

 

[shorthairsrus]

i use 30lb pp on my leader. When i get stuck on a tree -- i reel in the rest and back up the snagged one -- tie the 30lb to the cleat and drive forward -- most cranks pop off the tree. them damn things are getting so expensive one doesnt dare to break em off.

 

[HammsRMK]

What do you guys use to hook the crank on? Swivel or just tight it straight to the line. I would think swivel to change them out faster. Any style work better than other?

 

[risingsun]

https://www.scheels.com/p/lindy-cra...MIzpLltKWM4gIV0sDACh0pLwHOEAQYBSABEgKKjvD_BwE This is what I use.

 

[H82bogey]

https://www.scheels.com/p/lindy-cra...MIzpLltKWM4gIV0sDACh0pLwHOEAQYBSABEgKKjvD_BwE This is what I use.

This ^^^.

I use the small sizes for smaller cranks, like #5 flicker shads/minnows. I find smaller cranks run better with smaller snaps. For larger cranks like #9 or #11 flicker minnows/reef runners, I use the larger snaps.

 

[RustyTackleBox]

i have been using the scheels version of those snaps... i think i am going to switch to the VMC ones they have a little wider gap

 

[Ristorapper]

https://www.cabelas.com/product/Nor...kUVO55QpwPIeIT0gAsBoCjMkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

or those similar to above. Make sure the end of the terminal tackle hooking up to the crankbait has that ROUND bend not a V bend to allow the crankbait to "work".