Lead-lining for trout - ** Newbie Alert**

[Skiwi]

Another newbie here...

My 12 year old son and I have just started lead-lining for trout on our local lake using a 8hp Merc, idling along about 3kph, been out 3 times for a total of about 4 hours and are getting no bites.
We have used a variety of the the recommended local lures.
We haven't seen many fish on the finder, so that may have something to do with it, but just want to check we are doing enough right to be in with a chance.


Questions:

How much line to let out?
We have a 10 metre trace and are running all 10 colours out, plus about 20 meters of backing braid. The lure must be about 10metres deep as we snag the bottom in around 8-12 metre depth.

I hear of people using two or three colours to lift the lure, but that would mean the lure was only about 30 metres back from the boat which I would have thought was too close??

Any point in running around in the middle of the lake or are most of the fish near the shoreline?

Any other helpful tips appreciated, I have already read this thread and the others referenced from it getting started trolling

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Lead-lining for trout - ** Newbie Alert**

Find the bait = find the fish.

When the water is cold, trout are generally closer to the surface, and you might not mark any fish, just bait. Trout will usually scatter from under the boat if they are holding shallower than about 6 meters. Fish high in the water column once you contact bait. Side planers can help, as fish will run off to the side as your boat passes.

When water is warmer, fish will be at their comfortable temp zone. You will need to fish at this level.

You say you are not marking many fish. When you are marking fish, at what depth are you marking them? Each "color" of lead core line will get you about 1 meter to 1-1/2 meter deep, depending on your speed. So if you mark fish at 9 meters, you will need to let out about five to eight meters of leadcore line. You will want to be at or slightly above the fish with your lure. You could start at 8 meters, but you could be under the fish, and they won't see your lure. So start at 5 meters, and then adjust incrementally deeper if no hits. Once you hook a fish, you know you are at the right level.

You CAN run a few colors of lead behind mono or braid to fish shallower depths and still have your lure 25 or 30 meters after the boat.

As far as trout being near shore or in open water: this depends on water temp, cloud cover, and time of year. All are factors. Aren't you appraoching summer in NZ? If the water is warming, and has been iced in, trout will likely be shallow, and probably on the south side of the waterbody in your hemisphere. Can't give much more info than that since I don't know your region of the world. Find a local angler's group and/or visit a tackle shop for seasonal advice. Invite a seasoned angler to go fishing with you and show you the right direction. I wish my pride had let me do that in the early days of my fishing. Fishing ain't all about "luck" it turns out

 

[Skiwi]

Re: Lead-lining for trout - ** Newbie Alert**

Hi Mark,
Thanks for the reply, we spent another couple of unfruitful but enjoyable hours towing a couple of lures around yesterday evening.

But we learn a little every day, the fish we have marked are around the 5-12 metre mark so I think we are fishing too deep, I'll halve the depth next time and see what we get My only concern was being too close to the boat with the lure, but it may be that I'm being over cautious.

Yeap, middle of Spring here and the water never freezes over (I'm sure a lot of you Northern Hemisphere Guys think NZ is Sub Antarctic)
Air temperatures are currently ranging from a low overnight of -2 up to about 25 during the day.

I was going to advertise for a fishing buddy, I'll supply the boat, if he supplies the knowledge sort of deal.

Once again, thanks, and here's wishing you tight lines!

 

[bugman1964]

Re: Lead-lining for trout - ** Newbie Alert**

Are you using a long enough leader? I troll often for trout and salmon. My set-up consists of lure/bait attached to snap swivel, 12 feet of flouro-carbon 8lbs, barrel swivel, 35 feet of 15 lbs mono, barrel swivel, 27lb leadcore. That will place you about 15 meters behing the boat before you even get the leadcore out. Depending on the water temps/time of year will dictate the depth that the fish are at. I mostly troll spoons or bait (smelts) but you can use any type of forage fish from the body of water you are fishing. Spoons are usually in the 2-3" range, not overly large.

 

[Skiwi]

Re: Lead-lining for trout - ** Newbie Alert**

Thanks Guys,
I've spent the morning in the boat swapping out one of my crank batteries to a deep cycle and doing some re-wiring, so we are going to head out this evening and have another go

I've doubled our trace length and am going to run 5 colours, so that should put my lure about 5m down and 60m behind. (I hope the cunning B%^&s can't hear/sense us that far back...?)

