Sinkers are seldom-discussed pieces of terminal
fishing tackle. Historically, fishing weights were just not that
glamorous and were seen as simple tools to take fishing
presentations into the depths. However, several design breakthroughs
have occurred in recent years. In my opinion, one sinker stands out
above all others in terms of innovation and versatility – the
Sling-Shot Worm Weight from
Northland Fishing Tackle.
At first glance, the Sling-Shot is a sleek, bullet shaped sinker
like those ever-popular among bass anglers for Texas-rigging soft
plastics. Available in unpainted, watermelon, bullhead, and crawfish
patterns, the Sling-Shot matches up well with many of the popular
bass catching colors. That’s about where the commonalities among the
Sling-Shot and other bullet sinkers ends however.
Mr. Sling-Shot – the Missing Link!
Don Link, a fabricator and bass fisherman from Minnesota brought the
Sling-Shot sinker design to
Northland. “We took one look and knew it
was a homerun,” says brand manager, John Crane. “Mr. Link has a
passion for building better mousetraps for fishing and we’ve had him
design other items for us. This one is so cool, though. It’s
revolutionary! I’m confident in saying the design of the Sling-Shot
is superior to all others in terms of versatility. It’s one of our
most dynamic and unique products. Who would have ever thought a
sinker could create such a stir?”
The aberration that sets this sinker apart from all others is its
adjustable rubber sling that will slip or grip on the line,
whichever an angler prefers. Unlike the rubber-core sinkers of old
where the line was twisted around the rubber core, an angler threads
the line right through the sling of the of the Sling-Shot. The
weight itself is slotted. It can be removed by simply pinching the
end of the sling with thumb and finger, stretching it slightly, and
slipping it out through the slot. This slotted quick-change design
makes switching weights and colors quick and easy with no retying.
Innovative Insurance
While the Sling-Shot is surely new and innovative, it’s no gimmick.
An obvious advantage of the Sling-Shot over other sinkers is its
ability to protect the line. No metal comes into contact with the
line, only the rubber sling. The sling totally protects the line
from the sinker itself. I’ve seen other weights do damage to fishing
line, most often beating up the knot. Despite the abrasion
resistance of modern fishing line, metal to mono, fluorocarbon, and
even braid is a disappointment in the making. The Sling-Shot
provides an angler insurance that his sinker won’t scar his line.
Slip or Grip?
Another beauty of the Sling-Shot is the “slip or grip” options it
affords anglers. Bass fanatics banter back and forth on whether it’s
best to “pin” the sinker to the plastic or allow it to slide up and
down the line. The Sling-Shot meets the needs of anglers on both
sides of this debate as well as those in the middle. Threaded on the
line, the weight is in the “slip-mode” and ready to fish. To switch
to the “grip-mode”, the angler simply pinches, pulls, and twists the
rubber sling between his fingers and it grips the line, due to the
intricate machining within the Sling-Shot. There’s no need for
toothpicks, rubber stops, or threading tools. The design does not
tear up soft plastic baits like the worm weights with cork-screw
keepers either. This saves on baits over the course of a day of
pitchin’ and flippin’ and gives new meaning to “grip-n-grin.”
The Hinge
Crane, who excels at extracting big fish from heavy cover with large
Sling-Shot rigged creatures, likes to “hinge” his soft plastic
offerings. With the weight in the grip mode, he slides it up the
line just slightly, leaving a small gap between the weight and lure.
“By leaving a small gap between the Sling-Shot and plastic, it
creates a segmented or jointed profile and action. It’s like the
creature has a head. I believe bass will focus on this and strike
the front, business end of big creature baits and worms rigged this
way, increasing hook-ups.”
Southern Sling-Shot Rig
Of course, the Sling-Shot doesn’t need to be pegged tight to the
bait or hinged as Crane prefers. It will grip anywhere on the line.
I’ve been using it to create modified Carolina rig with the weight
fixed about eighteen inches up the line. I call it the “Southern
Sling-Shot Rig.” With this set-up, I don’t need a swivel and I
essentially eliminate two extra knots, potential weak links in my
line. I can adjust my leader length in a snap, too. I’ll use heavy
gear and rig up with a Slurpies Jungle Hog or Dip-Stick. Or, I’ll go
to lighter weights, finesse plastics, and spinning gear - similar to
a split-shot rig. For conventional Carolina rigging, where I want
fish to be able to pull line back through the weight, I’ll include a
swivel and leave the weight in the “slip-mode”. Again, the
Sling-Shot excels over plain bullet and egg sinkers that are
abrasive to fishing line.
Drop-Shot Rig
Last summer, my brother, Craig discovered the effectiveness of the
drop-shot rig on our home waters. While he’d used it before here and
there, he devoted most of August to learning the applications and
intricacies of this technique. Craig found the drop-shot to be
phenomenally effective for plucking largemouth from deep coontail in
the gin clear lakes of Minnesota. He was amazed at the number of
bass a weedline can hold, more than he ever imagined, even on small
lakes we have fished for thirty years – with other presentations. I
spent a few days in the boat with him probing late-summer bass
haunts and we put the Sling-Shot to the test, as a drop-shot weight.
While drop-shotting is material for another article, I will include
this here: the Sling-Shot works dynamite for this application. We
attach the weight to the tag line with the cone directed up – toward
the lure, usually a Slurpies Shakey-Worm. Then, we tie a simple
overhand knot near the end of the tag and with the sling in the
sling in the “grip” mode, slide the weight down against the knot.
This helps keep it from pulling off if it gets stuck in a stubborn
patch of grass. The sleek shape of the Sling-Shot however, allows it
to weasel through cover easier than traditional ball, diamond, and
cylinder shaped drop weights.
Have you tried Sling-Shot Worm Weights yet? Get this. They’ve
replaced all other sinkers in my bass tackle box. Whether you like
to flip, pitch, skip, drop, drag, or doodle with worms, hogs, tubes,
or beavers, . . . . better get ya some!
Craig Peterson caught this magnum Minnesota largemouth on a
Sling-Shot rigged Slurpies Brush Beaver.
Travis Peterson
classicbass.com Field Staff
