How to choose fishing rod weights

Well-chosen fishing rod weights can increase your catch rate. Rod weights can have various characteristics. For example, you can design a weight that indicates when a fish is just touching the bait. Or, conversely, you can design a bite alarm that 's indifferent and doesn't react to even the slightest touch.

How important is it to have the right load?

Of course, you can simply attach weights to your tackle and ignore the importance. But choosing the right weight will directly impact the number of fish you catch. Moreover, the cautious predators that inhabit the rivers of the Putorana Plateau Nature Reserve, such as lenok, grayling, and whitefish, may detect a tricky situation when you get a bite.
Incorrectly chosen loading means can scare away future trophies.

• If the weights don't match the float's lightness, the fish will feel the resistance of the bite alarm and stop attacking the bait.
• If the tackle is overloaded, the float will sink on its own. Even with the force of the wind, this will prevent you from catching anything, let alone trophy specimens.

A properly selected sinker allows you to see bites from the first touch. A fish that strikes the bait will try to leave the area with its catch, and consequently, it will be hooked.

Types of fishing rod weights

Properly weighting a fishing tackle involves equipping it with a main sinker and an additional weight. The following weights are used:

• Lead sheets;
• Fraction;
• Olive.

Additional weights are selected based on the following calculation: they represent ¼ of the total weight. If the bite indicator is a float, it has three components: the tip, the keel, and the body. The weight is considered correctly selected when the float is sunk to the middle of the tip.

Lead sheets

One of the oldest methods of weighting, lead is rolled into a sheet. It can then be easily chopped or cut to the required size. This method makes it easy to select the optimal weight. Fishing stores offer pre-rolled sheets marked with specified weights.

Fraction

This weighting option is also very popular. Pellets come in varying weights and can be used as weights. A key advantage of pellet weights is their round shape, allowing them to sink almost silently. Another advantage is the ease of loading tackle.

Olive

These are weights shaped like food items of the same name. They are commonly used to load heavier varieties of bite alarms. The advantage of these weights is that they can be cast relatively long distances.

Available cargo placement options

Most often, two types of fishing rod equipment are used:

• A single-point rig is one where the weight is positioned in one spot. This type of weighting is suitable for fishing in fast currents. To achieve rapid penetration, the weight is moved closer to the hooks, or, if a slower sinking of the rig is desired, closer to the float.
• A spaced rig is achieved by using multiple weights. This allows for greater bite sensitivity. The key to this type of weighting is the proper placement of the weights. The heaviest weights are attached higher up, toward the bite alarm, and the closer they get to the hooks, the lighter they become. The lower, the lighter.

How to equip a fishing rod float correctly?

The differences in the waters of the Putorana Plateau, as well as the fishing for different species of fish, affect the correctness of the equipment.

• When fishing fast-flowing mountain rivers, heavier additional bait is used. The same should be kept in mind when selecting a float; it should be heavier.
• When fishing on lakes Epekli and Agata, you can use a split-shot rod rig. This helps you spot even the slightest bites.
• When fishing in windy conditions, avoid overloading the float. This allows the bite indicator to float better. It won't sink under the force of the waves, allowing you to detect bites.
• Long-distance fishing requires specialized rod rigging. The float needs to be visible, so these glass-like floats are often used. Olives make excellent weights.
• When targeting carp, it's best to lower the sinkers to the bottom. This allows the rig to quickly penetrate the water, lowering the hook to the bottom.
• When fishing in the middle layers of water, the main weight is raised higher toward the float. This rig is most often used for catching roach.