How To Set Up The Hybrid Leadcore Rig Step By Step! 

Love that u use a double uni knot to connect your lines. It’s one of the best knots to connect braid to mono. 👍🏼👍🏼

Thank you for sharing your hard earned knowledge so freely Cal. I have learned a lot from you and I greatly appreciate it.

Just got the same rod and reel and spooled up exactly according to Cal’s specs for 18ft top shot and calibrated the reel by measuring out a hundred feet in my yard and then spiking the duolock in the ground with a screwdriver and ran the line back to my 100ft mark and it was damn near spot on! With a dodger and some leader to presentation should be perfect! Thanks Cal!

That is an awesome set up!

Great informative lead core content. Thank you

I've found the yellow rod does double duty the action perfect for the dipsy diver #1 using #30 braid I have a couple of old Penn saltwater reels (garage sale ) I reel the hybrid leadcore onto one of the level winds when I want to use the rod for divers saving my hybrid line for future use works out pretty good

Cal! You should make it simpler by tying your lines together using the "Blood Knot". I never had this knot fail me plus you don't need to use Super Glue. I just loaded up my low profile Okuma Convector and the line fits like a glove. Can't wait to try this out!

Man I needed to see this. Thank you

Same formula works just fine on Okuma Magda, MA 20 DXT, GEAR RATIO 5.1:1 Much thanks Cal works great!!!!!! 👍

Awesome Content. Thanks for taking the time to do this. This may be a silly question, but could I use this concept but run stick baits as opposed to Flys? I want a system where I can run Flys and/or hardbaits with lead core and get it out away from the kayak as needed.

I ended up using the larger okuma cv-354 dlx reel which pairs up with the yellow rod very nice the rod reminds me of old school rods we used when I was a kid with modern guides & traditional cork handle I differed my line setup from cals just a little in that I used #12 mono for backing & 4 colors lead core with #10 berkely vanish for the 70 ft. top shot the smaller okuma 163 I found the spool too small to accomidate 3 colord of #15 lead core so I transfered that reel to my trout & kokanee rod spooled with #10 berkely vanish the hybrid rig ill use with trout trix worms , metal heads & pistol petes with a rudder as the pistol pete flies have a very small spinner so im not taking any chances I try to watch at least one FHS video a night during this stormy weather to get ideas for my next trip I have camanche new melones & don pedro nearby to fish as well as a few others

Hi Cal, What do you think of the Red Phillips knot? I wanted a knot that was easy to tie, small, and strong. I have used this knot for 5 years with no failures! Keep the vids coming. Thanks! Jeff

Thanks for the video I've been very curious about this lately. Is there any reason not to use mono in lieu of the fluorocarbon? Also would you run dodgers on this setup or not? Thanks Cal.

Ive pulled the trigger on one of your lead core rods I share your opinion on the abu garcia reels however the lc 5500 not available in left hand so ill be pairing it up with an okums cv-163 dlx (leftie) it has a line capacity of 180 yards of #12 mono ill be studying more of your videos also ordered metal head fly kit this is all new to me m sure ill have questions before its all said donei

The FG Knot is perfect for joining mono to braid, its fast to tie.and its super strong.

Cal, I've seen you use a couple of recommendations for spooling a conventional reel. One approach uses mono to start before braided, the other was to use silicon tape with braided following. I have seen many approaches on the tube but rely on your opinion as tried and true. Which do you recommend as the best, if there is one. Thanks

Check out the Willis knot for connecting lead core line to mono or fluorocarbon. Pretty slick reliable knot.

I should clarify I couldnt find the 5500 lc model in left hand have owned the 5501 lefties as well as the 6501 but couldnt find them in linecounter models im sure the okuma will work for me up until now ive been using spinning tackle for trout I plan on using your same line counter numbers when spooling the okuma

Hi Cal, regular subscriber and use your trix worms, trigger spoons and trolling flies. One question, i want to have my rig at 30ft without downrigger, but am confused. How do i get to 30ft with only 3 colors lead core if one color only goes 5ft down? I have ordered all the components but want to be sure i spool the reel correctly. Thanks!

If spooling up a different reel/line and you don't know how much of each, you can spool it in reverse (top shot, leadcore, backing) so you can just top it off to fill up your spool with your backing at the end, and then take it off and put it back on the correct direction.

I'll use your knot, looks good. I clamp a spool of line onto my rattle reel, tighten it down a bit behind a huge washer and leave the reel on the rod to fill the reel

Also in newer videos you talked about how you have experimented with shorter top shot lengths. Any more videos on that?

I think I'm going to try this.....

Great video Cal! If I wanted to get down to 100 feet at Shasta how much more line would I let out, or would I need to add 3-4 more colors? Sometimes, the downriver are a pain in my 1991 Alumaweld with the old school narrow not made for downriver rails.

