Home of "The Poor Man's Downrigger™ "
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TIPS AND HINTS
Try not to let the wire entirely out of the sleeve while adjusting the tension, Which end goes where, what is the right side up, etc. can be confusing the first time or two. If you leave the wire partially in the sleeve, you can't go wrong!
If you do happen to separate the wire and the sleeve entirely, re-assembly is easy if you just follow the photo slideshow below. TIP: Be sure that you place the short side of the double-backed wire outside of the sleeve, Then when you move that short side up to the top of the sleeve (the top is always the side away from the notch), it will all fall into place! Some of us are less spatially oriented... just ask me!
Some of you may have trouble taking the wire in and out of the sleeve by hand alone. Matt (now 90, a bit arthritic and missing part of a thumb) sometimes will place a needle-nosed pliers between the coil and the sleeve, and rotate. I occasionally use my needle holder (now a hook remover), but any pointy tool that gives a firm grip will work.
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This slideshow will show you how to adjust tension of the SINKER-DROPPER
Please use arrows below to follow step-by-step adjustment instructions
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SOME ADDITIONAL HINTS:
When bending the wire sideways to add extra resisitance, bend it so that the end of the wire moves away from you, and make your bend in about the middle of the wire. This makes it easier to pop back into the sleeve. A bend of 5-10 degrees is usually enough.
After a sideways bend, be sure that the gate closes. It may require a little extra push.
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You can add extra strong tension by crimping the sleeve with pliers. Put your crimps at the top of the sleeve so that the gate wire is not affected. If you crimp the sleeve, take baby steps until you have the tension just right! It is difficult (but not impossible) to reverse a crimped sleeve.
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SOME TIPS (most of them painfully gained in the field):
It is darned hard to land the fish if the leader is longer than the rod! As small as it is, the SINKER-DROPPER will not go through rod guides. Keep the leader length reasonable. I speak from experience.
Monofilament tied directly to the coil of the spring has a tendency to slip. Use a loop to attach the mono, or a snap swivel, preferably one without a split ring.
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For easy loading, another technique is to close the wire gate partially, leaving a bit of wire as a "hook" to suspend the sinker. It can then be closed at your leisure. We especially like this feature of the SINKER-DROPPER. With the tube-spring device, the gate must be constantly held open against the tension of the spring. This can be challenging in cold and/or rough weather!
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Avoid the loss of your main terminal tackle by making the weight connection to the gate of the SINKER-DROPPER with a line that is lighter than your leader. This way, if you snag the sinker, it will break away first and save your more precious rigging.
Don't be afraid to experiment with the SINKER-DROPPER before you use it. It can always be returned to a usable condition (see TWEAKING).
Hollow core lead is very easy to add as a sinker, and it is simple to adjust the weight by snipping away a bit to lighten up. It is our favorite!
The SINKER-DROPPER does not have to be used with lead as the weight. Matt's favorite is a chunk of re-bar. I like little sacks with rocks.
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A WORD ABOUT LEAD: Even though there is no evidence that larger lead weights dropped in our waterways cause any environmental damage, the worry is of concern to many. With small sinkers like split shot, and with birdshot, it was found that if waterfowl ingested these as grist when they fed, soluble lead substances could leach into their bodies and cause death from lead poisoning. As a result, the use of lead in birdshot is banned in the US and many other countries. New York, Maine and Vermont ban the use of lead sinkers of less than half an ounce, and lead weights of less than one ounce are banned in all waters in New Hampshire. Canada bans sinkers weighing less than 50 grams (1.76 ounces) and the United Kingdom forbids the use of lead weight of one ounce or less. The EU (European Union) recently rejected a ban on lead sinkers for the rest of Europe.
Most authorities do not feel that the larger lead weights are harmful to birds. We at SINKER-DROPPER, LLC maintain an open mind, but at the present time, we cannot make a blanket condemnation of lead sinkers of an ounce or more, for which the SINKER-DROPPER is designed.
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