Pyramid sinkers in a creek?
Fishing season opens tomorrow morning in my state and im itching to get out and reel in some fish. Primarily ill be going for trout. One of the problems ive traditionally had at the creek we go to (its a tradition to do opening day here) is getting lures stuck on underwater rocks. So ive done beach fishing a hand full of times using a pyramid sinker to catch catfish and what not and I was wondering if anyone had experience using a pyramid sinker in a creek? I figure this would aid in fighting the rocks which have been a slight problem for my spinners and spoons, and fight the current which is occasionally a problem for my bobbers. I just read about tight lining but I don't have a flyfishing rod and not too interested in getting one but the concept seems interesting.
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by ScipioNumantia
I think it would just be one more thing to stick in the rocks.
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by ObjectiveResolution
So my plan with this is to set it on a place that's relatively level on the bottom so it doesn't drift like a spinner would and get pushed into debris.
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by ScipioNumantia
I fish the los angeles river which is basically just rocks upon rocks and I've tried everything and you will just have to accept that fishing a very rocky bottom like that is asking for snags, I've used pyramid sinkers in the rocks and they get stuck just like everything else. Snapping off if just a part of fishing rocky areas. In my experience the angles of a pyramid sinker just get it wedged worse.
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by urbanpounder
Thanks for the input this is exactly why I always go with those Walmart $6 for 6 lures on this creek :D
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by ScipioNumantia
Pyramid sinkers are likely to get stuck just like anything else. Egg sinkers, split shots - things that are round and smooth would be much better however.....no sinkers of any kind would be most preferable when fishing for trout. you literally should be able to get by with a worm and a hook in a creek. dont forget that all your lures are essentially trash when you leave them behind. Have you tried any floating crankbaits that you can skirt along the top/ dive them now and then? if your spinners and spoons are catching bottom, reel them in faster. Trout generally stack up in currents and wait for food to come to them. Take your worm bobber set up, throw it upstream and let it drift. once it goes past your target area your done, pick it up and put it back upstream. letting it dangle in the current isnt ideal in my opinion, if they see it and dont take it they aint changing their minds just because it stays there for 5 min.
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by walterh3
thanks for the info Im not too keen on how river fish act. So they will pick a spot and snag food as it floats down river? for some reason I always pictured they went along with the current. I haven't tried crank bait, ill have to read up on that as well.
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by ScipioNumantia
Set your rig up like a drop shot. Just a Palomar knot (or whatever works for you) with whatever length tag you want. Put a appropriate size bullet weight on the tag facing down. Attach a small split shot at the very end of the tag.
Not only will it snag less but if/when it does the split shot will usually come off releasing the bullet weight and freeing your line so you don't lose your hook or lure.
Works amazing in creeks with rocky bottoms and current.
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by SomeKindOfSound
Pyramid sinkers are more apt to being caught in the rocks try using some pencil weights or you can tie the weight to your line with a lighter line so when you get hung up you lose only the lead and not your whole setup.
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by Dafishingman101
flyguy
Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!
A wild trout, not a pellet head, will only take a natural offering that is drifting the about the same speed as the current. Spinners, lures & streamers have a different presentation.
JimRed
Loc: Coastal New Jersey, Belmar area
The pyramid sinker is designed to take hold and stay in place; the bank sinker will slide easily along the bottom with current or a pull on the line.
if you're not getting stuck, you're not going to catch fish- pretty much that simple. Haven't seen your stream but generally the lighter the weights, the better.
We used to fish the tail waters of the Arkansas River Dam's for striper's and catfish using cut bait as the water was full of chopped up shad from the dam itself......using big sinkers to get stuck in the rocks was done on purpose, but the leader to the weight was 4 pound test, the main line 20 pound test. When a bite happened, (these fish averaged ten pounds) a wicked hook set would break the anchor leader line and allow you to fight the fish in sans the weight. Having a bucket full of 6 ounce weights was a definite requirement. Limit 10 striper's per person, it usually took about an hour to fill the live well with these monsters.....then it was all over but the fish fry that next day!
point being that if you know you are going to get the sinker hung up, run a small test leader so you can break it off without any difficulty.......it works well!
I have found the best use for pyramid sinkers is in water that flows fast with a mud bottom .
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