Leadcore

[Tom Sexton]

In my short limited time as a Carp fisherman I have never used leadcore but I now intend to. I'm aware of all the safety issues, so no problem there. However, I have got myself a bit confused with the theory of how it works. The weight of the leadcore pins the line to the bottom, however after you have cast your line out and then tensioned the line up etc. does this not raise the leadcore off the bottom? Is the weight of the leadcore sufficient that it will create enough resistance when you tighten up to prevent raising it? Thanx.

 

[Bob Watson]

Good question Tom, always had me stumped that one.

Rik???

 

[GrahamM]

To lift the lead core off the bottom means that a combination of things have to come together. First of all the lead weight needs to be heavy enough to hold bottom when you tension the line to that extent. Then it depends how far out you're cast - the further you cast the more difficult it will be to tighten up sufficiently to take the sag out of the line and lift the lead core. Add to that the fact that you then need to clip up or use a heavy enough indicator to hold the lead core off bottom.

So, in practice, the answer is no, tightening up in realistic terms will not lift the lead core off bottom.

 

[Dave Rothery]

depends on how far out your fishing, and how tight the line. i normally fish with slack-ish lines, so its not a problem. you have to think about the lake bottom. over gravel/silt leadcores fine, but its a bit pointless if your fishing into weed as it'll stick straight up. same with tubing. whether it makes any difference to the fish as they will be bumping into all sorts in the weed (especially those pink coconut ones - nobody ever eats them, but they still dissapear!).

i could talk about flying back leads......

 

[Tom Sexton]

Thanks for that Graham. It makes sense now. Much appreciated.

 

[Dave Rothery]

go to a field, cast 40yds and put the tip of your rod 6ft up in the air, and see how tight you have to tighten it till the line lifts clear

 

[Tom Sexton]

Thanks also Dave. I might just try that. Reading the answers to my query I know whats going to happen - a lot of tightening beyond what I would normally. Will be worth it for some casting accuracy practice though.

 

[Bob Watson]

So is the use of leadcore pointless with mono lines then?? I assume it's used to pin the line (itself) to the deck immediately behind the lead.
Some replies seem to suggest that mono will lie on the bottom anyway even after tensioning to rod tip.
What about fishing close in in deep water?Surely tightening up would lift leadcore.

Dave, would your test apply to braid too?

 

[Tom Sexton]

Oh dear!!1 Iwas happy with the previous responses. Bob has a point here. Any further advice please? By the way thanks all.

 

[Dave Rothery]

tom - its the only way you learn mate - keep questioning, read the answers, sieve out the c**p and ask another!

 

[Dave Rothery]

i use braid bob - at short distances it wouldn't make any difference. its probably worse with floating braids, which is why i use a flying backlead. its a small weight that rests by the tubing before the cast, then "flies" back up the line when you cast, being stopped by a small stop at the distance you want it. got to be careful in weed though, but see previous thought in weed
why would you want a tight line close in in deep water?

 

[GrahamM]

Maybe what I said before has been misunderstood, but what it meant to say was that only an unreasonable amount of tightening to an extremely hefty lead on the rig will lift the lead core off the bottom.

The lead core leader is supposed to lie on the bottom. The idea of using one is so that the line leading up to the rig (lead core in this case) lies flat on the bottom with the purpose of keeping it away from any feeding fish in the area of the hookbait that could foul it. If you tighten up enough to lift it off the bottom then you're defeating the object.

 

[Dave Rothery]

yeah , sorry, i might have given the impression that you need to tighten up - i was trying to show how the line droops and most of it would touch the floor in normal conditions.

 

[Carp Angler]

it also has the added advantage of protecting the fishes flanks from the cuts of braided mainline.