By: Mark Romanack
Snap Weights are the ideal tool for helping anglers who fish lead core line to fish deeper and also to be effective without carrying so many different lead core set ups on board.
Those who fish lead core line often will attest that sinking lines are a deadly effective way to get baits to deeper depths. Because lead core line has very little stretch, the fish that bite are routinely hooked solidly. The ratio of hooked to landed fish is very high when using lead core line, but that’s just part of why angler’s in the know always carry lead core in their boats.
If fishing lead core line has a down side, it would be that many anglers simply aren’t willing or prepared to purchase so many dedicated rod and reel combinations. Because lead core is typically fished as a segment of lead core line sandwiched between a leader and backing line, most anglers spool up pairs of lead core rigs in various lengths to fish various depths.
At Fishing 411 when we anticipate needing lead core line, our boat is going to be equipped with pairs of lead core rigs including 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 color set ups. Not a lot of anglers are willing to dedicate 10 rod and reel combos to lead core line fishing. Thankfully there are other options when it comes to fishing lead core.
“One of the non-traditional ways I fish lead core line is to use an OR16 Snap Weight Clip with a one, two or three ounce Guppy Weight to gain extra depth from select lead core rigs” says Rob Jones an Off Shore Tackle Pro Staffer and avid troller. “I let out my lure, the leader and all the lead core line that is spooled up on a particular rod/reel set up. When my backing line reaches the rod tip, I clip on the OR16 and the Guppy Weight to the backing line. Next I let out an additional 50 foot of backing line, followed by attaching an OR12 Side-Planer Board to the backing line.”
Mark and Jake Romanack of Fishing 411 TV fish lead core line often. Those anglers who have not taken the plunge into using lead core line owe it to themselves to take a serious look at the advantages of trolling with lead core.
Using a Snap Weight to add additional weight to lead core rigs is a simple and effective way of reaching fish at greater depths. “It’s important to place the Snap Weight on the backing line, not the actual lead core line,” adds Jones. “Lead core line is easily damaged and adding line releases or clips to lead core can cause abrasion to the lead core, making the line weaker and more likely to fail.”
The 98 cent question is how much additional depth is achieved by adding a one, two or three ounce Snap Weight to a length of lead core line? “No one knows for sure how much deeper a lead core rig will run when adding a Snap Weight,” admits Jones. “My experience on the water suggests that adding two ounces of weight is similar to using two extra colors of lead core line. In other words, adding two ounces to a five color will make it run about the same depth as a seven color.”
Not only does lead core line help anglers target fish in deeper water, segmented lead core marries up to in-line planer boards like this OR12 Side-Planer like they were made for each other.
Adding weight to lead core set ups not only fishes deeper, stacking multiple board lines per side of the boat is still a viable option. “When fishing lead core I run the line that is fishing closest to the surface as my outside board line,” recommends Jones. “Each additional board line is set to run a little deeper. This way when a fish is hooked on an outside board line, the fish can be reeled in without having to clear other lines. I routinely run a one ounce Snap Weight on the outside line, a two ounce Snap Weight on the middle board and a three ounce Snap Weight on the inside board line.”
When a fish is hooked on a planer board and lead core set up it’s important to keep steady pressure on the fish. A slow but steady retrieve speed forces the fish to the surface, which in turn allows outside lines to ride over top of deeper inside lines.
Fishing lead core line also requires anglers to master some knots designed for attaching leader to lead core and backing line to lead core line. The double uni knot is a popular option for connecting leader to lead core and backing line to lead core. Not only is the double uni knot small, it’s typically stronger than the line.
Those anglers who don’t know how to tie the double uni knot can visit the web page www.animatedknots.com for instruction.
Editor’s Note: Rob Jones is an avid angler based in Ontario Canada who trolls often using Off Shore Tackle products.