Sinker Discussion - Types / Sizes / Uses

[boehm95]

Hi guys

I have recently just joined and have not found much here about sinkers.  I know we all have our own opinions and do what works best for us, that's what I'm interested in.  I think this thread would be great for the newbies to fishing to get some of the basics down.  As we all know sinkers do play a very important role, outside of dropping baits and it can seem quite cumbersome  when looking at the number of sinker styles and sizes.  So tell me about the sinkers you use, what do you use them for?  What sizes / style etc.

Sinkers are something I have long overlooked until I got into casting my own as well as selling them in bulk at wallet friendly prices, because I got real sick of the big name brands charging for instance $15 for a 6 pack of 3oz stars, there are so many sizes and types out there that it leaves me bewildered.

There are a number of styles that I am yet to try or cast, so this thread will also be a great one for me to learn some more info.

 

What I use...

Beach:

Strong swell / sweep = 4 - 6oz grapnel

Ok conditions = 2-5oz star

Good conditions = size 4-7 ball

But as per everything it all depends on what I'm targeting.  Say for instance I'm live baiting for jewies, I'll be dropping them down with a size 10 ball, or perhaps even using an 8oz grapnel and sliding live bait rig when fishing high run areas from the rocks such as bars and etc.

Live baiting with a float I'll often use split sinkers.  Bottom bashing on reefs I use size 4-10oz snapper leads, and I know guys fishing 300 deep using 32oz snappers etc.

 

What would you say are the essential sinkers to have in your tackle box as a newbie?

My recommendation first and foremost would be a good range of sizes in ball sinkers as I feel they are pretty well dynamic across many style of fishing.

 

Cheers

Ben

[The Mad Hughesy]

usually...ill use whatever is available in my tackle box and only heavy enough to have it not roll with the current wherever im fishing. unless im targeting some specific, im not fussy. unless sharking from a beach then ill use a brick or sandbag

but id agree with you, keep an erray of different sized ball sinkers handy and with the right knot they can be used in a paternoster rig making them a versatile sinker.

[boehm95]

Yeh that's it mate, I was very much like that and got real sick of the heinous prices on sinkers so starting making my own!  I often will take what's available, typically my box will consist of balls, stars, grapnels, snappers and splits.

Mate you want a sandbag / brick for live-baiting beaches etc and have a solid rod to fling it out with, cannot go past an 8oz Grapnel with 7" grip wires, my go to sinker for live-baiting high run areas with 30cm mullet etc such as the seaway from the rocks..

Exactly, I think you can cover all types of ball sinker, I tend to use stars / grapnel's and the like namely on the premise that I'd rather cast out 4 ounces of grapnel than 6-7ounces of ball to get the same effect! Dropping live baits I prefer to use 7-10 balls especially with Jew due to the roll they have, i.e. harder for the fish to detect the weight when taking a bait.

[The Mad Hughesy]

16 minutes ago, boehm95 said:

 

Mate you want a sandbag / brick for live-baiting beaches etc and have a solid rod to fling it out with, cannot go past an 8oz Grapnel with 7" grip wires, my go to sinker for live-baiting high run areas with 30cm mullet etc such as the seaway from the rocks..

 

i paddle my baits out 100m+ sometimes, never cast as i use short 20kg rods. but this coming summer i intend to try different techniques to keep a large bait in the one spot and not have it roll in the current, including the grapnel sinker setup

[boehm95]

Grapnel sinker's are the go to for when I'm live-baiting with bigger baits or in high sweep / run / currents.  Unless chasing jew then aforementioned fat bally!  Have you tried a sliding rig?  I use a 7'2" 23kg terez for livebaiting frequently and use a live bait slider after casting out an 8oz grapnel.  You can buy them online, not sure of any stores around here that sell them, around $6ea online.

[Luke Landrunner]

2 hours ago, christophagus said:

i paddle my baits out 100m+ sometimes, never cast as i use short 20kg rods. but this coming summer i intend to try different techniques to keep a large bait in the one spot and not have it roll in the current, including the grapnel sinker setup

Just have to watch out for boats between you and the beach.....

[The Mad Hughesy]

41 minutes ago, Luke Landrunner said:

Just have to watch out for boats between you and the beach.....

Almost lost my finger thanks to a boat doing exactly that. Apparently didn't see me 100m out from the shore. As the boat hit my line the bait with brick and massive circle hook came flying off my kayak smacking me in the back with the hook inches from my finger