Sinker selection often doesn’t get the attention it deserves among both lake and stream fishermen.

I touched on that subject in my previous column.  This time around let’s take an even closer look at the importance of picking the right weight.  We’ll also look at some of the best ways to go about it.

One of the most popular forms of fishing for steelhead in the rivers of the Pacific Northwest is called “drift fishing.”  As the name implies, drift fishing is done by casting your bait or lure slightly upstream and letting it drift down with the current.

Steelhead simply won’t move far to pick up either bait or lure.  Now and then one will surge up to grab something but most of the time you’ve got to get whatever you’re using right down in front of their noses to get action.

You won't hook many steelhead like this beauty unless you have the right sinker size to get your Wedding Ring down where it needs to be.

Let’s say you’re throwing a Mack’s Lure Wedding Ring for summer steelhead in one or another of the half dozen Southwest Washington Rivers.  The Cowlitz, Kalama, both North and East Forks of the Lewis and a number of other rivers in that area have annual runs of these wondrous fish.

You’ve studied steelhead fishing enough to know that you’ve got to keep your lure moving right along the bottom as naturally as possible.  This just isn’t going to happen unless you’ve go the right amount of weight.

Here’s a dandy way to go about it.  Attach a snap swivel to the end of your main line.  Your Wedding Ring came assembled on a leader.  Determine what length of leader you want to use.  That determination is best made by eyeballing water clarity.

One you’ve determined the leader length you prefer, tie the end of the Wedding Ring’s leader into the front eye of a barrel swivel.  Now connect the snap swivel at the end of your main line to the barrel swivel attached to the Wedding Ring’s leader. 

The next step is to take a 4 or 5-inch piece of lightweight mono and tie it into the front eye of the barrel swivel that’s attached to your leader.  That short length will serve as a sinker drop line. (Note the illustration that pictures this set up.)

Here's an easy and effective way to rig your Wedding Ring for stream fishing.  Attach a snap swivel to the end of your main line.  Connect the snap to a barrel swivel.  Tie a short length of leader into the forward eye of the barrel swivel to serve as a sinker drop line.  The Wedding Ring shown on the right comes with a leader.  Determine what length of leader you want to use, then also tie it to the forward eye of the barrel swivel.  When your sinker hangs up as it drifts downstream, it's often possible to pull the weights free of the sinker drop line and avoid losing your lure.

You can pick up sections of tubular lead for use on this sinker drop line.   If you prefer you can also use split shot.  Simply crimp the tubular lead or split shot in place on the sinker drop line with a pair of pliers and you’re in business. 

This set up provides a number of advantages.  For starters that sinker drop line with its weight attached serves as a keel of sorts to prevent line twist.  It also makes it easy to change sinker sizes.   

Whatever type lead you use, don’t crimp it into place on the sinker drop line too tightly.  Fish right along the bottom as is often a necessity for consistent steelhead angling success and you’re a cinch to have your weight hang up from time to time.  If you don’t have the sinker crimped on too tightly it’s possible to pull the weight off the sinker drop line when hang ups do occur and avoid losing your entire rigging.

It’s always a good idea to pre-rig as much of your tackle as you can.  Use of the snap swivel and barrel swivels provides a
time saving advantage when you want to change lures.  You can switch from one of the Wedding Ring Classics to a Pro Model Wedding Ring with minimum down time.  The swivels also cut down on line twist.

Certainly there are other methods for sinker rigging, but the one I’ve detailed is a dandy.  I put a bunch of steelhead on the bank with it when I lived in the Evergreen State.  It will work just as well for you today as it did for me then.

Casting from a boat on a lake for other species of fish is a different matter than stream fishing.  There are a number of ways to go about it.   In my next column I’ll share the details on one that has worked especially well for me.

-To Be Continued-