Line Counter Reels

Wow!........where does the time go? When I was a kid it was always "I can't wait until...(fill in the blank)". Now it is zip and zing. Summer is already over and the curtain closes on another northern paddling season.

What I like about fishing is it is never the same and there is always something new to be tried. New lures and new strategies to be employed. This months tip is likely old news to some. In the past I have resisted lugging in a line counter reel as they can tend to be kind of heavy. But this summers trip had very little in the way of portaging so I decided it was time to bring one along. I was very pleased at the results.

A line counter reel is a conventional (baitcasting style) reel with a readout incorporated into the reel. These types of reels have been mainstays on great lakes salmon and walleye fishing charter boats for years. The advantage these types of reels provide is the ability to know quite precisely what depth your lure is running. For example if your depth finder reads 35 ft and your line counter is reading 072 ft and you begin to bounce bottom with your lure you know in the future to let out less line......perhaps 068 will put you in the "zone".

If you enjoy the trolling game as I do then the advantages are tremendous. Add in that it helps negate "hassles" and you start to build a case for their use.

Their weight is certainly a consideration. In the past they were put to use mostly on Salmonoids with fairly heavy line and a large sized reel was the result. Since the revolution of braids however the reels have gotten substantially smaller.......and lighter as well.

I have coupled my line counter with an eight foot 2 pc walleye trolling rod such as would be used in planer board fishing. Since I won't be using the outfit to cast with I rather like the med action and the length of the rod which is very forgiving with lighter lines. The whole outfit added up to mucho fun and was a very engaging style of fishing. I like traveling on paddling trips but I also like fishing. The line counter certainly helped expedite that goal in a very satisfying way. But no matter what sort of rod you decide to use a line counter reel might be a tool to add to your arsenal. I think it is quite likely to be my constant companion on future trips.......

MT  

alas, its been a while since i perused these forums. got caught up in hunting season.

ive been toying with the idea for a few years of brining a line couter with leadcore(just the reel) and swapping out my baitcaster rod to that reel for trolling. it would greatly increase the number of lures that i could use multipurposely (all those shallow divers can be used for trolling deeper water) and i could maybe cut out a bit of the tackle i bring. im not really a fan of sinkers/snap weights.

i might actually do it one of these years!

jaximus wrote on Dec 18^th, 2012 at 3:24pm:

ive been toying with the idea for a few years of brining a line couter with leadcore(just the reel)

Not sure what advantage there would be in brining your line counter. Personally I try and avoid salt in my reels at all costs.......but as always I try and help  ;). I usually just brine fresh dead bait only. A slurry of sorts is made with a 50/50 mix of salt water and ice. The key ingredient in the brine is Kosher salt (or "ice cream salt"). Both are readily available at your local grocer. Even 3 days later your baits will look quite fresh with no loss of scales and will develop a nice hardness rather than being a pile of mush. Perhaps you seek to keep your line counter looking "fresh"?

In all seriousness Jax.......hope your hunting season was satisfying. I miss it greatly as I cannot get with the hunting program here is Florida.......

Why the Leadcore? Do you really want to drag lakers up from 80 ft? Even at 30 ft some might not make it as I found out this past summer. Besides, given todays superbraids and big cranks you can tick bottom in up to 40 ft.........about as deep as you need to be to get some action even in August. Start thinking bigger.........are you thinking about how to get your tiny lures deeper? Go big or go home is my motto  ;)..........I know, a 4" straight tail worm on 4lb test will take that fickle 5lb smally in June but big is where it is at later on when the fish go deep. Check out my blog where I was getting the bigger smallys on a big crank out of 55' of water.......that was so cool.

the leadcore was to get my arsenal of 4-8 ft cranks down in the 15-20 fow. all the lakes/rivers around me in wisconsin are pretty shallow so i have quite the assortment of lures for that, so i was hoping to make more use of those. i cant use the big lip stuff around my home, so i figured with leadcore i could double dip, plus its a presentation i dont already have, so its an excuse to buy more stuff! i have a ton of the shad body x raps with the small bills and they pull less on the gear but have awesome action.   (You need to Login or Register plus then i can get more use from the flat raps i picked up after you suggested them!