Sk8man

To answer the rest of your question: lead core allows you to achieve some depth without using a downrigger and it can add stealth as well as it is deployed out to a hundred yards behind the boat (10 colors is commonly a full leadcore setup but many folks have 3, 5, 7's etc. setups as well for running shallower. You can figure roughly about 5 or 6 ft. depth per 30 foot color depending on speed you can achieve bout 50-60 ft with that 10 color rig or less the faster the speed in general (and also depending on water currents and specifically what you are running at the terminus. Copper wire rigs (usually either 32 or 45 lb test braided copper wire but newer 60 lb is also possible) can be used generally on high capacity reels (as the wire takes up a lot of space and you need room for backing as well (often 300 yds of braid used). Commonly used lengths of copper are often in hundreds of ft. (e.g. 200, 300, 500, up to and including 600) which is usually the max and for good reason if you have ever reeled in two football fields of line especially with drag from resistance or with a fighting fish on the other end . A rough estimate for depth is 22 ft. per 100 ft of copper out but again it depends on boat speed water currents etc. and is at best an "approximation" unless you have a specific measuring device such as a Fish hawk TD or Smart Troll probe on the line. Again there is a stealth quality to the presentation because your lure if a long ways from the boat itself and the motor noise and turbulence etc. Wire rigs are usually 30 lb 7 strand or 19 strand stainless steel wire on a good line counter reel with smooth capable drag and the rod should be relatively stiff at least at the base and at the tip either a roller tip is used or a twilli tip so that the wire doesn't cut or wear through the guides and tip. Usually 1,000 ft of wire is used and the rig is used mainly to run dipsey diver and fly setups but can be used for other things as well (e.g. cowbells, meat rigs etc.) Other folks may want to chime in with anything I may have omitted from this very basic description.

For walleyes and Spring browns and just running spoons and sticks they are fine but with the heavier stuff I think the Black releases are the way to go.

A 5 leader Seth Green rig can be run off BIG BOARDS depending on what you use as your main line (mine are SS wire so I don't do it) but if braid is used it can be done. The issue with inlines is that it is the amount of drag on the boards and especially if larger spoons or ones with a lot of action will sink the boards (even the TX44's). The drag weight (resistance) is substantially more than just the sinker and instead of just having one object horizontal behind you'd have 5 in the water column...very different principle than with just something at the end of one copper line. Whereas the jugs pull pretty much straight behind the boat (most of them) there is less resistance than the boards pulling all that weight to the SIDE. The bigger boards have enough pull to the outside (e.g. Otters) to pull it off.

You're right John. I was thinking along the lines of the Tekota 800 reel being nearly 20 oz. lighter, and should still be able to get 500 ft of 32 lb copper on with 300 yds of 30 lb braid, great drag and very smooth with roughly similar gear ratio and retrieval rate. I haven't used either reel and the only Solterras I've ever seen were in salt water applications. I've handled the Tekota in the store and it seemed like a very smooth system and very capable for Great Lakes use. Just thought it seemed a worthy contender to mention at least for consideration.

For that type of money I'd be considering the Tekota 800 LC. they seem like a better made reel and I think the gear ratio, line retrieval etc. are similar

Dave really hit the nail right on the head

He indicated 10A's (older models) and they have a 10 lb max the newer model 10 have a heavier duty and substantially faster motor

The color aspect is open to personal preference like a lot of things in this sport but Lucas is right about the 10 lb limit on the 10A's to be safe with the motors.

Credit Unions usually have good rates.