Weights in carp fishing

Carp fishing is one of the most powerful areas of bottom fishing, which are rapidly developing and gaining popularity. Every year new montages, means of delivery of equipment and bait are invented, many components of fishing are changed. One thing remains unchanged: every rigging has a sinker, which has its own special role.

First of all, sinkers are used to deliver the equipment. After all, often fishing is carried out at a distance of 80 meters or more. This imposes certain requirements on the sinker, the way it is attached, its shape and weight. The second, but important role of the sinker is self-seizing. When a bite is triggered, a signaling device is activated. The fisherman takes the rod and makes a control hooking to drive the hook deeper into the lip and do not let the fish get free. The first hooking involves only the hook, sinker and the fish itself. There are also special sinkers for scouting the bottom and sinking the line.

Basic sinkers

The main sinkers in carpfishing are attached in close proximity to the bait. They are the ones involved in throwing and hooking, their weight varies from 50 to 140 grams. Depending on the distance, the nature of the bottom, the presence of vegetation and snags, the shape of the sinker used is determined. All the variety of sinkers are differentiated by shape:

Long cast – sinkers for long throwing. For their attachment should be used mounting type “helicopter”. You can try a clip mounting, but the greater range is achieved with the “helicopter”.

Disadvantages: the load can roll on the slope and under the influence of the current is strongly buried in the mud.

Tri-Lobe and ELEVATOR. The main feature of these sinkers is their fast surfacing due to their shape. They do not stick in the mud, do not roll and are suitable for fishing in currents and marshy places.

Disadvantages: unlike the Long cast, the weights of these shapes provide less long throwing distance.

Horizon is designed for long and accurate throwing. Due to its edges, the weight stabilizes in flight, rotates less, so the equipment is less tangled. Greater efficiency of the cargoes “Horizon” is revealed on “blind” mounting and equipment “helicopter”.

Disadvantages: It is also subject to rolling and burying.

Bullet – unlike the Long cast has a blunter nose shape, due to which it sinks to the bottom slower and does not get stuck in the mud so much. It combines well with all types of mounting, there are modifications for in-line mounting.

Disadvantages: the load can roll on the slope and under the influence of the current.

Grippa – flat drop-shaped sinkers with small spikes for adhesion to the ground. Excellent for fishing on the current, on the slope, on the mud. It comes in in-line, hollow-core and solid versions.

Disadvantages: range and accuracy of flight compared to stretched weights.

Flat weight – excellent for fishing at short distances, on mud and uneven bottom. Provides better catchability on jigs with a safety clip and “sliding weight, are available in the modification of in-line.

Disadvantages: range and accuracy of flight compared to the stretched weights.

Pear is a universal load. Due to its shape, it is often used on silted bottom areas, provides excellent catchability. The main feature is compactness, which is why many people use this weight when using PVA bags.

Cubic pear – very similar to the pear, but the load in the cross section forms a square, rectangle or rhombus. Due to its shape, it holds better on smooth, hard bottom and small slope. Provides excellent catchability even on sliding and articulated mounts.

Disadvantages: range and accuracy of flight, strongly buried in silt.

Frame – a special type of sinker, applicable for fishing in the current and in the importation. Usually available in weights from 180 grams. These sinkers reliably hold the equipment from moving under the influence of various factors, such as current and wind.

Disadvantages: range and accuracy of flight, bulky, strong splash when hitting the water, the need to use rods class “Heavy” and “Extra Heavy”

Color of sinker

Very often in the store you can meet carp sinkers of various colors and textures, with the help of powder spraying lead as much as possible masked under the stone. Such sinkers are usually more expensive and you may suspect that you can catch more fish with them. After all, they do not give glare compared to conventional lead. In reality, things may be different. Manufacturers may use paints and materials of poor quality. From such sinkers can spread the smell of paint or solvent, which can scare away the cautious carp. If you are wondering about camouflage, then do not skimp on the means. But I can assure you that the bottom debris, raised from the fall of the sinker, gives excellent camouflage, settling on it. And bare lead is not bad to darken with manganese.

So, the choice of sinker is based on the choice of the point to which we will send our gear. To select the point you need to scout your catching sector, or as they say in carpfishing, your swim.

Scouting methods

There are two methods of reconnaissance:

1. echo sounder. We pass on a boat or launch an echo sounder-float rod and build a map of depths, highlighting interesting places.
2. Marking with a marker weight.

Marker weight

Marker weight is a special shaped sinker used in bottom fishing for bottom exploration by tapping and dragging.

