Invaluable Fishing Weights Selection Tips

Fishing weights are also called sinkers. They’re used to get the baited-hook or lures down the water. Sinkers come in many different shapes and sizes. They’re employed for certain fishing methods, both freshwater and saltwater fishing.

Sinkers are made from a number of materials. Lead, tungsten, bismuth, tin, steel and brass are some of them. Lead is the main and most popular material for sinkers. Lead sinkers are prohibited in some countries and states, due to environmental concerns.

Sinkers are used mainly for bottom-fishing. When you’re fishing for bottom-dwelling species the sinker is needed to pull down the baited-hook to the bottom where bottom-dwellers forage for food.

Some other situations that you might need fishing weights are surf fishing, drifting and trolling. There’re sinkers available in different styles and shapes to suit the different methods of fishing.

Many factors must be considered when you are selecting your sinkers. For e.g. are the fishing method, the species you’re targeting, the fishing area, and the run of tide, the depth, the formation of the sea bed and also the strength of the fishing line in use.

Fishing weights are not cheap, losing any is costly. The bigger the size, the costlier it is. And to minimize loss, the selection of sinker is very important. As a rule of thumb, use the smallest sinker that you can get away with the better. Using too big a weight which made the presentation of the bait look unnatural might also deter the fish to bite.

The great variety of shapes and styles are made for a lot of different purposes. Each is designed for a specific form of fishing. The size to use by anglers depends on how far you want to cast. And in some situations is how much weight is needed to keep the bait on the bottom.

Below is a list of fishing weights which are the most common in use:

• Split Shot: This type of sinker is small, with a half-cut, which can be easily plied open and gently pinch on the fishing line. Commonly used in freshwater fishing, this type of weight is versatile and convenient.

• Egg Sinker: An egg-shaped with a hole in the middle to allow the line to slide through freely. This sinker is useful for surf fishing and fishing in current with the baited-hook moving freely.

• Pyramid Sinker: This particular sinker hold bottom really well. Especially when the current is strong, the sharp-edges prevent it from rolling. A favorite among surf anglers.

• Sputnik Sinker: Also known as surf sinker has 4 wire spikes which dig into seabed perfectly and pull off when bait is taken or when line is retrieve. A top weight for surf fishing over sandy and muddy bottom, but not over rough structure.

• Cannonball Sinker: An excellent sinker for drifting, come in a wide variety of sizes. But this is not one to be fished over rough bottom because it rolls like a ball, sometimes called ball sinker.

• Jardine Sinker: A convenient weight used for trolling deeper water, it come attached with a chain swivel for preventing line twist.

Mentioned above is only a small portion of the wide range of fishing weights available in the market. And these are the most commonly used by anglers all over the globe. Hopefully, this page will give you a better understanding of all the various sinkers and their applications.

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