Old School Lake Trout Fishing

[er-e-is]

When I want to drag bottom I use Steel Line, 130#, a good quality swivel and a Flatfish.

[Bailbuster]

It sounds like your line is bad. The copper works good, get a work glove

I use batting gloves ,lighter and the water dosn't sem to bother them.BB

[Bailbuster]

Fish usa has copper line.

[Tippy Canoe]

Is the copper line color coded like lead? If not, how do you know how deep you are running? Reel counter?

I like lead but the Monel type stainless is a real pain to use because you can get hung up in ledge bottoms if you have too much lline out. Something coded for line and watching and knowing your speed works for me but Im interested in the braided copper even if I have to mark it myself!

[fishfins]

Here in MI many oldtimers use stainless steel wire to pump spoons for lake trout on Lake Superior.  The grandkids run two downriggers off of the side and two of us old codgers pump wire down the middle.  Wire outfishes the downriggers 3 to 1 day in and day out.    Good luck.

[seansean1444]

definetly use copper line

[Rebelfisher]

Anyone have a brand & # test they would reccomend?

I run Cortland Kerplunk...18lb....be sure when you tie on a leader to pull back the dacron and snip the lead"core"...then pull the dacron back out to tie on your albright knot to the mono/flouro leader.

[trouter]

Put a roller tip on your rod and your problem will be solved.

[Rebelfisher]

Put a roller tip on your rod and your problem will be solved.

roller tips are better, but instead of changing your rod, you can just change the tip to a twili tip....they're made for wire as well.

[GAYLELOU]

Use 20 GA solid copper wire and a large fixed hook spoon that rides hook up when pulling it and keep changing where you are holding it while pulling.

[jlaclair]

now i havent use lead core or copper in a while, is it just heavier so you can get it to the bottom in deep water quicker? why cant you just use braid like power pro and a leader? seems like metal lines have their issues and are quite expensive....

[Rebelfisher]

using wire, copper, or leadcore line is just a different delivery device. I dont think using regular braid is practical because you would need an insane amr of line behind your boat to acheive the same depth leadcore can in 100 yards. not to mention you would never be able to judge your depth either. It would really be tough....its hard enough trolling around other boats with leadcore out, let alone if you were straightlining 300 yards of braid!

[jlaclair]

ah makes sense

[redarrow61]

A friend of mine has a short stout rod with a big reel on it that looks kinda like a center pin fly reel. He said his Grandfather & father use to fish lead core off it; by slowing drifting / trolling along and jigging it.  I spooled it with Lead core began moving along and "Pumping" the spoon, but the lead line kept snapping from the jigging?  Anyone have any ideas on how to do this without constantly snapping the line.  Maybe i'd be better off with copper wire??   

Issiah we have been using the big reels with 30# lead line with a 3 way swivel with a 12# leader material tied to that with a swivel on the end with a paperthin spoon on the end has to be very thin and light on the 3rd eye we tie a muddler minnow with a very short leader and with a nice wind we jig off the side of the boat. We have never in 20 years snapped the lead line. When your jigging, if ur on the bottem, you'll feel 2 light "bumps" on the bottem, when u feel them u jig again if u dont feel that your not on the bottem.  You can actually feel when u have too much line out also as it will be draging on the bottem u can actually feel when u r getting a good "drift" as we call it .You actually put your rod down next to u and grab the lead line and jig it by hand set the hook by hand and then transition over to the rod and reel in with the rod. Its a matter of feel the speed of the wind how many colors u have out which varies with depth and wind.Hope this helps. Spoons like cleos r too heavy very thin steel or copper is what we use.

[Rebelfisher]

its good to have different options onboard...some days riggers are hot, others you will only catch fish off wire..etc.. experimenting is key..find that sweet setup and you'll be asking yourself why you didnt have more like that!