You answered it correctly, I worded it wrong. I meant the mono pc between the leader and the lead core. I run about 100 ft also and never bother to change it. I thought I had seeen where some people varied that based on the season, thanks

Slipknpot, what's the formula you guys use ???

John S.

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Replying to:

You answered it correctly, I worded it wrong. I meant the mono pc between the leader and the lead core. I run about 100 ft also and never bother to change it. I thought I had seeen where some people varied that based on the season, thanks

The rule you're thinking of is the 100' rule. This rule kinda goes for downriggers, but you can adapt it for leadcore... As far as leadcore goes though, Adrien answered that above when he says he cuts his mono line down, the more colors of lead he puts out, to speed up the landing of a fish and give it less time to shake off.

For downrigging figure that you're always putting 100' of line out. (Lets make up some numbers...) Early season you drop the ball 10' so you put the lure 90' behind the ball. Later in the season (when the fish go deep) your ball is down 50' so you put the lure back 50' behind the ball. This "rule" kind of takes into consideration fish being "shy" of the boat and therefore you're keeping the lure far enough away from the noise.

This is by no means the "catch-all rule". In fact, I don't know of anyone that posts to this board that follows it exactly. Its just something to start by. You have to see what the fish are like on a given day on a given body of water.
For example, on Winni the first week of May, you might catch a salmon right on top, only 10' behind the boat... but a few weeks later (second day of the derby and for a while after that) you're gonna find that the fish are much more sensitive to boat traffic and you'll need to keep your lure farther back to catch a majority of the fish. Point being, you have to pay attention to the fishes surroundings and judge how "shy" they are.
Also, if you fish the vertical or horizontal spinners like has been discussed lately, you're not really using them effectively if your lure is a hundred feet behind the things. By the time the lure gets to where the fish saw the spinner action they'll have forgotten all about the spinners... heck they might even still be following the spinners around the lake waiting for an "injured baitfish to fall out of the baitball" (cause thats more than likely what they think those spinners are is a big bait ball). I believe Alan (AJs B&T) recommends to run your lure within 20' of the spinners. (I could be totally wrong on that... thats just what I think I remember him telling me once??? Sorry if I'm mistaken.)

Anyways... 100' rule... good place to start until you've had a chance to assess the "bite".

One thing I'm totally certain of... I either just helped someone catch a fish OR I totally confused everyone...

Hey, I tried.

Slip you raise a point I'm still unclear on is how far to trail the ball when you're using verticals. I've been using the verticals and staying within 6-10 ft. of the ball when I'm fishing deep, say mid summer. I wonder if I'm too close. I wonder how to modify this early in the season, and if it even makes sense to use the verticals when you focus on the upper 10-15 ft. of water early season?

Personally, I run long lines early in the season. I don't seem to have much luck with the riggers til later in the year, when the fish go deeper. I don't have much experience with the spinners you guys are talking about... what I know about them is pretty much just what I've heard while standing around AJs last year and hearing him tell people about them.
You might be best off stopping in to see him on one of your trips up here? Not sure what to tell ya... sorry.

I'm thinking long lines and simpler early season presentations myself. I think I'll start by focusing on using the Otter boats and only get into the riggers if I have more people on the boat.