Terminal Tackles - Part 3 Sinkers

If you are fishing with a conventional rod & reel set up, sinkers are an integral part of the system. You need to have sufficient weight to cast your bait out to a fishy looking spot & keep it pinned down on the bottom or stationary on mid water, depending on your presentation. Sinkers, as the name implies, is a piece of metallic object usually made of lead but can also be made with rocks, brass & steel. Keep in mind that, lead is toxic to the environment & so try not to loose them or use brass sinkers instead.


Just like any other terminal tackles, sinkers comes in many shapes & sizes. They all perform same function but is specific to their applications. I'll describe some of the common ones that I use regularly.

Ball sinker

Ball or Egg sinkers
Just as the name implies, it's shape like a ball or some in oval & has a center hole for threading line through it. I regularly use these sinkers when fishing in shallow waters. They generally come in small sizes for fishing in freshwater lakes & ponds. I usually use these sinkers for my umbrella rigs. In the absence of bullet sinkers, I use this as alternative for assembling Texas rigs.

Long sinkers

Long sinkers
Similar in design to ball sinkers but shaped longer. They have a centre hole for threading line through it. It's more aerodynamically efficient & less likely to snag on the bottom. I use this sinker for my sliding sinker rigs.

Bell sinkers

Bell sinkers
This sinker is shaped like a bell & has a loop build into it for tying on a knot or run loose. This is usually meant for deeper waters or saltwater fishing so they generally comes in larger sizes.

Bullet sinker

Bullet sinkers
This is a must when assembling Texas rigs. The sinker is shaped exactly like a bullet with a center hole for threading line through it. This sinker design is also very smooth, sliding through vegetation & branches reducing chance of snagging.

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