Why use 15lb lead core instead of 27lb or 36lb? I’m gonna be trolling for salmon in Sacramento and might try this setup but not sure what pound lead core I should be using

I can't find a video on your deep lead core rig? I would like to set up a lead core rig for getting down 40ft or better. What would you advise for reel, backing, braid, lead core and top shot? Thank you, Mike

Is that reel like the Abu Garcia ambassadeur altum dlc where once you get your line down to the depth you want and engage the reel you can back reel about ½ a turn and it reduces the drag by ½ish so it acts almost like a bait runner?

Hi Cal, what are the advantages of the hybrid setup? I'm used to braided backing, ten colours lead core and then the top shot. Why do you only use three colours and mono to start with on the spool??

Hi Cal, Be careful.... it's been my experience that these types of line counting reels (various makers) don't count accurately if the spool is not full. Thanks for the videos!

How much backing do you let out when fishing deep? Does more line out make you fish deeper ?

You mention a leader? Details on the leader set up please.

I would like to purchase one of your lead core rigs but it looks like your sold out on the fish hunt shoot website! Any idea when you will be getting some in stock?

That's great Cal. I was going to try and contact you for this information. Heading to your store after this note to see if you still have any of those Arbu left. Should go well with my Vance ULT 762 rod for long linning. I just don't use a downrigger on my kyack. Trolled all summer with a spinning rod and did very well in the high mountain lakes but changing out from a trolling set up to a casting set up takes away from my fishing time. Can't wait for spring, roads are closed now to where I go. Again thanks for the info...

Same birthday as me

Hey Cal, I’ve been using heavy braid on my catfish bait cast rig. No top shot! I’m getting allot of twists or tangles in my line. Seems to do better with less line on the spool. Less line that is because I’ve had to cut out a mess. What am I doing wrong?

Just ordered 2 abus and plan to set up this way as well. Now 3 colors would be your shallow rod and go down to 15’ with 3 colors? Now when you say they go down to 30’ is that with ) colors? Also when you set back do you stop when the leadcore color touches the water, rod tip, or let out to a certain counter? Did I miss a video with your explanation on how to run it? Thanks

Do you have the lengths for Okuma saltwater on your store?

Nice set up. Which rod's lbs you reccomend with this ? Like 10/20lbs or less?

How would you spool a Penn ware fare 20 level wind line counter with hybrid leadcore.

So 15 lb lead core. But how do you feel about the new suffix 832 advanced lead core?

What lb lead core are you running? I happened to notice they have a lb test.

Any chance you have the amount of line needed for a okuma convector cv-15d reel?

Now I know!!😎👊🤟

If you have only one color out of lead core and the 60 feet top shot how much do you think the top shot changes your lure depth? It wouldn’t still be running at 5 ft would it?

Thanks for an awesome instructional! How often does the lead core break on you?

And what type of rod do you use for that setup

You obviously have a method that works for you , but I have a couple questions about a couple lengths of line you were giving as you filled the reel. I have some 18# Suffix Performance lead core line. Each color is 10 ft long. That is what you used, except it it was 15 lb. line. I was under the impression that all Suffix line had 10 foot colors. You said you loaded 3 colors of line and that it was 90 feet of lead core. Wouldn't 3 colors be 30 feet of lead core, not 90? My second question has to do with using the line counter to measure the line you were adding. As I said earlier, you have a method, probably through trial and error, that works for you, but those numbers you were looking at on the line counter were not accurate. As I have been told by Pros, videos and experimented with myself, line counter reels are only accurate when you have a full spool of line. One has to calibrate the exact amount of line to get anywhere near close to the numbers that the line counter is telling you. For example, when you put the mono on, you said you were adding 80 ft. or something like that. The line counter displays the revolutions of the spool at full capacity. Since that was the first line you put on the reel, there is no way that was actually 80 ft. or whatever the line counter number was since the diameter of the spool of line was so small at that point. However, I do understand that it is the number on the line counter you use for filling an AG 550 the same way every time. It is practical, but not accurate to quote the line counter numbers to get the reels all filled alike. Did you purposefully not mention the line counters inherent inaccuracies at different stages of filling the spool to keep things more simple?

When you are actually putting braids on your casting reels it is not recommended to use monofilament for a backing my word Vice is use braided line for your backing it does not slip on the spool I've been using braids for quite a few years and it works real good try my mess up once used braids for your backing I'm just saying

Coated copper, winding motor copper works much better 22ga to 28ga

Bait cast

Great info. I strongly disagree with the abu recommendation! The quality has really went down over the years! Their warranty and customer is awful!! On top of that the made in China and South Korea low profile bait caster reals are junk! Hopefully this trolling reel recommendation is better then their bait caster offerings! Buyers beware!!

can you use a lead core rod with all mono for other types of fishing?

I believe that's called a double uni knot.

So what your saying is that you, the mono-filament goes on first, the lead core second and we attach small lengths of mono-filament each time it breaks?