English Sinker - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Notaro · 12-26-2002, 04:05 PM

Hey guys, I was wondering if using an English sinker will help me to do better at surf fishing and pier fishing. The reason I think that it's a good sinker because it has three metal thin sticks on the bottom of the sinker which will provide a better protection against the rocky ground and a good distance casting. Can you guys help me with that?

Mr. Kav · 12-27-2002, 07:34 AM

i am not a big surf fisherman but i was under the impression that the thin pieces of metal are used to gripand hold the sand better. i would think that you wouldn't have a problem with a bank sinker in the rocks the problem would be getting it the sinkers out of the rocks.

JohnR · 12-27-2002, 08:35 AM

I'd be reluctanct to switch up too. The vast majority of bottom we have is rocky. Those are for distance casting into sand, right

? Nahh, no need to reinvent the wheel, at least until you have some more time in. Stick with the regular sinkers for now, probably a lot cheaper too.

bloocrab · 12-27-2002, 09:48 AM

Notaro...

...those thin rods are supposed to work as anchors, while fishing in a strong current...when the sinker hits bottom it tends to roll with the current. With those rods, as the sinker rolls..the rods bury themselves in the sand, HOPEFULLY keeping your sinker in that area. They - in NO way increase your distance, if anything...they'll decrease it..you won't notice it, but in a grander scale of things...while riding in your car, stick your arms out of the window. That's how those thin rods feel when you cast em'

..so forget the increase in distance. They're sole purpose is to secure the sinker on the bottom. Now like John said, alot of our area is rocky...and I'm not so sure you'd want to use them round' here, we got enough anchors out there already...

When I first seen them, I thought WOW!!..so I purchased a couple.

... my personal opinion, human eye candy!

One other draw back with these sinkers is that when you do use them correctly, (in a strong current) they will eventually BURY themselves. As sand is being swept over them, they just dig deeper & deeper. How do you accurately "Set the Hook"????

If you have any of those, take a ride to the beach on a windy day...when the wind is blowing sand around. Place it in the sand, you'll see the rods dig in, while the wind covers the sinker with sand. The wind will work like the current.

aaaaaahhh...Fagggettaboutit!....(my bloo-cents)

Goose · 12-27-2002, 10:57 AM

I agree with those guys but there spots in the canal where I've seen that sinker work better then bank or pyramid sinkers.

STEVE IN MASS · 12-27-2002, 11:03 AM

Aren't they also called sputniks?

As Bloo said, they are used in current or heavy surf. Guys in Jersey use them in the surf when it is way up and pounding. On days that even 8 oz won't hold, a 6oz sputnik will.

But I would rarely use one around here, except for maybe a place like Duxbury or Plymouth beach, or the sandy areas of South County like Misquamicut Beach, and only on a day that nothing else will hold.

keith · 12-29-2002, 06:31 AM

In England we use what are called breakaway leads they have four wires sticking out of them to hold your lead in the sand.When you want to pull them out one strong pull on the line and the wires just drop down ,you can all so use them with lead lifts which help to get your leads up to the top of the water and over the rocks . A clip down rig will cast as far as any other rig if i can offer any other help with rigs we fish in the UK just let me know as most of our fishing is done from the shore at distance

Christian · 12-29-2002, 12:23 PM

my dad got me a "sea fishing" magazine when he went to england a while ago and i noticed that in almost every picture of a person casting conventional the reel is way the heck down the the handle about two or three inches from the but, is that to gain leverage? i also noticed that all of the guys in the pictures casting have some pretty mean faces on, it looks like they'r going to heav those things about a half mile out. i aslo saw a bunch of diagrams for some very complicated rigs, an example of one is where the water pressure forces a little pin with a piece of faom on the end out of the little wire ring on the lead, what is that all about? i really liked that "Sea Fishing" magazine, do they come with stuff attached to them every time? i got the one with rod wraps.

P.S. is Ilsley a common last name in England? my last name is Ilsley .

keith · 01-02-2003, 10:05 AM

Hi christian the rig you are on about is for fishing over rough ground the idea is that if you sinker becomes stuck the light line will snap leaving you with your fish on the other line. The reel is down at the bottom of the rod for casting most of our fishing from the shore is at long range 150 yards plus Isley is a common name over here