No Roll Sinkers and why to use them?

[DTro]

I know there is a lot of tongue and cheek banter that goes on between a lot of us about the type of sinker to use and that's all and good.

But, I'm curious as to at the end of the day, why do people choose No-Rolls?

Is it because people suggest them all time or what your friends use, or is it that you find they actually work better than other types?

Here is why I ask. I haven't found ONE advantage to using them over a bank, pyramid, or flat/bank.

They cost more, they wedge into rocks, and the worst part is that in heavy current you will actually need a heavier weight to stay down. I always thought that the biggest "sell" of a No Roll was that in heavy current they stay put, but nobody ever mentions that in order to get it to the bottom you will need to upsize. Doesn't this kind of defeat the purpose? I also think that they wear the line faster than other types, but that is just a theory.

This has just been my experience, and I'm curious to hear about others thoughts.

[Scott K]

I mostly use them because they are easier for me to make, and to tie on, I dont need to buy, and use slides, or eyelets for the weights. In my area I fish, I dont have many areas with rock, and I mostly fish snag piles. As for the line wear, I just make sure to use a good quality line, make sure there are no burs on the sinker, and I can make it the entire season, without my line fraying from the sinker sliding on it. I actually prefer the no roll.

[DTro]

I actually see the "not having to use slides" as a disadvantage. Slides are optional with a bank sinker, you also don't have to use them. I only use them so that I can change out sizes as needed without retying.

I've never really made large sinkers for myself. Are No Rolls really easier to make then Bank sinkers? I thought you had to use brass pins to make the hole and that could be tricky?

I guess I was looking for what makes one sinker better than the other? Personal preference?

[harvey lee]

I have made many weights for catfishing and the Bank sinkers are a bit faster as one does not have to use the core pins.

I have always used the no rolls without much for issues so I have seen no reason to change to another.

Yes, I do have both the no roll and the bank in the boat.

I would think that the no roll would stay in place better than the bank sinker as it is totally flat and should stay in place better than a bank in current. Only makes sense that it would as it lay's flatter.

If the current is bad, I have enough sizes in the tackle box to use what is needed to stay in place.

Both will work.

[Steve Foss]

I did most of my catfishing from shore, and used a wide variety of sinkers for years until settling on the no-rolls. Simple reason was they didn't need to tumble downstream as far as the other styles before they'd hold bottom. The 3-oz ones were just right, and I had a buddy with a mold so we just made our own.

From a boat it didn't matter as much to me, because I was generally anchoring straight upstream from the structure I fished, and no-rolls didn't offfer any real advantage in that situation.

Where I fished the Red and Red Lake rivers and their confluence, it was not rocky except for shoreline rubble below dams.

[DTro]

See that is what I always thought too. Seems to make perfect sense, yet in practice it doesn't seem to work that way, at least for me.

Whenever I'm in heavy current I can get away with a lighter bank sinker than a No Roll.

For example last fall up on the Rainy River I couldn't stay on the bottom with a 5oz yet had no problem with a 4oz Bank. The only thing I can think is that the surface area of the No Roll catches more water.

I guess this is why I ask the question. If you had a choice between 2 sinkers, sinker A costs more, and works the same or maybe a little worse in certain situations than sinker B, why the choice to use A?

[Steve Foss]

If you had a choice between 2 sinkers, sinker A costs more, and works the same or maybe a little worse in certain situations than sinker B, why the choice to use A?

No reason at all to use sinker A in that situation.

I used bank sinkers too, Darren, and the no-rolls held better for me. Bottom type could play into that, too. Also bait/line and how it works with water drag makes a big difference on weight performance/hold. I typically was fishing channels with a chunk of goldeye, half a 6-inch sucker or a smallish frog. Not much drag there compared with large baits, and superbraid cut down water resistance even further.

[DTro]

Good point Steve. I don't fish cross current much. And the rolling downstream does make sense. Maybe much better for a shore fisherman?

What brought this up is that I see articles, TV Shows and guides (not to mention myself a time or two) recommending No Rolls and basically implying that you will have better success with them and I wonder if I'm missing something?

Didn't think about the shore aspect or cross current though.

[Steve Foss]

Well, to be honest, I never caught more cats after I switched to no-rolls. Gold old 30 lb mono and 6-oz egg sinkers worked just fine for me growing up along the river. It was only after I became a know-it-all adult that I thought one sinker might make me a better catfisherman than another.

I still use the no-rolls on the rare occasion I get to do some cattin. Not so many whiskery fish up here, less you include pout.

[SteveD]

I'm where you are at Darren. I seldom us No-Rolls anymore. I like the flexibility to change my weights based on the situation. With a No-Roll you end up having to cut your line to switch weights and too many times I found myself using whatever weight No-Roll was hanging on the rod just so I didn't have to retie.

