Before we begin this brief tutorial about those little weights you place on your fishing line, here is something to remember about sinkers:
Fish could care less about sinkers. The one and only thing they are interested in is your bait, and the manner in which it is presented to the fish. The primary purpose of a sinker is to assist in the proper presentation of your bait.
Related: Everything you ever wanted to know about fishing hooks! Read it here.
If you are able to effectively present your bait without the aid of a sinker, do so.
But, if fishing in a strong current, or in instances where the bait is not reaching the desired depth, then, by all means, use a sinker.
There are many types of sinkers, and each one is designed for a specific purpose. While choosing a sinker is not rocket science, selecting the right sinker can make you a more productive angler.
For example, using too much weight will cause your lure to be sluggish and less effective. On the other hand, not enough weight can result in less than optimal casting or in the presence of strong currents, moving your line some distance from where you want it to be.
With these warnings in mind, you should try to use the smallest possible sinker that will let you land your bait where you desire. Obviously, you should use heavy sinkers when fishing in strong currents. They should also be used when casting long distances or when bottom fishing, or fishing in deep waters. As pointed out earlier, too much weight can make the bait appear unnatural and may keep you from landing that “big one.”
Split Shot sinkers are small, round pieces of lead, or other dense material, that can be easily crimped to place on or removed from a line.
Bullet Weights are of course shaped like a bullet and are typically used in bass fishing.
When used with soft plastic worms, they help lightweight plastic worms reach the desired depth faster. Bullet weights cause the plastic worm to keep the head down, thus lifting the tail, allowing it to wriggle more freely, making it more enticing to bass
Bell Sinkers, also egg sinkers, are generally used to weigh a three-way rig which is useful for fishing on the bottom for catfish.
Slip Sinkers have a hole in the middle to allow the sinker to slide along the line, changing position from cast to deployment in the water.
This allows the angler to make accurate, long casts, holds the bait in place in heavy currents, and allows live minnows to aggressively swim actively above them, primarily attracting catfish.
To find out more about sinkers, go to: outdoorlife.com/complete-guide-to-using-fishing-sinkers/
