Making new sinkers look old

[MVP]

Have some nice shiny sinkers that I want to make look used and weathered. Any suggestion out there to give them that weathered look and take the shine off. Sam recommended using vinegar. Any other suggestion would be appreciated especially if it is a quick and easy.

[Capt Sal]

I don't know why but my sinkers don't get a chance to get old when we are blackfishing lol

[Rob B]

leave them in a bucket of water they will loose the shiny finish

[Joey Dah Fish]

Have some nice shiny sinkers that I want to make look used and weathered. Any suggestion out there to give them that weathered look and take the shine off. Sam recommended using vinegar. Any other suggestion would be appreciated especially if it is a quick and easy.
I like to spray paint them dark colors. Greg for 8 blue for 10 etc this way when I reach in my bucket every 10 minutes after losing yet another rig I know exact what size it will lose next :)

[Fishin Dude]

Color coded sinkers for quick identification, nice.

[The Sinker Man]

soap and water..let soak over night and pat dry.
mild bleach and water, soak over night.
salt and water, soak over night...

[The Sinker Man]

Find someone that has the same size as your new one and swap him the new ones for his old dull dirty ones.

[Foul Hook]

Have some nice shiny sinkers that I want to make look used and weathered. Any suggestion out there to give them that weathered look and take the shine off. Sam recommended using vinegar. Any other suggestion would be appreciated especially if it is a quick and easy.
Alex you don't need any help getting tog to bite your hook. You are always in the mix brother. Matter of fact I think you should fish with one hand to give the rest of us a chance!:p

[kurtisb]

Mine age naturally.
I haven't lost many sinkers this year.
Fished one of Sam's flat 12s for three trips.
Got another 12 that made it through two trips so far, dark gray and gnarly.

[Blackfish Bobby]

Have some nice shiny sinkers that I want to make look used and weathered. Any suggestion out there to give them that weathered look and take the shine off. Sam recommended using vinegar. Any other suggestion would be appreciated especially if it is a quick and easy.

A bucket with a little water and sand slurry. Just enough to cover sinkers. Swirl sinkers around for a while until shine comes off. If togging I highly recommend not using soap or chemicals on the lead.

[Cindy Sea]

great title!!

[Fish Stix]

Just put them in saltwater for a bit. It won't take long

[PaulNreel]

Its just my naive curiosity, why do you want your sinkers to look old?

[MVP]

Its just my naive curiosity, why do you want your sinkers to look old?

Thanks for the responses. Blackfish feed both visually and by smell. Do not want him to notice my shiny sinker slightly moving as he pecks away at my bait. HAve seen video of blackfish backing away from bait when seeing sinker move. Beat up old looking sinker I would thing may blend in better with the surroundings. No scientific data here just notice that I get more bites with non shiny sinkers. Anything to get an advantage. Kiss principle always seems to work best but I am always looking to build a better mouse trap.

[MVP]

A bucket with a little water and sand slurry. Just enough to cover sinkers. Swirl sinkers around for a while until shine comes off. If togging I highly recommend not using soap or chemicals on the lead.

Was thinking the same thing about any kind of residue leaving a scent that might turn them off.

[The Sinker Man]

how do you know if it would attract them or repel them..

[Wilson]

how do you know if it would attract them or repel them..
Because that's what Gerry Z. uses on his sinkers. I never saw him get even a bite:eek:

[Islander II]

I actually fished a charter on Friday that supplied sinkers, new ones. Had no problems catching a limit ++ at all.

[JerseyCoast]

A bucket with a little water and sand slurry. Just enough to cover sinkers. Swirl sinkers around for a while until shine comes off. If togging I highly recommend not using soap or chemicals on the lead.


Great advice here. Lead is a soft metal and the soap will stay on there and leave a scent trail for a short amount of time. I know guys who soak sinkers in bunker juice, because they feel it adds to the scent.

Paint will also leave an un natural scent to them for a while too. I like the sand and water bit here. It will work the quickest because the sand will scratch the surface quicker. Great idea that was given here.

[jigemup]

Thanks for the responses. Blackfish feed both visually and by smell. Do not want him to notice my shiny sinker slightly moving as he pecks away at my bait. HAve seen video of blackfish backing away from bait when seeing sinker move. Beat up old looking sinker I would thing may blend in better with the surroundings. No scientific data here just notice that I get more bites with non shiny sinkers. Anything to get an advantage. Kiss principle always seems to work best but I am always looking to build a better mouse trap.

Alex, Do you have a link to the feeding blackfish, would like to see them feeding. From my experience with jig colors, color does not matter, not sure what works or not, but I think the color should blend in with the surroundings and not stand out.

[Fin Reaper]

When copper or brass was used on roofs they would often use urine (horse or human) to speed up the tarnishing process. The verdigris that formed was the desired look. If urine was not available or pissing on you roof was not an option, vinegar was often used. I would think a quick soak would dull a sinker up real nice and any residual scent wouldn't be that far from gulp ( After a day of sticking my fingers in the gulp jar they kinda smell like vinegar...at least to me it does).

[jmurr711]

Alex, Do you have a link to the feeding blackfish, would like to see them feeding. From my experience with jig colors, color does not matter, not sure what works or not, but I think the color should blend in with the surroundings and not stand out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8DYIXPXXGU

Imma try the salt thing since i do not ahve sand readily available

[Fine Catch]

I am not buying into this whole scent thing and being so fussy with your sinkers. When I was alot younger, I fished with a couple of old blackfish sharpies who would out catch everyone on the boat, 5 to 1 or better. They used old spark plugs for sinkers. You can't get much more stinky than that, with the unburned hydrocarbons, soot and oil. I also fished for cod up in Pt. Judith and the sharpies up there sprayed WD40 on their clam baits.

[jmurr711]

I am not buying into this whole scent thing and being so fussy with your sinkers. When I was alot younger, I fished with a couple of old blackfish sharpies who would out catch everyone on the boat, 5 to 1 or better. They used old spark plugs for sinkers. You can't get much more stinky than that, with the unburned hydrocarbons, soot and oil. I also fished for cod up in Pt. Judith and the sharpies up there sprayed WD40 on their clam baits.

i just do not like the shine

[Fin Reaper]

i just do not like the shine


I like old sinkers, the more beat up the better, each one is like a battle scared veteran but for some reason I can't explain loosing a brand new, perfectly smooth and shiny sinker is just damn upsetting.

[jigemup]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8DYIXPXXGU

Imma try the salt thing since i do not ahve sand readily available

Thanks Joey, I've seen this one, thought Alex might have a tape of one that showed blackfish in the wild. My nephew Jeff said he is on a Monger trip with you in January, good luck.

[MVP]

Alex, Do you have a link to the feeding blackfish, would like to see them feeding. From my experience with jig colors, color does not matter, not sure what works or not, but I think the color should blend in with the surroundings and not stand out.

Enclosed is link to one of the videos. It is the 3rd video. When blackfish sees sinker move he moves off the bait. Will try to find other one for you.

http://neangling.com/recommended-tackle/blackfish-tackle/deepwater-blackfish/

[Scotty]

I like old sinkers, the more beat up the better, each one is like a battle scared veteran but for some reason I can't explain loosing a brand new, perfectly smooth and shiny sinker is just damn upsetting.
i go thru so many sinkers a year that if I had this mentality, I would have lost it a long time ago...

good thread though. Maybe time to unshine all of Sam's creations...