Most anglers use traditional bell sinkers (1/2 to 3 ounces) for fishing three-way (Wolf River) rigs with livebait snells, spinner rigs, crankbaits, or flutterspoons. About 13⁄4 to 21⁄4 ounces suffices in most cases. In some areas, river anglers have opted for longer, thinner pencil-shaped weights to minimize line twist in current and to provide enhanced snag-resistance in craggy rocks. Plain dull lead finishes are standard. Ever seen a bell with a fluorescent paint job?
Magnum 3-ounce-plus sinkers may be difficult to find at retail outlets other than in river towns where bank fishing is popular, or where deep trolling is common, such as near the Great Lakes. The best outlets for obtaining heavy lead are catalogs catering to trollers or commercial fishermen. In a pinch, heavy pyramid or bank-fishing sinkers suffice, though they’re better suited for catfishing or as marker weights.
It Trolls for Thee—Trolling sinkers basically are in-line weights, tied in-line or attached on-line at a desired position. Traditional trolling sinkers are long like cylindrical pencil sinkers, but slightly larger at the midpoint, tapering to a smaller diameter at each end. They may have simple looped wire tie-ons, snaps or snap swivels, or swiveling chain attachments (Bead Chain Tackle). Keel sinkers basically are trolling sinkers with a finlike projection off one side that functions as a rudder, minimizing line twist at trolling speeds. They’re available in numerous sizes from about 1/2 ounce to over 3 ounces.
Several manufacturers offer quick on-off rigging via an internal rubber grip that fits inside a slot in the trolling sinker. Insert your line into the slot, twist the ends of the rubber strip, and it grips your line without actually tying. Twist in the opposite direction to detach. Rubbercor sinkers and their imitators minimize rigging time.
Gotten to the Core—Leadcore line functions like a living sinker—an outer core of braided Dacron with a thin, flexible internal filament of lead for weight. Simply reel the line and internal sinker up through the guides, and onto the reel. Tie a 50-foot leader of 10-pound-test monofilament ahead of the leadcore to avoid spooking fish with heavy line and to allow your lures to achieve proper action.
Leadcore trolling line comes in 100-yard spools, with every 10 yards a different outer color to indicate line length. Very simply, the more line out, the deeper your lure runs. With 18-pound-test Cortland or Gudebrod leadcore—popular for walleye trolling—every 10 yards of line weighs about an ounce. A large-capacity trolling reel is necessary to handle the bulk of the line needed to sink crankbaits, spoons, or spinners to depths exceeding 50 feet and to hold them there. Trolling more than 30 yards of leadcore, however, tends to sink the average side-planer. Sometimes side-planers are trolled with a small amount of segmented leadcore—1, 2, or 3 colors—tied into main 10-pound-test monofilament line to reach down to 40 feet.
