We personally use various Sputnik Sinkers, this is simply due to the reason that we never really know where along the Gulf Coast we are going to end up fishing and what the conditions will be in order to keep our baits on the bottom.
Our choice of sputniks at LeadSlinger's Sputnik Fishing Sinkers comes from a somewhat more technical need instead of looks or fancy gimmicks.
We know that the bottom structure of the chosen fishing place and its surrounding areas, along with the Tide Stage, Moon Phase and ultimately tidal currents will dictate which Sputnik will work best for us in the area we decide to go.
We fully understand that these weird looking (Sputnik weights) might be somewhat
off-putting to anyone who hasn’t had the opportunity to use one, especially if
you’ve not been around surf fishing for long. I can assure you
that they are not just some kind of marketing trick.
The well-thought-out design of these weights does serve a specific, and extremely useful purpose. These sinkers are quite helpful to any Pier and Surf fisherman needing to hold or shall we say pin a bait on the bottom when there is a significant current flow. I’ll do my best and somewhat try to explain the reasons why we have been using them on our fishing sessions for quite some time and perhaps give you an idea or better yet, a reason as to why you might want to consider giving them a try and perhaps add them to your fishing arsenal, just like we did many tides ago. Our Sputnik sinkers are made using various high-quality items such as : CNC produced molds, 99% pure lead and marine grade torsion straightened stainless-steel wires.
We have a passion for Pier and Surf Fishing, the kind of passion that will not stop you from fishing even when conditions are not optimal.
Sputnik Sinkers vs Spider Weights aka Claw Weights
Sputnik Fishing Sinkers are a very particular yet specific style of Pier and Surf Fishing Sinkers. Let’s say that they are somewhat derived from the more commonly used spider weights. Some of the features that make Sputnik Pier and Surf Fishing Weights unique are their protruding wires and looped tail end, which helps place the weight’s body and center of gravity more towards the front of the sinker. Whereas on most of the commonly used spider weights their body is cylindrical and the legs are fixed (Don’t get me wrong, I’m a strong believer that any sinker will work under the right conditions no matter how well or poorly designed they might be) which offer an advantage over the more commonly used Spider Weights. One of the main advantages of their folding/breakaway legs and round aerodynamically shaped body is the ability to adjust their leg tension, which changes their holding strength, while also making the Sputniks far easier to reel the fishing weight back in if properly configured, simply reel up any slack on your line and apply pulling pressure by moderately pulling back in your rod this will make the legs come loose from their respective slots that way when reeling in to re-bait you don’t have to fight the wire legs digging themselves back in during its retrieval (this is especially true if fishing from the shore and with a 10 ft or smaller rod, than if the wires were in a fixed position just like they typically are on the more commonly used spider and or claw fishing weights).
When Do We Need To Consider Use Sputnik Sinkers
Whenever we are targeting bigger predatory fish When heavy tidal currents require a bank/pyramid/no-roll fishing weight heavier than 5–8 ounces. Any time when we are casting medium to large bait presentations from either Piers or Surf into areas with moderate to heavy currents, which typically only larger predatory fish would be found on. When fishing with a fishing rod that isn’t rated for the size of fishing weight that would be needed to fish under the conditions mentioned above, (Let’s be honest, not everyone who likes to fish uses or can afford gear capable of casting heavier baited rigs, some of us do what we can with what we can afford)
Where Spider and Sputnik fishing weights really shine, is when casting bigger baits from a Pier or from shore. Larger baits catch more air during the cast even when using clipped down fishing rigs, we know that they will catch more underwater current, therefore are more likely to move/creep along the bottom in rough conditions. A heavier "non leg wire sinker" isn’t always our best option, since we are already casting a rather heavy bait, if we add a really heavy sinker to the baited fishing rig of choice, it can and most likely will become extremely hard to cast for the average angler. Many times the fix for us is to use a Sputnik or spider fishing weight. They have much greater holding power at a lower weight ratio than any other fishing sinkers out there, but they also have their limits, just as any other sinkers do. Many people cast pyramid sinkers (there is a reason as to why they are the most popular sinker worldwide), but when the conditions require something heavier than an 8 ounce pyramid fishing sinker, that’s when they go to some type of spider weight.