When I am running a slip sinker rig I like to use a sinker slide on my main line and then depending on the situation hang a sinker off the sinker slide appropriate for the conditions. I prefer to use as light a sinker as I can so I will often try several different size sinkers until I find one that is doing the job I want. I carry a mix of sinkers in my cat box (flat bank sinkers, pyramid sinkers, hanging No-Roll sinkers, spoon sinkers) and I can rig any of them up with a snap or a split ring or a rubber band so they will hang off a sinker slide perfectly and I can change them out in seconds in the dark. Like most fishermen over time I've learned to have confidence in different tactics and techniques that have worked for me.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I use them because I have a bunch. I much prefer bank or pyramid. One of these days, I will just melt all my no rolls and turn them into something I want

[Brad B]

I have personally only used bank sinkers but did like the idea of a no roll laying flat and rolling less. I do see it as a advantage with the banks to be able to change them out based on the current or situation. another plus for the banks on a slider is that if you buy the right type of slider you can remove the whole thing when you are not fishing thus removing the extra strain on the rod from the heavy sinker. I am switching to flat banks this year as a compromise to the no roll vs bank debate. my thinking is that I have the option to change sizes with out having to cut and retie and the flatness of a no roll so it should lay flat and stay put. the only thing I wonder about flat banks is will they move on you in a cross current setting(shore fishing).

[DARK30]

I like no rolls but not because they're not supposed to roll (they do). I like a sinker you put your line through... barrel sinkers included. I do use banks also but what I don't like is all the extra knots, swivels, snaps and other stuff.

I started making my own "inline" weights a few years ago. The "UFO" works like a no roll but very cheap...a little time, effort and some beer cans I gotta make a video on how to do it sometime.

[aanderud]

Dtro, I'm pretty sure that from a boat, a no-roll offers little if any advantage over a bank sinker (and you may in fact need more weight to hit the bottom). Basically any weight that will get you down is a good weight in a boat.

The point is that they don't roll in the side current when you're fishing from shore. Given that they're more flexible and can handle both shore and boat duty, I guess one might be able to see the point of paying more...but I fish from a boat and I'll take the bank sinker.

I'm not a fan of the silly sinker slides though. They tend to get tangled up and whatnot, in my experience.

[DTro]

Hey Dark I still have a few of those UFO's. About the most economical sinker a guy can make.

Plus you need to empty a beer can to make it!

[Gordie]

I have two set ups for makin pyrimid sinkers and I still use them on and off but since I went to no rolls I have feel it been less lost and easier to set up so I ussally have a couple rods set up in differnt ways and one is ussally with a snap swivel in stead of a slide for easy change out. I do however find myself haveing every rod set up with no rolls at the end ofd a fishin trip as I'm always grabbing those sinkers out of my box

Just my

[DARK30]

I got the lead...you bring the beer

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

When I first started cattin I used Mojo sinker and I seemed to catch more fish then. I would just stack one on top of the other. As for No Roll vs. Bank. I have to be honest I have two reasons I use No Rolls is 1. I got on here and saw some of you old timers talking about them working well. 2. I felt comfortable with them as I was used to using the Mojos. I have never really been around banks so I never see them in action or really hear much about them.

Thanks for interesting read/info.

[Dennis Steele]

I like the No Rolls becuase for me they don't roll around like bank sinkers.

I also find they don't twist up and tangle on my line as bad as bank sinkers or any sinker that 'hangs" on the line.

Pyramids and disc sinkers don't roll either but I find that the pyramids snag up easier and like I said earlier the disc sinkers tend to tangle my line.

One more advantage is that when your reeling in with a no roll you can get some "lift" out of them to clear snags that might be down there.

[pureinsanity]

[ Also bait/line and how it works with water drag makes a big difference on weight performance/hold.

Very good point!

Last year I used a 8oz no roll for most of the catting season. It was the only option for me to sit on the bottom in the high waters with fast water moving everywhere. Several people commented it was too big of weight and a 4 oz would work just fine. (people in boats) That is one thing they didn't take into consideration was when they are fishing out of a boat and casting with the current were as for me I was battling the current head on and my line was catching most of that current.

[CarpinMNRiver]

Do you think it matters to the fish with more weight than you would need? I bought 25 pounds of sinkers online last fall ranging from 4-6 oz no-rolls and bank sinkers. I still consider myself a rookie cat fisherman even though I got out quite a bit last summer. I usually use 2-4oz for channels and 5 or 6 for flats. The bank sinkers seem to hold a little better in current.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

I personal don't think the weight makes a lick of difference to a cat. They are big enough and strong enough that the weight probably isn't even noticed. Not to mention when a cat devotes himself to taking a bait he doesn't care about the a few extra ounces. That just means hes getting what he thinks is a better bang or the buck.

[mrklean]

I fish from shore so the no rolls worked nice to fight the current and not get drug downstream out of a boat anything worked pretty good I like thqe pyramids best

[pureinsanity]

I agree with HKK on the weight doesn't matter. Ive caught channels while using an 8oz sinker and they didn't seem to care.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

If you have a slip sinkers like a no roll a Flathead is not going to feel any weight of a sinker. Channel Cats with no clicker and closed bail don't seem to mind and that is without a slip sinker.