Low flow…lighter sinker??

So I’m sitting here wishing I was fishing…pondering the question of the day….

With this low flow, should I lighten up on my sinkers?

With a slip sinker (no-rolls) does it really make a differance? Does the cat feel the weight? Does he care is he does feel the weight?

Otherwise…with a lighter weight sinker…I’m loosing the casting distance.

Fish Smallies!

I would go lighter. As I ponder it though, there might be situations where a heavier sinker would be in order. Like heavy cover where a sinker might find a place to snag if it was moving around after the cat tightened your line when taking the bait. But I suppose in those instances you are also looking for quicker hooksets any how. I could also see in a rip rap, wing damn or any rocky situation where if the weight was moving after the fish picked up the bait, it would be banging off rocks. That potentially could cause the fish to drop it or pop the hook out if it was cruising and the sinker nailed a rock and came to a dead stop.

I am sure others have better thoughts, I am just kind of thinking aloud on a Friday.

I’ve been using 3oz no rolls for bullies and 2oz pyramids and 2oz bank sinkers for my shad and cut. If we don’t get any significant rain I am going to try 1oz for my cut bait and shad. I don’t like going any smaller than 3oz for bullies, I would think a bully might be able to move the sinker around and possibly get into more snags if you go much lighter than 3oz.

There really is only one way to find out though

If you are fishing cut bait I don’t think you will need any sinker at all during low flow conditions. As I mentioned in my fishing reports, I’m drifting for channels on the St Croix and just using the weight of the cut bait and my snap swivel and barrel swivel to get the bait just ticking the bottom. My drift speed is probably the equivalent of a low to moderate flow current so the absence of a sinker should work if you were anchored. I’m still getting hung up occasionally so you know the cut bait is right in the strike zone. You would be surprised how far you can toss a cast with just a healthy chunk of cutbait on your rig. I haven’t had that much trouble casting out my baited rigs.

Last night we picked up 3 channels from 8:00pm to 10:30pm and they were nice fish (30″, 24″, 22″) and they just hammered the bait. We had quite a few hits and then they let it go, smaller fish I think.

I don’t know how effective this technique will be if you are towing a live bullhead without some weight to hold him down. I plan on experimenting with this in the next couple of weeks. I’ve got some smaller bullheads (4″ to 5″) that I am going to try drifting with.

Always check your weight before your first cast. I get in a hurry sometimes. Just ask Dave + family, LFC and MrKeb. Last time I was with them, I began to wonder why my bullies seemed lifeless. I had a hunch I was using a 6oz in a spot that didn’t need it. Turns out I had an 8oz. We weren’t fishing a scour hole under a damn or anything.

That was bullhead abuse!

But Pug…if your using a no roll…slip sinker…unless that 8 ozer hits the bully on the head…it should still be lively(?) Trying to take out line and such…

Pug –

The sinker goes ABOVE the bullhead.

I try to use a sinker relative to the bait size in conjuntion with current flow. I’ve found with larger baits they can tow the sinker around, so with live bait I usually go with 3 oz minimum if my bait is up to 3-4 inches. If I’m using a larger bully or sucker then I go up to 4 – 5 oz. I usually only use the 5oz or greater (very rarely) in swift current with larger bait.

Well, when the sinker is as big as the bully, I imagine it is getting hit on the head most of the time, especially with a short leader. I know bullies can take abuse, but 8oz on the head when it impacts the water to me seems like a bit much!

I reitterate that I was thinking out loud. I was and am more interested in other peoples thoughts.

I think it best if you just turned over all of your 8 ozers to the nearest law enforcement agency.

You crack me up pug!

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If you are fishing cut bait I don’t think you will need any sinker at all during low flow conditions. As I mentioned in my fishing reports, I’m drifting for channels on the St Croix and just using the weight of the cut bait and my snap swivel and barrel swivel to get the bait just ticking the bottom.

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I have 2 rigs made up for tomorrow night, I call them my C15 rigging…..thanks for the tips

I’m getting my kicked by Flats so I’m going to do a change up for the weekend

Brian.. use the lightest sinker possible and you will have better success. Not only is there less resistence, but smaller weights hang up much less on obsticals. Dont worry about casting distance.. you are fishing out of a boat and your bully weighs a few ounces. The more natural your presentation in any kind of fishing, and the least resistence transmitted to the hook is always going to generate better odds on hooking up with any type of fish all of the time.

1 1/2 and 2 oz weights are not unreasonable for 7″ bullheads if there is no current issues. For cutbait, the least weight possible will also make a big difference… but you have to get the bait in front of the fish 1st. If you can cast there with 1 1/2 oz, you can get that 3 oz sinker off the line!