Do you always need a sinker when fishing?

When it comes to fishing gear and tackle, sinkers are staple items that should be stocked in your tackle box at all times.
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Can you fish with no sinker?

The second reason we use lead is to provide weight for casting. In any angling situation where these two situations do not apply, or can be overcome in other ways, there is no reason to use a sinker. Fishing with unweighted rigs is definitely not new.
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Why do you need a sinker for fishing?

A fishing sinker or knoch is a weight used in conjunction with a fishing lure or hook to increase its rate of sink, anchoring ability, and/or casting distance.
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Do you need a sinker when fishing with a lure?

In deep water though, you'll want something heavier like lead weights so that your line stays right at the bottom where all those big fish are hiding out! Sinkers are a crucial part of your fishing line, because they help you to adjust the depth of your lure.
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Do I need a sinker for bass?

You'll need a sinker or a weighted jighead to get a buoyant lure like a plastic worm or tube bait to the bottom and keep it there. Here's a roundup of the various weights BASS pros use to get their lures into the strike zone.
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Choosing the right sinker size



Should I use a bobber or sinker?

When pond fishing, use a bobber to keep your bait afloat. When river fishing, use a sinker to weigh the bait down. If you use a bobber in a river, the strong current will push your bait back to the bank. In the case of bobbers, size matters.
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Do bass like shallow or deep water?

They stay shallow — typically less than 8 feet — until hot summer days push water temperatures into the high 80s. That's when they start to move out to deeper, cooler water where they stay until the shallower water starts to cool again in the fall. Food is what really dominates the lives of bass.
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What should you not do while fishing?

Here are some things to stay away from if you are trying to have a successful fishing trip.
  1. Loud music or loud talking. Most fish have a great sense of hearing. ...
  2. Using the wrong lures or bait. ...
  3. Being impatient. ...
  4. Fishing at the wrong time of day. ...
  5. Using worn out fishing line. ...
  6. Being unprepared. ...
  7. Not paying attention.
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What not to touch when fishing?

Repellents: human skin oils, nicotine, bug sprays, sun screens, scented and perfumed soaps, any petroleum distillates like gasoline, marine grease, oil, diesel........ The author of this article is a FISHING CHARTER CAPTAIN on the Treasure Coast of Florida.
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Should I tie my lure directly to my line?

Lures will almost always run better and look more realistic when they are tied directly to the line or leader rather than having some clunky old swivel stuck to its nose.
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How much weight should I put on my fishing line?

In freshwater, a 4-12 lb test is standard. For small trout and sunfish, a 4 lb test is okay. For bass or general freshwater fishing, 6-8 lb test is the norm. In saltwater, 12-15 il test is standard when using light tackle for smaller species, while 17-20 lb test allows you to target bigger fish.
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How heavy should your sinker be?

A good rule of thumb here is: 1oz for little or no wind in water 10-20m deep; 1.5oz for 15-25m; and if there is some wind and you're fishing 20-35m, use 2oz.
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How far should the weight be from the hook?

Tie a hook on the end of your fishing line with one of your fishing knots. Pinch one or two small split shot sinkers to your main line about 6-12 inches from the hook to add a bit of weight to your line (this will keep your bait suspended vertically).
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What can I use instead of sinkers?

Lead Sinker Substitutes: Which Choice is Right for You?
  • Steel and Tin. In many ways, steel fishing weights have a lot of pluses. ...
  • Tungsten. This product has become the most popular non-toxic, lead alternative for anglers around the world. ...
  • Bismuth. ...
  • Brass. ...
  • Clay.
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Do you use a sinker with a float?

Between the float and the hook, split-shot sinkers can be added to the line to make sure that the bait sinks down away from the float. This may be especially important when the bait is very small, or when there is a current in the water, such as in a river or out at sea.
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Do you use a sinker with a hard lure?

There are several reasons why you might need to add weight to your lure or get your hands on a fishing sinker: Weights enhance your lure's anchoring ability. You can cast your line to greater distances with sinkers. It reinforces the sinking rate and ability of your lure and line.
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Is it OK to talk while fishing?

Yes, fish can hear you talk!

Sounds that are created above water typically do not carry enough force to penetrate the surface tension of the water, so talking on the boat or loud noise may not affect fish as much as your fellow anglers may want you to think. Your voice is unlikely to spook or scare fish away.
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What is the most harmful fishing technique?

Trawling: It consists of throwing big nets into the seabed, which are ballasted and then pulled for their collection, so they capture everything in their path. This includes species which will be of no use, coral destruction, etc. It is one of the least selective fishing methods, and very harmful to sea bottoms.
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What is the most damaging fishing method?

Bottom trawling, a fishing method that drags a large net across the sea floor, is extremely destructive, destroying as it destroys entire seafloor habitats including rare deep sea coral and sponge ecosystems that take decades to millennia to develop.
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Can fish feel pain when hooked?

Do fish feel pain when hooked? The wild wriggling and squirming fish do when they're hooked and pulled from the water during catch-and-release fishing isn't just an automatic response—it's a conscious reaction to the pain they feel when a hook pierces their lips, jaws, or body.
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Do fish get hurt when you hook them?

Hook wounds may appear minor to anglers, but damage to the gills, eyes, or internal organs can be fatal. If the fish is hooked deep in the throat or gut, research shows that it is best to cut the leader at the hook and leave the hook in the fish. Prolonged attempts to remove the hook often do more harm than good.
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Why aren't the fish biting?

If the fish aren't biting, it may be due to the water being too cold or too hot for them to behave as they normally would. If this is the case, try to slow down your presentation and cast directly on them. This technique will allow the fish to grab the lure without exerting too much energy.
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What bait attracts bass most?

Shad, minnows, or shiners are some of the best live baits for bass, hands down. Baitfish come in different sizes and can be used in all types of bass waters, but they are incredibly productive in deeper water to target huge bass.
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What time of day are bass most active?

Without question, the best time of day to fish for bass is at night. Bass are known to feed more heavily at night than during any other time of day. Not only is night the best time to fish for bass due to bass being more active, there are often fewer anglers and less commotion on the waterways during the evening hours.
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What is the secret to catching bass?

Bass like to ambush wounded prey, so a beat-up worm is perfect to use, especially in shallow water. In shallow cover—wood, stumps, clumps of grass—I like to use a spinner bait with a red or pink head, and a crank bait with red hooks. The red makes the fish think the bait's injured, and they'll bite at it.
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