So Big John got me into these a few weeks ago. I am playing with both the Jig Ball and the Stacker and so far, I really like what I see. I've been playing a bit with one or two colors of lead in line, but lead core is very new to me, having almost exclusively run riggers in the past couple years.

How much main line/ leader are you guys tying on either side, between the G2s and the fly?

I'm assuming varying lengths can affect the jigging action?

Not sure what is best, but in the spring I use 10' of leader, 100' of main line, then my lead core 2 to 4 colors, followed by backing, whatever I have laying around. When fish go a little deeper as I need to re-do lines, I've been switching to about 50' of main line, but I have fished other years with 100' al season and I do think I did better. But it's hard to say from year to year as fishing in Squam varies so much from year to year, is it the fish or is it the set up ????????????

Personaly I think I should stay with 100' if I'm fishing 4 colors or less, so I guess it's "do as I say, not as I do"..

Winni guys may have better advice as fishing seems more consistant there.

Big John

I should add, I arrived at these lengths because that's about what I do with the rod pumpers from Jim and they have always produced rigged that way.

I go from 2 colors to 3 and max of 4 on both G2's and rod pumpers as the water warms up. Rod pumpers I add 100' after the lead core, I figure I'm down about 25' max. G2's I might use 4 colors and put the ball down 10' to get it down about 25/30 feet with blow back.

I fished no deeper than that most times all last summer and slammed big fish, they will leave the comfort zone to take a bite if bait is moving. If I have an oppertunity to go deeper (running extra lines) I'll go down to 32 to 42 feet if I see fish down there later in the morning when the sun is high..

But the best bites are at 25 feet or so and Squam is "allot warmer" lake than Winni, something to think about perhaps.

Big John

with the jig ball and stacker im mostly using a mono setup. i do have a one color setup i use sometimes with about a 60 foot leader and 6 to 8 foot tippet. the jigging board i use the trolling 150 foot fly line early in the year, swithched to a 3 color setup until a few weeks ago, now im speeding things up and seem to need wire to get it down to the depth i want which is typically 20 to 25 feet deep like john mentioned 3 mph plus and you need to put out alot of wire. all those setups have 60 to maybe 80 feet leader. i think the wire doesnt belly out like the leadcore after 4 or so colors. this is a strange year, water is really hot and im finding salmon right on top on the lake i fish

Actauly Mike, we have used mono quite a bit off the G2 Stacker, especially when running blades below the G2 Stacker (hot set up) but off the G2 ball we are using more and more lead core set ups.

The G2 Board we run 50 to 100 fet main line, 4 colors in-line lead and 100' of mono after that, same set up as Jim's Rod Pumper, deadly on both, even with a slow bite.

Are you still running primarily streamers ? Paul has a few new hot patterns, Orange Ghost, Congnac and some "no name" Orange Whiskers pattern, also one I thnk he calls a Perch Marvel (orangish in color) Not sure if they are all new, but they were new to me and I hit with them all, Orange (always a good color 0n spoons) seems to be better lately with the tough bite.

Have a nice weekend, I'm heading up this afternoon, not sure how long I'll be staying, depends on the bite. May come back Friday afternoon, lol.

Hope UPS and the Mailman bring some goodies before I leave today.

Big John

orange and gold has been good for us, been using spoons and flies. been using some of those squid style flies that jim gave us a few years back with some success. havent used the ball much since getting the stackers, can run the short quick jig on the forward rigger and either the 4 or 8 on the back rigger, still not sure which works better, i think its a day to day thing