Substituting Sputniks For Spider Weights
Our preference is to use Sputniks Fishing Sinkers from 2 ounces up to 12 ounces, even under extreme tidal conditions won’t allow us to get away with up to a 6 ounce pyramid fishing weight on certain occasions or when targeting a specific species. We really like to start our fishing sessions with the 5oz Sputnik weights. That’s generally an ideal weight for most commercially available fishing rods on this side of the pond! They work great since they provide enough weight to properly load a surf rod in order to achieve great casting distances, plus they are heavy enough to help pin your medium to large baits on the bottom in heavy currents. We use them frequently in our fishing session when targeting Big Drums, Sharks, and Stingrays. Let’s be honest, a vast majority of today’s Pier and Surf anglers use rods that are capable of casting heavier payloads, I have a passion for casting 8-and-bait with my particular rods. We can honestly say that a 4 ounce Spider/Sputnik easily replaces a 6 ounce bank/pyramid/no roll sinker, and so on. You can see, as our need for a heavier weight increases, the desire to move to a Spider/Sputnik Fishing Weight increases (it appears to be true for most people anyway).
Sputnik Fishing Weights do have their Pro’s And Con’s
Even though Sputnik sinkers allow you to achieve more holding power with a lighter fishing weight, there are downsides.
Pro’s Allow you to cast further, thanks to their aerodynamic shape, and without having to overload your fishing rod of choice. They allow us to get enough bottom holding strength with a lighter, more castable weight. They tend to get stuck less often since the arms fold away and our Lift-Tail version with their body shape helps them “swim back” a lot easier and higher in the water column, helping you avoid potential snags.
Furthermore, they allow the angler the use of a lighter rated fishing rod thanks to the lower weight needed to cast a baited rig farther out and hold bottom.
Con’s
They will occasionally get tangled with your leader during the cast or during the retrieval (this is especially true with longer leaders)They are pricier than almost any other fishing weights due to the parts and labor required to produce them.
They are a bit more difficult to store (honestly, they are bulky in nature, mostly due to the way the wired legs are shaped). Furthermore, they do require some learning for their proper use and storage purposes. You have to be careful when handling a thrashing fish with the Sputnik attached to your leader (Watch out for those wires they can cause you damage, please watch out for those wires)
They tend to collect more grass and debris upon retrieval.
Finally, there are alternatives to a Sputnik Fishing Weight
Traditional, more commonly used spider weights
We have also used these, more commonly known as spider weights, and they always do perform very well, with their only downside being that they can be a real pain to reel them in.
Gemini Sinkers (Breakout and Splash Down Sinkers) which we also use and sell.
The *Gemini Sinkers* are more than some sort of fancy version of a Sputnik. Let's just say that they are in a league of their own thanks to their well-thought-out and unique design. Their arms quickly get buried into the sand, and they do hold better than other sputnik style sinkers out there.
Breakaway Super Sinkers (available from a Tackle shop in Corpus Christy, TX)
But we haven’t had the opportunity to try them.
In conclusion, we can say *Sputnik sinkers* are our preferred fishing sinkers of choice when casting anything from small and light to big and heavy baits from the Piers and Surf on the Gulf Coast.
I can’t finish without a sales pitch!
Always consider carrying several styles and weights of sinkers with you whenever you are going fishing, as you’ll never know what the conditions will be and dictate (especially if you are anything like us and go out on fishing adventures to places that are more than a few hours away from home). That way, you can and will be prepared for whatever fishing conditions you might encounter. Happy fishing and Good luck out there! LeadSlinger Family.
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