Rock sinkers

[Leo Nguyen]

I can't seem to find a subject on this after a bit of searching on the site. I'm never into the lead sinkers, but if I can't find replacement for lead, I have no choice but to use lead.

However, I found rock sinkers like the ones from RockyBrook Sinkers. BUT, rather than shelling out $0.50 a pop, I have tons of river rocks I can collect all over, with different weights. Just curious if anyone here made sinkers out of smooth rocks before?

Why use lead to harm the fish and our health when we can use rocks to not only provide sunken habitat conditions when we lose them, but give ourselves the health benefits in the long run. Just curious.

[Leo Nguyen]

Thanks Travis. Great options on the lead-free. Since other type of metals are still metals that require oxidization, which is toxic regardless, I believe rocks are the way to go. The only thing is, too little variety of rock-based sinker to really use. Would be nice to have an inline rock sinker for jigging.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Hey Leo you could make dipsy style sinkers by wire wrapping stones.

Im picturing a rock with a few wraps of wire, a loop finishing it off on top. This could still function as a bottom style fish-finder rig, with the line run through the loop. It aint text book, but I've done the same. It would naturally double as a line end style sinker for drop shotting and the like.

Strip the insulation from some scrap copper wire and use your abundant rocks. It's metal, yes, but far less "toxic" than some others.

Im also picturing soft stone like soapstone or even some old mortar mix fashioned into egg sinkers. These are fairly easy to drill through.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Some hard plastic tubing epoxied to a stone might also do the trick and be much easier. Plastic isn't "natural," but it wont turn toxic over time, either.

[Leo Nguyen]

LOL David. You and your crazy approaches! LOVE IT! Not too keen on the wires approaches, since there are birds that will see the wires as an attractant which will swallow those wires like it's foods (mimicking worms). Dead birds..DFG won't like that since we have tons of migratory birds around here. I'll stay away from cement as well. Not good to use since the pH from cement will destroy habitats, even if they're just a small amount.

However! Soapstones..or is it pumice stones! Not exactly beneficial limestone, but easily breakable or broken down for fish consumption (yes..fish do eat rocks and sands as part of their diets). Great idea. Now..small sized pumice stone that can hold shape as you drill through..nice challenge. Dang boy! You make my head think too much near the end of the day ;-)

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

If you look at your River Stone sinkers, from the website you mentioned, they are merely epoxying loops to the rocks. That would be a no-worry way to do it - basically, just duplicate what they have done.

Another idea is the resin they make statues, figurines and such out of. This stuff is dense, ecologically benign and not hard to work. You could buy several of these at a thrift store, for just a few bucks, cut, shape and drill to your hearts content - - and there you go... again!

(Do be mindful though, that the dust is an irritant to YOU. Wear a mask, when sanding it)

[Johnny wilkins]

The sinkers I have are minuscule and they rarely fall off my line. The picture I have of attaching a rock to my rig just isn't a pretty one. I picture tying a rock to a witch, but not my line. I use really fine shot that is no bigger than an eraser tip and often times is as small as a pencil point.

Also - it goes on my line - not in the fish. You will find that the run-off and manufacturing, road, consumer yard products add more harmful nutrients a billion-fold vs. some split shot. Not for big catfish sinkers, ounce sinkers - a rock is great. You know the time it takes to make these so these become expensive to manufacture. I did see rock sinkers on sale at my local carp store as real products - but they were 2x the price of their metal competition. hmmm....

[Johnny wilkins]

Also - lead-free splitshot is worse than Water Gremlin in terms of performance - HORRIBLE.

I wouldn't use those lead-free green products if they gave me a lifetime supply and paid me. That said, I hope they can both improver their ability to stay in place on the line and reduce the price. It would be a great thing if I could have green shot that worked.