My Son will run similar but 8 colours to put him about 8m down.

From what I've read, I think we have been too steady in our trolling too, so am going to throw in a lot of lazy S patterns and move the rod about a bit to speed up and slow down the lure.

If I can convince the wife its a fine way to spend an evening we may even get her on a rod running a lure about 2m down.

If after a couple of hours and no action, I'll revert to my trusty spinning rod and target a couple of likely looking coves we went past last time for some spinning and jigging.

Fish for dinner??
Fish for dinner!!

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Lead-lining for trout - ** Newbie Alert**

What kind of "trout" are you fishing for, rainbow, brown, lake, etc.?

I've tried lead core before with limited success as most of the fish we were catching were up high in the water column, early in the year, water warming from winter, fish up high. I usually try the lead core rig on every trip, but it's retired because the shallower rods are getting more action.

Have you tried pop gear? We use it while trolling as it's very productive; pop gear, snubber, a 5-6' leader and then lure or bait. Lure could be a spinner, spoon, plug, small 3" Rapalas work well... For bait we use a long shank hook with the barb smashed down the a 2" piece of worm. Unweighted pop gear will run about 5-10' deep depending on how much line is out, if more depth is needed add a 1/4 - 1/2 oz lead weight in front of the pop gear. We run an unweighted and a weighted rig, to cover different depths.

main line---(optional weight)----pop gear---snubber---5-6' leader---lure or bait

The snubber is important as it keeps the line taught and the trout from throwing the lure.

 

[Skiwi]

Re: Lead-lining for trout - ** Newbie Alert**

Well, I finally broke the cherry on the boat yesterday

It wasn't on lead line, but my Son and I went drift fishing amongst some weed beds with our spinning rods on our local lake and I managed to land a nice 2 1/2 pound rainbow off a small Rapala. (very nice for breakfast this morning)

It definitely peaked my boys interest and he managed to hook a couple himself.
He still has "hook fever" so lost them both on the retrieve, but he's getting there

Had at least 10 follow ups each too, so I have that spot marked for a return trip soon.

Thanks for the help everyone, I haven't given up on lead lining tho, I'll get there yet!

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Lead-lining for trout - ** Newbie Alert**

...I've doubled our trace length and am going to run 5 colours, so that should put my lure about 5m down and 60m behind....My Son will run similar but 8 colours to put him about 8m down...From what I've read, I think we have been too steady in our trolling too, so am going to throw in a lot of lazy S patterns and move the rod about a bit to speed up and slow down the lure.

5 colors, 8 colors.
I think you are WAY to deep for spring fishing. We figure EACH color will put you down about 4-5 feet (approx 3.25 feet is one meter) at about 2 Mph so that is like 1.5 meters per color. How many fishing rods per angler are allowed in NZ? (Here in Vermont they allow 2 fishing rods per angler) If you can run four rods, I would troll a 5-7 cm spoon on plain 12-pound monofilament with a 2-meter fluorocarbon leader about 20-30 meters out, and then on the same side put out your leadcore two colors out with maybe a 7 meter fluoro leader with a small rapala in your favorite color. The other side I would run a rapala on mono back about 25 meters, and then set out the leadcore with a spoon, again 7 meter fluoro leader. Spoons like these-
Michigan Stinger, Watermelon

Speedy Shiner:

Another good one for Rainbows: Phoebe

http://www.acmetackle.com/scripts/phoebe.html

Lazy S patterns
Good thing to do- the lure speeds up and slows down accomplishing three things-
1] looks like a baitfish fleeing
2] following fish open their mouths in self-defense (LOL) when the lure suddenly slows down and is going to wack them in the face
3] on days speed is a factor the changing speed gets you at the right speed at least twice in the cycle
4] Bonus! You cover more water and therefore maybe get "into fish" more often.

Congrats on getting those trout with the kid! The key isn't HOW you caught them- they were likely in the shallows because the water is slightly warmer and baitfish and/or or insects are available there.

 

[Skiwi]

Re: Lead-lining for trout - ** Newbie Alert**

Thanks mate, I'll give your suggestions a go next time we can get out