The ultimate catfish sinker?

[Carp-fisher]

I'm a CAD designer and have access to a CNC machine, a bunch of scrap metal, and a whole lotta time on my hands. I'm going to design a mold for some catfish sinkers. I'm thinking of just going with the bank sinker or no roll design in the 3 to 5 oz size. Anyone have any ideas on a better sinker design...shape, size, features, etc.? If we come up with something good, I'll give away some protos.....

[Brownie77]

One that could be taken on and off without cutting and retying sure would be nice.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

They do make weight slides for this reason. I like the no roll, but I would be interested in a flattened out mojo style no roll.

[DTro]

A bank/no roll hybrid would be nice. I've seen a few around. Kind of a flattened bank sinker

[MinnesnowtaWild]

^ This is what I was going to type earlier...I see them a lot and Stam 34 has them. Not sure where to get them at but yeah it is basically a flattened bank sinker like you said (not completely flattened obviously, about the same width as a no-roll).

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Note from admin, please read forum policy before posting again, thank you.

[pureinsanity]

how about one that is guaranteed to not get snagged, or lost to the river ?

[pureinsanity]

One that could be taken on and off without cutting and retying sure would be nice.

I might have a solution for you. Easy way to change out hooks with out cutting or retying. Weights would just be a quick tie. Requires no swivel.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Yeah Team Catfish makes sinker slides or else you can buy small snap swivels and tie smaller mono line (20 lb) from the swivel to the sinker and then open the snap and attach it before your main swivel that way it won't rub on your line and you can break off easy if it gets caught up.

As far as a perfect sinker...I don't think there is one otherwise they wouldn't sell many different kinds. I prefer bank or no-roll.

[Gordie]

how about one that is guaranteed to not get snagged, or lost to the river ?

we could call it the boomerang sinker, the only thing that you have to worry about is casting it out. DUCK its coming back

[pureinsanity]

Originally Posted By: pureinsanity

how about one that is guaranteed to not get snagged, or lost to the river ?

we could call it the boomerang sinker, the only thing that you have to worry about is casting it out. DUCK its coming back

Everyone would be decked out in full body armor!

This 4th of July I was up on mille lacs and was to lazy to retie my muskie rod so I just used my three way rig with some big suckers and ended up getting a large Bowfin on and when I got him out of the water he shook my #4 bank sinker off and it hit my friend in the shin. Left a good mark and hook him down to his knees... Lead hurts

[River Runner Z]

ya flat banks half bank half no roll and river sinker look light a cirlce raft but i like both of them if you want to see them go to brads and son tackle

[Blue Kayak]

My preferred sinker is the no roll. However, no rolls seem to get wedged into rocks and timber easier than some other types of sinkers. I'd also like an easy way to put on a sinker without retying.

I wonder if something like this would work?

I'd like to have two eye hooks on the top of the sinker that could be clipped in. However, I would like the front hook to break out at a lower pound test than the rear hook. When you get a snag the front eye hook would break free and sinker would swivel around so the broad end is closest to the rod. Hopefully this would make it easier to break it out of a wedged snag.

Another, perhaps simpler option, is to have the rear hook molded into the sinker. Of course, then you cannot change the sinker without retying.

[Carp-fisher]

Now that's an interesting idea. I do see some problems with "clipping" eye hooks into the lead.

I wonder if a sinker could be made that had a groove that you could force fit a piece of rigid plastic tubing in. The line goes through the tube. When the sinker gets wedged in the rocks, you exert a certain amount of force on the tube and it pops out of the groove on the lead. Jam another sinker on and you're ready to go....hmm

[Blue Kayak]

Here are a couple of options.

The top one just has a hole drilled or molded in the back and a plastic slip out in the front. Of course, this one has to be retied if you want to change sizes.

The second one (with a detail drawing) has a sturdy spring molded in the back and a plastic slip out in the front.

[Blue Kayak]

I wonder if a sinker could be made that had a groove that you could force fit a piece of rigid plastic tubing in.

That would probably be the easiest to mold, and you could change weight sizes without having to re tie. You may loose more sinkers, but you would not loose as many hooks and swivels.

Would you have to have a dovetail type of groove to keep the plastic tube on fairly tight? If you do need a dovetail groove, could you release the lead from the mold?

[Carp-fisher]

Yeah not sure about that. Maybe a couple of thin tabs you could pinch down on the tube?

[Dutch55406]

Have any of you checked out the Euro style Carp rigs? They have some interesting rigs with break away clips and change on the fly type stuff that might work for catfish as well.

[icehousebob]

I've been molding my own bank sinkers for years, usually using any junk lead I have lying around. If I were to tap into my supply of pure lead, usually saved for muzzle loading bullets, the sinkers would be soft and pliable. They could then be whacked with a large hammer right after molding and become a hybred between bank sinker and no-roll. I always tie my bank sinkers to a sliding O ring with light line rather than string them on the main line. If they snag, I only lose the sinker, not the whole rig. A guy fishing next to me in a Carp contest hooked a big one and his sinker got snagged. The closest he ever got that fish to shore was about 10 yards; where his sinker was snagged.(I won)

[Gordie]

Now that's an interesting idea. I do see some problems with "clipping" eye hooks into the lead.

I wonder if a sinker could be made that had a groove that you could force fit a piece of rigid plastic tubing in. The line goes through the tube. When the sinker gets wedged in the rocks, you exert a certain amount of force on the tube and it pops out of the groove on the lead. Jam another sinker on and you're ready to go....hmm

yes they already being made I will try to post a pic a little later I have talked with the guy that makes these and he only makes them in sizes up to 2 ozs.

[Gordie]

here are a few pics of that sinker and components if there was a way to make the bank or no roll to work on this system I think that would be great.

[pureinsanity]

There is lots of interesting ideas coming up in this thread. Thanks for all the info! Most of my snags that I have gotten into is below my sinker. Either my line gets wrapped around some branches or my hook digs into the wood. I would much rather lose a hook than a sinker in my opinion. I came up with a solution that so far has worked really well.

I tie my bank sinker solid to my line about an inch or two above my swivel. When and if I do snag I can feel whether its my sinker or my hook snagged. If its just my hook, then when I do break my line it tends to break at the swivel leaving my bank sinker still attached to my line. So far it has worked wonders for me. Just my .02$!

Nick

[MinnesnowtaWild]

But that way a fish will not be able to take the bait without feeling the sinker.

[pureinsanity]

But that way a fish will not be able to take the bait without feeling the sinker.

I have had no problems? Normally I run a three way rig unless im fishing in heavy snags. I haven't caught BIG fish but I have caught fish

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I would definitely not recommend that. Eventually a big Flatty will come along and take that bait and feel the extra tension and spit it. Does your reel have a clicker feature or do you tight line your rig?