The Main Point:

In this article, I have one point to make and the data to prove it: If you aren't using sinker sliders, you're at risk of losing fish and tackle.

Bare Weight	Sinker Slider

Here's the test:

Tie a 12" piece of line to a scale and a bucket of bricks. Lift until the line breaks. (If the line breaks at the knot, try it again). Repeat three times and average the results.

Repeat the entire test with: Brand new line, line that has been fished with a sinker slider, and line that has been fished with a weight directly sliding on the line.

All line was soaked in water for 30 minutes prior to the test.  All line is 20lb spiderwire braid.

Bare Weights Damage Your Line

The line that had been fished with an egg sinker only held 66% of the weight of the line used with a sinker slider!

See how frayed this line was after just two trips:

Sinker Sliders Protect Your Line

The line from the sinker slider showed some wear, too, but not nearly as much fraying:

Weakened Line Costs You $ In Lost Tackle

 Consider this: If your main line breaks, how much does it cost you to re-rig?  I totaled up my current drifting rig at retail prices:

Sinker Slider: $.58
3oz Swivel Weight: $2.75
Swivel: $.11
8/0 Circle Hook: $1.43

=TOTAL: $4.87

Every time I break off my entire rig is like tossing a $5 bill in the water.  If protecting your line cost less than $1, why wouldn't you?

Weakened Line Could Cost You A Big Fish

When was the last time you fish that felt really nice because your line broke?  How disappointing would it be to break off a fish that could have been your personal best fish, just because you failed to use a rig that would protect your line?

I always wondered if the rough and sometimes sharp edges of egg sinkers were weakening my line. Now I know that's absolutely the case!