Sputnik Sinkers - Surf Casting

[TWIN D'S]

Was in a tackle shop today and they had so-called sputnik sinkers, but the wires were actually made with 12 or 14 guage bare copper house wire. Could be made for pennies. Anyone ever use these and do they work? Just curious.

Phil

[CLAMCHUNKER]

they r nice if around some structure they tend to bend and break a little more. i am suprised of how litlle they are used in this area though.

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

In a Heavy Surf and Current they are the way to
go to hold you baits..But I Noticed some of the
SurfCaster's using them up on IBSP last Saturday
were having a hard time pulling them out of the
sand,most likley they did not have the proper
setup to be using them.Each time they tried to
Retrieve there Line it looked like they had a
monster on until it broke loose out of the sand..
Not sure how the type of wire would effect the
situation.I am sure the lighter would serve a
purpose in some conditions...

[CLAMCHUNKER]

strikes if they where using the heavy gauge ones like i use in the obx they r tough to pull i found the ones that d's was talking about to be better up here.

[Eric G]

Buy only the ones with the beads on the wires. They will release with a soft tug. Easy retrieve.

One w/ copper wires are almost impossible to reel in. Wait till the first "weed ball" and you'll know what I mean.

The homemade "job's" were popularized by Manual Z from San Antonio TX. While molds were cheap to make (from Bondo auto body putty), they have thier limitations.

[Darrin G. DGREENEMACHINE]

Eric has it right especially up here with the harder sand bottom. We used them allot when we used to surf fish along with those special sinkers from Hatteras that look like a plow blade. Both are excellent. The Sputnick with the beads worked easily enough and didn't "stick" much at all. Not sure what would happen with light gauge copper wired though. I probably wouldn't go there except maybe to try ONE and see if it worked. Don't usually fix what ain't broke. Except to leave biting fish looking for bigger ones

[TWIN D'S]

Thanks guys. I guess what it comes down to is every design has its' time and its' place.

Phil

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

Originally posted by Eric G:
Buy only the ones with the beads on the wires. They will release with a soft tug. Easy retrieve.

True Eric,
I have a few in different sizes with the
beads and they work great........

[Billy BaitSlinger]

Sputniks work great, but they aren't cheap. With this type of sinker, you can hold bottom with less lead, as compared to lets say a pyramid or Hatteras style. Of course, this is a good thing.

I had situations where I could hold bottom in the surf with a 3 oz Sputnik, but could not with a 4 oz pyramid. The Hatteras (long style with squarish head) was about the same. So its like you needed 5 oz to equal the holding power of a 3 oz Sputnik. I guess, because of this "dig in".

Don't know about the bead-less variety; sounds like they don't "release" as well. Mine had a rectangular bead on each of 4 legs, that snaps into and out of the channel.

[busted eye]

******** bait and tackle has them in Sea Isle city they are made with stainless steel instead of the copper wire. they dont break. I have been using the same one for about a year now. check them out they are the best in any surf condition.

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[ 05-26-2004, 03:55 PM: Message edited by: Eric G ]

[joeturse]

Have been using the breakaway sinker's for a couple of year's now,and love em.
Hurt's when you loose one,but I throw 50lb.PP on a conventional outfit,so not to much of an issue with me.
They hold real well,even in a rough surf.

Joe

[Eric G]

Frog tonuges are the "super hold" type used in Hatteras. Triangle in shape, with prongs, no wires (not to be confused with sputnicks), totally different sinkers. I have a link to a mold maker of the frog tonuges if anybody is interseted. The molds ain't cheap...

Hatteras storm sinkers are a modified pryamid (again no wires).

Breakaways, sputniks, far-out sinkers are the common names for sinkers with the wires. There have been several proposals pushed by the State to ban them in State Parks/Management areas, i.e. CISP, IBSP (bathers step on the "lost" sputniks = OUCH!!)