Sinker Sense

Most beginners I speak to have lots of questions regarding sinkers or leads as the Euro carpers call them. "What is the best size to use, what's the best type, etc.?"

Think about the purpose of your sinker. It is basically to get your bait out a certain distance and to hold that bait on the bottom. Additionally, it can be used in a third way as an aide to actually hooking a carp. Most fishermen who fish lakes and ponds use sliding egg sinkers in a half to one ounce range as their leads. I like to use the steel egg sinkers sold by Cabelas. These have an insert in the center which greatly reduces line wear that lead egg sinkers are known for. River currents dictate the use of heavier sinkers making weights up to three and four ounces standard in most big river flows. Fishermen who use heavier sinkers tend to use "semi-fixed" leads where the line does not move through freely the sinker. This is achieved through pulling the swivel that is on your hooklink into the plastic sleeve of these sinkers. I like Wacker Baits inline flat pear sinkers in a 3 oz. size with a #8 swivel on my hooklink.

There are a small group of sharpies now using heavy three ounce in-line leads to fish ponds and lakes. The theory here is that when a fish grabs their bait and runs, the sinker pulls the hook into its lip. Also, these heavy sinkers allow for a long cast, a real plus in some spots.

Remember, too, when choosing your sinker that the rod must be capable of casting that weight. Most "small" rods of 6-8 ft. are not able to handle the weight of 3 oz. sinkers packed with method mix. However, big Euro rods (2.50-3.00 test curves) of 12 ft. can easily handle the job.