choosing the right sinker

[porgy75]

Choosing the right sinker is a valuable part of fishing. I have made my fair share of mistakes so thought I would post this information.

Sinkers are one of the most important pieces of tackle in fishing. Your choice of shape and size will dictate how your bait reacts in the water and also what type of fish you will be successful in catching depending on current, bottom surface.
Materials
The majority of sinkers (and weight for that matter) are formed by pouring hot, liquid metal into a mould. The metal cools and the tackle takes the form of the mold's design. During this process we are able to include brass eye's swivel's, swivel clips, wire etc. We are also to plastic coat some of the sinker shapes to help prevent damage to your boat.
Sinkers
There is a variety of shapes that sinkers can take and each one has it's own unique properties

Ball Sinkers: Ball sinkers drop faster and straighter than other sinkers
Bomb Sinkers: Good for surf casting and deep drops
Bell Sinkers: Comes with swivels to reduce line twist
Egg Sinkers: More streamlined than balls so provide less drag on floating baits
Pinch on: Very easy to attach and remove from the line
Sandgrip: Digs into sand to stop sinker drag
Pyrimid Sinkers: Bury itself if the bottom is soft and prevents rolling with the current on hard bottoms.
Spoon Sinkers: Reduced sinker snags

Jig Heads
Jig heads are designed to be used with soft baits. Small jig heads are useful for small softbaits when jigging in shallow waters. For deeper fishing or in currents, increase the size of the jig head. Larger Jig Heads should be used when trolling for larger species such as Kawhai and Kingfish.

[captnemo]

That's a good start, porgy. I would also add that a good fisherman learns to change the weight of the sinker with the change in the tide. When fishing for fluke you want to drift with that sinker on the bottom. Drifting halfway down in the water column will not keep you in the strike zone. I would recommend to always bring an assortment of sinkers with you. You most certainly are going to lose a few, so be prepared. Also, the tide at the new moon and full moon is often very strong. We sometimes have to use 8 or 10 oz to hold bottom in the bay. You might need different rods to handle this weight. It will pay off in the end with some larger fish. Good luck.