In any marking it is necessary to choose an immovable landmark on the opposite bank. If the fishing will be held at night, the landmark should be large enough so that at night in the dark or when the fog appears, we did not lose it. If there are no landmarks, it is necessary to set 2 pegs, one under your feet, the second 5-6 meters in the direction of throwing.

Marking

After throwing, we reel out the slack, wait until the weight falls to the bottom, then make 3 quick turns of the reel and count. You can choose your own pace of counting. The main thing is that the interval was always the same, for example 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5…. For myself I chose a fast continuous count 1234567… Our sinker landed on the count of 5, we will recognize it by working the tip of the rod and the knock in the hand through the rod. In this way you can quickly find out the terrain in your fishing area, or as they say in carp fishing, your swim.

The picture shows an example of such marking:

1) The weight touched the bottom on the count of 7, got a knock in the hand – hard bottom.

2) The weight hit the bottom on the count of 8, but there was no knock – hit silt or algae.

3) The weight fell on the count of 7, felt some scraping – a hard object, such as driftwood or debris.

4) The weight fell between 6 and 7, felt some grinding – hit a snag.

5) The weight fell between 6 and 7, got a knock in your hand – hard bottom.

6) The weight fell on the count of 5, there was a faint knock – mud or algae.

7) The weight fell on the count of 4, 5, a knock – hard bottom.

The weight fell on the count of 5 – good knock in the hand, hard bottom (at first glance)

9) The weight fell on 5 – good knock in the hand, as before – hard bottom.

So we can quickly find out the approximate relief, places where it is not worth throwing. And by the method of dragging we can explore the nature of the bottom of favorite places. For example, if the load passes through algae, it begins to move jerkily, clinging to plants. If silt – the weight glides, but at the same time you need to apply force, because it gets stuck. If slippery, but no force is needed – sand. On step No. 8 we got a good knock in the hand, and when dragging there was a fraction, so it is a shell or stones.

All readings can be marked on a sheet in a cell or on millimetrovka, after measuring connect the points. Thus, we will get a kind of map of depths, based on which we will choose a place of interest to us. And by the nature of the place we will choose a suitable sinker and mounting.

When fishing in standing water, including carp fishing, a marker rigging with a float is used. This helps to accurately measure the depth at the fishing point.

In carp fishing, marker is given a separate place. Special super-sensitive marker rods, special cords, heavy weights are used. After all, a correctly chosen fishing point is half of success.

Back Lead

The back lead is designed for sinking the fishing line. It can be very convenient when you have several rods mounted on the rod. And in the case of a bite to the side, or when you pull out a fighting fish, your lines will not get tangled, and the main struggle will take place above them. Also pressing the line to the bottom can affect the number of nibbles, the fish may be afraid of a thick shock leader stretched towards the shore.

Rear sinkers come in 3 types:

1. With clip attachment. This sinker is put on the main line after casting, then the sinker rolls down the line to the bottom, thus pressing the line to the bottom, and selecting additional slack. In case of a snag, the clip unclips and the sinker slides off the fishing line without injuring it.

On a bite, the sinker slides down to the rigging, increasing its weight, which can negatively affect the fishing. When using this sinker, the rod should stand strictly in the direction of the rigging, otherwise you may miss a bite.

2. Stationary. Stationary marker sinker is fixed on the fishing line with a magnetic clip, or a clip that can be seen on swingers and bats. The sinker sinks down the line after casting, but when hooking, the clip releases the line and the sinker does not interfere with the haul. To retrieve the sinker from the water after hooking, it has a 7-10m rope on it. These sinkers are usually heavier than the previous variant. Of the disadvantages can be distinguished only by a decrease in sensitivity, especially when tapping to the shore.

3. Sliding. This sinker is put on the main fishing line before rigging, there are variants with a side slot, so that you can quickly remove or replace the sinker.

The sinker should be dressed with a cone to the rod. Thus, it will fly in opposition to the rigging, when the main line will pull it away from the shore. And the sinker will land about halfway down the line compared to the rigging. Due to the relatively low weight, this type of back lead does not interfere with the fishing, does not eat the indication of nibbles. If there are obstacles or snags in the fishing area, the use of this sinker can lead to snagging, as well as in the wrong or unsuccessful throwing there is a chance to damage the tulip rod.

The sinker has been used since the very beginnings of fishing and stands in its foundations. Every year new machining methods, new materials and coatings are invented to achieve more accurate and longer throws and other tasks. New attachment options are invented, and old ones are gussied up. And in the future this process will only gain momentum, because fishing without sinkers is not possible for a very long time.