LEADCORE – soft braid with a lead core. Due to its large mass it lays perfectly flat on the bottom and hides the last section of our rig, keeping the fish that swim around calm and not afraid of the main fishing line.
For those who do not know yet how to use the leadcore, I will do my best to create some basic fundaments in this article. To create the rig, I will be using Mikado gear.

There is one way to tie the rig, yet there are various configurations that it can be used in. Starting with a classic rig with a standard swivel and safe clip, up to a helicopter rig. 

Let me list features of the most basic and most commonly used leadcore rig:

1. Its length usually varies between 80 and 100cm.
At one tip we need to remove a tiny bit of a core. It is very simple as the core leaves the braided lagging by itself and is soft enough to be easily torn off using your fingers. It is worth to mention that the Mikado leadcore is very soft and perfectly adjusts to any shape of the bottom.

2. Then in place of the previously removed core we need to put a special needle. I am talking here about a tiny, thin needle finished with a latch.
It has to be done very precisely, as a frayed braid will be much more difficult or impossible to have the leader pulled though it.

3. More or less in half of a distance of the removed core, we pierce with through the braided lagging the needle and push it out. It is very well shown in the below picture.

4. We place the swivel on the loose (not the one with the needle) end of a braid. It can be a classic swivel, or as in my case here, a swivel with a connector. Then we catch the end of the rig with a needle and we pull it through the core of the braid. It is well pictured in attached photos.

5. Now it is time to arm the leadcore with, in example, a safe clip. The way I do is as following: first I place the clip with a silicone cover on a needle and thread that through the curved leadcore. Then I pull it down to the swivel and, of course, I place the clip on it.

6. Second end of the rig has to be finished with a loop and armed with a swivel. That can be done as per personal preference. ;-)
Again, just as at the beginning, we need to remove a piece of core, pull the needle through the gap, place swivel or finish it with a loop.

Leadcore Territory Gravis is available in as many, as 5 thicknesses and in two colours; I can easily say that the selection will cater to every and all carp anglers’ needs.

For those who do not yet feel comfortable with tying leadcores or simply do not have time to spare, Mikado introduced pre-made and ready-to-use rigs. Made of 80 cm long leadcore in the most popular BLACK/GREEN coating that will camouflage your rig on virtually any shape and type of a bottom.

There are two pieces in the box, finished with a classic swivel or with a quick connector swivel. Two versions armed with an additional safe clip and of course – a very popular lately, helicopter rig.

Good luck
Norbert Regulski
Mikado Fishing Team