Cat Tip of the Day - Sinker Release Snaps

[SteveD]

Most of us flathead chasers fish large live baits and fish those baits in the thickest, gnarliest, rockiest locations we can find. Flatheads live in heavy cover and sometimes to get them you have to go in after them. In order to pin those baits down we are tossing some heavy sinkers into all those snags. A four or five ounce sinker seems to find a way to get hung up just about every time you toss one out. I don’t mind losing the sinker so much as breaking my line and having to retie everything back up in the dark. I’ve been looking for ways to fish my standard slip sinker rigs in heavy cover that will make the large sinkers less susceptible to getting hung up. I think I have one solution to the problem.

There is a piece of terminal tackle made that is called a Sinker Release Snap. It does just what the name implies. If your sinker gets hung up the sinker release snap will open up and release the sinker and you retain your rig and hook. You will lose your sinker but save yourself the trouble of having to rerig in the dark. I can handle that – plus it is pretty quick and easy if you are rigged up with a sinker slide or a 3-way swivel.

When you first see the Sinker Release Snap and give it a good tug you are going to say to yourself this thing isn’t going to work – the line will break before it lets go of the sinker. I was a little skeptical so I did a test of the rig hooking a 5 ounce No-Roll into a Sinker Slide and then hanging up the sinker by clamping it down in a vise. I was using one of my flathead rods rigged with 65 lb PowerPro and I tied it off on one of my Snag Busters and gave the line a strong, steady pull and the sinker pulled loose fairly quickly and easily and my line was in no danger of snapping at all. I would think 20# line or so would work just as effectively as that heavy 65# PowerPro. Us catfish guys will have no trouble with the Sinker Release Snaps considering the heavy line weights we use.

I will sometimes fish rigs in heavy cover using Neversnag hooks so between my snagless hooks and my sinker release snaps I should be able to handle just about any flathead cover this year. If you haven’t tried out the Never Snag hooks you need to go to their HSOforum and invest in some truly excellent hooks for fishing in heavy cover. If you would like more information on the neversnag hooks and the sinker release snaps here are their webistes where you can purchase them.

Here are the links to the Neversnag hooks and the Sinker Release Snaps:

Sinker Release Snaps: www.terminaltackleco.com/ When you get to the HSOforum click on Swivels, Snaps & Components and then click on Sinker Snaps. They sell for a pack of 25 for $7.80 or a 100 pack for $27.35

In the picture you will see a Sinker Release Snap on the left; a Sinker Release Snap hooked on a Sinker Slide in the middle; and on the far left what the Sinker Release Snap looks like after having released a snagged up sinker.

This is the Neversnag Hooks lnk and picture:

Neversnag hooks: www.neversnag.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=15&Itemid=40

[TruthWalleyes]

Thanks for sharing.

Save yourself some money and tie 10#-15# mono onto your sinker to attach to your swivel snap...Works great. I use swivel/snaps always, and generally need to tie some line to the sinker because the bank sinkers i mold i'm not able to get the swivel/snaps around.

[Shack]

I like this method also for the ability to remove the weight from your rod when not in use. Saves from the weight banging into and nicking your rod when not in use.

Bella's also sells a bulk pack of these sinker releases. If I recall I paid around $7 or $8 for qty 100.

[aanderud]

Shack,

The ones Steve is talking about above are better than your standard sinker slides, because they release when you pull if you get snagged up, leaving the sinker behind but saving your line from breaking. This saves you a knot re-tie in the dark.

[Shack]

Sorry BA I was referring to the Sinker Slide but the ones I have bought at Bellas look like this:

and always release the weight before breaking the line. A needle nosed pliers is needed once and awhile to recurve the end of the snap.

The additional sinker release Steve is showing would work great for the bank sinkers you cannot get the snap to fit around. Instead of having them slide on the line you would be able to get these sinker releases in the eye of the bank sinker.

When it comes to using bank sinkers I generally use a cheap inexpensive key chain rings:

The best I have found is those cheap dealership/car lot key chain rings:

At an office supply store you can find these split metal key tag keyrings for (if I recall cause I have thousands of them from years ago) a qty 250 for under $10.

[bobbymalone]

If I recall I paid around $7 or $8 for qty 100.

no way!

I just checked, 9 bucks for 25.

I always buy them in 100 count bulk and split them with a friend. Usually go through CF connection and they are around $20 for 100. They look a little different and have a T on top for some reason, that I immediately snap off. I think it's a remnant from manufacturing or something.

Regardless of the ability to get out of tangles, I just prefer my line running through one of those slides than through the sinker itself. On big weights, I always tie up loop of 15lb mono to attach to the slide.

[Shack]

Good catch Bobby. I should've checked. I did buy them back in 08/09 and the more I think of it I believe I picked up two packs of 50 and they were on clearance so that is where I think I got the $7/$8 price range.

Either way they had to be a decent price at time or I would have just passed on them. Prior to buying them I just used a snap swivels and bead and that option works just fine also IMO.

I just dumped them all in a zip-lock since the packaging was just a plastic bag with cardboard folded over the top to close it up.

[SteveD]

Since you guys highjacked my thread and turned it into a Sinker Slide thread I will settle your argument by giving you a tip on how to get some cheaper sinker slides.

You can just make your own sinker slides by buying the nylon sinker slides and just attaching your own duolock snaps to them. You can buy the nylon sinker slides in bulk from Terminal Tackle Co., they sell them 100 for $7.05. Just google Terminal Tackle Co and then click on Fish Finders and then click on Nylon Sinker Slides (You can get them in Black or White). Can't get much cheaper than that - that is about 7 cents each plus the cost of a duolock snap.

The duolock snaps open up fully and you can just slide them on the nylon sinker slide - close the duolock snap up and you have a finished sinker slide.

[Shack]

You can just make your own sinker slides by buying the nylon sinker slides and just attaching your own duolock snaps to them. You can buy the nylon sinker slides in bulk from Terminal Tackle Co., they sell them 100 for $7.05. Just google Terminal Tackle Co and then click on Fish Finders and then click on Nylon Sinker Slides (You can get them in Black or White). Can't get much cheaper than that - that is about 7 cents each plus the cost of a duolock snap.

Another great tip Steve.

Oh, and sorry for the highjack Sir.

[DTro]

I don't even use the slides, I just use the Duo Locks with a large bead.

I don't care too much about the sliding part, I just want to be able to switch sinkers without retying.