Sinkers for cow fishing

[Grinder]

For years I always placed a small split shot sinker about 2 ft in front of my sardine or even chovie (remembre those?) when fishing for albacore or bluefin... on my 8ft bait sticks fishing 20lb, 30lb or 40lb with smaller superior casting star drag reels like Newell 220, 332 or Pro Gear Albie Specials 270 or 540, I can cast a bait a good 30+ yards away from the boat using the small split shot which also makes the bait swim downward when it lands on the water (lots of jackpot fish over the years with this method).

Fishing on the slide (I really hate to troll), I use a small 1oz to 2oz chromed in-line sinker with 3 ft. of fluoro leader tied on the back end leading to my baited hook, and I dump in over the side using a shorter 6.5ft rod like a Seeker 6465 or Calstar 765XL once the boat cuts their engines on a hook up, I let line out in a "controlled" free spool so that the bait does not sink too fast but it is still getting down deeper in the water column than the usual flyline baits, so my bait is below the surface and now all by it's lonesome, with the extra chrome flash of the sinker and the natural flash of the sardine I find that I get bit faster and usually hook larger fish (this can be a killer method for Bluefin when they a mixed in with Albacore or even small Yellowfin).

I also like the 3oz to 6oz torpedo sinker over the sliding egg for getting your bait down in a swift current while fishing for large/cow YFT. Sometimes I use those plastic pinch on stoppers like the kind used on Wahoo bombs to keep the rubber banded sinker from sliding down to my hook (unlike split shot they do not harm your line in any way).

Sometimes it is all about being a little different with your bait presentaion than the rest of the anglers your fishing with, and sinkers can give you that edge presenting your bait lower in the water column. I even have a whole plano multi-compartment accessory box filled with ringed "RED" bait and circle hooks just so I can be different than the rest, I know you may think I am crazy but there are times when those darn RED hooks get bit better than the shinny ones, bronze ones or the black ones... don't ask me why they just do!

[bunilio]

It drives me crazy sometimes when "the guy right next to me" is always getting bit and catching fish and I just get to be his "audience" for 2 hours or so. I don't dare leave this spot and I can hardly stand to stay so close and nothing. Well, It has to be that way sometimes, we can't win them all. It is always evened out when I finally get "the one" and beat out in the jackpot !!1 Whoo Hoo, The meek shall inherit the earth!!1