Fishing sinker
A fishing sinker or plummet is a
Types
A large variety of sinkers exist which are used depending on the fish being pursued, the environment, the current and personal preference.[3]
Pyramid sinkers
Pyramid sinkers are shaped like a pyramid and are used when it is desirable to anchor on the bottom of water bodies. They are attached to the terminal end of fishing line by loops of bra.
Barrel or egg sinkers
Barrel or egg sinkers are rounded and often bead-like with a narrow hole through which fishing line is threaded. These sinkers are desirable on rock or debris covered substrates.
Split-shot sinkers
Split-
Bullet sinkers
Bullet sinkers are bullet-shaped and used widely on
Dipsey
Dipsey sinkers are ovate or egg-shaped and are attached to the fishing line with a loop of brass wire embedded in the sinker.
Bank sinker
Bank sinkers are long and ovate and have a small hole at the top for the fishing line to thread through.
Claw sinker
A claw sinker consists of a sinker weight which is typically of round shape, and a number of metal wire spikes grouped around the sinker weight acting as barbs. Claw sinkers are used in surf fishing on sandy bottoms with strong currents, mainly to prevent the sinker from getting carried off with the current. Upon casting a claw sinker, the line is briefly tugged so that the claws will dig themselves into the sand, allowing the rig to stay in place.
Deep drop weight
A deep drop weight is used to reach the bottom in deeper offshore fishing applications. These fishing weights are typically cylindrical in with a brass eyelet at the top for attaching to a rig. Weights for this style of sinker range from one pound to as much as fourteen pounds. Target species include tilefish, grouper, and swordfish, among others.[4]
Materials
An ideal material for a fishing sinker is environmentally acceptable, cheap and dense. Density is desirable as weights must be as small as possible, in order to minimize visual cues which could drive fish away from a fishing operation.
In ancient times as well as sometimes today, fishing sinkers consisted of materials found ordinarily in the natural environment, such as stones, rocks, or bone. Later, lead became the material of choice for sinkers due to its low cost, ease of production and
Steel, brass, and bismuth sinkers have been marketed, but anglers have not widely adopted them due to their lower density and higher cost compared to lead. Sandsinkers have also been developed, using sand as weight. However, sand has a comparably low density to that of lead and makes a poor replacement. Tungsten is now in use, especially among largemouth bass anglers. Although several times costlier than lead, tungsten is just under twice as dense as lead and thus found desirable. The environmental effects of tungsten, however, are essentially unknown.[6] Another variant of lead-free fishing weights is presented by the Czech brand UFO Sinker, which offers weights made of heavy concrete, that can be pulled out of the water using a magnet.
More recently, terminal tackle manufacturers are experimenting with high density composite resins. These materials present a non-toxic alternative to lead sinkers at a lower monetary cost than alternative metallic sinkers.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Efforts to ban lead in fishing tackle Archived 2011-04-06 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 8 April 2011.
- PMC 8494375.
- ^ Kaminsky, Peter. "Picking the Right Sinker". Dummies.com. Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- ^ "Deep Drop Weights for Big Bottom Fish". The Tackle Room. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
- ^ a b MPCA Home > Sustainability > Reduce Reuse Recycle > Nontoxic Tackle: Let's get the lead out! Archived April 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Strigul, Nikolay, Agamemnon Koutsospyros, Per Arienti, Christos Christodoulatos, Dimitris Dermatas, and Washington Braida. 2005. Effects of tungsten on environmental systems. Chemosphere 61, no. 2 (October): 248-258. .
External links
- Do lead fishing sinkers threaten the environment? Archived 2005-02-04 at the Wayback Machine (from The Straight Dope)
- Toxic Tackle (article by Aquarium Monsters Australia)
- Let’s Get the Lead Out Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine (article by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)
- Stone plummets discovered in Canada